Best Laid Plans

by Abbie Zanders

  Lenny’s face hardened; his jaw clenched. “You know damn well what he wants.”

  Sandy waved him off. “He doesn’t need me for that. I mean, have you seen him? He can get that anywhere he wants. In fact, I think there’s a waiting list.”

  She actually heard Lenny’s teeth grinding as he clenched his jaw. “You don’t understand the way guys think. They like a challenge.”

  She almost laughed at that. Lenny had no way of knowing that Heff had already met and exceeded that particular challenge. Or that Heff had been the one to put on the brakes when she’d been trying to climb him like a tree right there in her living room.

  She took another sip of her coffee, ignoring the slow burn in her core that flared at the memory. “Maybe I’m the one who likes a challenge. Ever think of that?”

  Lenny shook his head. “No. You’ve got some crazy ideas, but not even you are that stupid.”

  “Wow. Okay.” She set her cup down, slightly offended and, at the same time, not entirely surprised. They’d been friends a long time, and Lenny wasn’t exactly shy about sharing his opinions.

  “Damn it, Sandy. You know what I mean.”

  “Unfortunately, I do. You think my head’s too far in the clouds to see what’s happening on the ground.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “It’s exactly like that,” she countered, but arguing with Lenny was futile.

  If what Heff had told her was true—and she had no doubt it was—then Lenny’s pride had taken a terrible blow, and nothing she said was going to make a difference.

  He opened his mouth to argue, but she held her hand up to stop him. “But you know what? It doesn’t matter. I’m not discussing this with you anymore. Now, did you just come over here to give me a lecture, or did you have something to say I might actually want to hear?”

  He scowled, but she refused to be intimidated and stubbornly held his gaze with one of her own.

  Lenny was the first one to look away. He exhaled and then glanced toward the living room. “I found Kevin’s mother.”

  Sandy sat up, her irritation immediately swept aside. “You did? Where?”

  “Some swanky hotel in Florida.”

  He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small piece of folded paper, and handed it to her. Sandy opened it up and there, beneath the Sumneyville PD logo, was Kevin’s mother’s name and a phone number in his spiky block lettering.

  “Has anyone contacted her?”

  “Not yet. That just came through last night.”

  Sandy picked up her phone and started tapping in the number.

  “You’re calling her right now?”

  “You bet I am.”

  One ring, then two sounded in her ear before a smooth male voice answered, “Oceanview Inn and Suites. May I help you?”

  “Hi, yes. I’m trying to reach Bianca Summers. Can you tell me if she’s staying there?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I cannot give out that kind of information.”

  “Can I leave a message or something? Please, it’s important. It’s about her son, Kevin. Please let her know that he’s safe, but she needs to call me right away. My name is Cassandra Summers, and I can be reached at ...” She rattled off the number.

  The person on the other end of the phone paused. “Summers? You’re a relative?”

  Sandy hesitated. “It’s complicated. Please, just have her call me as soon as possible.”

  She must have sounded either desperate or sincere because the hotel guy said, “One moment, please. Bianca Summers, you said?”

  “Yes.”

  A slight pause, presumably while he searched the registry. “She checked out over a week ago.”

  “Do you know how to contact her?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate your time.”

  The connection ended, and Sandy put down the phone.

  “Well?” Lenny asked.

  “He said she was there, but she checked out a week ago.”

  Lenny got up and grabbed the coffeepot. He brought it over to the table and refilled his mug, and then he held the pot over hers. She nodded absently.

  “Back to square one, I guess. No other leads?”

  He shook his head. “What are you planning to do if you find her anyway?” Lenny asked.

  “Well, for one thing, I’m going to let her know that Kevin is okay and safe with me.”

  “Do you honestly think she cares?”

  “Of course she cares. She’s his mother.”

  “She also walked away and was staying in some swanky resort hotel in Florida.”

  Well, there was that.

  “We don’t know what happened. Maybe she got tired of my father’s shit,” she suggested, though that didn’t explain why she hadn’t taken Kevin with her when she decided to go. “Or maybe she just needed a break and thought my father would man up and actually be a parent.”

  She glanced toward the living room where she could see Kevin hunched over the coffee table, focused on his drawing. He was growing on her every day, but she could understand how caring for him could be overwhelming day in and day out, month after month, year after year. Sandy had only been around him for a short while, and while they had developed a workable routine, it was a lot of responsibility.

  She’d been lucky enough to find Tori, but she had no idea if Bianca had had any help at all. Sandy’s father had never been the type to help with the kids or the house. He’d often said that his job was to provide for the family, and everything else—cooking, cleaning, caring for the kids—was their mother’s job. Misogynistic and archaic perhaps, but sadly, it was also the way it was.

  Lenny remained unconvinced. “We’re not talking about a spa day here. A month-long break is a little extreme, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, but sometimes, the situation calls for extreme measures. Maybe this is her way of getting my father to appreciate what she does and share some of the load.”

  “Maybe,” Lenny agreed, but he still seemed doubtful.

  “In any event, we won’t know until we find her and ask her. Keep trying, okay?”

  “Okay. In the meantime ...” Lenny got that look on his face again, the stern one that usually accompanied a warning.

  “Don’t even go there,” she told him. “I appreciate your concern—really, I do—but I’m a big girl. I’m perfectly capable of making my own choices.”

  “Yeah, just not necessarily good ones,” he mumbled.

  “Says the man who took Kim Hutchkowsky to the Harvest Festival Ball last year. Tell me, was that before or after you found out she’d been making sex tapes in her basement and selling them on the internet?”

  His ears turned red, just like they always did whenever that subject came up. “Thanks for the reminder, Cassandra.”

  “No problem, Leonard.”

  He rose to leave. “I’ve got some things to do today. Try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

  She raised a flat hand to her forehead in a mock salute. “I’ll do my best, Officer Buttsinsky.”

  “Smartass.”

  After Lenny left, Sandy got up and took her mug and Lenny’s to the sink. She still felt as if she was missing something. Now that she knew some of the details surrounding what had happened with Sam Appelhoff, she could understand why there might be some friction between the local PD and the Sanctuary guys, but there’d been tension before that.

  She’d just finished rinsing out the mugs when her phone lit up with an incoming message.

  Heff: Good morning, beautiful.

  She smiled, an irrational burst of happiness bubbling up inside her, seeing Heff’s name pop up on the screen.

  Sandy: Good morning, handsome.

  Heff: Got plans today?

  Sandy: Maybe. Why?

  Heff: I want to see you.

  Such simple words, yet they had such a profound effect.

  Sandy: Yeah? How’s it feel to want?

  She grin
ned and pressed Send. His response came immediately.

  Heff: You should know.

  She laughed. She did know.

  Sandy: No comment. What do you have in mind?

  Three moving dots appeared on her screen and then disappeared. As she watched and waited for his reply, her phone rang. She accepted the call, shivering when she heard his slightly husky, low tones against her ear. It wasn’t as good as having him right there with her, but it was a pretty good substitute.

  “We’re having a cookout today, and I thought you and Kevin might like to come. I could show you around the place, and I know Sam would appreciate having some female company.”

  Her grin widened. “Sam would, huh?”

  “Yes.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “And just to be clear, so would I. I thought that was understood after last night.”

  It was. And the feeling was mutual.

  She thought about it briefly, weighing her options. She and Kevin could stay home and get stuff done around the house, or they could drive up to the Sanctuary and see Heff. It was a no-brainer.

  “Sounds great. We’d love to, if you’re sure it’s okay.”

  “I am, and it is. Shall I pick you up around noon?”

  “How about I drive us up instead?” That way, she could leave early if Kevin wasn’t doing well, and she wouldn’t have to worry about ruining anyone else’s fun.

  “As long as you come.”

  Hearing those words in his deep, low voice sent waves of desire rippling through her. “If you’re involved, I think that’s a given.”

  He laughed, a rumbling, sexy sound that gave her the shivers. “You got that right. See you soon?”

  “Soon. Uh, wait. What can we bring?”

  Heff’s voice changed, his next words muted, as if directed away from the phone. “She wants to know what she can bring.”

  Sandy heard a feminine voice answering in the background.

  “Just yourselves. Sam says she’s got everything covered.”

  “All right.”

  “Later, beautiful.”

  She couldn’t wait. She disconnected the call and then went into the living room to tell Kevin the good news.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Sandy

  Sandy didn’t know who was more excited to see Heff—her or Kevin. After thinking about that last kiss, however, the answer was clear—her. Definitely her.

  She made a quick stop at the local beer distributor to pick up a case of the lager the guys liked as well as another stop at the farmers market. Regardless of what Heff or Sam had said, she wasn’t going to go empty-handed, and Obermacher’s locally brewed fruit teas and ciders were pretty awesome.

  Once again, they were blessed with a beautiful day. The sun was hot, but the humidity was low, and a constant, light breeze kept them cool and comfortable as they drove up the tree-lined, curvy mountain road, windows open, the music of the oldies station playing on the car stereo.

  Heff was waiting for them when they pulled up to the main building, and she got out of the car. The smile on his face suggested he’d heard them coming. That wasn’t surprising since the radio volume had edged up a little more with each great song.

  Her heart thudded a little at the sight of him—a common occurrence these days. If any man ever looked better in worn blue jeans, a plain white tee, and combat boots, she’d never seen it.

  She forced her eyes away long enough to take a quick look around. Bundles of cut flat stones, still in their wire wrapping, sat among neat stacks of pressure-treated lumber and other construction materials. The place was clearly a work in progress, but there was no mistaking its grandeur.

  “Hugh!”

  Kevin opened the door and made a beeline for Heff, embracing him in an enthusiastic hug. Kevin didn’t do that to anyone else, only Heff. Not that she blamed him. She wanted to wrap herself around Heff, too, but for entirely different reasons.

  “Hey, buddy.” Heff accepted his hug and returned it and then faced Sandy and opened his arms. “What, no sugar, sugar?” His eyes twinkled devilishly, a dare if she’d ever seen one.

  “Maybe later, if you’re lucky.”

  Heff winked. “Lucky’s my middle name. Come on. Everyone is down by the water. Church has the grill fired up, and Mad Dog is going to go rabid if he doesn’t get some food in him soon.”

  “Can you give me a hand?” she asked, popping the trunk.

  Heff looked in at the case of beer and assorted gallon jugs. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said, but approval shone in his eyes.

  She shrugged. The lager was expensive, but it was worth the price just to see the muscles bunch and dance in Heff’s arms and upper body as he lifted the case out of the trunk.

  She and Kevin each took two jugs of tea and cider and followed Heff down a winding path, the sound of music and voices growing louder as they went. They reached a massive gazebo, oblong in shape with two huge stone fireplaces on either end, ceiling fans swirling lazily from hand-hewn beams above.

  It was elegant and rustic at the same time, capable of holding a hundred people or more, the kind of place that could host a wedding reception as easily as a summer barbecue. Nestled beside a large pond among the mountains and forests with an expanse of lush grass surrounding it, it would afford spectacular views during any season.

  In the span of a heartbeat, multiple images raced through her mind. Jet-skiing on the water in summer beside Heff, trying to keep her mind on the controls and not on how he looked in swim trunks. Taking a casual walk, hand in hand, in the splendor of autumn. Sipping hot chocolate with a fire roaring in the hearth after ice skating. Lying on the grass, looking up at the clouds, as they basked in the sun on the first warm spring day ...

  They weren’t entirely outside the realm of possibility. Those things could happen—if she were still around.

  Sandy was both surprised and pleased when she spotted Tori, Brian, and Danny there too. While she recognized the others, she hadn’t really talked to anyone besides Tori. Matt and Sam, she knew because they were local. She’d seen the Sanctuary guys plenty of times at Franco’s but not outside of that.

  Heff called out an introduction as they approached. “Guys—and ladies—you all know Sandy, and this is her brother Kevin.”

  Several offered a wave or called out a greeting.

  Matt Winston—or Church, as Heff called him—turned from the industrial-sized grill and waved a big pair of tongs. “Glad you could make it, Sandy. Today, we get to serve you for a change.”

  She grinned. “Does that mean I have to leave a tip?”

  Heff glanced at her and gave her a secret smile, one filled with wicked promise. “I’ve got your tip right here.”

  “Nice, Heff,” mumbled Sam.

  “I was talking about the beer, Sam. Jeez, Smoke, your woman has a dirty mind.”

  Another man—Smoke—came over and relieved her of the gallon jugs she’d carried, grinning but saying nothing. From what Sandy had observed at the restaurant, he was one of the strong, silent types.

  Sam shook her head, but her lips quirked, and her eyes sparkled with amusement as she turned back to Sandy and jerked a thumb toward Heff. “Thanks for coming—in spite of him.”

  “Ouch, Sam,” Heff said, taking the case over to the massive ice-filled cooler. “She’s vicious too, Smoke. You should really do something about that.”

  “She’s perfect just the way she is,” Smoke answered, giving Sam a look over his shoulder that made Sandy’s knees weak.

  Sam wasn’t unaffected. Her eyes glowed as she tracked his progress toward the cooler, raking over his broad back and lowering to his backside. Sandy could relate. She was doing the same thing, only her focus was on the man next to him.

  “I see you brought Obermacher’s. Best peach tea ever. In fact, I’m going to get myself some right now. Can I get one for you?”

  “That would be great, thanks.”

  “Something for Kevin?” Sam asked, directing the question towa
rd both of them. She wondered if Heff had given them a heads-up because no one seemed surprised or weirded out by his presence.

  As expected, Kevin didn’t respond.

  “I think he’s good,” Sandy told her. “He just needs a few minutes to acclimate.”

  “No worries. I’ll be right back.”

  “Hey, Kev!” Danny called out, emerging with an excited wave from inside the gazebo. “Over here! Wait till you see what I brought!”

  Kevin shifted his weight.

  “Go on,” Sandy coaxed. “You and Danny have fun. I’ll be right here, and so will Hugh. Okay?”

  Kevin nodded and began walking slowly toward the gazebo as Sam returned with two glasses of tea and handed one to Sandy.

  “Thanks. And thanks for inviting us,” Sandy added.

  Sam grinned. “Are you kidding? Thank you. These guys are great, but it’s nice, having some estrogen around here to combat all this testosterone.”

  “And Danny’s obviously thrilled because, now, he has someone to play with.” Tori said, joining them. “How was the farm show?”

  “It was a lot of fun. Kevin did great. We couldn’t have done it without Heff though. Kevin adores him.”

  Speaking of the sexy devil, he chose that moment to return. “What are we talking about? I heard my name.”

  “We are talking about the farm show,” Sam informed him. “You should be over there, putting your money where your mouth is.” Sam looked to Sandy and explained, “He’s been telling everyone he has this amazing, super-secret Cajun barbecue sauce that’s going to”—she made air quotes with her fingers—“ ‘change our lives.’ ”

  “That is one hundred percent accurate. It will change your life. In fact, my secret sauce will ruin you for all other sauces.” He winked at Sandy. She coughed and looked away.

  “Yeah, yeah, all talk and no action. Go on then.” Sam laughed and made a shooing motion with her hand. “Do your thing before poor Mad Dog over there faints from hunger. Sandy will be just fine with us. Right, Sandy?”

  “Right,” she agreed.

  Heff looked at her, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “You sure? You could hang with me, be my assistant. I’ll even let you hold my ... implements. Proper technique is everything.”