Coming Home (The Morgans) (9 page)

 
Tori heard the knock at the front door, and then heard it open as she headed down the stairs.

 
“Hello!” hollered Drue as he came through the door. Kevin was directly behind him.

 
She smiled at them both. “Are we ready to ride?” she asked both brothers.

 
“That depends.” Kevin said. “What have you eaten today?” he teased.

 
Katy came down the stairs and greeted Drue and Kevin.

 
“What’s the game plan?” asked Katy.

 
“Well, I’m glad you asked.” Kevin jumped in with mock seriousness. “Since my brother is so desperate to be alone with my best friend, I thought it only fair that I steal you away from Tori.” he continued.   “How about you ride with me and let these two knuckleheads have some alone time.” Kevin finished drawing out the last two words.

 
“Funny, Kev.” Tori snarled at her friend. “It’s not like we are going to jump each other’s bones in the truck.”

 
“A guy can dream, can’t he?” Drue asked devilishly.

 
Tori blushed. “Let’s go.”

 
Drue patted her butt as she passed in front of him for good measure and arched his eyebrows mischievously.

 
“Remember what you said about handling matches, Morgan?” Tori asked Drue.

 
He just grinned from ear to ear as they headed out of the house to the county fair.

  Tori loved the sensations elicited from the smells at the county fair. Nowhere else were you exposed to vinegar on French fries, fried bologna, Indian bread, corn dogs and cotton candy all in one place. The dings, bells and whistles followed by cheers from the crowds as games were played and lost while shrieks and screams from the occupants of the roller coasters rang through the air as they crested and turned.

 
Drue watched Tori’s expression as they entered the fair. Her eyes lit up with anticipation and excitement just like a child. Her natural competitiveness made her adrenaline kick in and her pulse speed up. Her excitement and anticipation was contagious.

 
“Where to first?” Drue asked.

 
“Cotton Candy.” She answered. Kevin stepped in.

 
“Uh, that’s a big fat negative. Not if you plan to ride.” he told Tori.

 
“You’re not the boss of me.” Tori answered Kevin playfully. Just as he was about to retort, Drue stepped in.

 
“Don’t make me separate you two already.” He picked Tori up and placed her on his left side opposite Kevin and laughed.

 
“Stick that lip out any further and I might have to do something with it.” Drue teased.

 
Tori thought she liked the sound of that. Drue saw the response in her eyes. ‘Later, spitfire.”

 
Drue had never really called her anything other than Victoria, but when he did, she liked it. It fit with him.

 
“I’ve got a match…” she said  and laughed.

 
He smacked her backside just enough so it carried a little sting. “You’ll pay for that.” She told him.

 
“Let’s get this dare over with, so I can kick Kevin’s butt at water guns.” Tori grabbed Drue’s hand and led the group to the spinning buckets line.

 
“Don’t fail me now, stomach.” she said to herself mostly, but Drue heard her.

 
“Worried?” he asked. “No, of course not.” she answered, but maybe she was just a little concerned. She hadn’t ridden a ride like this for several years. Throwing up on your date just wouldn’t provoke a positive response, she didn’t imagine.

 
They loaded into the buckets, Drue with Tori and Kevin with Katy. The buckets slowly moved clockwise upward, beginning to swing as they moved. Drue saw Tori clench her fists at her sides. He placed his hand over hers, and as she opened her fist, he clasped it in his.

 
She felt her stomach come into her chest as they did the first upside down spin. “Oh, Lord.” she thought. Then they were in full swing- or spin. Round and round they went until Tori wondered if they were ever going to stop and then they did. The attendant opened the cage door and Drue exited helping Tori do the same.

 
“I did it, and I didn’t throw up on you!” she said with adolescent excitement and grabbed Drue to give him a celebratory kiss.

 
He didn’t release her immediately. He lingered lowering his lips to hers a second time for a more gentle touch. He flicked his tongue out to run along her lower lip and sucked. Her sharp intake of breath and her body leaning closer in to his told him of her reaction without any words.

 
They parted slowly and smiled.

 
Kevin interrupted by jumping down from the basket with Katy in tow. “What’s next?” How about the Mega Loop?”

 
They rode four more rides before grabbing a quick bite to eat. Tori checked her watch. They had fourty-five minutes until the Carolina Moon concert started, so they headed over to the amphitheater to insure they could get good seats.

 
“I love these guys. I can’t believe we get the chance to see them.” Katy shared.

 
“You’re a country music fan?” Kevin asked surprised. “I would have pegged you for a new ager being such a hip city girl.”

 
“Stereo-type much?” Katy mocked. “I may live in Chicago, but I grew up in a small farm town in Indiana. “Is there any other kind of music?” she asked.

 
Shaking his head he said, “Guess that just goes to prove you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, huh?”

 
The foursome made their way to the theater where they were able to procure fourth row center stage seats. The girls were ecstatic. While they waited for the concert to begin, several people passed that they recognized.

 
“Tori Winslow, I didn’t know you were back in town.” A tall lanky woman with pretty blonde hair with a pony-tail, short jean mini-skirt and bright red lipstick stopped beside their row.

 
“Hi, Suzanne.” Tori greeted the woman. “Yes, I got back in a few days ago.”

 
“Well, you need to come by the diner and catch up.” The girl Tori had been on the cheerleading squad with in high school continued. “I know Mom would love to see you. We were so sorry to here about your grandma.”

 
“Thanks, Suzanne. I’ll be sure and do that.”

 
Several more friends and acquaintances of both Tori,  Kevin and Drue’s stopped by to say hello.

 
“We are most certainly not in Chicago anymore.” Katy said smiling. “It’s like being where everybody knows your name, but it’s not a bar, it’s a town.” she finished laughingly.

 
Tori thought about what Katy had said as someone came on stage to announce the band. Growing up she’d thought her life had been too sheltered in this small town. She’d wanted to see and do more. That’s why she went to school in Arizona and took the editing job in Chicago. She’d wanted to spread her wings.

 
While she loved her life in Chicago with her friends and her job, she never realized or maybe admitted how rooted she was here, and how coming home this time had felt as natural as if she had never left.

 
She looked over at Drue as he sat beside her saying something to Kevin. Things can change in an instant, and they had. With her grandmother passing, she and Drue sparking off each other from the moment she had returned, and the news her publishing company was taking on her book, she felt overwhelmed. Quite frankly she was scared, especially when it came to her and Drue. She’d thought she’d buried her feelings for him and now having the seams of her emotions burst wide open at his very touch was like riding over the edge of a waterfall. It’s beautiful while it’s happening, but at the end of the ride will it end safely or will it end in disaster? Tori wasn’t afraid of taking risks in search of true happiness, but she was afraid of losing the Morgans all together if this relationship with Drue didn’t turn out as she hoped.

 
The lights dimmed and the music started as the band appeared on stage. A cool breeze blew Tori’s hair across her face and she stood and cheered the band on. Drue watched the delight she expressed in listening to the band. She sang along as they played one of her favorite songs, swaying back and forth with the music.

  She was a beautiful sight
, her auburn hair curling down her back and blowing in the slight wind. Her cheeks were blushed from the chill and her eyes were sparkling. She looked happy, thought Drue and that made him smile. He’d been doing a lot of that since she’d come home. It made him happy just to be around her. If he were really being honest, he had to admit it had always made him happy to be with her, except for the inner battle he’d waged through his teenage years to ignore the attraction he felt for her.

 
Even now he couldn’t quite believe that he had given in and that it was him and not Kevin that she wanted. He wasn’t going to try and figure it all out. All he knew is he wanted to be with her, and he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was accepting it, and he had no intentions of giving it back.

 
The band played for almost two hours and came back for two encores.

 
“That was a fantastic show!” Katy said with exuberance. ‘Now where do you all go to have some fun around here?”

 
“I thought we were having fun.” answered Tori.

 
“You know what I mean.” Katy continued. “To have a drink and celebrate your book being published.”

 
Tori looked at her watch. It was after eleven o’clock. She knew Drue and Kevin didn’t have to get up as early tomorrow as it was Sunday morning, but she also knew they were tired from working all day today.  Katy also had to drive home tomorrow.

 
“It’s late, Katy.” Tori replied. “How about we take a rain check?” she asked.

 
“I’ll agree to that, but only if you make your famous enchiladas.” Kevin chimed in as he grabbed Tori by the waist and swung her around as if they were dancing to a Mexican corrida dance.

 
She laughed and extracted herself from his arms crying “Uncle! You win. Enchiladas it is.”

 
Drue couldn’t help but frown at the two as they danced around. He knew they both said they were just friends, but everything flowed so easily between them. His subconscious just wouldn’t let go of the possibility of the two of them together, and that was what caused him to frown.

 
He walked over to Tori and slipped his arm around her waist as if he were staking his claim.

 
He kicked his thoughts to the curb and smiled down at Tori, not wanting to ruin a good night.

 
“Ready to head home?” he asked.

 
“Yes, let’s go.” She answered. “I’ll see you back at the house, Katy. Keep your hands to themselves.” She winked at her friend and hugged Kevin good-bye.

 
Tori and Drue walked hand-in-hand toward the exit in companionable silence, his thumb caressing the inside of her palm.

 
They were greeted by several neighbors as the made their way to the truck.

 
“It’s as if I had never moved away from here.” Tori told Drue.

 
“Is that a good feeling or a bad feeling?” Drue asked uncertain.

 
“Oh, definitely good.” she replied. “It’s like being a piece of a puzzle that fits no matter how many times you take it apart and put it back together. It belongs.”

 
Smiling she snuggled closer as they walked. Drue’s arm held her closer around her waist.

 
“You do fit, Tori.” Drue answered seriously. “This is your home.”

 
They reached Drue’s truck in the parking lot field that was starting to empty out after the concert.

He opened the passenger door and helped Tori climb in, lingering just a whisper holding her hand.

Drue crossed around the front of the vehicle, and as he slid into the driver’s seat, Tori smiled up at him.

  “Thank you for tonight.” s
he started. “I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

 
“Me either.” Drue replied. “I don’t think it would have been half as much fun without you here. You’re pretty fearsome with a water gun in your hand.” he said teasingly as he remembered her slaughtering   Kevin in the water gun horse race three times in a row.

 
Her laughter mingled with his as he started up the truck, and they pulled out of the lot towards home.

 
Tori yawned and Drue pulled her to him.

 
“Slide on over and lay your head on my shoulder.”