by Loree Lough
Summer laughed quietly as Libby added, “Guess I’d better text Zach so he can meet us for lunch. What are you in the mood for?”
“A fat, juicy steak. Baked potato with all the toppings. Some buttery rolls. And a big slice of cheesecake.”
“Tiny as you are?” Libby chuckled. “Where will you put it all?”
“Putting evil-doers in their place gives me a voracious appetite. Go ahead. Text Zach and tell him to meet us at Elway’s. My treat.”
While Libby pecked a message into her phone, Summer went through the dresses hanging on the curtain rod. “Which did you choose?”
“The red one. What do you think of it?”
“Love it.”
Summer wondered how long she could hold it together. Her insides felt like jelly, and her head was throbbing. She and Libby still had two hours of primping to get through before heading back to the Double M. Thankfully, she’d decided to give Libby’s stylist a try, to save the long drive back to Vail. Because one look at her, and Justin would get the story out of her. And then? And then she’d probably lose it.
She hadn’t been looking forward to spending the night at the ranch, but being all alone in the town house was the last thing she needed right now.
Things would look better tomorrow. And no doubt Ellen would keep her busy checking off items on her to-do list.
Zach was unusually quiet during the drive from town to the Double M. But then, how could he get a word in with Libby chattering like a chipmunk? Summer blamed the nervous babble on what his sister had overheard through the dressing room’s flimsy velvet curtain. How much of her own story rose to the surface, hearing the brutal details of Summer’s?
Zach dropped them at the front door and headed for the barn. After a day of girl talk, he’d earned a good long ride on Chinook.
Ellen inspected everything they’d bought, complimented their hairdos and nail polish, and then retreated to her room for a much-deserved rest.
Libby helped Summer stow her shopping bags in the guest room. “If you need anything—ironing board, iron, towels—just whistle.”
“Thanks, Libby.”
She started out the door, but never made it into the hall. “Are you sure you want to be alone? You and Keeper are more than welcome to bunk with me.”
“I’m fine, but thanks.”
“Sleep tight, then, and sweet dreams.”
She woke at six feeling rested and refreshed after a deep, dreamless sleep. The scent of bacon and fresh-brewed coffee lured her downstairs to the kitchen, where she found Zach at the sink and his dad at the stove.
“Over easy or scrambled?” John Marshall asked.
“Over easy,” she said. “What can I do to help?”
“You can just sit there looking pretty. We’ve got this place under control.”
Evidently, Zach’s long horseback ride and a night’s sleep hadn’t improved his mood. He’d barely cracked a smile, and hadn’t made eye contact since she entered the room. Had he run into one of his exes while she and Libby shopped and preened in Denver? Hopefully not the dreadful Martha!
“Where are Ellen and Libby?” she asked.
“Libby’s still asleep, Ellen’s in the barn, doing…” John chuckled. “Who knows what she’s up to.”
“Soon as I help you two with the dishes, I’ll run down there, see what I can do to pitch in.”
When father and son joined her at the table, Summer wished she knew what to say or do to help cheer Zach up.
The day passed quickly, what with covering the entire ceiling in crystal ornaments and placing silver wind-up clocks in the center of each table…all set to ring simultaneously at the stroke of twelve. It would look so beautiful after dark, when bright white mini-lights glinted from the beautifully appointed place settings. Last time the guests entered this space, it had been decked out for a good, old-fashioned hoedown. Wouldn’t they be surprised when they passed through the entrance and saw how Ellen had transformed the barn into a dazzling ballroom. Most of all, though, Summer couldn’t wait to see Zach in a suit and tie.
Now and then, the encounter with Samuels came to mind, but she was determined not to dwell on it. A good thing, she decided, because tonight, for the first time in two years, she had reason to celebrate the coming year.
When the caterer and band arrived and began setting up, the Marshalls headed back to the house to change into their evening attire.
“Weatherman says we’ll have a good night,” John said, linking arms with his wife.
“But of course,” she said. “I had a long talk with Mother Nature today, and laid down the law.”
Libby and Summer, walking a few steps behind them, laughed. “I wouldn’t want to be Mother Nature,” Libby said, “if it snows or rains!”
“It’s going to be a perfect night,” Ellen said.
“I sure hope so,” Libby whispered to Summer, winking and wiggling her eyebrows.
They’d been in the shoe store, trying on high heels, when Libby told Summer that at the stroke of midnight, she intended to drag her musician into a dark corner…and pop the question.
Summer whispered back, “You’re still going through with it, then?”
“Absolutely.”
Inside, Ellen hung up her sweater and poured herself some coffee. “Who’ll join me?” She held up her mug.
“I’m good,” John said. “I’ll check on the dogs and then head upstairs. That way,” he explained, kissing Ellen’s cheek, “you’ll have the bathroom all to yourself.”
“I’m going up, too,” Libby chimed in.
It was just Ellen and Summer now, alone in the kitchen.
“Won’t you join me?”
“Actually, coffee sounds great.” She helped herself to a mug and sat across from Zach’s mom. “You did a beautiful job out there. If I ever have a grand party, I know who I’ll ask to arrange it!”
“From what Libby told me, it sounds like you two had a grand time in Denver yesterday.”
“Only Libby could make shopping an enjoyable experience.”
“You don’t like to shop? Goodness. Don’t let John hear you say that, or my son, for that matter!”
“I haven’t seen him all afternoon.” She didn’t want to tell Ellen that Zach had seemed out of sorts since their excursion. The poor woman had enough to worry about this close to the party’s start.
“I sent him riding. Said my horse needed vigorous exercise and told him not to come back until he got rid of his Gloomy Gus attitude.”
So. His mom had noticed it, too. “I thought maybe he ran into Martha in Denver.”
“You know, I’m not sure she’s even in Colorado anymore. But whatever is bugging him, he’ll come back a whole new man. A little time in the saddle never fails to put a smile on his face.”
It hadn’t earlier, but Summer kept it to herself.
“I can understand that. The Double M is a magical place.”
“Can I ask you a question? Feel free to tell me to butt out. I promise not to be offended.” When Summer didn’t respond, Ellen continued. “You’re in love with him, right?”
It was a very good thing she’d already swallowed that last sip of coffee, because she might have choked on a question like that.
“I only ask because I’ve never seen him like this before. He’s had girlfriends, of course, and once I thought he might actually pop the question.”
Ellen paused when her wristwatch beeped. Saved by the bell, Summer thought.
Ellen pushed a button to silence it. “It was supposed to alert me fifteen minutes from now, or so I thought.” She shook her head. “Every time I put in a new battery, I have to learn how to set the silly thing all over again.”
Fifteen minutes would seem like an eternity if Ellen continued with her interrogation. Sitting in the beautiful kitchen of a bona fide ranch, it made perfect sense to head the woman off at the pass.
“If you’re worried that I might hurt him the way Martha did, please don’t be. I respect him far
too much to put him through anything like that. I’d much rather be the one who shows him what it’s like to be on the receiving end of some caring and protection for a change.”
Ellen smiled. A genuine, maternal smile that warmed the space between them. When her watch beeped again, she took it off and tossed it into the sink, where it landed in the sudsy water with a quiet plop. Then she got up and headed for the hallway.
“Next time you see me,” she said, “I’ll look like a whole new woman!”
Summer carried their coffee mugs to the sink and fished out the still-beeping watch. It made her laugh a little as she hunted for the button that turned it off.
“Starting tonight,” she said, towel-drying it, “I’m going to be a little more like you.” She placed the watch on the table, right where Ellen’s mug had been moments ago. “Unstoppable.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“THE PLACE LOOKS GREAT, Mom.” Zach kissed her cheek. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Doesn’t everyone just look wonderful,” Ellen said.
He had to agree. Every man had worn a starched shirt, bow tie and polished black shoes. And the women had unboxed all their fanciest jewelry, including his mother and sister.
“I take it Chinook worked the kinks out of that foul mood you were in?”
“Wasn’t in a foul mood.”
“Have you seen Summer?”
He glanced around the room. “Not yet.”
“I can’t wait to see her in that new dress. But the poor thing is probably stuck upstairs, helping Libby with her hair or makeup, or zipping that slinky gown your sister bought yesterday.”
The sparkly red number she’d been wearing in the dressing room as she eavesdropped on Summer chitchatting with that animal? Zach hoped not, because contrary to popular fashion theories, not every man liked red.
“Oh, look, Rose and Alex are here.” She squeezed his hand. “Let me just go over there and say hello.”
“I’ll catch up later. Right now, I need something to wet my whistle.”
He walked up to the bar and surveyed the shelf. Soft drinks, wine, beer…his mother had thought of everything. “I’ll have a beer,” he told the bartender, and after stuffing a dollar bill into the man’s tip jar, he turned, pressed the bottle to his lips…
…and he saw her.
She’d tied her dark curls back with a wide black satin ribbon that exactly matched her dress. She’d made no attempt to hide the scar tonight, and it touched something deep inside him. Other women had worn spangles and sparkles, bright colors and gauzy materials. Summer’s dress was elegant in its simplicity. In place of the heavy chains and big gems her counterparts had worn, she’d opted for tiny earrings that winked from her lobes.
Zach watched her scan the crowd, smiling, waving, saying hello to those she knew. When those enormous eyes locked on his and she aimed an I’m happy to see you! smile his way, he felt a little weak in the knees.
She walked toward him, only the slightest trace of a limp despite high-heeled black shoes that exposed red-painted toenails.
Zach put his beer on the bar. “You’re…gorgeous,” said a deep, gravelly voice. He almost laughed when it dawned on him that the voice was his.
“So are you.” She reached up and tapped the right side of his bow tie. “Quite a change from denim and flannel. I can’t decide which I like best.”
For the moment, he’d all but forgotten how confused he’d felt when she let that scumbag off so easily. Right now, all he could think about was holding her close and kissing those full, red lips.
“Oh, listen,” she said, forefinger in the air, “the band’s playing our song.”
Our song. Oh, how he liked the sound of that.
Zach took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. They were alone out there. Completely alone. Ordinarily, he would have felt conspicuous and uncomfortable. Not tonight.
She melted into him, like liquid gold, right there in his hands. He liked the analogy, because he’d come to think of her as a precious treasure.
“‘You say you’re happy,’” she sang softly, “‘Here in my arms, and I hope it’s true, ’cause I sure am lovin’, being close to you.’”
“You know,” he said, resting his chin atop her head, “if this voice-over thing doesn’t work out, you could probably make a buck or two in tips, doing karaoke at the pizza parlor.”
Summer stepped back slightly to gaze up into his face, and he instantly regretted the joke because now he couldn’t feel her heart beating soft and steady against his chest.
“They have karaoke at the pizza parlor? This I have to see. Or hear.”
“Or both,” they said together. Much to his disappointment, the waltz ended. They stood for a moment, fingers linked and palms pressed to one another’s, waiting to see what the band would play next. Not a fast song, he hoped. Anything but a fast song.
Someone up there must like him, Zach thought, because the male singer broke into the first few lines of “Tennessee Waltz.”
“Oh, I’ve always loved this one,” she said.
There was something distinctly different about her tonight, like she knew a secret that he wasn’t in on.
“Did you hear that my agent called?”
“Again?” He looked into her sweet face.
When she nodded, her curls bounced, tickling his chin.
“He found me a couple more jobs.”
His heart thudded with dread. “Where?”
“One in Denver, one in Vail. Seems the TV stations need someone to do a few ‘why ours is the station to watch’ commercials. And they change every month or so, meaning more voice-overs.”
Relief surged through him. If she’d said her agent had lined up jobs in New York or LA—even temporary ones—he’d hate it. He’d pretend it was a good thing, for her sake, but he’d hate it.
“It’s gonna seem weird, hearing your voice when I’m watching the news.”
“No weirder than it’ll be for me, hearing myself during the news!”
He laughed and pulled her closer. It felt good, felt right, holding her this way. During this afternoon’s ride, he’d thought long and hard about what she’d said to the creep: “Worst of all, I may never be able to have children because of you.”
“I guess we should give your mom a break, making the rounds.”
Keeper, her parents, Justin, Rose and Alex, and now his mom. Summer had the heart and mind of a natural-born mother. It seemed beyond unfair that because of that pig, she may never get the chance to shower her own kids with her unique brand of love.
Where was the justice in Samuels serving a few measly months, while Summer had to pay for the rest of her life, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Even if she hadn’t recorded Samuels’s cocky confession, he and Libby had witnessed the entire exchange. If Summer wanted to make him pay for what he’d done, they’d both testify on her behalf.
Why did he get the feeling that that would never happen? Reopening the case would mean reopening old wounds.
“Are you okay?”
Zach blinked himself back to the here and now, and met her eyes.
“Sure. I’m fine. Why?”
“The dance ended, and the band’s on a break.”
Sure enough, they were alone on the floor, just as they’d been when he first took her hand.
Zach laughed, a little too loudly, a little too long, and when it drew the attention of a few guests, he felt the heat of an embarrassed blush coloring his cheeks.
Difficult as it was to let her go, Zach did just that. “Guess we should mix and mingle, shouldn’t we?”
She went left, and he went right. A couple of times, they crossed paths. No matter, he told himself, because at midnight, he intended to make sure she was in his arms. Zach made his way to the bar and pretended to be engrossed in a rebroadcast of the Ohio vs. Perdue game.
When the bandleader tapped his microphone, guests scrambled to don sparkly hats and grab
noisemakers.
“According to German folklore,” the musician said, “your first encounter of the new year, good or bad, sets the tone for every day that follows until next New Year’s Eve. You have just two minutes to hunt down the lady or gentleman you most want to spend the new year with, and make sure he or she is close by, so you can seal the deal with a kiss!”
Zach didn’t need to hunt. He knew exactly where Summer was, because he’d been watching her out of the corner of his eye ever since they’d left the dance floor.
The emcee counted down to seven before Zach began making his way to her. He was close enough to touch her when the man said “Three…”
Gently, he turned her to face him, and Summer smiled. That same I’m so happy to see you! smile that had made his heart pound like a parade drum hours earlier.
He didn’t hear the emcee finish the countdown, because his lips had already found hers. Colorful confetti and black-and-white balloons rained down all around them, but he barely noticed.
The band struck up a rousing rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” but he hardly heard the old Scottish tune or the hundred and two guests who’d gathered round the stage to sing along.
Horns tooted. Laughter erupted. People shouted, “Happy New Year!” and the sound of fireworks drew everyone outside.
Everyone but Zach and Summer, and the band—minus its leader—playing their song.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
LIBBY DECIDED TO stay at the Double M an extra few days, helping her mom put the house and barn back in order. She linked arms with Zach and Summer and walked them to his truck.
“I’m making supper at my place, either tomorrow or the next day. Depends on Dad’s schedule. I want you both to come, too.”
“Dad is retired,” Zach pointed out. “He has no schedule.”
“That isn’t what Mom says. She claims he’s busier now than when he put in all those hours on the ranch.”
He slid in behind the wheel. “And now he putters on the ranch.”
“Speaking of parents,” Libby said as Summer climbed into the truck, “have you heard from yours?”
“Not since the other day, when they called to apologize for missing your mom’s party.”