by Jenna Brandt
“Why did you live that way for so long?” Erica probed.
“I think it stems from what happened with my old work partner Brad.”
“He was Cooper’s previous handler, right? I think I remember reading about his accident in the paper a couple of years back.”
Zach nodded. “We met when I first moved to Clear Mountain. He helped me get a job at the cell phone store he worked at until we both got hired on at the police department. We went through the academy together, and then the K-9 handling school, and finally search and rescue training. We grew closer the whole time we worked together; we became brothers. I used to be close to his parents too, eating over there and spending time with them. It was nice to have people who believed in me, unlike my own family. It was why I took off when I was seventeen. I was tired of being my dad’s punching bag and my mom’s reason for complaining all the time. So, when I watched Brad fall off that cliff to his death, it felt like a part of me died with him. I think it caused me to put up walls.”
“Is that why you gave Cooper to Aiden?” Erica asked with curiosity. “No judgment, but I always wondered why you didn’t keep your partner’s dog and decided to get a new one instead.”
“When my first dog got cancer, I had the choice to be Cooper’s handler, but I just couldn’t do it. The idea of keeping him with me in my home would’ve been too hard. He would’ve been a constant reminder of what happened with Brad. It’s also why I stopped visiting the Stocktons. After I delivered the news of Brad’s death, I just couldn’t face them anymore. It was just easier to keep relationships superficial after that.”
“What about Aiden though? You seem really close to him. I mean, you were his best man in his wedding after all,” Erica pointed out.
“Yeah, I didn’t plan that, believe me. In the beginning, I was pretty cold towards him, trying to keep it strictly professional. Somehow though, I think through his kindness and patience, he managed to work his way past my defenses. It was hard, because I found myself worrying about him all the time. Then he met Lindsay, and they have their kids now. I feel like they’re my family as much as his. I care a great deal for all of them. It’s why I go in first on all the calls. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to Aiden after losing Brad.” Then looking deep into her gorgeous hazel eyes he added, “They’re not the only ones who have managed to do it though. I’m starting to see that living the way I have been, isn’t really living at all. I need more in my life.”
Erica blushed. She must have realized he was talking about her.
The waiter came and took their orders, Zach opting for the steak while Erica ordered the scallops.
Once the server left again, Zach asked, “How are you feeling about going to your father’s home tomorrow? It’s got to feel odd going to see where he spent most of his life.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I think I’ve made a lot of bad decisions through this whole process because I wanted to feel connected to him. Growing up, my mother never talked about my father. Part of me wondered if he was dead, the other if he abandoned me. Then my mom died when I was in college, and I felt like I was an orphan. I never felt like I had a father that loved me, so when I found out he left me everything, it filled this hole I thought I had. It’s why it was so appealing to hear my father cared enough to name me as his sole heir. I was stupid not to look into him or from where the money came. If I had, maybe I could have somehow refused the inheritance and avoided all of this.”
“I get that,” Zach said, “It’s easy to beat yourself up for the things you think you should have done differently. I mean, I should have noticed the cliff’s edge was loose from the previous rainstorm. If I had, then Brad would still be here.”
Erica shook her head. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened. I know for a fact you’re a good cop, Zach, and an even better partner. Both Lindsay and Aiden talk all the time about how you’ve kept him safe so many times.”
“Thanks, I appreciate you saying that. And for the record, you didn’t do anything wrong by accepting your inheritance. I can’t think of one person who wouldn’t have and you’ve been rather reserved with it if you ask me. Most people would have gone crazy with it, buying big houses, boats, even planes with the type of money you have now. You didn’t do any of that. The biggest thing you did was donate some money to church and buy a moderately priced car.”
“And an Apple watch,” she added, flashing her wrist at him, “But only because my other watch broke.”
“See what I mean. Who does that?”
She let out a laugh, causing her nose to crinkle up in the most adorable way. Every time Zach was around her, he became more drawn to her—for all the reasons he used to think he didn’t want a woman. He knew clearly now, that he had been wrong. Erica was exactly what he needed in his life.
They spent the rest of the meal talking about church and their friends. By the end of dinner, they were both content and ready to call it a night.
The server came to the table and asked, “Would you like me to charge this to the room?”
“No, this meal is on me,” he said, pulling out his credit card and handing it to the server. Once the man was on his way to process the payment, Zach looked across the table at Erica and added, “You’ve paid for everything else. I wanted to take care of this one.”
“Why? You know this isn’t a date, right?” she asked, but the way she phrased it, the question no longer sounded as if she were opposed to the idea of dating him as much as pointing out the fact it hadn’t happened yet.
“Oh, I know it’s not a date. If I’m lucky enough to date you, Erica, I’m going to make it a night you’ll never forget,” he promised, glad she didn’t argue the point but simply let it linger between them.
Sixteen
Juniper Winds Vineyard was breathtaking. There were rows of grapevines as far as they eye could see, lining the rolling hills of the countryside. The green of the vines stood out beautifully against the blueness of the sky behind them.
As they approached the stone residence set a half mile into the property—with three tiers of windows, two turrets, and an actual working bridge and moat—the only word that came to mind to describe the place was “castle.”
“Now that’s impressive,” Zach said as he sat next to Erica in the back of the taxi. “I can’t believe you own this now.”
They paid the taxi driver and told him they would call when they needed a ride back to the city. After climbing the stone steps to the mansion, Erica knocked on the door.
An elderly man in a black pressed uniform answered the door. He scanned them both before asking, “How may I help you?”
“Good morning. My name is Erica Cruz. My father was Dominic Paulis.”
The man’s eyes grew round with surprise. “Good evening, ma’am. I’m Casper Bernhard, the butler of Juniper Wind. Won’t you come in,” he said, stepping back and allowing them to enter the grand entry hall. “If you had called ahead, we would have had the house ready for you and your husband.”
“Oh, he’s not my husband. He’s my bodyguard….and friend,” she added at the last moment, realizing that Zach had become precisely that over the past couple of weeks.
“If you can tell me how many days you’ll be staying with us, I’ll have several of the maids prepare two suite of rooms at once,” he said, giving a weary look at Zach.
“I won’t be spending the night,” she informed the butler. “I’m only here to take a look around.”
“Is that because you’re planning on selling the property?” the man asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Then realizing who he was talking to, he added, “I’m sorry. That was improper of me to ask. The staff, including me, were like family with your father, and his untimely death took us all by surprise. How you handle your business affairs is none of my concern.”
“To be honest, I haven’t really given it any thought, Mr. Bernhard. I have no idea what I plan to do with any of my father’s belongings.”
> “Very well, ma’am. Since you’re not spending the night, can we offer you lunch on the veranda out back? It’s a lovely day to dine outside and the veranda has a spectacular view of the vineyards.”
“Thank you, that sounds lovely. Do you mind if we walk the vineyards while everything is prepared?” Erica inquired.
“Of course, ma’am. This is your home now.”
Erica didn’t argue the point that it didn’t feel that way. She wasn’t sure if she could ever get used to the idea of living in such a large place with so much staff.
They made their way through the winding hallways that eventually led to the back veranda. Erica and Zach exited through the area and made their way into the vineyard.
As they walked between the rows of vines, they talked about both of their jobs.
“The hardest part of my job is dealing with the paperwork. Oh, and the citizens who waste our time on ridiculous calls.”
“Like what?” Erica asked.
“Probably the best example of it was when an elderly Clear Mountain resident who didn’t have the sanest frame of mind, called for a third time in a row claiming that someone had placed a bomb in the engine of her car. I was assigned to the call and when I arrived, I had Harley inspect the vehicle. When she didn’t find anything, I informed the resident she was mistaken. The woman wouldn’t accept my explanation and insisted I was wrong.”
“What did you do? How did you end up getting her to stop calling?”
“I decided to prove my point, I hopped into her car and drove it around the block to show her it wouldn’t blow up.”
“How did she take that?”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Not well, as you can imagine. She was irate and called my lieutenant to tell him about the incident. I got a written reprimand and warning that if I did anything like that again, it would earn me a suspension.”
“Wow, that seems like a mess. I get that you wanted to get her to stop calling, but that seemed rather reckless.”
“I tend to say and do whatever I want. It gets me into far more trouble than I would like. I’m working on it though.”
“I’ve noticed you haven’t been nearly as obnoxious as you used to be,” Erica teased. “So whatever you’re doing seems to be working.”
He let out a chuckle. “Good to know.”
“So, I know what you don’t like, but what do you like about your job?” Erica inquired.
“I love helping people. When I find a missing hiker or kid, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
“I kind of get that. My job isn’t life or death, but when I do a good job on someone’s teeth or I help them with their pain from a broken tooth, it makes me feel good too.”
“I guess that means we have that in common. You’ve told me what you like, but what don’t you like about being a dental assistant?”
“There are some people with bad breath, I mean really bad breath. It’s hard to work on them when that’s in your face for over an hour.”
Zach let out another chuckle. “I can see how that would be hard to deal with on a regular basis.” Then glancing over at her, he leaned in and asked, “I’m not one of those people, right? I don’t have bad breath?”
Erica leaned in as well, and did a small sniff. She shook her head. “Nope, you’re all good. Of course, I wouldn’t expect any less. You’re always put together.”
One of his eyebrows arched in surprise as he asked, “You noticed?”
She hadn’t realized how her observation was going to sound, but it was the truth. For some reason, she didn’t want to take it back.
“I have,” she whispered.
Zach moved towards her, closing the small gap. He reached out and touched the side of her arm whispering, “I’m glad you noticed.”
“Me too,” she mumbled back, letting her eyes drift up to meet his. She wondered if he was going to try to kiss her. If he did, would she let him? And if she let him, would she like it?
The moment was broken when a horn was heard behind them. They both turned to find the butler in a golf cart coming up from the mansion.
“I thought I could give you a ride back to the residence since lunch is ready,” the butler said, giving Zach a disapproving look.
It was funny, because the man barely knew them, but he seemed to decide rather quickly he was to be Erica’s chaperone. She suspected it came out of some misplaced obligation to her father. It was adorable, so she didn’t feel the need to correct the elderly butler. Plus, it was funny to see Zach react with confusion and a hint of shock.
“Thank you,” Erica said as they both climbed onto the back of the golf cart.
Erica and Zach spent the next hour eating lunch and discussing their favorite movies and songs. By the end of it, Erica found she had even more in common with Zach than she first thought. They both enjoyed classic rock and comedies—though Erica was more partial to romantic ones, and Zach liked slap-stick—and watching funny videos on the internet.
“I can’t believe you’ve never seen Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. It’s a classic, and John Candy and Steve Martin are hilarious in it. Of course, anything with John Candy is laugh-out-loud comic gold; Uncle Buck, Spaceballs, The Great Outdoors.”
“I have seen The Great Outdoors and you’re right, it’s pretty funny.”
“Pretty funny? Pretty funny?” Zach said with disbelief, “It’s legendary. You’ve got John Candy and Dan Aykroyd, two of the funniest comedians of modern times. Then you’ve got the city slicker in a rural environment setting, animals creating chaos, and family drama. It’s the best.”
“Okay, okay, I agree. It’s great. But let’s quit focusing on what I haven’t seen and analyze your glaring lack of well-rounded movie watching.”
“What are you talking about?” Zach asked, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side.
“I want to circle back to the fact you said you’ve never seen Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore. She’s hilarious in it, and it happens to be one of my favorite movies.”
“Yeah, but it has kissing in the title. How funny can it be? I’m betting it’s more about the romance than the comedy.”
“Nope, you’re wrong. First, there’s the fish out of water setting since she is a reporter posing as a student. Then there’s all the hilarious situations such as when she ends up accidentally stamping loser on her forehead and walks through school with it that way. She ends up wearing a horrible outfit the first day of school that makes her look like a chicken. The popular girls all dress up as different versions of Barbie, thinking they are being original but look completely stupid.”
“Okay, so I’ll concede your point. It sounds like it could be funny.”
“How about this, when we get home, we each pick a movie to watch together,” Erica suggested.
“I think that sounds like fun. I’m in,” Zach agreed.
Erica was surprised to find herself making plans with Zach, but the idea actually appealed to her. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but she was enjoying his company.
“We should probably take a look around the house and see if we can turn anything up that can help us figure out what that man wants.”
They both got up and started to pick up their dishes, but before they moved, a woman in a maid’s uniform stepped forward and said, “Excuse me, ma’am, but we can handle all of this for you.”
“Oh, all right,” Erica said, feeling a bit awkward to let someone else wait on her that way. “If you insist.”
“I do, ma’am. It’s my job,” she said kindly. “Why don’t you and your gentleman friend enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”
Apparently, her relationship status with Zach had gotten around to the other servants. She wasn’t sure how she felt about them gossiping about her, but she didn’t have time to think about it right now.
“Thank you,” Erica said, stepping away from the table and heading inside the mansion with Zach by her side.
“Where do you think we should start?” he inquired
.
“I’m thinking if my father had a study, that would be a great place to start. If we don’t turn up anything there, maybe his personal suite of rooms.”
“Good plan,” Zach said with a grin. “Now we just have to figure out where his study would be in this giant place.”
They started to weave their way through the halls. Finally, after several wrong turns and incorrect rooms, they found the one that led to her father’s study.
“I’ll take the desk if you’ll go through the bookshelves,” Erica suggested.
“Will do,” Zach said, heading over to the far side of the room.
Erica sat down in the plush, leather chair behind her father’s oversized wooden desk. She placed her hands on the desk and thought about where she was sitting. Her father had been here—most likely several times a day for multiple hours—working away at…what? What did her father do? She remembered the lawyer said something about her father being an accountant. That should have been a red flag right there. How many accountants did she know that were worth billions? None, that’s how many.
She started at the top and worked her way down through the drawers on both sides of the desk. She finished with the middle one with no success. “Any luck over there?” she asked from across the room.
“Nope, just a bunch of expensive first edition books. I haven’t found anything that will help us.”
What if this was a lost cause? What was she going to do? She still had her father’s suites, but she doubted he would keep anything important there.
“Can I take a look at the desk?” Zach asked, coming over. “I’ve been a part of my fair share of house searches.”
“Sure, knock yourself out,” she said standing up and moving to the side.
Instead of sitting in the chair though, Zach bent down and looked under the desk. Next, he felt with his hand along the edges. He opened each drawer, tapping the bottom. His final step was to pull out each drawer and look on the bottom of them. Sure enough, on the middle one there was a key.