Dreamland(57)

I reached out to take her hand and felt Morgan’s fingers interlock with mine. “I’m glad you’re here now.”

I sensed the expectant tension in her hand as she held mine, and I thought again about kissing her. Her eyes were half closed, her mouth partly open, but just as I leaned toward her, a phone began to ring, faint but insistent. When she realized it wasn’t my phone, she let go of my hand and rose from the couch. After disappearing into the hallway, she peeked out, ringing phone in hand. She seemed uncharacteristically flustered.

“It’s my mom,” she explained, her tone sheepish. “She’s called a couple of times and I haven’t gotten back to her.”

“You should probably answer, then.”

She reluctantly hit the appropriate button and put the phone to her ear.

“Hey, Mom,” Morgan said. “What’s up?…Yeah, sorry. I know I haven’t called, but we’ve been having a fantastic time…. Nothing much. What’s that?…Is he okay?”

Turning to me, she mouthed something like Our dog got sick.

“What did the vet say?…Okay…Yeah…That’s good to know. How’s Heidi doing with it?…Uh-huh…Uh-huh…”

She said nothing for a while, then: “Well, let’s see. We rehearse in the mornings, then usually hang out at the beach or the pool. We’ve been going to hear some live music and checking out downtown St. Pete…. Yeah, they’re having a great time. It’s Holly and Stacy’s first trip to Florida, so it’s been fun showing them around….”

I remained silent on the couch, not wanting to distract her.

“Uh-huh…No, we haven’t been there yet. Maybe in a day or two. We went to Busch Gardens, though. Over in Tampa?…Yeah, it was fun. The lines were short, so we were able to ride just about everything…. No, not tonight. We’re going to order room service and watch a movie. It was a superlong day,” she said, making a guilty face at me.

I stifled a smile.

“Yeah, they’re here. We got some photos from the beach right after we arrived. Oh, and I also saw two manatees…. At one of the parks, but I can’t remember the name…. We rented kayaks and went through the mangroves, and they were right there when we turned around…. No, actually, they didn’t go. I went with someone I met here….”

My ears couldn’t help but perk up.

“Yes, Mom. He’s nice…. He’s a farmer from North Carolina…. No, I’m not kidding…. Colby…. Twenty-five…. We heard him singing at Bobby T’s. He’s here on sort of a working vacation….”

She turned her back to me, lowering her voice. “No, he didn’t go to college, but why does that matter?…Mom…Mom…It was just kayaking. Don’t make a big deal about it. You seem to forget that I’m an adult now….”

I could hear a hint of frustration creeping into her tone. On my playlist, one song ended and another began. I watched as she ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the roots.

“I haven’t had time to check that yet. I’ll call the apartment manager as soon as I get home, okay? I’m sure it’s not a big deal getting utilities turned on. I can figure it out…. I haven’t had time for that, either…. How many times have I told you that I’m not interested in a job teaching music?…Yeah…Uh-huh…I know…Sorry, I’m tired and I should probably go. They’re motioning to me that they want to start the movie…. Tell Daddy and Heidi that I love them…. Love you, too.”

She hit disconnect and simply stared at the phone. Rising from the couch, I walked over to her and placed a hand on the small of her back, caressing the smooth skin beneath the fabric.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But sometimes she interrogates me—it’s not always a conversation, you know?”

“I’m sure she was just checking to see if you were having a good time.”

“And making sure I’m not getting into trouble.” She sighed. “But I don’t know why her mind even goes there. Especially when compared to other college kids. It’s like she can’t accept the fact that I’m an adult and am old enough to make my own decisions.”

“Parents worry.” I shrugged. “It’s in their DNA.”

A brief but uncertain smile flashed across her lips. “It’s so much easier speaking with Dad sometimes. I mean, he’s nervous about me going to Nashville, and I’m sure he’d prefer that I get a job teaching, too, but at least he understands why I want to go, and he’s always been my biggest fan. My mom, though—she always reminds me about how tough the music business is, how thousands of people have the same dream I do but never make it….”

When she trailed off, I used a finger to brush the hair from her eyes. “They want to protect you from disappointment.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have answered. It’s why I didn’t answer the first two times she called. She keeps talking about this opening at one of the private schools in Chicago, and it doesn’t matter how many times I tell her that I’m not interested. It’s just…hard sometimes.”

She turned to face me, leaning in. I wrapped both arms around her.