“Oh, yes.” The train was on its way again. “Personal gain,” Marnie said simply. As if that explained anything.
Though he was listening to Marnie, he got distracted watching Lucy. Although engrossed in conversation with on older woman—presumably the shopkeeper—Lucy had a big enough smile for JJ when he came up and handed her flowers. They exchanged a few words, and then, right when their tête-à-tête should have been over, Lucy reached for the flowers and engulfed JJ in a two-armed hug, rubbing between his shoulder blades with the palm of her hand.
The look of complete contentment on JJ’s face, the sheer and utter joy, made Zach’s stomach sour. He turned away so he wouldn’t have to watch anymore. Engaged to Carter or not, he couldn’t watch this woman who apparently flirted with everyone. No wonder he’d gotten the impression she’d wanted to kiss him last night. Zach was an idiot for thinking that somehow he’d been special, that she really liked him. Carter had said they were engaged, JJ obviously felt a claim that appeared not to be completely unfounded, and then there had been Zach. Stupid, sucker Zach who’d thought she was falling for him.
He refused to look Lucy’s way again, though she was easy to spot in his periphery.
“She’s using him for her own personal gain.” Marnie’s face was tight with worry. “I’m afraid he’s going to get hurt.”
“I don’t know.” Even as frustrated and disappointed as he was in Lucy, this didn’t sound like her.
Marnie clutched the bakery box like it was a security object. She looked as thrown by this information as he felt. “She doesn’t care about him at all—apparently even bragged about getting him to speak for a much lower rate than usual.”
That was a little specific to be run-of-the-mill small-town gossip. “What exactly did you hear?” Could this be a simple case of sour grapes? Someone who felt slighted for not being asked to give the kickoff speech? Hope burned in his chest.
“I overheard two women speaking. They were picking up muffins for their committee meeting, and one of them was going off saying something like, ‘Who does this Carter Hughes think he’s going to be talking to—’” Marnie assumed a stodgy old woman voice. “‘—some Wall Street/corporate America-types?’ It was his name that had caught my attention,” she explained in her normal voice. “Anyway, the woman complained some more about Carter and said Lucy was just using him to—and I quote—‘save her eyesore drive-in theater.’”
Anger bubbled in his belly. He broke his own commitment not to look over at Lucy again. She was still chatting with JJ on the sidewalk, and they seemed awfully chummy. A few minutes ago, he might have explained it away, that maybe she was just being nice to him, but coupled with Marnie’s concerns, Zach had to consider how duplicitous she was being. It was possible she was dating JJ, pretending to be engaged to Carter, and playing a part with Zach all this time so she would have Carter’s family on her good side. Had Zach played right into her plan? A knot formed in his stomach. If Lucy was using Carter, she could be using Zach as well.
Whatever it was that Marnie had overheard at the bakery, Zach had to at least consider it. He couldn’t allow his brother to be publicly embarrassed or blatantly used by Lucy. “Thanks for telling me, Marnie.” He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
He’d keep a close eye on her until he figured things out. But first, he’d have to figure out how to pick up the pieces of his crushed heart.
15
Over her shoulder, Lucy heard the unmistakable strains of the song she’d embedded in today’s show specifically for Zach. Telling him she was interested in him this way was the coward’s way out, and she’d made it worse by running away when she knew it was about to be played. She’d planned to somehow just “happen” to be with Zach when that segment aired, but when she found they had an audience . . . David Daley was a sweet guy and all, and his wife Ramona had said he could be romantic, but confessing her interest in a guy was one thing Lucy couldn’t do with an audience, no matter who it was.
So now the song was playing, and she had no idea if Zach had even heard what she’d said, let alone figured out she was talking about them.
She took a deep breath, looked both ways, and then crossed the street. What she’d said about needing to meet with Mrs. Tyan and then having her meeting weren’t lies. The shopkeeper of Tyan Quilts had left a message for her at the station that she needed Lucy to stop by as soon as possible. Lucy approached the quilt shop, trying to get her head back into cleanup committee mode and as far away from a certain Zachary Hughes who had her mind all muddled.
The way the older woman was bent over her geraniums as she watered them looked positively painful. “Here, let me get those,” Lucy said, offering to take the watering can from her.
“I’ve got it.” She pulled the can closer to her side, an expression of stubborn independence on her face. “You’re in charge of the community cleanup, aren’t you?”
“I am. What can I do to help you, Mrs. Tyan?”
The octogenarian took a few shuffling steps to the city bench in front of her shop and laid a pair of wrinkly hands on the weathered arm. Without much pressure, the bench rocked precariously. “Could you add this to your list of needed repairs?”
Zach came immediately to mind. “Good catch,” Lucy said, though double-checking all the benches was already on the list. She made a concerted effort not to look back at what Zach was doing at the gazebo. She tried to stay present, focusing on the widow and her very valid concerns. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Exactly.” She nodded once and then pulled her cardigan more tightly over her middle. “I can’t have that on my property.” She pointed up to the flower basket hanging from the streetlamp. Dried stems hung limp over its side, the brittle leaves flaking off in the slight breeze. “And if someone could do something about that . . .”
The shop owners had been asked to donate to a flower fund so that Main Street’s hanging baskets would match. The flowers would be delivered on Saturday and handed out after the speech. “A volunteer will be here Saturday afternoon to help you with the flowers.” Knowing Mrs. Tyan’s age, Lucy already had her on the list to help with the hanging baskets as well. “We’ve got you covered,” Lucy assured her.
“Someone called for flowers?” A bright bouquet of orange, yellow, and green flowers appeared in front of Lucy from just behind her shoulder, but the voice was unmistakable. JJ.
Startled, Lucy leaned away to get them out of her face. Where did someone even get green flowers? They were atrocious. And silk. That made more sense.
“I was cleaning up the graveyard and thought of you,” JJ said.
Lucy wasn’t sure if that was sweet or creepy that JJ had thought of her when he’d been in a cemetery. Just thinking of the place brought Zach to mind again. Could she never get away from him? She sneaked a look at him before responding to JJ. “You know I can’t accept them.” She attempted to soften the blow with a compassionate look. “Not if you took them from a cemetery.”
“What?” He shrugged. “He’ll never miss them. He’s dead,” he said matter-of-factly.
Lucy did her best not to crack a smile as JJ went on.
“You know, they close their eyes, and I don’t think they ever open them up again. They put those little clips that hold their lids—”
She put a hand up to stop him. She did not need to hear this. Even if the flowers hadn’t been left for someone else’s loved one, Lucy wouldn’t have accepted them. She should say she was grateful for the thought, or something nice, but she didn’t want to encourage him. “You didn’t need to . . . I mean, I don’t think . . .”
“It’s that other guy, isn’t it?” JJ nodded toward the gazebo. “I’ve seen the way you look at him.”
She turned her back to the park. “And what way is that?” Just because she’d sneaked a couple of peeks at Zach while JJ was talking didn’t mean anything.
“Like you just saw your first spin tires on a mega
truck.”
She didn’t even know what that meant.
JJ’s face fell slack with sadness. The finality of her turning him down seemed to be sinking in, and she felt kind of bad for being so harsh about it. She reached for the flowers, but he went in for a full hug instead, wrapping his arms completely around her. She gave in, allowing the requisite time to pass, but when she started to pull back, he lingered in the embrace. She gave a help me look to Mrs. Tyan, who smiled sympathetically.
After apparently getting his fill of the hug, JJ stepped back. “If you’re changing your mind, I could still give you another chance.”
She wasn’t interested in a second chance at dating—or more accurately, turning him down. And yet there she was with the horrid flowers in her hands. She wasn’t sure what to say.
To avoid JJ’s puppy-dog eyes, she looked over at Zach again and saw him looking at her. She allowed a half smile, but she didn’t want JJ to feel bad.
He left the flowers in her hands and the conversation in a surprisingly confident swagger, and all Lucy could do was shake her head at the enigma that was her neighbor, JJ Roscoe. She let out a chuckle and then turned back to Mrs. Tyan, trying to remember if they were done with their conversation.
“The flowers are kind of pretty.” Mrs. Tyan nodded toward the bouquet in Lucy’s hand.
“If you don’t think about it.” Lucy would never be able to separate them from JJ and the cemetery.
“If you don’t think about it,” she agreed.
“Then they’re yours.” Lucy gladly transferred possession of the flowers. “Enjoy.” When Mrs. Tyan took them, Lucy wiped her hand on her pant leg and immediately felt better. “I’ve got to run to my meeting, but someone will be out Saturday afternoon to help you with the flower baskets and the bench. Thanks for participating in the Harvest Ranch beautification project.”
“Of course, dear.”
Lucy was a few yards down the street when Zach fell into step with her. Her heart skipped a beat at his nearness, looking forward to the comfortable joviality she’d come to rely on when he was at her side. He had a way of lightening any day.
“Mind if I go with you?” he asked. “I’ve never been to a community cleanup committee.”
The sideways glance he shot her direction felt piercing, his body stiff and uncomfortable. That look, and a careful neutrality to his voice, had her immediately on alert. What had changed? Had he been offended by her radio program? Her thumping heart switched from nervous anticipation at his nearness to anxious tension.
Why would he want to go to a committee meeting where he knew no one and had no responsibility? Even in a small town, there were better, more entertaining, things to do. “Is everything okay?”
“Sure.” He kept his head and eyes straight forward. Obviously, something was bugging him. “Why wouldn’t it be?” Always the gentleman even when they were fighting, he pulled on the door and held it for her.
Defensiveness rose within her. “Then why are you acting weird?” She stepped around him and into the spacious red barn that served as their community center.
He stopped abruptly, the door closing behind him. “What are you doing to Carter?” His words were barbed with poisonous accusation.
Lucy refused to stop with him. She didn’t have time for a conversation this in-depth. With the meeting coming up, she had too many other things she needed to be thinking about. “What are you talking about?” She said when he fell into step with her again. She felt her eyebrows pinch as she tried to figure Zach out, but she then gave up. “All I did was ask if he’d be willing to speak and then offer to pay him when he accepted. That’s it.” She strode away briskly, not caring if he followed her or not.
Seeing Crew in a small group with Carly by his side, Lucy made a beeline for him, hooked her elbow through his, and dragged him off so it was just the two of them.
“Wha—what’s going on?” Crew searched her face for a fraction of a second before following her gaze. Zach persistently but patiently followed Lucy; he’d gotten bogged down in the scattered chairs and clumps of Harvest Ranch residents, although it was obvious he was coming their way. “Is that him? That’s Carter?” Crew lifted an appraising eyebrow, as protective as a sibling would have been.
“Not Carter—Zach.” She needed to make this quick before he caught up to her and Crew.
“Who’s Zach?” Crew’s eyebrows shot together. He was completely confused.
Hadn’t he listened to anything she’d been saying the last few days? “Carter’s brother.”
“So not your celebrity crush.” The information was sinking in too slowly for their situation. Zach wasn’t that far behind.
“He’s not the celebrity, and the celebrity is not my crush.” The words had tumbled out without her thinking about them, which was probably why they felt so honest.
When had her interest migrated from a harmless admiration of Carter Hughes from afar to a real attraction for the person right here in front of her? It had gone from being a dream to being a possibility.
She’d been avoiding looking at Zach so he wouldn’t think she was talking about him, but she needed to check his progress. She chanced a look his way, and their eyes locked. He lifted one corner of his mouth in a crushingly handsome but completely infuriating half grin. Why was he acting like this?
“Then why did you bring him?” Crew asked.
She shrugged. “He followed me.” As completely illogical as it was, if he was as upset with her as he seemed to be. But why? What did he want? “What do I do?”
“About what?” Crew looked between her and Zach. “Are you worried about something?”
Yes, falling in love with a man who was for some reason upset with her. Falling for a guy who lived several states away and would be leaving in two days. Falling for the brother of the guy she’d hired. It was unprofessional, illogical, and irrational. “I don’t understand what he’s doing here.” It came out more frantic than she’d expected it to.
“What can it hurt? What’s the worst that can happen?” Crew had a way of calming her down, helping her not to catastrophize.
“What if he doesn’t like what we’ve got planned? What if he convinces Carter this isn’t the right venue and Carter drops us at the last moment to save his career?”
“Dropping us at the last minute would be a detriment to his career.”
Though she wasn’t sure if that was a threat or an honest reading of the consequences, Crew had a point.
“What if . . .” The fear knotting her stomach was interfering with her brain as well. She blew out a short breath, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was she was feeling. What was she most worried about? “What if—” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling slightly less panicked. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
That was what was really going on. What if Zach heard her running the committee meeting and stumbling over her words? What if he thought her ideas were dumb? He was already upset at her for something, and that realization had stung enough to send her running in a panic to Crew.
Crew took hold of her upper arms and stared into her face. “Look at me,” he whispered soothingly. He waited to continue until she looked into his eyes and took a calming breath. “You’ve got this,” he said, confidently enough to convince her. “You have been an amazing committee chair. You brought in the Carter Hughes—the best motivational speaker in the country. The residents of Harvest Ranch will turn out in record numbers to volunteer on Saturday because they want to listen to him.” He tapped his temple. “That was smart business.” He tapped into her collarbone. “Because you’re smart. And organized. And competent.” He dropped his hands, his eyes never leaving hers. “Now go start your meeting, and don’t forget what I said. If that guy doesn’t see it, he’s an idiot.”
She was almost embarrassed that Crew had seen her Achilles heel, but he’d given her armor to protect it. “Thanks, Crew.”
He let out a chuckle. “My, how the tables have turned. How
many times have you been the one behind me, cheering me on, making me look good by doing all the complicated things in the background?”
“Just remember that next time I have to do an air check,” she teased. Sometimes having the responsibility to critique his shows put a strain on their friendship, if not their working relationship.
Ignoring her comment, he walked her to the podium. “Go get ’em.” He gave her a gentle push toward it and then stepped back to join Carly.
As she stepped onto the stage, the committee members found their seats, and a hush fell over the room. “Thanks for coming this afternoon,” she spoke into the microphone—an annoyance, but a necessity in the cavernous barn. “This is our last meeting before the event.”
Enthusiastic applause and cheers brought a smile to her face, and her nerves drifted away. Lucy dove into subcommittee reports, calling on each to update the rest of the committee and to outline any last-minute needs they needed to brainstorm through.
Throughout the meeting, Zach leaned back in his chair, watching from the sidelines with his arms crossed over his chest. He sat still and sullen until Mrs. Dudley mentioned she’d seen him working with David Daley on the gazebo and thanked him for stepping in to assist. Only then did Zach give a nod of acknowledgment and relax his posture, though he quickly faded back into the background. Lucy couldn’t figure out his motives for being here, but at least he didn’t interrupt.
Eventually, she gave up stressing over him and let the routine of taking care of committee details take over, and before Lucy knew it, the meeting was over. She sighed in relief as the meeting’s attendees spilled out the doors, engulfed in chatter and motion. She waved goodbye to Crew and Carly and made a few notes while things were still fresh in her mind.
Zach hung back until the room was empty and then came forward. “May I approach the bench?” Was that sarcasm, humor—or ill humor?
She was tired of trying to figure him out. She raised her hands in silent question.
“You didn’t talk about Carter,” he said matter-of-factly. He picked her bag off the floor and opened it wide for her to slip her tablet and notebook in.
While You Were Speaking: Spring Flings and Engagement Rings Page 14