Mariah and Evan were quiet on the drive home, both of them thinking that once they got home, she would stop taking her birth control pills and they would start working on creating their own baby. She wouldn’t get pregnant tonight, but hopefully soon.

Mariah saw Evan’s forlorn expression. “Evan is something wrong?” she asked as they walked into the house.

“My sister is dead and all I can think about is making love to you.” He looked at her with tears in his eyes. “Does that make me a bad person?”

“Of course not. Alexandra and Clayton wouldn’t expect us to quit living.”

“I know, but still, I think I should be thinking more about them and less about myself. We need to make arrangements for them.”

Mariah took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m sure Casey will see to it.”

“I’m the oldest. I feel I should be doing it.” He had always be the one in charge that is until Casey started his own company, then asked his family to work for him.

“Call him first if it will make you feel better.”

Evan reached over and pulled her to him. “Thanks,” he whispered, then brought her lips to his.

They entered the living room and Mariah went directly to their answering machine. There was a message from Casey, which said the funeral would be Monday at one.

“I’m not sure what I should do about work. Alexandra had a lot of friends at Clemmens’ Manufacturing before she married Clayton,” he said, walking towards their bedroom. His sister had been Chandler’s assistant before she met her husband and moved away.

“Why don’t you close down the office Monday at noon? That way anyone who wants to go to the funeral will be able to, and those who don’t want to, don’t have to go.”

“That’s a good suggestion,” he said as he put his suitcase on the bed and opened it. “I think I’ll call Morgan.”

Sex wasn’t mentioned again, so Mariah left the bedroom and went into the living room so Evan wouldn’t see her disappointment.

He sat down on the bed and dialed his brother’s number, and the phone was picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Morgan, it’s Evan. Have you heard from Casey?”

“I wasn’t home when he called, but I do know about the funeral for Alexandra and Clayton.”

“I hope that won’t cause a problem for you,” he asked, thinking about their father.

“Evan, Alexandra was our sister. If Casey wants to have her buried next to Mom and his father, then that’s fine with me.”

“You don’t think Dad will want to be buried next to Mom?” Evan asked nervously.

“If he did, then he shouldn’t have divorced her and left us to run off with that younger woman,” Morgan replied angrily.

He understood Morgan’s anger. “Have you talked to Dad?”

“No, and I don’t plan to. Have you kept in touch with him?”

“No, it’s been several years since I’ve heard from him. Do you know if Chandler has heard from him?”

“I don’t think so, if he has, he hasn’t mentioned it to me.”

“Have you talked to Chandler since Casey called?”

“Yes. He’s fine with them being buried next to Mom. Evan, I really have to go. I have a business meeting in St. Louis. Hailey is going with me and I still have to get her things packed. I’ll see you Monday at the funeral.”

“Have a safe trip. Bye, Morgan.” Evan hung up the phone, and went to search for Mariah. When he found her, he told her about Morgan’s trip.

“Did you tell him about us finding Lindsay?” she asked excitedly.

“I didn’t even think about it. We can tell him when he gets back to town. Now where were we?” he asked, pulling her into his arms.

* * *

Lesley Arrington was in Columbia, Missouri for a three-day writer’s convention. She had written a book and was trying to get it published, and this program promised to help writers achieve this goal. The meeting was over for the day, but there were still two more days before she could return to St. Louis.

It always made her nervous to speak in front of a group of people. She hadn’t slept well last night for worrying about today, as she had been on the agenda today to speak about her novel. She was glad she didn’t have to drive home today because a fierce late March snowstorm was hitting the city and several people in the meeting mentioned that I-70, the highway she would have used to go home, had been closed.

She went through the lobby as she returned to her room, as she wanted to change out of her dress. As she passed the check-in desk, her stomach growled loudly and she immediately looked around to make sure no one had heard it, then stopped when she saw a little girl, who was maybe four or five looking at her.

Lesley could tell the child had been crying, but now she had a smile on her face as she looked at Lesley. Her eyes followed up the little girl’s arm to the hand she was holding, then swiftly looked up the other arm, to the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen. She blushed when she saw that he had a wide grin on his face as he stared at her.

“Excuse me. I didn’t eat much lunch today,” she said to the pair.

“Then you better go have some dinner before you pass out.” Morgan forced the coherent words out of his mouth as he stared at the beautiful woman in front of him. He was so distracted by her beauty that he hadn’t noticed her resemblance to his sister-in-law, so it never occurred to him that she could be one of Mariah’s sisters, especially since he wasn’t aware Mariah had any sisters or that she was searching for them.

“I will.” Lesley waved to the little girl and strolled away.

She went into her room and quickly changed to a pair of slacks and a cream-colored sweater. When she walked back through the lobby, the same man and child were still there, but this time she could tell something was wrong as the man held the sobbing child. “Excuse me. Is the child sick?” Lesley was a nurse and wanted to help if she could.

“No, the highway has been closed. We came here to rent a room for the night, but there aren’t any available. We’ll have to sleep in the lobby and Hailey is upset about it.”

“I’m sorry.” Lesley put her hand out to him. “I’m Lesley Arrington. I have an extra bed in my room that I’d be willing to share.”

Her offer shocked him, as people didn’t do this sort of thing anymore because there were too many criminals were out there looking to hurt someone as beautiful as this woman was. “I’m Morgan Clemmens and this is my daughter, Hailey.” He took hold of Lesley’s hand, and gave it a tight squeeze. “Weren’t you taught not to let strangers in your hotel room?”

“My mother might have mentioned it to me a time or two,” she teased as she smiled at him. In reality, her mother really didn’t give a damn what she did. “If you give the hotel clerk all your personal information, just in case you go postal, I’m sure I’ll be safe.”

He couldn’t believe this stranger had offered them a bed in her room. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he told her sincerely, setting Hailey on the ground.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Hailey ran up to Lesley. “Can I sleep with you in your bed?” she inquired excitedly.

Lesley knelt down beside her. “If your father says yes, you’re more than welcomed to share my bed.”

Hailey threw her arms around Lesley’s neck. “If he says yes, can you be my mommy too?” she innocently asked, her eyes bright with left over tears.

Hailey’s movement threw Lesley off balance, but Morgan was close and quickly grabbed her back to prevent her from falling. He took hold of her hand to help her up, completely unprepared for the electrical tremor that had shot through him at their contact.

When the man took hold of her hand to help her up, she felt a sharp, electrical current shoot through her. She tried to remove her hand from his, but he just tightened his grip, so she gave up trying. “Thank you,” she said the man, then turned and smiled at the child. “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?” the child asked, her naive eyes staring at Lesley.

Lesley turned back to the man. “You want to help me here?”

He shook his head at her. “No, I would like to know why not too,” he teased, smiling a sexual-filled grin at her.

“Gee thanks,” she replied sarcastically, then looked back at his young child. “I’m sorry, but in order to be your mother, your father and I would have to be married,” she said, thinking that would be the end of that.

“I like weddings,” Hailey replied excitedly. “Can I be the flower girl?” she inquired sweetly.

Lesley didn’t know what to say next to the little girl. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be your mother.” She pulled her hand free of his. “I’m going to dinner now. Do you two want to join me?”

“Yes,” Hailey said, jumping up and down in front of her. “I want a hot dog.”

“Let dinner be my treat,” Morgan told her. When she nodded in acknowledgment to his offer, he bent down to retrieve their two pieces of luggage.

“Do you want to put your suitcases in my room now or later?”

“Be better to do it now. Otherwise we would have to take it to the dining room with us.”

The three of them turned and went in the direction Lesley had just come. When she reached her room, she opened the door, and Morgan sat the luggage inside the room.

“I need to call my family in Kansas City to let them know Hailey and I are safe. Is it all right if I use your room phone before we go to dinner?” he asked.

“You can, but why don’t you use my cell phone instead. I have free long distance, that way you won’t have to pay an expensive phone charge.”

“Thank you.” He took the phone she handed him. “It will just take a few minutes.”

“Hailey and I will use the rest room while you make your call.” Lesley took hold of the child’s hand and they went into the bathroom. She closed the door, but she could still hear Morgan talking, curious to whom he was talking.

“It’s Morgan, Hailey and I are in Columbia. I-70 has been closed and we’re staying at a hotel until they reopen it.”

The room was quiet for a few seconds, then Lesley heard Morgan say he would call before they started for home. She opened the door and stepped into the room just as he disconnected the phone.

“Thank you. I’m sure my brothers wouldn’t have worry about us, but my sister-in-law would have.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“I have three.”

“No sisters?”

“We did, but she and her husband were killed recently.”

“I’m so sorry. Did they have any children?”

“They had a baby boy.”

“How sad.” Lesley noticed tears in his eyes and decided not to ask any more questions about his sister, as she knew just how he felt about losing a sister. “I’m ready for dinner.”

“Me too,” Hailey told her.

“Let’s go then.”

She closed the door and they went to the dining room. They had a nice meal and while they ate, they became better acquainted. Lesley learned he was an electrician, lived in Kansas City, and his wife had been dead for two years. She told him she was a nurse by day and an unpublished writer by night. Her mother had once been a writer, but hadn’t written anything lately because now, all she did was drink. She lived in St. Louis and had a boyfriend named Conrad. She was surprised that even after mentioning her boyfriend, Morgan didn’t appear to lose interest in her.

When Hailey began rubbing her eyes, they decided to return to Lesley’s room. Morgan carried his daughter to the room and she was asleep by the time they reached it. When they entered the room, Lesley hurried to the closest bed to pull down the bedspread, then Morgan laid the sleeping child down on the bed.

“I’ll get her nightgown,” Morgan whispered, stepping away from Lesley.

Lesley went to the child and began undressing her, pretending this was her little girl. When Morgan handed her the gown, she put it on the child, then covered her with the blankets.

“I really do thank you for sharing your room,” he said, looking down at his sleeping daughter.

“I’m glad I could help. If you don’t mind I’ll use the bathroom to change into my nightgown, then I’m going to bed.” She jumped when Morgan reached out and gripped her arm. “What?” Her first thought was he was going to attack her and it was then that she realized that he hadn’t given the hotel clerk his information.

“I’m sorry,” he said, quickly letting go of her arm. “Do you have to go to bed so soon? It isn’t even nine yet.”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night and I have a big day tomorrow,” she said, stepping away from him.

He quickly reached for her and pulled her to him. As he brought her body against him, she put her hand on his chest to stop him. When she looked into his eyes and saw his desire, she began to panic. “I don’t know what you’re thinking you’re doing, but I believe it would be best if you let go of me.”

“I will, but first I’m going to kiss you.”

Before Lesley could do anything to stop him, he pulled her tightly against his chest, pinning her arms between his. Her stomach tightened in terror, then jumped when his lips slowly touched hers.

She was expecting just a short kiss, but once his lips touched hers, she relaxed, and the kiss deepened as his tongue began making love to hers. She hadn’t ever had a kiss affect her quite like this one had. When she felt his hand transfer from her waist to her breast, she jerked back, but he didn’t release her. Her whole body was tingling with sexual fire and it scared her, but she knew if he wanted to make love to her, she would let him. According to her high school sex education class, it was her safe time and she couldn’t get pregnant.

“I don’t care you have a boyfriend. I want you,” he whispered into her ear.

Lesley couldn’t find the words to tell him she wanted him too. Instead, she returned her lips to his, moving her arms around his waist. One minute they were dressed beside the bed, and the next minute, they were on it together naked.

Not once did the thought of Conrad enter Lesley’s mind. He was a nice man, but his kisses hadn’t ever made her feel this alive. As Morgan continued to make love to her, the fire in her persisted, and she welcomed it.

Afterward they made love, Morgan pulled her against him and kissed her. “That was wonderful. I was afraid I might be a bit rusty in the love making department, but by your vocal response, I guessed I remembered enough to satisfy you.”

She blushed at his comment. She knew she should feel guilty for what had just happened, but she didn’t. In fact, she was thinking she would like a repeat performance. “You did all right, I guess,” she teased, hoping he would make love to her again.

“What? What is that supposed to mean?” He had a hurt expression on his face, not realizing she was teasing him.

“I believe you could use some more practice,” she cooed into his ear. When he shifted on top of her abruptly, she let out a soft squeal, then his lips found hers and the loving began once again. She felt as if she was in heaven as he made love to her a second time.

The next morning, Lesley woke up before the alarm went off. She grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom to get ready for her day. Even if they wanted to have a romantic relationship, they lived on either side of Missouri, which was at least a four hours trip between the two cities, and that was on a good day.

Lesley was mad at herself for even thinking he would want to see her again. Just because they had sex, it didn’t mean he would want to have a relationship with her. She stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Lesley looked over at the bed and saw both of her guests were still sleeping. She wanted to leave him a note so she searched her purse for a something to write on. When she didn’t find anything, she snatched a deposit slip from her checkbook and grabbed a pen from the small table in her room. She wrote that she would be back around five, then left it on the table near the door. She stopped at the bed, leaned down, and kissed Hailey on her cheek. “Bye sweet Hailey. I’ll see you later.” She opened the door and hurried out. Just then, the heater kicked on and as she closed the door; her note flew under the bed.