Page 72 of The Reluctant Roommate

They continued on around the block and back to the front of the house. The metal gate creaked open, pushing a smooth curve into the snow. The bell was an old-fashioned rope pull type, which echoed loudly in the house when Heidi tugged it.

There was no answer.

“What do we do now?” Heidi’s shoulders slumped, and she trudged back to the sidewalk.

“Find a decent cup of coffee. Explore the main street. Have lunch somewhere. Maybe return to our motel for a rest.” Morgan slipped her gloved hand into Heidi’s. “Keep checking here between all of that to see if she’s home.”

“A rest, huh?” Heidi’s cheeks glowed pink from the cold air. “I don’t know that we’ll get much resting done.”

~ ~ ~

They found a coffee shop with freshly ground coffee from a local roaster and then took a stroll along the main street.

“I love that there’s so many rainbow flags,” Heidi said. She pointed to a sign in a bicycle repair shop window listing all the things the business supported. “If I had a bike, I’d definitely get it repaired here.”

They browsed the shops along the main street. Heidi bought a new beanie, and a T-shirt for her niece. They walked past Serena’s house once more, but it was still deserted, the only footprints were theirs from earlier.

“What does she do for work?” Morgan asked. “Maybe we should try and track her down there? That could put extra pressure on her to do the right thing.”

“She’s worked retail, bar, the service industries, but she’s also worked as a personal carer. She could be anywhere. Most likely, she’s still curled up in a bed somewhere with last night’s conquest.”

After lunch and another check that Serena wasn’t home, they returned to their motel room.

Once the door was closed, Morgan turned to Heidi and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. “I hope we find Serena, but to be honest, I’m enjoying this: Leadville. Mainly, though, I’m enjoying being here with you. It’s an adventure.”

“Thank you for coming here with me.” Heidi leaned in and kissed her, their icy lips warming quickly as they kissed. “If you weren’t with me, I wouldn’t have the confidence to see this through.”

“You would have been okay. I think you’ll always find a way through. It’s part of your magic, Heidi.”

Heidi’s lips worked their magic as her hand burrowed under the layers of outside clothing to find her skin. Thoughts of Serena, Morgan’s own future, even the perils of sleeping with a roommate faded away. Now was for falling naked into bed and allowing herself to enjoy the moment.

Chapter 33

A Careless Thing to Do

They returned to Serena’s house for the fourth time that day just after dusk.

Morgan nudged Heidi’s ribs. “She’s home.”

Light spilled out from the front room window, the porch light was on, and a fresh set of footprints had flattened the snow from the sidewalk to the front door.

Heidi worried her lower lip as nerves knotted her guts. “I still don’t know what to say.”

Morgan took her hand. “We’ll have to wing it. We didn’t come up with a plan today, so we’re not going to figure something out in the next couple of minutes.” She pushed open the gate, marched up to the door, and yanked the rope on the bell.

“Lacey, is that you?” The voice came from inside the house. “I’m in the shower. The door’s open, come on in.”

They looked wide-eyed at each other. “Go on,” Morgan mouthed.

“You answer her,” Heidi whispered. “She’ll know my accent and voice.”

Morgan pushed open the front door and cleared her throat. “It’s me.”

“Grab a beer from the fridge. I’ll be a few minutes.”

Heidi raised her eyebrows and looked around. An old-fashioned fridge sat in the corner, and she walked over to it, taking a couple of Modelos from the door. “We may as well do as she says.” She found an opener and popped the caps, then handed one to Morgan.

She took a mouthful and looked around. The house was as shabby inside as out. It seemed Serena hadn’t spent Heidi’s money on interior décor. Heidi pressed her lips together. What if she had already spent it on something, though? This would be a wasted trip. Her stomach crawled up to her throat, and her feet twitched with the urge to turn tail and run.