Lifelong Affair

She almost turned and ran when she entered the dining-room the next morning to find only Rita Hammond there. The other woman took great pleasure in telling her that Alex had already eaten and was in his study doing some last-minute work before driving her to the airport.

'But it gives us a chance to talk alone,' Rita Hammond added warningly.

Morgan instantly stiffened, deciding coffee was all e could stomach this morning if the other woman was going to start being insulting.

"What did Alex want to talk to you about last night?

Her eyes widened at this open attack—talk about straight for the jugular! 'He didn't tell you?' she prevaricated.

Rita shot her a vehement look. 'I would hardly be iiin. if that were the case. Alex has always been i—solitary person. I have no doubt he'll tell me, in time.'

But you'd rather not wait?' Morgan derided.

No,' Rita agreed tautly.

Morgan drew in a deep breath, sipping her coffee skrwly. 'I can't tell you either, Mrs Hammond,' she gave the only answer she could in the circumstances. 'If Alex had wanted you to know he would have told you. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait until he decides to tell you.'

The other woman's face became an ugly mask in her anger. 'Don't get clever with me on the basis of one kiss, Morgan!' she rasped. A little comforting got out of hand, I refuse to believe it was any more than that!'

'Believe away,' she shrugged dismissively. 'I can't add to that.'

'You don't need to,' Rita scorned. 'I have more faith in Alex than to believe he would become seriously involved with a woman like you.'

'That will be enough!' Alex spoke coldly from the doorway behind them. 'I will not have you insulting Morgan any more, Mother,' he added tautly.

'But--- '

'I'm ready to leave for the airport now if you are, Morgan,' he cut across his mother's protest.

She gave him a grateful smile and stood up. 'I just have to say goodbye to Courtney.'

'He'll hardly know anything about it,' the olderwoman derided, still pale from her son's anger with her.

'And it isn't goodbye,' Alex added softly.

'It isn't?' his mother demanded sharply, forgetting to be wary of his biting tongue in her surprise.

He looked at her with chilling grey eyes. 'Morgan intends returning to us in a few weeks' time,' he informed her.

'I didn't know that,' his mother flushed.

'Oh, Morgan always intended to return, she has Courtney's future to think of. Doesn't she?' He looked at Morgan challengingly.

Her gaze was caught and held by his. 'I do,' she acknowledged softly. 'I'm just not sure what it's going to be yet, she added the last for him alone.

'I told you, there's no hurry,' he soothed gently.

She knew that he was just assuring her that he hadn't changed his mind since last night, and she was grateful for that. She had finally drifted off to sleep about four o'clock this morning, waking with a start what seemed like minutes later, sure that she must have dreamt it all, that Alex Hammond hadn't really asked her to marry him. This man was too perceptive; he had been able to read her uncertainty so easily. And he had reassured her as easily. There was no mistake, he meant every word he had said last night.

'What's going on here?' Rita Hammond cut in sharply. 'Alex, I want to know what's happening between the two of you?'

His brows rose arrogantly at the demand. 'Nothing is "happening" at the moment, Mother,' he told her coldly. 'And even if it were I consider it no one's business but Morgan's and my own. If there is ever anything I think you should know about us you can be sure I'll tell you. In the meantime, Morgan and I have to leave,' and he swept Morgan from the room with his hand firmly on her arm.

'Whew!' she breathed a sigh of relief once they were in the hallway, smiling up at Alex. ' don't know how you dare talk to her like that.'

'Practice,' he drawled abruptly, with no answering humour in his harsh features. 'Hurry and see Courtney,' he glanced at the plain gold watch on his wrist. 'We don't have long to get to the airport.'

It broke Morgan's heart to say goodbye to the baby, and as if he knew she was going away he began to cry, his little face all red in his distress.

It won't be long,' she kissed his checks, feeling like crying herself, ' promise, baby.'

Don't make promises you can't keep,' Alex warned as he came into the room.

She looked up at him, nuzzling against the baby's red curls. 'Oh, I'll keep it this time. I just don't know if I'll be staying after that.'

'We really should be going, Morgan,' he prompted gently. ' have to go into the office after I've taken you to the airport.'

'Sorry,' she mumbled, and put the baby back in his crib. 'I'm ready.' She set her mouth bravely, turning and walking out of the room without a second glance.

Her control lasted until they were actually on their way to the airport, when the resounding cry of Courtney from upstairs as she left the house couldn't be denied any longer. Oh, she was going to miss the baby!

'I know,' Alex's hand came out to clasp hers. 'He's going to miss you too.'

'Will he?' she choked. 'Will he really?'

Tm sure he will,' he consoled gently. 'You underestimate his understanding of your love.'

'Mrs Ford said something along the same lines,' Morgan admitted.

'I told you she's a good nurse.'

'There's no need to look so smug!' She pulled her hand away from his. "I'll admit Mrs Ford has turned out to be very nice. But she's going to have to leave eventually, then what happens to Courtney?'

Alex shrugged broad shoulders beneath the charcoal grey suit and silver-grey shirt. 'That's a decision we'll both have to make when the time comes.'

He made it sound as if it were already taken for granted that they were a couple, that they were used to making decisions together. And in a way they were going to be, for even if she didn't marry Alex they would still remain joint guardians of Courtney until he was eighteen.

Los Angeles looked the same smoggy, beautiful city Morgan had come to love during the last two years of living and working here. It felt good to be back, and she ran into Sam's arms as he met her at the airport, kissing him enthusiastically.

'Bad, huh?' he sympathised, his arm about her shoulders as they left the airport together.

'In parts,' she nodded. 'Can we not talk about it, Sam? Not yet.'

'Okay, honey.' He held her tightly against his side. 'Whenever you're ready.'

"Fell me how work's going,' she prompted instead.

'The usual.' He went on to tell her all the studio gossip. 'I think they're waiting to see what your reaction is to signing another contract before they decide what to do with Mary-Beth at the end of the season. There's been a rumour that you don't want to stay on.' He gave her a sideways glance as they drove to her apartment.

She turned to grin at him. 'That's no rumour, Sam, I told Jerry myself weeks ago I didn't think I would be interested.'

'It's your decision, sweetheart,' he shrugged.

Sam's lack of forcefulness, his way of respecting her opinions and wishes, had always appealed to her in the past, and yet right now she could have done with more than a little help in this most important decision of her ife. But she couldn't talk about it with Sam, not at all,

She made the trip to her parents' house the next day, shocked to see how ill her father still looked, despite being out of hospital for several days. Glenna's death had hit him harder than it had any of them.

I want to see my grandson,' he growled, sitting out on the sun-deck of the house, the pallor of illness still with him as he looked almost frail.

'A couple of months before you can even think about flying, the doctor said,' Morgan's mother put in lightly.

'What do they know?' he muttered.

'Well, / know you aren't well enough.' Once again her mother was the one being strongs—and doing it very well too!

'Tell me what he looks like again, Morgan,' her

father pleaded.

Throughout the day she must have told her father half a dozen times what Courtney looked like, the little things he did, but she told her father all over again, never tiring of talking about the baby herself.

'He should be called Court, not Courtney,' her father roared. 'What sort of name is that for a boy?'

'Yours,' she pointed out gently.

'And of course the Hammonds have to carry it out to the letter,' he scorned.

'Of course,' she agreed laughingly. 'Alex insisted.'

'I must say he's always been very polite when we've spoken to him on the telephone,' her mother gave her a searching look.

'Politeness costs nothing,' her father snapped. 'Especially to a Hammond. Think they own the damned world! Well, I want my grandson here where he belongs,' he pinpointed Morgan with eyes as green as her own. 'You should have brought him with you.'

'He's too young to fly all that way, Dad. Especially being premature.'

'Well, as soon as he's old enough I want him out here.'

She avoided his gaze, chewing on her bottom lip. 'That might be a little difficult, Dad. You sec, Alex is determined Courtney will stay with him.'

'And who's he, to dictate where my grandson goes?' her father demanded. 'Glenna should never—should never have ' to Morgan's consternation he began to cry.

It was a heartrending experience for her to see this strong man cry. In all the years she could remember she could never recall her father having cried about anything before, not even when his own father had died a couple of years ago.

She watched with tears in her own eyes as her mother helped him through the house to their bedroom, and she was still sitting in the armchair when her mother returned a few minutes later.

'Losing Glenna like that has been very hard on him,' her mother explained gently. 'Knowing about Courtney is what's kept him going.'

'I know.' Morgan dried her cheeks. 'And I will bring him over here, as soon as I can.'