“Not yet.” She checked her watch. “I have twenty minutes before the egg-in-a-spoon race.”
“Then let’s try out some of this great food. Becca was eating a taco.”
“It must be from The Smokery. They were going to serve dilled halibut tacos and smoked salmon mini bagels. Do they have any left?”
“Let’s go see.” He set the stack of sacks in their crate. “The cheese booth was popular. The kids love the cheese kabobs, and the parents were crazy for those little cheese cupcake thingies.”
“Vegetable timbales with goat cheese. I thought those would be fun for a tasting.”
“You made those?” He didn’t know why that surprised him. “Is there anything here today you didn’t personally handle?”
“Lots. Molly, Bea and Rosemary are over in the face-painting booth. Linda and Alice took tickets. Lauren’s friend Marissa from the reindeer farm loaned us several animals, including two reindeer calves, and Gran is supervising the petting zoo. Patrick is troubleshooting the power supply and the sound system for the auction. And then there are all the volunteers from the wildlife center. Everyone has been so generous.”
And no one more generous than Rowan, but if he said it, she would just deflect the praise to someone else. “What happens next?” Zack asked as he handed over tickets for the smoked-fish treats.
“Games every half hour with a few performers interspersed. The auction is scheduled for five. We’ll do a short thank-you from the wildlife center before the bidding starts.” Rowan smiled at him. “Don’t worry. I got Maggie to do the presentation. I know how much you hate public speaking.”
“Whew.” Zack pretended to wipe his forehead. “Thank you.”
Rowan laughed.
“No, really.” Zack passed her a tiny taco. “Thank you. For everything.”
* * *
“PLEASE SIGN YOUR name on the sheet beside a number and take the matching bidding paddle,” Rowan explained. “If you’d like to receive a monthly email from the wildlife center, just check the box and add your email. That also enters you into a drawing for a two-night stay from Luxury Yurts.”
“Can I skip down and take number fifty-six?” a man asked. “That’s my lucky number. It’s the year my wife was born,” he whispered, as though sharing a secret.
“Ah, no wonder it’s lucky, then.” Rowan handed him the paddle. Five other volunteers who sometimes helped at the wildlife center were also checking bidders in, so the process was going quickly. As she’d hoped, they were also enthusiastically answering questions about WildER and volunteer opportunities to anyone who asked.
Maggie hovered at the edge of the stage, talking with Zack. In full makeup and wearing a red maxi dress instead of her customary work pants, Maggie looked every inch the former beauty queen Zack said she was.
“It’s even better than I thought it was going to be!” A familiar voice brought Rowan’s attention back to the table.
“Daphne! Tony! You came!” Rowan came around the table to hug them. “Did you do the Mount Marathon run?”
“I did indeed,” Tony said.
“Second in his age group.” Daphne pretended to wave a pom-pom.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Sorry we were late today.” Tony cast an amused glance at his wife. “Someone got carried away fishing.”
“If I had known it was so exciting, I’d have been fishing for years,” Daphne told Rowan. “Did you know you can fish for king salmon in Ship Creek, right there in downtown Anchorage?”
“I’ve heard that. Did you catch one?”
“I did! Thirty-six pounds, which they tell me isn’t that big for a king but good grief, it was a monster. I was incredibly lucky.”
“I’ll say. Good for you!”
“So, of course we had to drop the fish off at a processer before we could drive out here to the WildFair,” Tony explained.
“Fortunately, I’d seen your list of sponsors on the website, so we knew to take the fish to The Smokery, and we told them where we heard about it. They’re going to smoke half our fish and freeze the rest. I just hope it comes out as good as the fish on those little bagel treats. Yum!”
While she had been talking, Tony had signed up and taken a paddle. “We’d better let Rowan get back to work.” He put his hand on Daphne’s back to urge her forward.
“We’ll talk later,” she told Rowan over her shoulder.
“I want to have you for dinner when you’re free,” Rowan called to her. “I’ll phone.”
When they were down to the last few stragglers, Rowan excused herself and went up on the stage. Patrick handed her the microphone, adjusted a few knobs and gave her the okay sign.
“Hello, everyone, and thanks for coming to the WildFair. I hope you’ve been looking over the great prize packages. I know you’re eager to get the auction started, but before we do, Maggie Ziegler would like to say a few words about the wildlife center. Maggie?”
Maggie waved as she walked onto the stage. Rowan handed over the microphone and retreated to where Tom, Maggie’s reporter friend, was waiting to step into his role as auctioneer.
Maggie smiled and scanned the crowd until the applause died down. “Is everyone having a good time?” A round of applause and whistles erupted and Maggie grinned. “That’s what I like to hear. I do have a short presentation—” she crossed her heart “—very short, I promise. But first, Zack Vogel, our founder and the veterinarian who dedicates himself to the well-being of these animals on a daily basis, asked if he could say a few words.”
Zack wanted to talk? He looked a little pale as he came onto the stage, but he took the mic from Maggie and laughed. “Those of you who know me know that I would take dealing with a wounded grizzly over public speaking any day of the week.” Several twitters in the crowd demonstrated that his aversion was well known. “But I couldn’t let this evening go by without publicly thanking the woman who pulled this whole thing together from the very beginning.” He gestured toward the side of the stage. “My incredible wife, Rowan.”
Suddenly, the crowd was applauding wildly. Zack handed the microphone back to Maggie and came to take Rowan’s hand and pull her up on stage. People continued to clap, and some in the first row stood up. Soon the whole crowd was standing and applauding. A bouquet appeared from somewhere and Zack handed it to her. And then, in front of everyone, Zack kissed her—a happy, joyous, spontaneous kiss. She stared in wonder.
“I think we’ve left her speechless.” Maggie laughed. “Rowan Vogel, everyone.”
A fresh round of applause sounded as Rowan waved at the crowd and she and Zack made their way off the stage. Maggie started her presentation about the wildlife center featuring Gordon Malee’s photographs. Once Rowan and Zack were down the stairs and out of sight from most of the crowd, she turned to him. “I can’t believe you voluntarily went on stage for me.”
“After everything you’ve done for WildER? And for me?” He took the flowers from her and set them aside before he took her in his arms. “You give and you give and you give. You deserve some recognition.” And he kissed her once again.
“Zack! Rowan!” Becca came running up.
“Hi.” Rowan smoothed Becca’s hair back from her face, exposing a streak of dirt and a smudged ladybug on her cheek.
“I made this for you.” Becca handed over a wooden heart glued to a magnet. She’d painted a figure with long hair in the middle, holding hands with two taller figures. It must have been one of the projects from the local craft store booth. “See, it’s me, and Zack, and you.”
“I love it! Thank you!” Rowan held it up to better admire it. “Are you having a good day?”
Becca gave a happy sigh. “This is the best day of my whole life.”
“Group hug,” Zack suggested as he enveloped them both in his arms. Becca giggled.
As Rowan squeezed the
m both, she had to agree. This might well be the best day of her whole life, too.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“SO, I REALIZED I’d hooked the fish, and I didn’t know what to do.” Daphne was using her fork to demonstrate how she’d caught the king salmon. “Everyone was yelling different instructions. Tony had gone to retrieve the fishing gear we’d left farther down the bank. Then this boy about ten years old came to stand beside me and told me, step by step, exactly what to do.”
“Once I got there, all I had to do was scoop it up in the net.” Tony smiled at his wife. “Now that she’s a confirmed fisherwoman, we’ve booked our fishing charter out of Seward for Thursday.”
As if it weren’t enough that the package based on their Mexican timeshare had brought in enough cash to pay the wildlife center’s feed bill for several months, Tony’s had been the winning bid for a hotly contested deep-sea fishing charter package.
“You’ll have a great time.” Zack took seconds on the au gratin potatoes and glazed salmon and passed them around the table. “Rowan, this salmon is excellent.”
“It’s part of Daphne’s king,” Rowan told him. “She brought us four fillets.”
“Don’t forget, you promised me recipes.” Daphne put a little more fish on her plate and passed the platter to Tony. “Save room for dessert. I understand this wonder child—” she winked at Becca “—made a chocolate raspberry torte for us.”
Becca giggled. She found Daphne fascinating. As soon as she’d arrived, Daphne had presented Becca with an Alaska yo-yo she’d picked up at a craft co-op in downtown Anchorage, and she and Becca spent a half hour taking turns trying to get the two fur balls on strings spinning in opposite directions. When Becca achieved success, Daphne had quickly produced her phone and recorded it for posterity. “Wait until I show this to my nephews. I got them each a set last time we visited Alaska, and they never were able to make them work.”
“So, Zack,” Tony said, as he added more potatoes to his plate. “We know the wildlife rehab center isn’t open to the public, but we were wondering if it might be possible for Daphne and me to get a sneak peek. Feel free to say no. We don’t want to disturb the animals.”
“After all you did for the fundraiser, I’d be honored to give you the tour.”
“You have to be quiet around the wild animals,” Becca told them. “And you have to hide from some of them, so they don’t get used to people. But you can meet Puddin and Yeil. They live there. Puddin is a porcupine, and she loves carrots and stuff.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever met a porcupine,” Daphne said. “A new experience!”
It wasn’t until dessert that Rowan happened to mention the name of Daphne and Tony’s company.
“You’re the company that put out the video game based on Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon? I loved that game.” Zack laughed. “If not for you, my undergrad grade point might have been at least half a point higher.”
“Well, you got into vet school, so it must not have been too much of a distraction,” Daphne said.
“I just wish our office software worked as smoothly as your products. The appointment scheduler has been giving us fits lately,” Zack said.
“Show me.” Tony finished his last bite of torte and set down his fork. “Maybe I can help.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Zack said. “We’ll call the IT guys next week.”
“Seriously, I don’t mind. Let’s go take a look. Your office is next door, isn’t it?”
“Okay, then. Say, Becks, Christine brought in a pair of kittens that are up for adoption. Want to come socialize with them while we look at the computer?”
“Yes!” Becca jumped up and asked Daphne, “Do you want to play with the kittens, too?”
“Tempting, but I think I’ll stay with Rowan. But promise you’ll come and get me before you visit the porcupine.”
“I promise,” Becca said solemnly before skipping off with Zack and Tony.
Daphne picked up two plates to carry to the kitchen. “You and Zack are newlyweds, I take it.”
“Yes. We’ve only been married three weeks.”
“Hmm. The waiter at the restaurant in Palo Alto seemed to think you’d just broken off an engagement. I gather you reconciled.”
“Uh, no. The engagement I broke wasn’t with Zack.”
Daphne raised her eyebrows. “Do tell.”
Rowan scraped a plate and stacked it in the dishwasher before she answered. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Do you know what my natural hair color is?”
“No.”
“Neither does Tony.” Daphne’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “In other words, yes, I can keep a secret, but don’t tell me unless you want to.”
Rowan walked across the room to look out the window toward the forest. “Have you ever gone into a situation with good intentions, but you discovered you were in over your head?”
“Oh, many times, but we’re talking about you. Do you regret marrying Zack so quickly?”
“Not marrying him, but—” Rowan turned to face Daphne. “It’s not a real marriage, just a temporary arrangement. Zack wants full custody of his sister. Becca’s mother has no interest in her, but Zack is afraid Clarissa won’t give up her rights, because Becca is set to inherit a substantial sum of money.”
Daphne didn’t seem shocked. “And if Zack is married to someone caring and nurturing like you, it makes his case better.”
“Frankly, yes.”
“Okay. That explains why he married you. Why did you marry him? What did you get out of it?”
More confession. “I married Zack because I’m a square peg, and for my whole life, my mother has been lovingly molding me to fit into this perfectly round hole she thinks is best for me. She chose my college major, my job and even my fiancé. I’d had enough, but I didn’t have the strength to get out of it on my own. Marrying Zack cut my ties and gave me the chance to take stock and figure out what I really want.”
Daphne shook her head. “No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’?”
“That may be true, but it’s not the reason you married Zack. Not the whole reason anyway.”
“Well, there’s Becca, of course. I adore that little girl, and I know she belongs with Zack.”
“We’re getting warmer.” Daphne looked at her encouragingly.
“I don’t know where you’re going with this.”
“Of course you do. What are your feelings toward Zack?”
“Zack.” Rowan felt her lips curve at the mention of his name. “Well, we’re friends. I respect and admire him, and I care about him. I uh...”
“You married Zack as a way to escape your mother, and to help him get custody of Becca, and because...” Daphne paused meaningfully.
“Because I love him.” It was suddenly so clear. How could Rowan not have realized this a long time ago? “I love Zack.”
“Bingo.”
“But our arrangement.”
“What about it?”
“This marriage isn’t about love. It’s about getting custody of Becca.”
“Then maybe it’s time to come to a new arrangement.”
Was that possible? “Zack told me after watching his father go through four less-than-happy marriages, he never intended to marry.”
“And yet he did.”
“For Becca.”
“Becca. Right.” Daphne gave an amused smile. “I saw that kiss. If I were you, I would schedule some uninterrupted time alone to talk this through with your husband.”
“But—”
Daphne held up her hand. “That’s my advice, free of charge. You can take it or leave it.” She looked past Rowan out the window. “And if I’m not mistaken, that’s Becca running over to tell us it’s time for that tour of WildER. She’s such a sweetheart.”
“Yes. She’s worth whatever it takes to make sure she’s secure and happy.”
“So are you, darling.” Daphne put an arm around Rowan’s shoulders and squeezed. “So are you.”
* * *
ROWAN STRAIGHTENED A napkin and set the new candle she’d picked up at the store in the center of the table. Was it too much? She wasn’t trying to seduce Zack, just to make the conversation smoother. She’d been putting it off for five days, turning over in her mind how best to approach the topic. She’d promised Zack a year, but she wanted a lifetime. How do you tell your friend you’re in love with him? Especially when you’re already married to him?
It had been a good week. When Jessie had totaled up the proceeds from the fundraiser, it was enough to match the grant and cover the expenses for the wildlife center for a full year, plus some left over. Jessie had called an emergency meeting of the board and they’d decided to set aside the extra in a rainy-day fund for future repairs and projects. And thanks to Maggie’s friend Tom Hackman, the WildFair auction had made the ten o’clock news. The news clip had included Zack thanking Rowan and the now-famous kiss. What if her confession changed everything?
A knock sounded from the back door and Charlotte ran in ahead of Jessie. “Is Becca ready? We’ve got movies and popcorn. Is she bringing Zuma?”
“Maybe you should run up to her room and see.”
“Okay.” Charlotte dashed for the stairs.
“Something smells fantastic.” Jessie lifted the pot lid. “What is this?”
“Boeuf bourguignon. It’s just beef stew with a French accent.”
“Nice.” She replaced the lid and looked at the table. “Candlelight. Ooh la la.” She grinned. “Maybe next Friday, the girls can sleep here, and I’ll cook a romantic dinner. I could make Greg’s favorites—corn dogs and ice cream.”
Rowan laughed. “Anytime. I appreciate you taking Becca tonight, but if she gets homesick, feel free to call and we’ll pick her up.”
“She was fine with us while you went to Vegas,” Jessie pointed out. “Don’t worry about Becca. Just have fun.”
“Thanks. Oh, here.” Rowan handed over a cookie tin. “Becca and I made dark chocolate, raspberry and goat-cheese brownies.”
Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Page 42