by M K Lansbury
“Did you get to see him?”
“Yes, but he was sedated. The doctors say he’s out of danger right now . . . Oh, Zara. I wish you were here, sweetheart. I’m so scared.”
Zara pushed a hand through her hair and bit her lip. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, Mom. I’ll book a flight immediately and, hopefully, I can get in tonight.”
“I know you have the launch today and—”
“That’s not important.”
“Sweetheart, about the party you planned . . .”
“Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll figure it out. We’ll postpone it for now.”
Silence at the other end. “Forty years. We were so happy about getting to forty years.”
Zara fought the sobs that threatened to break free. Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she didn't want her mom to know.
“Zara?”
“Don’t worry, Mom. Dad’s a fighter, and he’s gonna be fine. Plus, he wouldn’t miss that anniversary party for the world.”
“I know. I just . . .”
Zara stiffened. Something about the way her mother said it sounded forced and a big farce.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I book my flight.”
She hung up and stared at the phone. She was now more worried than she was before.
I need to talk to Ally.
Ally had always been there for her through thick and thin. Whenever she received bad news like this, her Pavlovian response was to get her best friend’s thoughts. Have her calm her down.
But she couldn’t bear to walk in there and burst Ally’s wonder bubble. The launch, the engagement. This was her perfect night.
Angrily rubbing the back of her hand against the tears trickling down her cheeks, Zara sniffled and glanced at the phone.
Without thinking, she tapped on another contact in her phone and pressed it to her ear. Closing her eyes, she waited.
It rang once, twice, thrice.
I shouldn’t be calling him.
Zara quickly ended the call and squeezed her eyes shut. “What am I doing?”
She jumped as the phone rang in her palm. Clearly, it was too late to back out now. She picked up. “Lance?”
“I saw you called.” He paused suddenly. “Is everything okay, Zara?”
She pursed her lips. “No.” Her voice shook. “It’s not.”
“Where are you? I'm coming to get you.”
“I'm . . .” Zara couldn't bottle it any longer. A sob escaped her lips.
“Hang in there, Zara. I'm coming. You're at your launch party, right?”
It was not the time to remind her that he owned Finder and kept a close hawk-eye on his competition—the competition that could soon end up on the chopping block for Finder to gut and grill.
“I’m outside. Lance, I don’t know why I even called you, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Tell me.”
He sounded calm. It was refreshing. His calm tone managed what nothing else could do. It made Zara actually take a deep breath to calm herself down.
“My dad had a heart attack and is in the hospital. I can’t think straight. I don’t know what to do.” Her voice broke. “Lance?”
“Yes?”
“I'm freaking out.”
“I'm on my way. Wait there. I’ll be there in thirty minutes, and I’ll take care of everything.”
Zara found herself nodding into the phone, and hung up, heading robotically toward a bench and sitting atop it. After long seconds, she glanced at her phone.
I’ll take care of everything?
What did that even mean?
***
Zara took the glass of water the stewardess offered her. “Thank you.”
The interior of the private jet was unlike anything she had ever imagined. Leather upholstered seats for a total of six people. However, four of those seats remained empty. Lance sat in the seat opposite to her, about ten feet away from hers. She would rejoice on the exceptional leg space, and the bar in the center of the place, and the seats that became beds with the press of the button . . .
. . . But her heart was breaking at the thought of her mother all alone and scared.
“You shouldn’t have done this.”
Lance held up a hand. “I told you, it’s okay. You need to get home, and this is the quickest way.”
“I feel guilty.”
“Don’t.”
Zara bit the inside of her lip and rubbed her face with both hands. “Ally doesn't even know I’ve taken off from the middle of the launch party.” Zara’s head was abuzz with fears and questions and worries. It jumped from one point to the other without stopping. “She must be calling and driving herself insane. Maybe I should’ve told someone before I left. Probably Chet.”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
“What?”
‘You don’t have to worry about others at a moment like this. Just worry about you.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“For some people. Like you.” He smiled.
Zara couldn't smile. She wanted to cry. “I completely ruined a perfect night.”
“Zara . . .”
Shaking her head, she continued to blabber. “I was having a blast. Everything was amazing. It was like a dream.”
He nodded, knowing she needed to ramble like a crazy person and get it out of her system.
“We’re having champagne, and everyone’s cheering, and we press the big red button . . . which actually said big red button.”
“Cute.”
“I know. It was amazing. And then I see Beata.” Zara glanced away to stare at her hands. “Beata looks like she’s in mourning. And then I find out she’s having financial problems, which means that Soul Mate’s future is a big fat question mark. The night was going okay after that . . .” Her eyes lifted to his again. He was all ears, concerned, so . . . there. “Ally gets engaged in the middle of it. Tristan is proposing in the cutest way possible. He’s on his knee and everything. Totally besotted with Ally. I forgot the whole Beata drama for a while. But then I got the call from Mom, and she was sobbing and telling me about Dad . . . Oh God, I can’t bear to picture her all alone over there, waiting for my Dad to regain consciousness. It must be hell.”
“Zara.” Lance gracefully got out of his seat and sat in the one next to hers.
Zara didn’t turn to face him. “Why did it all have to happen at once? Couldn’t it be spaced out a bit at least? I'm going to go mad.”
He took her hand, and the sight of his tanned fingers wrapped around her palm made her close her eyes. She leaned her head against the back of the seat. “I'm so restless. I’m having trouble sitting in one place. The worst part is Ally doesn’t even know all of what has happened. She’s still living in the bubble that Soul Mate is on steady feet and will stay on its feet and that she’s now marrying this wonderful man. She found Tristan through Soul Mate too. Which kind of perfectly proves that her algorithm is pretty kick ass. But now I’ve left her behind to freak out about my whereabouts.”
He smiled shortly and stroked her hand. Zara melted in the seat.
“What’s wrong with me, Lance? Why did I call you? Why would I do—“
She was silenced as Lance leaned in close to her.
Her words were stolen from her mouth. The eager, hungry lips that pressed to hers, completely stealing every erratic thought from her mind and replacing it with calm silence. Her eyes closed, Zara relished the moment of utter silence as warmth seeped through her limbs.
She was suddenly taken away to a cloud of pure euphoria. The affection and adoration of the kiss penetrating her heart as her hands helplessly reached for the front of his shirt. Crushing the fabric in two fistfuls, she slanted her head, not wanting the moment to end. This man provided so much more than just fleeting attention. He provided a sense of belonging. He made her feel special and wanted. He hung on to her every word. He liked spending time with her. He co
nfided his own fears about work and family with her. She didn't understand why.
This wasn’t just attraction. It was more.
She cared about him. About Lance’s life and his fears and his triumphs and his failures. He seemed to always be just a phone call away to be there for her.
What was this? Why did she have to feel this with him of all people?
He broke the kiss, his face inches away. Their eye held. The sight was enthralling.
The harshness in his face was a new sight. A muscle moved spasmodically in his jaw, and a vein throbbed in his forehead. He was clearly as affected by the brief kiss as she had been. The awe in his eyes said it all. He didn’t understand the connection with her either.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered. “I really want to know.”
He swallowed audibly, and the back of his fingers stroked her cheekbone against the dampness of her tears that remained. “I feel like—”
“Mister Chase, Miss Rodrigues, we are now about to land at the Lincoln Airport.”
The ringing announcement shattered the moment.
Lance cleared his throat and reached around Zara. She jolted in surprise, and he buckled up her seatbelt.
Zara almost slammed her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Why did he do these utterly adorable, considerate things?
The dilemma wrenching her apart just got a whole lot worse.
He did up his own seatbelt next and stayed in the seat next to hers.
The plane descended, making Zara’s ears pop and ring as they always did. She waited for the pain in her ears to subside as the events of the last few hours slowly returned to her befuddled mind.
The kiss, the connection, had shocked and confused her enough to act as a therapeutic salve.
At least she couldn’t stress over all the other things anymore. Not about Beata, or Ally.
They stayed at the recesses of her mind, while Zara sat next to the man who had just kissed her.
A man who made her feel like she was the most interesting person he had ever met.
Zara was hooked to the feeling.
SIXTEEN
Distracting Lance
Zara’s father waved at her through the glass wall separating them, trying to smile but failing.
A cluster of beeping machines surrounded Zara’s father, Zack. He looked exhausted as if it took considerable effort to keep his eyes open. Her handsome, larger than life father also looked tiny in the spacious room. A nurse administered an injection through the cannula in his veiny hand. The square overhead lights so white they made him look paler than he was—or so she hoped. It broke her heart, seeing him like this.
“He’s doing much better now, isn’t he?” Her mother, Tara, said with gratitude. “I'm so happy you could make it here. And so fast.”
Zara nodded; she didn't want to provide details. She was now really fuzzy on the details herself. The last few hours seemed like a dream. Hazy. Missing essential elements, yet a whole lot of insane.
She did remember the silent car ride from the airport to the hospital. In the back of the rented Honda, Lance held her hand securely, his thumb stroking her knuckle.
“It’s going to be okay.” That’s all he said before dropping her off at the hospital and leaving for his hotel.
The doctor came out of the room and turned to Tara. “He’s recovering nicely. You can see him now.”
Zara walked in next to her mother as a nurse helped adjust her father’s bed to a semi-sitting position.
“How are you, Daddy?”
“How did the launch go?”
“It doesn’t matter, Daddy.”
“I guess I was so excited that my ticker couldn’t stand it.”
“Daddy.”
“I hope this didn’t ruin it.”
“Don’t do that!” Tara scolded. “You need to worry about yourself and not us. I think it’s about time.”
Zara flinched. It sounded like something Lance had said to her when she dreamt of the private jet. Oh, wait. That wasn’t a dream.
“Zara, why did you come all the way?”
“I needed to see you.”
“I bet your mom scared you, Little Bubba. I'm all right, see? Fit as a fiddle.”
Zara couldn't help but chuckle, and the sound made her head hurt. “It’s all good now. I couldn't just sit there when I knew you guys needed me here.”
His brows furrowed as he glanced at the clock on the wall. “How did you get here so quick?”
“It’s a long story.”
“It should be. Were you already on your way here before you got the news?”
Zara hooked her hair behind her ear and avoided meeting her dad’s gaze. She was getting a little nervous.
Tara stood up. “I have to go speak to the doctor. Sit down with your father, Zara.”
Perfect. Zara couldn’t avoid her dad’s curious stare.
“What’s going on, Zara?”
“Nothing! You’re good. We’re doing well. This is a great day.”
He shook his head. “There’s something going on. You’re doing that usual chatter you do when you’re scared.”
“Dad, you should rest.”
“I know you. Spill it.”
“This isn’t the time.”
“I'm fine! Look. And I’ll have a relapse if you don’t confide in me right now.”
Zara burst out in a sad chuckle. “Stop with this threat.”
“Then tell me. How did you get here so quickly?”
Zara sighed, exhaling sharply. “Well, let’s just say I had a private jet at my disposal. And leave it at that.”
Dad’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “You had a what?”
“A private jet. One of those things that—”
“I know what that is, Zara. How did you . . . wait, did Soul Mate already cash billions, and you didn’t tell me?”
Zara burst into laughter, genuine this time. It died quickly as she recalled Beata’s worries. “No, a . . . friend of mine has one.” Her voice faltered when she said friend and her dad grinned knowingly.
“Oh, a friend of yours.”
“It’s not like that, Dad.”
“Tell me what it’s like.”
“Dad . . .”
“The doctor said I shouldn’t get stressed, so the best way for me to do that is to think about someone else. So . . . this is doctor’s orders.”
“Fine.” She leaned back in her chair, smiling. “I really like him.” She blushed and bit her lower lip. “He treats me like I'm made of gold or something.”
“Like he should!”
Zara chuckled. “He makes an effort for me and takes time out to see me. I have a great time with him. And it all sucks.”
“Oh yeah, that definitely sounds like it sucks.”
“I don’t mean that.”
“So what’s the sucky part then?”
“Right person, wrong time.”
He sighed. “Maybe you’re just over-analyzing everything. You’re working too hard, and you need time to figure that out before—”
“He and I can’t be together. I mean . . . it’s not right.”
“He’s married?”
“Of course not. Dad! How could you even think that about your daughter?”
“I'm trying to understand what it is that forbids you from being with this man you obviously care about deeply.”
Zara groaned. “It’s that obvious?”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I'm just hoping you can see it because you’re my dad, but he can’t.”
“I doubt it. You’ve always been very transparent with your feelings.”
“Oh God, you’re right.”
Zack seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. “Let me tell you something. When I met your mother, it was exactly the same situation as you stated about your friend. Tara was amazing, and we connected. She was undoubtedly the right perso
n, but it was the wrong time.”
“How?”
“She was dating my best friend.”
Zara gasped. “You stole Mom from your best friend?”
He shrugged. “Love like that comes only once in a lifetime. I knew she was the one.”
“So she cheated with you?”
“No, not like that. I mean, we used to sneak around. We were all in the same group of friends, and we’d all hang out together. She and I would find ways to break free from the group and talk. We made a lot of excuses—most of them bad. Everyone began to think something fishy was going on, but they never connected the dots until, well, Tara and I had to come clean. Because we wanted to be together, and we refused to let anyone stop us.”
“Why’d you sneak around in the first place?”
“I didn’t want to hurt my best friend. Tara didn’t want to hurt him either. He was a really good guy.”
“I bet he never forgave you.”
“Well, if he hasn’t, I wouldn't be surprised. Tara is one heck of a woman. If I were in his place, I would keep a grudge for centuries.”
Zara couldn't help but feel horrified and absolutely amazed at the same time. “So did he eventually forgive you?”
“He was upset for months after Tara broke up with him. He didn’t speak to us. At least, until he showed up at our wedding to congratulate us. And he’s been a good friend to both of us every day since.”
Zara felt like part of this was her story. The sneaking around. The not wanting to hurt Ally. Would Ally forgive her, too? She shook her head to clear it. “You’re still in touch with him?”
Her father chuckled and slapped his hand on his knee, then winced as the cannula in his hand twisted. “Of course. Pretty much every day. And so are you, from what I hear.”
Zara’s mouth fell open. “Uncle Dennis?”
Her father’s crackle of laughter was like a whip in the silence of the hospital.
“You’re joking, Dad, please. Say you’re joking.”
“One hundred percent the truth.”
“He’s still your friend?”
“Best friend. And I should probably admit the line about the torture being never-ending is his line.”
Zara chuckled; then laughter bubbled up inside her. The stress of the last few hours erupted inside her in hysteria as the events of the last few weeks hit her all at once. “Poor Uncle Dennis.”