by Dani Wade
“Because she’s looking for a scoop, something to share with the grapevine.”
Sadie nodded. Her guarded expression held a hint of sadness, as if she understood his need to protect himself. But what he really wanted to know was what she hid behind the mask...and whether he would regret last night if he found out her true secrets.
Eight
“I’ll finish getting ready.”
At least, that’s what Sadie told Zach to get a few minutes alone in her room. She needed to make a phone call before Zach took her anywhere this morning. Since her car was still at the mill, she didn’t have any choice but to get a few things in order and hitch a ride into town.
Luckily, Zach hadn’t pushed anything after their conversation at breakfast. She’d had the distinct impression he’d just as soon step out in the parking lot and get out of ready reach of Gladys. Not that she could blame him.
She was well acquainted with people who blamed first and asked questions later.
Sadie also loved the people who pretended she didn’t exist, because it was easier than having to be polite.
Not that she was in a position to judge. As she picked up her phone, she was all too aware of that fact.
“I need a new camera,” she said without preamble when Victor picked up.
He wasn’t thrilled—not that she’d thought he would be. “What the heck does that have to do with me?” he asked.
Sadie explained how the camera had been shattered when she’d dropped it, then the falling debris had finished the job.
“My question stands.”
“A photographer has a camera. A nice camera.”
“Then I guess you should have held on to yours.”
Why did she bother explaining anything to this guy? “According to our contract, you are responsible for all business expenses, including a camera. I could have considered it a regular expense, but it’s not, so I’m actually giving you the courtesy of informing you that you need to pay for it.” Sadie had covered every loophole she could think of in the deal with Victor. It was all completely spelled out in black and white. And he’d needed her, so he’d signed.
“So sue me.”
“If you don’t pay, I’ll just have to wait for the insurance claim. They’ll take care of it...eventually. But it will mean a delay—”
“Fine. What am I getting for my generosity?”
Nothing he was going to like...but Sadie kept that thought to herself. Better not to antagonize him any more than normal.
“Unfortunately, nothing at the moment. My biggest lead was blown away this morning.” She explained how the newspaper article had laid out bombing suspect Mark Zabinski’s connection to the local airfield and how his presence there would not have been questioned. This gave the police reason to look into his possible sabotage of the containers on Zach’s plane. That meant Zach was innocent, and the crop poisoning couldn’t be used to disinherit him. She’d have to find something else. Victor’s curses rang in her ear even before she’d finished.
His voice rose in volume and ugliness with every word. “Then find something else. We’re running out of time.”
The sound of him slamming the phone down made her wince, but to her relief he disconnected the call. Letting her eyelids drift closed, she took a few moments to breathe. Her body and her emotions had been through a lot in the past few days. She was exhausted. Her head hurt. And she had to face the fact that she’d had sex with Zach, knowing good and well she would betray him before her time here was over.
Having to deal with Victor on top of all that was more than she could handle, as evidenced by the tremble in her fingers as she opened her laptop and accessed the internet. By the time she went downstairs to meet Zach outside, she knew exactly where she needed to go next.
* * *
“Would you mind if we went out to Callahan’s before heading all the way out to the mill?”
Zach threw a glance her way but quickly returned his eyes to the road. “Sure. What do you need there?”
“Mr. Callahan can order a replacement for my camera. I’d prefer to get it done as soon as possible.” Who knew what she might get involved in once she got to the mill? Plus, it was a long way from town. By the time she got there and got her car, it could be late afternoon.
If there was one thing Sadie wanted almost as much as Zach, it was her camera. Her fingers ached to curl around it once more. Only another shutterbug would understand the feeling, but it was there nonetheless.
“I was surprised when you dropped it,” Zach said, his tone more than conversational somehow. “I knew before that your camera was your baby. This one was really nice.”
She wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t felt a twinge as it left her hands, because Zach already knew the truth in that. Still, she shrugged. “In the end, it’s just a thing.” And she knew all too well how little things meant in the long run. “Compared to a person...at least the camera can be replaced.”
“Won’t that be expensive?”
Goodness, yes. “That’s what credit cards are for, I guess. The insurance will eventually pay me back.”
Until then, Victor better have it covered.
“Why are we even having this conversation?” she asked, not backing down when Zach shot a glance her way. “Do you really view me as that heartless of a human being that I wouldn’t value Mr. Bateman’s safety over my camera?”
“No, but—”
“Wouldn’t you drop whatever you were holding to push your sister out of the way?”
“Yes, but Bateman is a stranger.”
“Who still has a family he cares about and who would miss him if something bad happened to him. You may not approve of all of my actions, Zach, but I still think I’m basically a decent human being.”
“One who’s grown a pretty decent backbone.”
“I told you I was sorry. But I’m not gonna dissolve into sackcloth and ashes or let you whip me with the past. That isn’t good for either of us.”
She sucked in a breath, suddenly realizing the extent of her tirade. But she couldn’t finish without saying, “It won’t change it, either, much as I wish it could.” Because in the end, honesty was important to her, so she would honor that where and when she could without harming her own family...
Zach didn’t respond this time. Sadie’s nerves tightened with every turn of the steering wheel, but she wasn’t backing down on this.
It wasn’t until they reached the little camera shop on one side of the town square that he finally spoke.
“You’re right, Sadie. My apologies.”
She’d have been happier if his tone hadn’t been so formal, but in the end, it was for the best, wasn’t it?
The store had a checkered awning that matched numerous others around the old-fashioned square, easily visible now that the leaves were mostly missing from the Bradford pear trees lining the streets. Sadie wondered what cute little Christmas traditions the town observed and whether those bare branches would be wrapped in holiday lights. She wished she could be here to see it, to walk along the sidewalks with Zach and soak in the atmosphere.
But her life was elsewhere. So were the people who were counting on her. She tried not to think about how quickly she might have to leave as she stepped through the door into a camera lover’s paradise.
“Hello, my dear Sadie,” Mr. Callahan said. “What an unexpected pleasure.”
“For me, as well,” she said with a smile, allowing the dapper Southern gentleman to press a gentle kiss to her cheek.
She caught a glimpse of Zach’s surprised look as she pulled back. Why was he shocked? She’d made more friends than just him when she’d been here before.
“That is quite a large bandage you have there,” Mr. Callahan remarked. “Did you, by chance, receive that yesterday
?”
“Why, yes,” Sadie said. “A cut, but it will heal. What I’m really worried about is my camera.”
He nodded sagely, reminding her of a benevolent, skinny Santa. “Yes, I heard about that, too.”
Well, this was a small town... “I see.” After all, what should she say?
Zach wasn’t having any difficulty coming up with words. “She was very brave, pushing Bateman out of the way of that falling debris.”
For a moment, Sadie wondered why he was so open with Mr. Callahan when he’d practically refused to talk to Gladys at the B and B. But she knew it probably had to do with Mr. Callahan’s integrity. He didn’t need gossip as a source of entertainment.
“I’m glad you came to see me,” he said. “Though there is no hope of repair?”
“Since the camera is sitting under a pile of loose plaster and two-by-fours, I doubt it,” Zach answered.
Sadie winced as she remembered her last glimpse of the camera. “I was able to get almost all of my pictures off, since I download them to my laptop every night. But I’ll bring in the digital card and see if you can get the ones from that day for me.”
The gleam in the older man’s eyes said he looked forward to the challenge. “It will be my pleasure.”
“Until then, I need to order a new one.”
Mr. Callahan moved over to a computer on the counter. “What kind?”
When she told him, he whistled. “You’ve stepped up in the world,” he said.
“And now I’m in deep mourning.” It was either brush it off or cry.
“Let’s see if we can resurrect it,” he said with a wink.
“The Blackstones would appreciate it,” Zach said, surprising Sadie. “She’s using the camera to create a visual history of the mill’s resurrection.”
That had the older man’s eyes widening. “Are you now? I can’t wait to get a sneak peek at the digital card.”
“I can bring my laptop down here later this week so you can see what I have so far. The building and people down there make fascinating subjects.” Especially certain people. She’d have to make sure those photos were in a completely different folder.
“I imagine so,” Mr. Callahan said, even as his fingers continued clicking on the keyboard. “I’ve always been interested in the juxtaposition of all that steel and metal with endless fields of cotton. From what I saw yesterday when I drove out there, the damage is quite picturesque.”
He paused, staring into space for a moment. “Kind of interesting that James Blackstone’s empire suffers ruin just over a year after his death.”
“Was he the original owner?” Sadie asked.
“The original dictator,” Zach scoffed.
Mr. Callahan agreed with a knowing look. “The original business was built several generations ago, and added to through the years, but it was James Blackstone who catapulted it into luxury quality linens.”
“So he was a good businessman?” Sadie asked.
Zach was quick to answer. “Yes. And a miserable human being.”
She studied his suddenly shuttered face. “That sounds like it comes from personal experience.”
He simply shrugged and walked away, leaving her to wonder as he strolled around the length of the old-fashioned, quirky shop.
She glanced over at Mr. Callahan. He gave her a half smile. “I’m not big on telling other people’s stories,” he said, “but James was most definitely difficult. He ruled Black Hills with an iron fist and had definite views on how things should be done.” He, too, glanced over at Zach. “And he wasn’t above using devious tactics to get what he wanted, either.”
He finished putting Sadie’s package together on the computer, checked it twice, then rang up a payment on her card that made her slightly nauseous. If Victor didn’t come through with that money in her bank account by tomorrow, she was going to ruin him for sure.
He was used to throwing around that type of money, but Sadie definitely was not.
They headed back out to the car, Mr. Callahan’s promise that the camera would be delivered in forty-eight hours drifting behind them.
Hopefully it wouldn’t be a moment longer.
There weren’t too many things that made Sadie impatient, but waiting on a camera was like a kid anticipating the bike they just knew they would find under the tree Christmas morning.
The silence in the car on the way to the mill wasn’t helping her nerves. “So the Blackstone men I’ve met,” she asked, “they’re James Blackstone’s grandsons?”
Zach nodded.
“You seem to know them well.”
“Not really...at least, not until recently. Different circles and all that.” The words were accompanied by a smirk, but at least he’d started talking.
“KC actually got involved with Jacob Blackstone first, months before I knew the family. Before that, I just knew of them. None of the grandsons lived here then. She met Jacob when he came home on a visit to his mother, and then she ended up pregnant with Carter.”
The scowl darkening his features turned fierce. “That was my first up close and personal encounter with the patriarch of the family. He threatened my sister, scared her so badly she left town. I’ll never forgive him for that.”
Sadie recognized something in Zach’s expression all too well. “Or yourself?”
He shot a quick glance her way before resolutely returning his eyes to the road. “She knew I wouldn’t have held back. I’ve spent my life protecting my family. And I would have jeopardized my livelihood and my mother’s bar to teach that son of a bitch a lesson.” His knuckles whitened from his tight grip. “So she made a decision and left alone. She didn’t come back until James was dead.”
Zach took a deep breath, almost as if cleansing himself of the memories. “Jacob and KC were lucky. Their story ended in a happily-ever-after—but it never would have if James had had any say about it.”
Zach’s stiff shoulders and furrowed brow suggested that he was still angry. But it was obvious from seeing Jacob and KC together that they were very much in love. From the sounds of it, they’d overcome a lot to get there.
Sadie knew how Zach felt, though. It was his job to protect his little sister. He hadn’t said it outright, but he must feel as though he’d let her down.
The question was, would he understand someone else needing to do the same for their family?
* * *
Almost a week later, Sadie stepped into Bella Italia with more trepidation than she’d ever experienced over a formal event. Mostly because she was usually at these things as the help, serving, blending in with the decor rather than standing out like a peacock in a brand-new dress.
She’d known exactly what she wanted to wear when KC had invited her to the Blackstones’ party celebrating a new chapter for the mill. The bright blue dress had called to her from the moment she’d walked past the window on the square on the way to Callahan’s. Sadie was used to admiring clothes she wasn’t able to buy.
Not this time.
For once, she didn’t blink at the price. She didn’t even use the company card Victor had given her for regular expenses. Somehow that would taint the gift of being invited in the first place. This time she wanted to experience something on her own terms—even if it ended up being a fairy tale.
The sleeveless dress had a fitted bodice that hugged her generous curves and provided ample support. Her second favorite element, besides the color, was a mesh triangle cutout between her breasts, giving a shadowy glimpse of cleavage beneath. The flowy skirt was dressed in sparkles along the calf-length hemline, adding to her festive mood.
She’d indulged in a pair of sexy silver heels without once wondering how many other outfits they would match. Practicality had no place tonight. She wore a single piece of jewelry. The necklace had been a gift from her mothe
r on her twenty-first birthday, the length perfect to nestle a teardrop opal encircled in silver wire in the indention at the base of her throat. A silver shawl completed her dream outfit.
She wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but tonight she would simply go with the flow. Especially since it meant more time with Zachary. A quick look over her shoulder let her watch her prince as he stepped in the door to the restaurant behind her. She’d seen him plenty at the mill in the past few days, but never alone. And there had been no repeat of the night at the B and B.
She wished he had come to get her because he wanted to, not because Christina had asked him to, but the flutters in her stomach were the same, regardless. And the way his dark eyes widened when he saw her in this dress for the first time was very much appreciated.
Zach was a sight to behold himself. The fitted black suit and burgundy tie complemented his dark good looks, making her fingers itch for her camera to record tonight for posterity. She had a small one in her clutch—she was never without one—but wouldn’t intrude on a personal gathering by breaking it out.
As Zach took her arm to lead her in, the look on his face was proud—at least, she liked to think so. Even though it didn’t dim the wariness that would forever linger in his eyes when he looked at her, still, it made her happy.
This, at least, she could have.
“Well, somebody cleans up good,” KC said, giving her brother the once-over before a quick hug.
Zach’s gaze flicked to Sadie when she murmured, “I agree.”
He wiggled his tie a little to adjust it. “You know I hate these things.”
KC shook her head as if she were disappointed in his response. “What’s not to enjoy? Great food, friends—even Mom’s here.” She looked between them, giving Sadie the distinct impression that she was sizing them up together. “Go introduce Sadie, why don’t you?”
That definitely started the butterflies in Sadie’s stomach. When she’d been here five years ago, she hadn’t met any of Zachary’s family, though she’d heard a lot about them.
Luckily she had time to compose herself before doing the family thing. She and Zach couldn’t get more than a few feet across the floor without someone stopping them to chat. The Blackstones had spared no expense in renting out the entire restaurant for this impressive soiree, and they’d invited all of the upper management from the mill and their families, as well as Zach and KC’s family, the mayor and some city officials.