Coral Hearts Read online

  During their short chat, Coral had reluctantly admitted Charlotte had rented her the tiny apartment above the store—a place Sage had known Charlotte hadn’t rented out to anyone in almost a decade. Christ, what kind of condition had the place been in? Couldn’t have been good, that’s for sure. He and his brothers were all pretty good handymen and carpenters. It had crossed his mind to check the stairs at the back of the store that led up to the apartment the next time he was in town. Winters in Montana were usually brutal and those old stairs had been through too many to count.

  After meeting Coral for the first time, he’d updated his brothers on Charlotte’s newest employee during one of the rare occasions all five Morgan brothers managed to sit together for an evening meal. When they’d all expressed interest, he’d had to bite his tongue to keep from staking a claim. Not surprisingly, it had been Kip who’d gone straight to the heart of the matter, “You going after her big brother? Because if not, I’m thinkin’ maybe I ought to make a trip to hardware store real soon.” Kip was the youngest and the most impulsive of the five of them, and he was also a first class horn dog who attracted women like a magnet. Even at the tender age of twenty-five he had already worked his way through most of the female population in a hundred mile radius.

  “You might want to reconsider that decision little brother.” Colt’s words barely covered his chuckle. “I’d say the eat shit and die look you’re getting’ from Sage is mighty meaningful—if you catch my drift.” Brandt and Phoenix both laughed as Sage picked up his plate, and moved to the sink to rinse the dish before placing it in the dishwasher. He had known his brothers were teasing but it hadn’t stopped the spark of jealousy that had flared inside of him. Hell, he’d never been jealous of a woman before because he’d always made every effort to avoid entanglements whenever possible. But you were never jealous of Mackenzie and God knows she pulled every trick in the book to make you that way. So what’s so special about this woman?

  Over the past year, Sage hadn’t dated the same woman more than a time or two. And even then, he’d made sure she understood the way things were from the beginning—he had no intention of making another disastrous decision. But even now, several months later, he still remembered the moment—standing at the sink in their kitchen and knowing to the depths of his soul there had been something very special about Coral. He hadn’t been able to shut down the sense of possessiveness he’s felt surge to the surface at Kip’s taunt, and even though it wasn’t a feeling he was particularly proud of, it had still been there.

  Sage had known Coral was nearby when he’d entered the store because he’d caught a whiff of the delicious fresh citrus scent that always seemed to surround her. Christ, I’m going to start getting a fucking hard-on every morning when I drink orange juice if I’m not careful. He’d wondered where she gotten off to when the ladder next to him had suddenly rattled. Sage looked up just in time to see her fingers slipping from the top rung, her eyes had already been closing, and the entire scene seemed to play out in slow motion. He’d easily caught her in his arms and been shocked at how slight she felt in his arms. Christ, doesn’t the woman eat anything at all? She can’t weigh a hundred pounds. He was overcome with an almost overwhelming urge to protect her, a feeling he’d barely been holding back for the past five months—but now it consumed him.

  Charlotte was beside herself with worry and Sage had to smile at the elderly woman’s mothering of Coral. When Charlotte’s husband died several years ago, many in their small town had become convinced the feisty older woman was going to follow him to the grave. Charlotte had fallen into a depression so deep word of her struggles eventually made its way to Brandt, even though he’d been deployed on the other side of the globe at the time. Amazingly, the middle Morgan son had managed to convince his Commander he needed a short leave and Brandt had returned home to check on his former employer.

  The summer before joining the Navy, Brandt had helped the O’Donnell’s out at their store. Sage wasn’t sure what had forged their bond, but Ben and Charlotte had both treated Brandt like a son as long as Sage could remember. He’d never known for sure how Brandt had gotten the short leave or what he’d said to Charlotte during the days he spent with her—but the difference in her had been noticeable. To this day the two of them were close, and now it looked as if Charlotte was becoming equally attached to Coral Williams.

  Charlotte’s battle back from her grief had been a long, slow process. But Brandt’s visit had been the turning point, and the locals had been relieved to know she would eventually make her way back to them. Pine Creek was a small town, and the sense of community strong. There had been a collective sigh of relief when they’d started seeing glimpses of the old Charlotte reemerge. When Brandt returned home to stay he’d taken the part-time job as a deputy. Hell, the two of them still spent time together whenever they could. When the former sheriff died, Brandt inherited his position, and his time with Charlotte was often cut short. His younger brother was essentially the only law enforcement officer for miles around, leaving little time for anything personal. Sage had never heard Charlotte complain, but he’d seen the loneliness creeping back into her soft blue eyes. Coral’s arrival had seemed to put the spring back in Charlotte’s step, and everyone who knew her was thrilled with the change. “Oh my. Do you think we should call Doc? I have no idea what to do? She was fine before you came in. We were chatting up a storm. But she does seem to get mighty flustered anytime you’re around.”

  The significance of Charlotte’s words wasn’t lost on Sage. Could she be as attracted to me as I am to her? Fuck, maybe I’ve been wasting valuable time. “Well, she was awfully quiet up there. I didn’t even know she was there.” So I am wondering if she was even breathing. He sat down on a pallet of feedbags, and settled her on his lap. When her eyes fluttered open, he grinned at her startled expression. “Surprised, sweet cheeks? I was too. It isn’t every day the good Lord drops a gorgeous woman right into my arms. I think I’ll buy a lottery ticket at the Stop ’n Go before I leave town, because I’m fairly certain this is my lucky day.”

  She was looking at him with eyes that were bedroom soft, and he could see she wasn’t back to herself. Her eyes weren’t focusing on anything. When he pressed his lips softly against her forehead she closed her eyes again, whispering, “Wow, what a great dream. No hot sex, but still awfully nice. Warm and snuggly too.” When he looked up at Charlotte, she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, and she quickly pressed her palm over her mouth before the laughter he saw in her eyes managed to escape. Yes, indeed, it seemed the sweet old woman had been keeping information from him—Sage would be having a chat with Charlotte about that one day soon.

  When Charlotte nodded her head to the side letting him know she’d was heading back the front of the store he nodded and grinned. He could barely believe what he’d heard and he was planning to use is shamefully to his advantage. “Hey Sleeping Beauty time to rise and shine.” He felt her go completely still in his arms a second before her eyes popped wide open, and she started frantically trying to scramble off his lap. “Oh no you don’t, sweetness. You stay right where you are for a minute. I want to make sure you are alright before I let go of the most beautiful woman to ever fall into my arms.”

  She turned her face into his chest, but not before he saw her blush so deeply he could actually feel the warmth of her cheeks through his flannel shirt. “Oh my God, please, please, please tell me I didn’t say all of that out loud. I swear I’ll die of humiliation if I did.”

  “Well, since I was hoping you’d come to our New Year’s celebration, I’m sure not going to say anything that might make you expire from humiliation. So how about this? I won’t mention all the times I’ve dreamt about holding you like this, and you don’t have to tell me about your dreams.” Yet. “How does that sound?” She still had her face buried in his chest and when she nodded he couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Sweetness, someday very soon nodding is not going to work for ya. You’re going to have to answe
r questions with words. Now, up with you. And I’m not going to take no for an answer to my party invitation. Seems the least you could do, after all I caught you before you before you made your way all the way to the floor.”

  He set her on her feet, but kept his hands on her hips until she was steady. She was too thin, that was for sure, and he was sure she’d lost weight since she’d moved to town. Hell, now that he considered it, she’d lost quite a bit of weight in the past month. “Hand me your phone sweetness, and let me program in the directions to the ranch.” When she seemed to hesitate he raised a brow and studied her. “Coral is there some reason I can’t see your phone?” Her almost imperceptible tensing might have been missed by some men, but Sage had been a Dom too many years to miss even the slightest response. He may not get to the club down in Billings very often, but he damned sure hadn’t slipped enough to miss her hesitance or the flash of fear that went across her pretty face.

  When she pulled the phone from her pocket and started to activate it herself, he gently took it from her fingers and opened it. Twenty missed calls? In the past two hours? And all of them from “Unavailable” according to her caller ID? Sliding the small electronic device into his breast pocket, he watched her for several seconds before speaking. “I’ll tell you what, since it’s almost closing time, I’m going to tell Charlotte I’m kidnapping you to have dinner with me at the diner. You get your jacket and meet me by the front door in two minutes. And don’t you even think about trying to ditch me, sweetness, or I’ll add another punishment to your tab.”

  Her eyes went impossibly wide, and her voice was the perfect mixture of apprehension and anticipation that never failed to make him rock hard. “Another?”

  “Another. I’m going to have to teach you how important it is to ask for help when you need it, sweetness. I’m not a fool, and I know full well these missed calls are a problem for you. I’m also betting they are at least part of the reason you’ve lost so much weight recently, and your pretty ivory skin has those dark circles under your eyes.” He turned her toward the back of the store and gave her heart shaped ass a gentle swat, “Now go, your two minutes start now.”

  Chapter Three

  Sage kept his palm pressed against Coral’s lower back as they walked the half block to the diner, knowing it would set the tone for what was to come. Begin as you intend to go. The sexual Dominant inside Sage knew keeping Coral settled in his presence, and gaining her trust was going to be crucial to finding out what was going on. But the man inside was fighting a furious battle to keep from demanding answers. The same surge of possessiveness he’d felt at his brothers’ taunts was back, and he was struggling to keep from throwing her over his shoulder and heading straight back to the ranch.

  Once they’d settled into one of the back booths and placed their orders, he’d looked at her expectantly. When she didn’t respond immediately, he leaned forward and grinned. “We can do this one of two ways, sweetness. I can interrogate you and pull the information out of you, or you can save us both a lot of time and frustration by just coming straight out with it. Tell me what’s going on and how I can help.”

  He watched her closely and could almost hear the wheels spinning as she weighed her options. The small diner wasn’t full yet, but the smell of dinners waiting to be served mingled with the scent of freshly baked bread and cinnamon rolls. When he heard her stomach growl, he smiled—at least she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to rush back out the door. “How about I help you get started. Tell me why you haven’t been eating. Money or stress?”

  Instantly her eyes were swimming in unshed tears. “How did you know?” Her whispered question tore at his heart, because it was obvious she wasn’t accustomed to anyone taking any personal interest in her. That was about to change in a very big way, but he didn’t think she was quite ready to hear it yet. If he made Coral Williams his own, he’d know more about her sweet body than she did. There wouldn’t be a square inch he didn’t map with tender kisses and licks.

  “Well darlin’, I pay attention to details. Success is always in the details, and I’ve been interested in you since the first time I saw you. Now, answer the question.” Sage made sure he put enough command in the last sentence she wouldn’t mistake it as a request.

  She immediately lowered her eyes to her clasped hands resting on the table. Ahh, pretty girl my suspicions were right. Such a sweet little sub. “Well both actually. The calls are…well they are worrisome.” Yeah, I fucking bet they are. “I know I’m going to have to move on soon even though I don’t really want to, so I’m trying to save money.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before going on. “Sometimes, I just can’t face eating another package of Ramen Noodles for dinner, you know? So I skip eating altogether.” Her chuckle was hollow, and he knew how much effort it had taken her.

  “Please don’t tell Charlotte. She’d have a fit and I know she can’t afford to pay me more. I’ve seen the daily sales numbers, and I honestly don’t know how she can afford to pay me at all.” Sage barely managed to hold back a howl of laughter at Coral’s observation because Charlotte O’Donnell was probably one of the richest people in the state. Both she and her late husband had come from very wealthy families. Both families owned thousands of acres and the land was covering billions of dollars in natural gas that had only recently been tapped. Charlotte and Ben had never lived lavishly, and hadn’t been blessed with children so their fortune had grown exponentially over the years. Sage didn’t even want to attempt an estimate of what Charlotte’s net worth might be.

  Even though he knew it was absurd—he held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor, I won’t say a thing about your poor eating habits to Charlotte—on one condition.” He gave her a second to process the fact he was going to expect something in return, before adding, “As long as you agree to eat with me whenever I ask you to.” She might have been eating at the diner, but he’d noticed most days she’d simply ordered a small cup of soup. Some might have seen his “bargain” as blackmail, or was it extortion? Hell, he’d never been able to remember which was which—that was Brandt’s area of expertise, not his. Sage had a sinking feeling they were going to be needing Brandt for more than a couple of legal definitions in the very near future.

  While they ate their hot beef sandwiches, Coral slowly told him her story. Every new detail gave him added respect for the brave woman sitting across from him. “My parents were killed by a teen driver who was texting. The little twerp wasn’t even charged because his parents owned the local bank and…well, my mom and dad weren’t exactly pillars of the community.” Covering her hand with his own, he gave her an encouraging squeeze. She took a deep breath before continuing, “I was paralyzed by grief. I didn’t have any other family and even though I didn’t approve of everything my mom and dad did—well, they were all I had. And then all of the sudden they were gone. I barely scraped together enough money to bury them, and paying off their mortgage? Forget about that. The bank president whose son who was driving the car the broadsided mom and dad was all too happy to send me an eviction notice.”

  Sage made a silent vow to destroy the man who’d wanted his son’s crime pushed into the past badly enough to essentially kick Coral out of her own home. “I’d been living at home to save money while I took a couple of classes at the local junior college. But when I had to move, I had to quit and start working full-time.” He saw the wistfulness in her eyes and hated the fact her life had been so difficult. “As you can imagine, the employment opportunities in rural Georgia are pretty slim when you don’t have an education, so I packed up everything that would fit in my car and moved in with the guy I’d been dating. He lived closer to Atlanta, and I’d hoped I could find a good job there.”

  “It didn’t take me long to know I’d made a huge mistake moving in with him. We hadn’t been dating for long and ordinarily I wouldn’t have even considered it, but…” Sage didn’t say anything as she let the sentence trail off into a long pause. Obviously she hadn’t seen any oth
er options, and his chest tightened when he thought about how close she’d come to being homeless.

  Coral took a deep breath and continued, “I’d evidently had my head in the sand because I usually have better instincts. But after a few days watching the constant flow of people in and out of the apartment, the hushed conversations, and flashes of money changing hands I knew exactly what I’d gotten myself into. I didn’t say anything to him, I just moved a few of my things out into the trunk of my car each day until there was nothing left in the house. I’d planned to leave on Friday morning, because he’d said he was driving to Atlanta for the weekend. I thought it would give me a few days head start. He gotten really hateful since I’d moved in and more than a little paranoid.”

  Sage watched as she stirred her potatoes around aimlessly on her plate for several seconds. He’d almost decided he was going to have to start asking questions when she looked up at him. Sage knew he’d never forget the haunted look in her beautiful eyes as she spoke, “I thought he’d already left…I really did. I’d heard the front door slam, so I grabbed my purse and keys and started down the hall toward the living room. I heard a loud pop—like a balloon and I looked up in time to see the man I’d been dating tucking the pistol into the back of his pants and two of his buddies grabbing a guy on the floor by the ankles.”

  She took a deep breath, and then blew it out slowly before continuing. “I ducked into the bathroom and shut the door before they saw me. But the window was so high and so small I had a hard time fitting through it. I was finally squeezing past the frame, when change fell out of my jacket pocket and hit the floor of the bathroom. My boyfriend was immediately pounding on the door yelling at me to come out. I dropped from the second story window onto the ground. I was lucky, the ground was really soft from the rain we’d had overnight otherwise I’m probably would have broken my ankles.”