“You do?”
“I can contact our boss, Carrie, and tell her that I need to talk to Zoe about some food-related issue for the wedding. Carrie hates dealing with details. She’ll give me Zoe’s location. Meanwhile, you can find a flight to London.”
“I’m on it.” Tate pulled out his own cell and started to call up flight schedules.
Gavin nodded. “I’ll reverse-lookup the phone number Carrie gives me and find out where Zoe is staying. By the time you set foot in London, I’ll have an address for you.”
“Thanks, man.” Tate lowered his phone and patted Gavin on the back. “I owe you one.”
Gavin smiled. “Don’t you forget it.”
Tate took several steps back and pointed at his friend. “I won’t.” Turning, he hurried back to his trailer to make preparations. On the way, he texted Alex to say that he was going to be away for a few days. With any luck, he’d be in the air in a few hours and in Zoe’s arms by dinner.
“Hang on, darlin’,” he whispered as he started to pack. “I’m coming.”
…
Zoe let out a long breath as she left the Colorful Horizons flower shop in downtown London. “Well, that was a bust,” she mumbled to no one in particular. She had thought that the florist had done an amazing job in providing alternatives to the coveted “rainbow rose bushes” Sadie kept harping about. Unfortunately, Sadie wouldn’t compromise. She insisted that rainbow rose bushes were real, even after Zoe showed her an internet entry by the inventor that proved the opposite. Zoe had no idea how anyone could be so stubborn.
“Kaleb told me that he had picked his rainbow roses from a real, live bush, and I believe him,” she had said. “He would never say that if it wasn’t true.”
Well, either Kaleb’s fan was a liar, or Kaleb himself was a liar. Zoe didn’t really care which. All that really mattered was that Sadie wanted the impossible, and somehow Zoe needed to come up with a miracle by the end of the week.
After buying a coffee and sticky pastry, Zoe headed over to Kensington Gardens on the other side of the block to wallow in self-pity. Situating herself on a park bench, she looked out over the landscape and wondered how on earth she had gotten to this low point in her life. Just a few short days ago, things had been going great. She had an amazing relationship with Tate, the wedding plans were almost complete, and her mother was going to receive the care she needed. Now it felt like everything was falling apart and there wasn’t a thing Zoe could do about it.
“Is this seat taken?”
Zoe glanced up to see Tate standing above her. Lovely. She thought that she’d made things clear to Carrie before she left that she didn’t want to be disturbed.
She shrugged and turned away.
He placed something in her lap. “I know that they aren’t rainbow roses, but I thought that they were beautiful just the same.”
Zoe glanced down to see a dozen or so yellow daisies sitting in her lap. She ran her finger over the petal of one, loving how smooth and simple the flower appeared. It was so different from the elaborate roses Sadie wanted, but their bright and cheery color made them no less beautiful.
She curled her fingers around the stems. “If you think that by giving me a bunch of flowers I’ll forgive you—”
Tate held up his hand. “No, I don’t think that a bunch of flowers will do anything. I just saw them and thought of you.” He dropped his hand and looked down at the flowers. “I was hoping that they would buy me a chance to explain.”
“You have nothing to explain.”
“I do.” He covered her hand with his. “Please, Zoe. Just hear me out. If after you’ve heard what I want to say, you still want me out of your life, I’ll go, but at least give me a chance.”
His hand felt warm and inviting. While part of her was still angry, another part of her was tired and missed the strong shoulder she used to lean on when things seemed overwhelming.
“Okay,” she said. “Say what you came here to say, then go.”
“Zoe…”
She pulled her hand away and turned to face him. “You have five minutes before I stand up and walk away.”
“Okay, okay.” He slid back in his seat to give her more room and sighed. “I was born into a wealthy oil family. I’m the last in a long line of heirs to the Carrington fortune, which is well into the billions of dollars.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.
“Because I didn’t want it.” He turned, facing the gardens. “I didn’t want any of it.”
“You didn’t want all of that money?” Zoe snorted. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Money isn’t a whole hell of a lot if it comes at a price.” Tate took in a deep breath and let it out before continuing. “All you know about my family is what my father wants the public to believe. What really happened behind closed doors was a different story.” He looked down at his hands in his lap. “People say that my father was different when my mother was alive. He wasn’t as hard or unyielding, and his expectations weren’t so difficult to meet.” He dragged his gaze away from the flowers and up to her face. “I told you about how my brother Rob died.”
“Yes.”
“Those fights had been going on for years. Sometimes my brother would get so mad that he’d throw things at my father. Once, he hit my dad in the forehead and he had to get stitches.”
“Wow—I had no idea.”
“No one did. At the time I didn’t know why Rob kept insisting on being so reckless, or why my father was so insistent that he settle down and help him run the family oil company, a business Rob seemed so ill-suited to take over. Now, looking back, I realize that they were both grieving in their own way for a mother I never knew.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Tate shrugged. “It is what it is. Every family has its problems, and we all make mistakes we regret. It was just unfortunate that on that particular night things got so out of control. Perhaps, if they had been more willing to listen to each other, all of the tragedy that followed could have been avoided.”
She shook her head. “I still don’t understand how this has to do with you marrying Gavin’s sister, or building the chapel at the resort.”
“I’m getting to that.” He took a deep breath. “After my brother died, my father put a lot of pressure on me to take over the family business. I was the last heir, he had said. The company was going to be my responsibility.”
“But you didn’t want it,” she said.
“No. I was like my brother in that regard. Neither one of us had much interest in the corporate world. It didn’t matter to my father, however. He insisted that I take lessons in etiquette and marketing, learn foreign languages and basic accounting. He took me out whenever he had some publicity event in town and tried to teach me how important it was to mingle with the people in the towns close to where our oil fields reside. He felt that big oil had a stigma attached to it, and he wanted to show people that we were just like everyone else. Happy neighbors were less likely to complain about an oil drill in their back yard.”
“Sneaky.”
“You don’t know the half of it. Every outing we went to, every person we met, was part of his agenda. We were either making contacts to expand our business or forming friendships with lobbyists on Capitol Hill so they would push our agenda.” He shook his head. “It was all a game to him, and when he talked about it with me, his face would light up with excitement. I just never felt the same fire that he did. I wanted to. I think things would have been much simpler if I did.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No. Everything seemed too fake for me. I didn’t know who I could trust, or when I could be myself. It was exhausting trying to remember everything. When the opportunity came up to help design and build the new headquarters, it was such a relief.”
“It’s a beautiful building,” Zoe said. When he flashed her a questioning look, she added, “I saw a picture online.”
“I see.” He glanced down at his hands i
n his lap. “That building changed me. I think in creating that structure, I realized that there was a life outside of the oil company and my father. Once I got a taste of it, I didn’t want to give it up.”
“So you walked away?”
“Sort of. I told my father that I enjoyed building with my hands more than running a corporation. Needless to say, he was upset. We got into a heated argument, one that would have rivaled the ones he used to have with my brother. He told me that I wasn’t thinking clearly, that I wasn’t strong enough to make it on my own. I come from a family of oil tycoons, he had said. Running the company was in my blood. He told me that if I stayed on with him, the job would grow on me and I’d develop my own passion for oil in time.”
“But you didn’t want that.”
“No. Looking back, I think he was afraid of losing me like he lost both my mother and brother, but back then, back in the heat of the moment, I just wanted to prove him wrong.” He hesitated for a moment, then added, “When it was over, he came to me with a deal.”
“A deal?”
Tate nodded. “He said that he’d give me five years to pursue my love of building. Five years to build my company and prove to him that I could do things on my own. If during that time I couldn’t make ends meet, if I had to dip into my trust fund in order to survive, then I would prove him right. I would admit that I wasn’t strong enough to make it on my own and come home.”
“Where you would run the company with your father.”
“Yes.”
“But you dipped into your trust fund to help me.” She shook her head. “Why did you do that, knowing that when you did, it would be like admitting to your father that he was right?”
“You are important to me, Zoe. You were hurting and I wanted to help.”
“But touching that money—”
“Touching that money was my decision.” He squeezed her fingers. “Being with you has shown me how childish I’ve been. Yes, my father wanted me to run the company, but not for the reasons I had originally thought. He didn’t care about the family legacy, or making money. He only wanted to share his passion with me.”
“So you’re going to go back to him?”
“Yes. I need to show him that we have other things in common besides the family business. There are other ways for us to bond and be close.” He squeezed her fingers. “For example, we both fell in love with strong women who made us want to be better people than we were.”
Zoe turned her hand and laced her fingers with his. “When are you going to see him?” she asked.
“As soon as I can convince you to come with me.”
She blinked. “What?”
He squeezed her fingers. “I want to face this, but I can’t do it alone. I was wondering—I was hoping that you would come back to Texas and talk to my father with me.”
“But this has nothing to do with me.”
“It has everything to do with you. Don’t you see?” He let go of her hand and brushed a stray hair from her face. “You are the woman who convinced me to stop running away from my family. You are the one I want to spend my life with.” He cupped the side of her cheek. “I know that once he sees you, once he sees us together, he’ll understand.”
Zoe studied his face for a long moment before replying. “We’re not so different, you and I.”
He dropped his hand and took hers. “How so?”
She looked down at their entwined fingers. “You say that all of your life you’ve been running from your family responsibilities, but I’ve also been running from mine. I used the excuse of this job to keep from visiting with my mom. Seeing her is painful, almost too painful sometimes.” She squeezed his fingers and looked up to meet his gaze. “I will go with you to face your father, if after the wedding, you will go with me to visit my mother.”
“It’s a deal.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. As he did, Zoe’s heart soared. Tate had put his future happiness in jeopardy, in order to help her. Perhaps there was hope for their relationship after all.
Chapter Fifteen
Zoe’s heartbeat raced as Tate led her up to the front door of his family’s estate. Tate had tried to prepare her on the flight over, telling her about his childhood and how he had loved to explore the vast grounds his family owned as a kid. Things hadn’t been so bad for him, he insisted, until his brother had passed away. Once his father understood that they could still be close even if Tate didn’t participate in the family business, things would be good again.
The door to the mansion opened, jarring Zoe from her thoughts.
“Master Tate,” a tall, elderly man said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
“I bet.” Tate stepped over the threshold and patted the man on the shoulder. “How’s his mood today?”
“He has been amiable ever since he learned of your return.” The man turned to Zoe and raised his brows.
“She’s with me, Branson.” Tate slid his arm around Zoe’s waist. “Her name is Zoe, and she’s part of the reason for my visit.”
The old man closed the door. “He’s not going to like this.”
“I know.”
He turned toward the long, expansive hall. “Follow me.”
“He seems very unemotional about your return,” Zoe whispered as they followed Branson over the plush, red carpeting.
“Everyone here is unemotional,” Tate whispered back, squeezing her fingers. “It wasn’t always like this. I was told that when my mother was alive, the house was filled with laughter.”
“Your mother’s death must have affected him more than anyone realized.” The house seemed as cold as the staff’s manner. Decorated in royal blues, creams, and gold, the mansion had a stately appearance that made Zoe feel as if she had stepped into a museum.
They stopped in front of a large mahogany door. Branson knocked, hesitated, and then opened the door a crack. “Master Tate is here to see you, sir.”
“Send him in,” a strong, baritone voice replied.
Branson opened the door the rest of the way and ushered them inside. Zoe followed Tate, and stepped into a large study. Bookshelves lined three of the four walls, and a large picture window occupied the fourth. Sitting on top of a raised portion of the floor, sat a large, polished desk.
“Tate.” A tall, thin man with salt-and-pepper hair stood and came toward them. It was easy to see where Tate got his looks. The only difference between the men was that Tate was lean and tanned from working in the sun, while his father was more square and pale, presumably from working behind a desk all these years. It was hard to rationalize the easy smile and kind eyes with the man Tate described growing up. Then again, the lines around his eyes and shallowness of his cheeks hinted at another harsher side to the man standing before them.
Zoe took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. This was important to Tate, and she wanted to be here for him, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but find the man a little intimidating.
“Who do we have here?” the man asked as he turned toward her.
“This is Zoe, Dad. She’s my girlfriend.”
Tate’s father started to extend his hand, then stopped and gave his son a sharp look. “Girlfriend?”
Tate nodded. “We met on one of my construction assignments.”
“I see.” His father lifted his chin and looked down at her through his wire-framed glasses. Zoe couldn’t help but feel as if she was being examined under a microscope.
“Why don’t we sit, Dad?” Tate motioned to the chairs. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“Indeed, we do.” His father turned away and moved to one of the seats. Zoe chose one next to Tate and silently took his hand. His father frowned, and she lifted her chin. She was going to help Tate through this, so he’d finally be free to live his own life—a life with her by his side.
…
Tate took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Everything came down to this moment. All he had to do was disappoint his father and deny his fami
ly legacy and then he’d be free.
Tate almost laughed at the drama he was adding to this situation. While his father had been strict, Tate still loved him, and he wanted to do what was right. He wished that he loved the family business. It would have made things so much easier. But this life wasn’t him, and he could no longer pretend to be something he wasn’t.
“What is going on?” his father asked as he settled in his seat.
“I know that we made a deal, Dad.”
“We did,” he agreed. “And I noticed that you used your trust fund.”
“I did, but…”
“The reasons don’t matter.” He waved his hand in dismissal. “All that matters is that you’re here. I take it that you will live up to your obligations?”
“That’s the thing, Dad.” Tate hesitated. He didn’t want to disappoint the man who raised him, and yet he knew that things couldn’t continue down this path. He’d be miserable working for his father. He knew that, and he sensed his father did, too. It was time to put an end to this once and for all.
He felt Zoe squeeze his hand. He glanced over at her, and she nodded. Finding strength in her quiet presence, he pushed forward. “I didn’t take the money for myself.”
“You didn’t?”
“No, in fact I was doing quite well on my own. I took the money out for Zoe.”
His father frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Tate glanced over at Zoe and smiled. “Zoe’s mother is sick and needs specialized care, care she can only get in an expensive facility. I took the money out so I could help her get well again.”
“I’m going to pay the money back,” Zoe said before his father could question him further.
He turned to face her. “You are?”
Tate was as surprised as his father. They hadn’t talked about this. The money had been a gift, not a loan. “That’s not what we—”
“I have half of it right here.” She let go of Tate’s hand and fished around in her purse. Pulling out a check, she handed it over to his father. “I’ll have the other half in two weeks, as soon as I get paid for an event I just handled.”
His father frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Secret Games (Tropical Temptation) Page 13