The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [101]
So maybe she’d gotten into some trouble? He wasn’t completely convinced yet. But even if it was true, everyone made mistakes, and being a pregnant, unmarried woman was as good a reason for theft as any he’d ever heard. He didn’t approve, but he did understand. She was still young, only twenty-four, and she’d found herself in a hell of a predicament.
From the sound of it, she’d more than paid for the crime, not only financially, but emotionally, as well. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to own up to it if she was guilty. Few people tended to brag about their bad judgment.
Convinced that he was still in control of things, including his own tumultuous emotions, Morgan walked over to the car and opened the back door. He lifted out her bag then nudged Gabe aside. He pulled her door open and cupped his free hand around her upper arm. Gabe stood there grinning at him, while Jordan and Casey watched with satisfaction.
“C’mon, Malone,” Morgan said. “Sitting out here moping isn’t going to solve anything.”
She smacked her head onto the steering wheel again. “I can’t be this unlucky.”
Morgan hesitated, but he knew damn good and well he’d done the right thing. He’d needed to buy some time to undo the damage he’d inflicted with his insistence that she should leave. Later, she’d thank him. “Rattling your brains won’t help. Come inside and we’ll figure something out.”
She leaned back in the seat and stared at him. “I hope you’re happy now.”
His smile was only fleeting before he wiped it away. “I’m getting there.” He urged her out of the car and kept hold of her arm even as they walked back in. He was pleased that she didn’t pull away from him. That surely showed some small measure of trust, didn’t it?
Unfortunately, something he hadn’t figured on happened: they found Sawyer and Honey smooching in the kitchen, wrapped up together in no more than a sheet.
Morgan halted abruptly when he saw them, which caused Misty to stumble into his side and Jordan to bump into his back. Like dominoes toppling one another, they all ended up crammed into the tiny doorway, gawking.
Misty groaned at the sight of her sister, then turned her face into Morgan’s side. “I’m cursed.”
At her softly spoken words, Honey jerked away from her husband, looked up, then blushed furiously. “Oh, Lord.” She clutched at the sheet, pulling it up to her throat and all but leaving Sawyer buck naked. “It’s barely six-thirty! We thought everyone was still in bed!”
Sawyer grabbed for an edge of the sheet to retain his modesty in front of Misty, then turned to frown at his brothers. “What the hell is going on?” He noticed the suitcase Morgan held, and his expression altered. “You going somewhere, Morgan?”
Standing on tiptoe, Casey attempted to see over Morgan’s shoulder, then stated, “Misty was going to leave, but Morgan stopped her.”
Sawyer glanced at his wife, then blinked at his son. His confusion was amusing, if unfortunate. “Leave where?”
“I don’t know.” Casey gave an elaborate shrug. “Home, I guess, though she said she’s in the middle of moving somewhere and she’d have to tell us where exactly after she got settled. I tried to stop her, Dad, honest, but she was determined—”
Morgan felt Misty tremble and said, “That’s enough, Case.” Then to Sawyer: “Just a misunderstanding. What are you two doing out here? We thought you’d…sleep in…till at least noon.”
Grinning like a rogue, Sawyer announced, “We needed nourishment.”
Honey turned bright pink and elbowed her husband, who grabbed her and kissed her hard on the mouth. Morgan couldn’t help but smile at them. Though Sawyer had fought it hard, he was so crazy in love with Honey, it was fun to watch them.
Morgan wanted a relationship like that. Then he thought of Misty beside him, the exact opposite of her sister, and he scowled.
Jordan shoved his way past the others. “If you two newlyweds want to go back to bed, I’ll bring you a tray in just a few minutes. Coffee and bagels?”
“Perfect.” Sawyer tried to