by Anne Ashby
The grandmother he remembered was far too astute to be conned by such an obvious scam. So the years have taken a toll on her, too. She’s become gullible to some scheming woman.
The simmering anger began to grow. “You shouldn’t have let a stranger into your home, Gran. She’ll be after everything she can wheedle out of you.”
He slipped a gentle arm around the stiff shoulders. “Not everyone in this world is as loving and caring as you. There are a lot of people out there who’ll rob you of your last cent without batting an eyelid.”
His voice hardened. “I’ll get rid of her for you. She’ll be out of this house within the hour.” He squeezed her shoulders. “You won’t need to see her again; there won’t be any scenes to upset you.”
Surprised when his arm was shrugged away, Connor was bewildered when his grandmother rounded on him.
“It’s wonderful to see you again, Connor, and I’ve been looking forward to your coming to stay.” Her blue eyes flashed and her voice was hard, harder than he ever remembered hearing. “But leave Zoe alone. I expect you to mind your own business and keep out of my affairs.”
Stalking to the door she paused, glaring at him over her shoulder. “If you’re anything but scrupulously polite to Zoe, I’ll…I’ll…”
Connor would have smiled at her struggle to find what she considered a suitable threat if the situation hadn’t been so far from humorous.
“…I’ll be extremely disappointed in you.”
The door mightn’t have exactly slammed—Bess was too much of a lady to slam doors—but it was closed in a most decisive manner, Connor acknowledged as he dropped onto the bed.
Five minutes later, his cellphone slipped from his fingers, his concern about Bess’s houseguest rising tenfold. Neither his parents nor his Uncle David had any idea Bess had acquired a houseguest.
“Don’t worry,” he assured them. “I’ll get to the bottom of whatever little scheme she’s trying to pull, and get rid of her before she can work her wiles on Gran.”
Chapter Two
Zoe muttered a crude swear word, again and again.
Her agitated movements around her bedroom were heightening her nervous tension instead of calming it, like she needed. Thumping her fist against her thigh as she stalked across the small space, she wished she’d hung around earlier. Then she’d know how Bess had explained her presence; know what she was heading into, what reaction she might expect from her cousin.
Initially terrified when she’d been dragged from the car, Zoe’s fear had vanished as soon as she recognized her assailant. He hadn’t been some deranged maniac, only a guy safeguarding his grandmother’s property.
The man himself wasn’t scary or frightening.
So why am I still hiding in my room, even though Bess has called me to join them for dinner?
She’d been nervous enough about Connor’s arrival before the interlude in the driveway. Now her squirming stomach was out of control, just like, when a child, she’d met yet another set of foster parents.
Zoe stopped her hand before the fingernails reached her mouth. I’m no longer a child, and I’ve proved over and over again, I’m in charge of my own destiny. Pretending confidence as an adult should be so much easier than it had been before.
A quick glance in the mirror to ensure she looked the person she wanted to be, and not some ’fraidy cat, she experimented with a big, false smile—hoping a show of confidence would at least fool Bess. Zoe took a deep breath, grabbed open the door, and marched down the hallway toward the muted voices.
Whatever Bess had told Connor hadn’t pleased him. This much was obvious as she looked into his hard face and narrowed, cold eyes as they dutifully shook hands after Bess made the formal introduction.
Bristling under his disdainful glance at her old but tidy stovepipe jeans and tight pink lace shirt, Zoe nevertheless forced a bright smile across at him as she sank onto her chair.
“Welcome back to Auckland.” She helped herself to salad before passing him the bowl. “I hear you’ve been away quite a while.”
That wooden nod of his can hardly be called communicating. She eyed Bess uncertainly. Seeing an animated twinkle in the eyes so much like her own, and a bland wink come her way, Zoe forced another smile. As long as Bess remains unaffected, I can handle anything Connor might dish out.
“You gonna settle in Auckland?”
His look was sharp and assessing as he took the offered mayonnaise.
“Your family’s in Wellington, aren’t they?”
When he still didn’t answer, Zoe covered the affront by turning to Bess and asking after her friend’s sprained ankle. She was determined not to allow his silence to change the happy atmosphere she’d always encountered around this table.
“Are you a local?” His barked question interrupted her suggestion Bess’s car would need a more comprehensive service next time.
“I guess so.” She shrugged. “I was born in Auckland.”
“Where do you live?”
Zoe shot him a look she hoped appeared confused. “I live here.”
“I mean before you came to stay here? Did you live on the Shore?”
Zoe responded to his emphasis with a forced laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding. I could never afford to live on the Shore.” She stiffened her back. She wasn’t ashamed of her background, but rather extremely proud of her efforts to escape it. “Nah, I lived in a flat with half a dozen students in the central city. The place was a dive.”
Though he didn’t voice his condemnation, it was written in his contemptuous expression as he watched her through narrowed eyes.
Her back stiffened still further. She never pretended to be anything but what she was. Being honest to one’s self was the code she’d learned to live by. I’ll be damned if the arrival of my arrogant cousin is going to change that.
“So staying with my grandmother has been quite a lifestyle improvement for you?” His question was heavy with sarcasm.
“Connor—”
Zoe’s voice cut through Bess’s attempt to speak.
“Oh, incredibly so.” She smirked. He couldn’t possibly avoid hearing the note of mockery in her voice as she leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. “You know,” she confided guilelessly, “I haven’t seen a cockroach for weeks.”
She almost laughed at his slight shudder. She supposed, as a doctor, he was appalled by cockroaches. She momentarily forgot how many years he’d spent in third world nations and probably seen much worse. She leaned forward. “You know, sometimes when you opened the kitchen cupboards in my old flat, they’d all rush out to meet you, just like little pets.”
Bess chuckled, knowing Zoe was exaggerating the state of her previous home. “Stop teasing, Zoe. It might not have been much, but your flat wasn’t that bad.”
“Where is your family?”
“I have no…” The words died in her mouth as she glanced at Bess. Often she still forgot she was no longer alone in the world. “My parents are dead and I have no siblings,” she amended.
“You must have other family, aunts, uncles, grandparents.” He contradicted with a tight smile that set her teeth on edge.
“I’ve been alone for a long time now. I’m used to it.”
“But…”
Zoe felt strangely drawn to his dark compelling eyes.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-five. Why? How old are you?”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Twenty-five! You look more like sixteen.”
“Well, thank you, kind sir.” Zoe almost chuckled at his frown of exasperation. He hadn’t meant the comment to be a compliment, it seemed.
Jumping up as Bess made to move, Zoe touched her shoulder. “I’ll get the dessert.”
Taking an extra moment in the kitchen she leaned against the bench, sucking in deep breaths. Warmth between her and her cousin wasn’t going to be an instantaneous thing, she appreciated as she looked down at her fingers clenching the edges of the marble top.
She straightened, threading her fingers through her hair before taking the bowl of fresh fruit salad in one hand, and dessert plates in the other. I’ll be pleasant and polite to Connor. How he responds is not something I have any control over.
Conversation halted as she re-entered the dining room. Bess’s expression seemed a little strained but she smiled up at Zoe, thanking her for bringing the dessert.
“Connor’s just been saying he needs a car.” Bess spoke as Zoe slipped onto her chair. “Perhaps you should take Zoe with you. You know, get a professional’s opinion. Zoe’s a mechanic.”
Zoe bit the inside of her cheek to stop from smiling at the ingenuous look Bess sent Connor.
“I remember how you tried to fix the lawnmower for me that time, Connor, dear.” Now the guileless eyes were focused on her. “You wouldn’t mind helping, would you, Zoe?”
He’s never going to agree to this. He looks ready to explode at the slight on his manhood.
“Of course not, as long as we can fit the time into my schedule.”
“I’m sure I can manage without needing to disrupt your schedule,” he ground out between his teeth. “There used to be any number of reputable car dealers around. I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”
Zoe shrugged. “Go to the dealers if you want, but there are some great deals available at the auctions. If you’ve got the cash, that’s where I’d recommend you start.”
“I just need a cheap runabout for a few months until I get settled. I have no knowledge about the workings of a motor vehicle, so I’d prefer to deal with professionals.”
“That’s what I just said, Connor. Take Zoe with you and she’ll make sure you’re not wasting your money.”
Zoe started at the sudden change in Connor as he reached out a hand and smiled at Bess. His face softened, the featherlike laugh lines around his eyes and mouth made him look closer to his age. His square chin, along with the strong, rigid expression he’d been wearing had made him appear much older than his thirty-three years.
Now the warmth of his smile echoed in his voice as he squeezed his grandmother’s hand, making him appear even younger. “Don’t worry, old girl.” His perfect, even teeth shone white against his tanned skin.
Lucky for some, Zoe grimaced as her tongue ran across her own less-than-straight teeth, to have parents willing to pay for braces.
“I do have some money now.”
Well good for you.
“Not like in the old days.” His smile widened into a grin as they shared some memory.
“All the more reason for you to look after it, boy, if you still remember the real old days.”
Zoe was baffled when the softness was wiped from his face by what appeared to be lines of pain.
Zoe continued watching him through a moment of silence before her restless movement brought the others back to the present.
“The offer’s there, Connor, if you want it.” She spoke hastily, in an effort to cover her gauche gasp as their eyes clashed. Does my voice sound strange? She glanced at Bess who’d returned to eating her dessert. “I have some time most days, as long as I know in advance.”
Talk of common day things should help her still the thumping in her throat, the sudden dryness in her mouth.
“You must have an amenable boss.”
Zoe ignored the cynicism. “Actually, I don’t have a boss right at this moment.”
“Oh, you have your own business; or are you just independently wealthy?”
Zoe could barely control an expletive bursting from her lips. “I wish.” She glared back at him, hating the inference she suspected he might be implying. “I’m a poor, hard-up student.”
“At twenty-five? What are you doing, your doctorate?”
Zoe tensed to calm her growing anger at his arrogant, intellectual snobbery. “No, I’m halfway through my bachelor’s degree.”
“Bachelor of what, con artistry?”
Bess’s shocked “Connor” didn’t stop Zoe’s slow rise to her feet to glare down at Connor sitting across the table. Her voice, when she found words, was low and taut with anger. “Don’t deign to judge me, Connor. You know nothing about me.”
She grabbed up her dishes and stalked into the kitchen, purposely returning to give Bess a light kiss on the cheek before saying. “I’ll be back to clean up. Don’t you dare do it.”
Connor’s angry gaze burned into her back as she left the room.
A long, brisk walk was what she needed right now. She needed to cool her temper; she mustn’t allow any altercation to erupt with Bess’s beloved grandson.
****
“Gran, you must get rid of that gi…woman,” Connor urged.
He was shocked at the iciness in Bess’s eyes as her head jerked up.
“Can’t you see what she’s doing? You’re giving her free run of your home and obviously taken her into your confidence. She’s trading on that, Gran, and wheedling her way into your life. Before you know it, she’ll be offering to collect your pension money and look after your banking needs.”
Connor combed his hands through his hair as her stare never faltered. “Don’t you see she’s using you?”
“I’ve already told you, Connor. Leave Zoe alone.” Connor recognized the anger in the slow, enunciated words.
“Dad doesn’t know about her, does he? Or Uncle David? If you wanted to take in a boarder for some company, why all the secrecy? They’re as worried as I—”
“You’ve been talking to Warren and David about Zoe?”
Connor faltered a little under her astonished stare, but remembered his assurance to his family.
“Of course. They’re not knowing about her sent warning bells ringing. Any decent person wouldn’t have asked you to keep her living here a secret.”
Connor’s heart sank as color flooded into his grandmother’s face. For a second, her eyes avoided his. He was right, that woman had asked Gran not to let on to anyone.
“Gran, we’re only worried—”
“I may be getting older, Connor, and I’m sometimes a little forgetful, but I can assure you all, I haven’t yet lost my faculties.”
Connor jumped to his feet as she rose. “Gran—”
“I’m only going to say this once, Connor, and you can pass it on to my loving sons. Discussion about Zoe is off limits. I will not—”
“But Gran—”
“I know everything I need to know about her. If I decide I want her living with me, then that’s my decision.”
She glared up at him. “You want to talk to me about Zoe?” She challenged, “I suggest you take some time to get to know her first, not jump to conclusions based on a ten-minute interrogation. Until then…”
She left the words hanging in the air as she stalked over to the door, only to turn and challenge him once more. “When you know her as well as I do, then you can tell me why she shouldn’t be here with me. Not before.”
Connor was left staring at the wooden panels of the door. Nothing in this conversation suggested Bess was suffering from any sort of age-related incapacity. She’d managed to tear a strip off him without even raising her voice.
He slumped back into his chair, threading his fingers through his hair again. How am I going to protect Bess from this sham when she refuses to listen to me?
After all Gran had done for him over the years, he’d do his best to deny any little gold-digger the chance to wheedle her way into his grandmother’s heart and hurt her.
There was only one way. Bess was right. He smirked as he remembered his grandmother’s words. He couldn’t expose this Zoe for the fraud she was, and make Bess listen, until he’d got some concrete ammunition.
But to do that, he’d need to know a lot more about her, gain her confidence until she felt safe with him, then…zap.
Exposed.
Chapter Three
Zoe jerked back from the kitchen door, wishing she’d been quieter, but Connor had already seen her. To retreat was unthinkable; he’d conclude she was ne
rvous or afraid.
Assuming the kitchen would be empty when she returned, Zoe steadied her breathing even as her hands curled into tight fists. Her cousin was putting the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.
“I said I’d do the cleaning up.”
“It was the least I could do, after the way I spoke to you.” His smile seemed open and friendly.
Zoe’s eyes narrowed as she eyed him. A leopard didn’t change his spots that quickly, did he? Why was he being so nice?
“I’m sorry I spoke so thoughtlessly.”
Thoughtlessly?
His words had appeared very considered and measured to her.
“It’s of no consequence to me.” Zoe gave an offhand shrug as she picked up the dishcloth and wiped down the bench. “But Bess is a wonderful person; she’s been so kind to me…”
She was right.
Anger flared in his eyes before he could hide it. His feelings hadn’t changed, for some reason he was pretending. Well, I’ve been pretending all my life, so I’m damned good at recognizing duplicity when I see it. Such a shame he doesn’t know that.
“I’d hate to see her hurt.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Connor’s smile was as false as hers.
“I have some studying to do.” She strode to the door. “Goodnight.”
“Oh, Zoe?” His voice halted her. “I could use some help buying a car.” He almost looked embarrassed. “Gran’s right, I’m useless with anything mechanical. Perhaps if you helped me…”
Damn, I don’t want to help him, don’t want to spend a second more than necessary with him. Zoe bit her lip. I don’t trust him.
But Gran hadn’t made the suggestion to cause trouble. If I refuse now, after offering during dinner, what would Gran make of that? She’d be hurt to see animosity between them. Zoe couldn’t allow that to happen. Gran mustn’t guess Zoe’s trepidation around her cold-eyed cousin.
She shrugged, just to let him know she didn’t care either way. He needn’t think he’s doing me any favors.
“There’s an auction of better-quality cars at four every Tuesday. Is that what you’ll want?”
He nodded, his gaze never leaving her face.