Just for Fun (36 page)

Besides, she got the feeling they enjoyed it. As Jessica had said, they would have all been hanging out together anyway and they might as well make themselves useful while they do it. Morgan had to laugh at that. She’d never met a group of people who made themselves more useful to more people than this group. She was thrilled to spend any amount of time with them. Even without Doug.

She didn’t know what he was doing while they were here and she never asked. She’d hoped they’d drop comments or hints, but no one ever slipped.

Which was just as well. She missed him plenty all on her own.

She tuned back in to the conversation in time to realize Kevin and Mac were discussing new security options for the B & B and Sam was on the phone with what sounded like the police.

“Who’s he talking to?” she asked, gesturing at Sam.

“Oh, one of our cop buddies. Seeing if they know everything yet.”

“They said—”

“Theft of opportunity. Some kids who happened to walking by and got curious, found it unlocked, etc, etc.,” Sam said, snapping his phone shut. “They found them walking a few blocks away.” He stopped in front of Morgan. “They don’t think you have anything to worry about. Still, a security system is a good idea.”

Okay, theft of opportunity. That felt a lot better than someone staking her out. “Locking my door when I leave is also a good idea.”

Sam gave her a smile. “Yeah. That too.”

The guys launched into a discussion about who they should call to get a system installed right away. Five minutes later Sara and Danika showed up.

“Oh my God, Morgan,” Sara gushed, grabbing her into a hug.

“We have to get a security system installed,” Danika said eyeing the doorframe.

Chuckling, Sam wrapped his arms around her from behind.

And just like that Morgan was crying.

It was part adrenaline, she knew, but it was also this amazing bunch of people. They were here for her. She’d said less than ten words to Kevin over the phone and they’d all shown up. They’d left work for her and now they were all here debating the best way to keep her safe.

It didn’t matter which security system she got. She could spend the maximum amount of money and nothing would make her feel as secure as they did.

If only Doug were here.

She sniffed as she realized that no matter what these people did for her, it wouldn’t be as good as if Doug was here doing it.

But he would be.

He didn’t know what was going on or he’d be here. She knew it as surely as she knew she’d never get over him. She’d never not need him. She’d never not want him to be here.

But if he didn’t know about this then it must mean he wasn’t with them when she called. They’d been at work. Why wasn’t he with them?

She grabbed Kevin’s shirtsleeve and tugged him to one side. “What’s wrong with Doug?”

He looked surprised. “Nothing.”

“Is Senior sick? Or one of the girls?”

“No. Nobody’s sick, Morgan.”

Everyone had quieted and were focused on her and Kevin. She didn’t care. “Then what’s wrong? Why wasn’t he at work with you?”

“He was at work with us.”

“Then why isn’t he here?” For just a moment her stomach dropped.
Maybe he doesn’t want to come
. But almost immediately she realized that couldn’t be true. He would be here if he knew.

“He’s…um…” Kevin rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and looked at the other guys.

Sam shrugged. “You told us to let him go,” he said to Kevin.

“Let him go where?” Morgan grabbed Kevin’s arm again. “Where is he?”

Kevin let out a breath. “California. Or on his way anyway.”

She stared up at him for a moment. Was he kidding? Or was there something in that statement she was supposed to understand? Because she didn’t. “Why is he in California?”

“For you,” Kevin said.

“But I’m not in California.”

“What’s going on, Kevin?” Sara asked. “Since when is Dooley in California?”

“Technically he’s not there yet. The plane’s just taking off,” he said, looking at his watch. “But as soon as he heard something had happened to Morgan he took off, hell bent to get to her.”

“She’s right here,” Sara said, propping a hand on her hip. “Why didn’t you stop him?”

“I wanted both him and Morgan to see what he’s willing to do,” Kevin said. He looked completely unapologetic. “Now he doesn’t have to be in California to be with her, but I wanted them both to know he was willing to be.”

“Who’s with his dad?” Morgan asked.

“Jay.”

She wasn’t sure how to react. She was relieved at first. Jay was a great guy and would take great care of Doug Senior. She was annoyed too. That had been her idea from the beginning. But mostly, she was amazed. Doug had left everything and gone to California to be with her when he thought she needed him.

He was right. She did need him.

But she needed him right here.

“When are you going to tell him?” she asked Kevin.

“In my defense, he didn’t give me a chance to tell him. He started for the door the minute he heard me ask you if you were okay and he stormed out after I repeated you were robbed.” Kevin looked at the other guys. “He said he’d call me for details when he could right? He hasn’t called.”

“So you’re just going to let him get on a plane, fly to California, on a ticket that’s got to be expensive, get in a cab and go to the Britton and
then
find out I’m not there?”

“Isn’t it romantic he just up and left to be with you?” Sam asked.

“It is,” she admitted. In fact, it made her feel…like dancing or turning cartwheels or…something. Doug hadn’t been laid back and hadn’t been worried about money. The ticket had to have cost over five hundred dollars. Probably a lot more. The whole thing showed that his concern, his feelings for her, were so important they made him act spontaneously, without thought or worry about consequences. Being with her when she needed him was the only thing that mattered.

Now she just had to convince him she needed him all the time.

“All the way to California and the hotel he’ll be thinking how he can’t wait to see you and how worried he is and how none of the rest of the b.s. you were disagreeing about matters,” Kevin said. “Then he’ll find out you’re not only fine, but you’re here in Omaha—to stay—and he’ll be thrilled.” He stood grinning at her as if he’d announced she’d won the lottery.

“When will he be back?” Morgan asked.

“Sometime tomorrow, I’d say.”

That gave her some time. “What did Richard Gere do at the end of
Pretty Woman
to win Julia Roberts back?” she asked.

The guys all looked at one another with smiles. Then Mac said, “Funny you should ask.”

Dooley didn’t trust himself to talk to Kevin without ruining a very nice, long-term friendship. So he called Sara.

“You told me she was in California.”

“I did not.”

“You said she got the job.” He was sure she had said that. But according to the front desk attendant at the Britton, Morgan hadn’t been back to San Francisco since she’d met with Jonathan.

“She did get the job,” Sara said, sounding huffy. “She just didn’t
take
the job.”

He gritted his teeth. “You didn’t think to clarify that?”

“I figured she should be the one to tell you. Or not.”

The “or not” bugged him. “Why wouldn’t she want me to know?”

“Maybe she was afraid you’d think it was all for you.”

“That she wasn’t taking the job?”

“That she was staying in Omaha.”

“She’s…” That stopped him. “She’s staying in Omaha?”

“She bought a bed and breakfast. Drained her savings account.”

He frowned. What the hell was going on? “She just gave a huge donation to the Youth Center,” he said. Ben had told him about it two days ago. “Ten thousand dollars.”

“Only like a hundred of it was hers,” Sara said. “She raised the rest.”

“Raised it?”

“She knows a lot of influential—and wealthy—people. She got them all to donate.”

He had no idea what to say. “She spent her entire savings on a bed and breakfast?”

That seemed right somehow.

“Almost every penny,” Sara confirmed.

“Then why am I in California?” he asked, keeping his voice even since he was in the lobby of the nicest hotel in San Francisco.

“Kevin felt you both needed to know what she meant to you.”

“She means everything.” It was crystal clear to him. Even before he’d gotten on the plane.

“Then get your ass back here and tell her.”

There were, of course, no return flights until the next morning and by the time he walked through his front door it was well after noon. Jay and his dad were playing a video game. Dooley did a double take. Even his dad was playing, with a controller that had been rigged with duct tape, twine and a piece of wood, then fit over the arms of his wheelchair.

“That’s cool,” he said distractedly.

Jay glanced at the contraption. “Thanks. Though I’m starting to regret it. Your dad is awesome at Avenging Angels.”

Senior grinned.

Dooley shook his head. “Hey, Jay, can you stay?”

“Sure. What’s up?” His eyes were firmly on the TV and he leaned right then left quickly as he dodged enemy missile fire.

“I need to go propose to Morgan.”

Jay took a direct hit as he and Senior both pivoted to look at Dooley.

“Yeah?” Jay asked.

Senior was watching him intently.

“Yeah,” Dooley said without pause.

“Okay, great, man. Take your time.” Jay gave him a big grin.

Dooley looked at his dad. “What do you think?”

There were tears in Senior’s eyes as he nodded and gave Dooley a thumb’s up.

“You know about the bed and breakfast, don’t you?” Dooley guessed.

Senior smiled.

Dooley shook his head. Morgan wasn’t just in all of their lives—they were in hers. He loved that.

He headed for the phonebook and started running through to find a limo service. Apparently there wasn’t a lot of call for limos at one p.m. on a weekday because for an extra fifty bucks the driver agreed to pick up a dozen roses on his way over. Once that was arranged Dooley headed for his closet and his tux.

He was patting his pants pocket, relishing the feel of the little black velvet box inside, when honking and the sound of an ambulance siren erupted outside.

Still barefoot, his shirt unbuttoned, his tie hanging loose, he took off for the front of the house, heart pounding. Was it one of his neighbors?

He ripped open the door and was down the steps and halfway across the yard when he realized the ambulance—or something that looked a little like an ambulance—had pulled up in front of his house.

The thing had once been an ambulance, he was pretty sure. It was confirmed when his friends piled out of the front and back. But it was covered in streamers and balloons and ribbon and a huge piece of cardboard on the side that read “Will You Marry Me?”

He knew he looked like an idiot standing in the middle of the grass, half dressed, staring but…well, what was he supposed to do?

Then Morgan climbed out of the back of the ambulance.

“Hi.”

She was smiling brightly at him and she looked delicious. She was wearing khaki capris, a red T-shirt and sandals. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the only trace of make-up was the lip-gloss on her lips.

“Hi.”

“Here’s the thing,” she said. “I would have loved to show up here in a limo in a great dress with flowers, give you tickets for some amazing trip, and make this a big production. But I’ve got nothing. I sank everything I have into the bed and breakfast. This is the only unique vehicle I could afford, this is what I’ll be wearing from now on, we won’t be taking any big trips for a while and I could only get this.” She handed him a single rose. “But I don’t care about the money.” She moved closer and reached for his hand. “I want to be rich in all the ways
you
are, with friends, laughter, support and love. I’m money poor, but will you marry me anyway?”

He stared at her.
She
was proposing to
him
? With an ambulance?

“I…” Just then a long black limo pulled up at the curb and parked nose to nose with the ambulance. The driver got out with a huge bouquet of red roses and started toward them.

Dooley looked back at Morgan. “I, um, had something planned too.”

Her eyes were wide. “I see that.”

He grinned. “Here’s the thing,” he said, repeating her words. “I do have money.”

Her eyes got wider. “You have money?”

“Nothing like Britton’s got, but I don’t spend. I save obsessively. I invest. My dad is the best with investment advice. So, I have money. That I want to spend on you. Not because you expect it, but because it will make you smile. You’ve learned something about what real security is, but I’ve learned something too—there are lots of ways to take care of someone. We can go on great trips, stay in fancy hotels, eat amazing food and also live here, with all of these people we love, and eat macaroni and cheese and watch
Castle
.”

Her eyes were teary when he looked at her.

“Marry me, Morgan.”

“Of course.” She sniffed. “Yes. Absolutely.”

He pulled the ring out of his pocket and opened the top.

Morgan gasped. “Oh, Doug, it’s too much.” She covered her mouth with her hand.

“Hey, it’s my money,” he teased. “Nobody tells me how to spend it.”

She ignored the ring for a moment, stepped close and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his neck. “I can’t believe you went to California,” she murmured.

He put his hand against the back of her head, relishing the silkiness of her hair, the way she molded her body to his, and how he wanted this for the next hundred years. At least. “I can’t believe you’re surprised by that.” He realized she was shaking and he pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m overwhelmed.”

“By the ring?” he asked. It was gorgeous. Sara had approved of it via picture on his phone sent to hers.

“By everything you’ve given me.”

“The roses? The trip to Hawaii?” She hadn’t even seen those tickets yet.