Zach swallowed, a numbing sense of shock taking over, holding off the pain he knew was coming. “It has changed. I’ve changed.”
But Allison’s disbelieving expression didn’t, and she shook her head almost wildly. “After a few weeks? You’re giving up a lifetime of goals after two weeks?”
Said out loud, the words did sound crazy, but in his heart, they rang true. A few weeks was long enough to change a lifetime if those days and nights were spent falling in love. Zach believed that with every beat of his heart, with every breath he took. But if Allison didn’t, maybe it was because she didn’t feel the same.
“Allie…”
The unspoken appeal caught in his throat, cut off by too many years of pleading for his father’s time, attention, love.
How many times had he begged his old man to toss around the football despite his growing resentment for the game? And how many times had his father blown him off with a not now or later or stone-cold silence as he refused to even acknowledge his living, breathing son in favor of mourning a long-dead dream?
Eventually, Zach stopped asking, knowing he couldn’t expect anything more than Nathan Wilder’s painful slap of rejection. But he’d never, never expected it from Allison.
Allison sank onto the couch after Zach left. Every painful beat of her heart marked the time since he’d gone, a hollow sound that echoed inside her. She’d done the right thing, the only thing she could, and maybe someday, like when Zach was CEO of Knox, that thought would give her comfort. But for now the loss made the future, any future without Zach, seem lonely and empty.
He loved her. He loved her; he was willing to give up his goals and dreams for her. But how could she possibly let him do that when she knew what those dreams, what that promotion, meant to him? Zach had the chance to break free of his painful childhood, of his father’s resentment and blame, to prove to himself he wasn’t a failure.
How could she take that away from him? Allison swallowed. She couldn’t. She loved him far too much.
“I take it Zach left,” Bethany said from the doorway.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
Bethany shrugged and walked over to the bassinet. A smile filled with a mother’s love curved her lips as she lifted her daughter into her arms. One positive had come from Lilly’s early appearance. With their mother still on vacation, Allison had been at her sister’s side in the delivery room, and along the way, Bethany had let go of the bitterness and blame for all the times when Allison wasn’t there to rejoice in a time when the two of them were as close as ever.
“It’s a small place. Voices carry.”
“Sorry we woke you.”
Bethany shot her a wry sideways glance. “Not my point. I overheard you telling Zach to get lost.”
“That is not what I did! I’m giving Zach what he wants. What he’s always wanted.”
“Sounded to me like he wants you.”
“We’ve only known each other for a couple of months and until a few weeks ago, our relationship was strictly business. Zach has spent years working his way up.”
Allison knew she couldn’t expect her sister to understand. After all, Bethany hadn’t heard all the times Zach vowed his career was the most important thing in his life, but Allison had. Again and again, he’d told her how he wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in his way. As much as she loved him, she couldn’t bear the thought of that love being an obstacle, a hindrance, a burden….
“I can’t let him throw that all away.”
“So you’re doing this for Zach?” Bethany asked.
Allison nodded. She loved Zach. She loved his determination, his drive, his focus. He could have followed in his father’s footsteps, using his lot in life as an excuse to fail, but instead he’d risen above the challenges of his childhood. She’d been so wrong not to encourage him to go after the promotion from the beginning, and she refused to stand in his way now.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m doing this for Zach.”
After a brief moment of silence, Bethany baldly stated, “Yeah, I’m not buying it.”
Stunned by her sister’s cavalier attitude, Allison demanded, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Sitting on the couch beside Allison, Bethany smoothed a hand over her daughter’s downy soft blond hair. “You know I didn’t wake up one day and decide to—betray Gage the way I did.” She held up a hand when Allison would have protested. “Don’t, Allie. I know what I did, and there’s nothing else to call it except a betrayal of his trust. But it wasn’t an easy decision. I had to talk myself into it. And I did. By saying that I was doing what was best—for our marriage, for me, for Gage. I convinced myself I was right and Gage would come to see that, too. Only he hasn’t, and I’m not sure he ever will.”
“This isn’t about what I want,” Allison protested.
“I think it’s about what you’re afraid to want. You’re afraid if you admit you love Zach and someday he chooses business over you, your heart will be broken again.”
Losing Zach would be nothing like breaking up with Kevin. Even though she’d thought she loved him, his betrayal had done more to hurt her pride than break her heart. But losing Zach…
“I am afraid,” she admitted.
“Dad would be so disappointed in you.”
The softly spoken words hit harder than any of Bethany’s shouted accusations two weeks earlier. Allison hadn’t cried when Zach left, afraid once she started she wouldn’t stop, but tears burned her eyes. “How can you say that?”
“Because it’s true. This isn’t you, Allie! You were always the brave one, the adventurous one, remember? You always were willing to take a risk, to make that leap. But look at you now—the temp jobs, the meaningless hobbies…”
“I already told you that you were right about the job and the silly classes I’ve been taking.” In trying to fix things with Bethany, Allison had denied the part of herself that thrived while working hard at a job she loved. She didn’t want a career that consumed her life 24/7, but she needed a job that satisfied her and gave her a sense of accomplishment. “And I’ve given my notice at the temp agency.”
“And that’s a start. But what about now? What about Zach? Isn’t it time you took another chance? Time to stop worrying about playing it safe and to just close your eyes and jump? It shouldn’t even be that hard,” her sister said with a smile. “Zach already went first.”
“He did, didn’t he?” Zach said he loved her. He wouldn’t have given up on the promotion he’d worked so hard for unless he was sure. Sure of his feelings, sure of them. “Oh, Bethany! What have I done?”
“That’s not nearly as important as what you do.” Her sister waved a hand toward the door. “Go! Go after him.”
Pausing only long enough to give Bethany and her newborn niece a hug, Allison jumped to her feet and grabbed her purse. Her heart was pounding as if she’d already raced a mile by the time she reached the front door. Afraid Zach was already long gone, she was scrambling for her phone and her keys as she stumbled down the steps from the townhouse. She caught the wrought iron banister before she lost her balance and looked up to see Zach’s BMW parked across the street.
He stood with his hands braced on the gleaming black hood. His back was turned, but she could see stiffness in his shoulders and tension in his widespread stance. He looked like a man trying to shake off a body blow and she ached for what she’d put him through. But just when he looked beaten, Zach lifted his head and pushed off the car as if making some kind of decision—
She couldn’t let him leave! She had to stop him. Allison sucked in a quick breath but instead of calling his name, she brought her fingers to her mouth and gave the sharp piercing whistle Zach once swore would stop traffic for miles. But she didn’t care about traffic. All she wanted was to stop Zach.
He turned slowly, but instead of reaching for the door handle, he looked back toward the townhouse, back to Allison. Their eyes met for a brief second, and the next thing she knew,
she was rushing into his arms. She didn’t know which of them moved first, but it didn’t matter. They’d made that leap together, and they’d landed right where they belonged.
Breathing in the scent of his skin, her hands fisted tight in his sun-warmed T-shirt and his arms wrapped around her waist, Allison didn’t know how she’d thought even for a moment that she could live without Zach. She was a miserable failure when it came to playing things safe. Her heart simply hadn’t been in the temp jobs she’d taken or the numerous hobbies she’d tried. But the risk of loving Zach, that was something she could throw herself into heart, body and soul, knowing he’d always be there to catch her.
“I love you, Zach.” Pulling back to meet his gaze, she swallowed hard as the image of him with his hands braced in defeat against the car hood flashed through her thoughts. “I am so sorry I let you leave thinking I didn’t.”
“Hey, don’t worry. I wasn’t about to give up that easily. Like you said, I’ve worked for years to get what I want. Did you really think I’d quit on us after only a few weeks?”
The certainty in his blue eyes was the only answer Allison needed. Zach worked harder than anyone she’d ever known. He wasn’t the kind of man to take the easy way out or to give up when times got tough.
“I should have realized you wouldn’t. I just didn’t believe—couldn’t believe—you’d give up your dreams for me.”
“I’m not,” he vowed. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and everything I was afraid to hope for. I love you. Do you really think any promotion could matter more than that?”
Overwhelming emotion bubbled up inside Allison, filling her with so much hope and wonder, she didn’t know if she was going to laugh or cry or both. “You did a pretty good job at first convincing me that the promotion was all that mattered.”
Zach shook his head ruefully. “I think I was trying to convince myself. Focusing on business, that was something I was comfortable doing. Something I knew I was good at. Maybe the only thing I was good at until I met you.”
“No, Zach! There’s much more to you than just work. Look at the way you’ve been mentoring Brett. We both know that isn’t part of your job. And the way you took care of Sylvie,” she added, remembering how quickly he’d responded to his former clients’ call for help. “Even the way you wanted to carry on the charade of us dating in front of your mother. Maybe you were worried about the truth getting back to Riana Collins, but I think you knew seeing the two of us together would make your mom happy…. You’re a great salesman, Zach, but you’re an amazing man. And there’s no reason why you can’t be both.”
Reaching up to cup his face in her hands, Allison said, “You should accept the promotion. I know it will mean a lot of travel, but we’ll make it work. You’ve proved to me that you can do anything you put your mind to. You’ll be the greatest VP Knox can imagine.”
Zach gazed down at her as he turned his head and pressed a kiss into her palm. “And what if what I want to be the best husband you can imagine?”
He’d throw himself into the role. He’d devote every moment into being the best. Driven, dedicated and determined—that was the man Allison loved. Pure happiness broke free in a smile she didn’t even try to contain. “Well, you better be sure because this isn’t a temporary position.”
“Oh, I’m fully prepared for a lifetime commitment.”
“Then I’d have to say, Mr. Wilder, you’re the only man for the job.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1428-6
TEMPORARY BOSS…FOREVER HUSBAND
Copyright © 2011 by Stacy Cornell
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