“It’s not all about you!” Bailey shouted.
Zane flinched. He was sick and tired of being yelled at. “If you use that tone of voice again in my presence, Bailey, I’m going to snatch up your little butt, take you to the bathroom and wash your mouth out with soap like I used to do.”
Bailey glared at him. “Go to—”
“Bailey!” Megan interrupted. “Please let me finish. Then you can go for blood if you want.”
Bailey nodded. “Sorry. Please continue, Megan.”
Megan smiled at her sister. “Thanks.” She then narrowed her gaze at Zane. “No, Zane, that’s not the reason. Channing did it to keep her dignity and pride in check when she came to town for my wedding. Two years ago, when you were dating, people talked, made bets, laughed at her behind her back and figured you would eventually kick her to the curb like you did all the others.”
Zane’s jaw tightened. His eyes sparked fire. “Who told you that?”
“Doesn’t matter. Everyone around these parts knows your reputation when it comes to women. But Channing hung in there because she thought she meant more to you than that. Most people knew better. They knew she really didn’t mean a damn thing to you, that eventually you would drop her and move on.”
Megan paused. “She was your steady girlfriend for nine months, Zane. Although I’m certain you gave her the same warning that you gave all your other women, at some point she began thinking she might be different. We all did. You treated her differently from the rest.”
Zane didn’t say anything for a long minute and then said quietly, “She was different.”
“Then why would you hurt her, Zane? All you wanted to do was prove a point? What if Rico had done something like that to me?”
Before he could answer, Bailey spoke up and asked, “What did Zane do to Channing? All Wanda said was that they had a little spat. Is there more?”
Both Zane and Megan said simultaneously, “No.”
Bailey narrowed her eyes. “You two are lying.”
Instead of responding to Bailey’s accusations, Megan returned her attention to Zane. “She told me the truth about the fake engagement, and I feel partly to blame for what happened because I deliberately let Ramsey eavesdrop on a conversation I had with Chloe. I figured he would tell you what Mack Hammond was doing and that you would get upset about it and come up with a plan to save Channing. Lord knows, I didn’t think you’d go as far as you did.”
“Damn, what did he do?” Bailey asked again.
A collective “nothing” was the response from Megan and Zane.
Then Zane said to Megan, “It wasn’t planned. It just happened.”
“Ahh,” Bailey said, figuring out what nobody was telling her. An angry frown settled on her face. “If you weren’t my brother, I would castrate you.”
Zane rolled his eyes, although he believed Bailey was more likely to carry out her threat than Megan was. “I never meant to hurt her,” he said, when he began to realize just what had happened. He had tried to stop Hammond from hurting Channing, and he was the one guilty of causing her pain.
“I need to go see her and apologize,” he said, standing.
“Too late,” Megan said softly. “By the time I’d gotten over to her place, she had already canceled the rest of her symposium and packed her things. I sat and talked to her until it was time for her to leave for the airport.”
Zane felt a gut-wrenching sensation in the pit of his stomach. “She’s left town?”
“Do you blame her, Zane?” Megan asked.
He drew in a deep breath. No, he didn’t blame her. “Doesn’t matter. I’m leaving for Atlanta tomorrow.”
Megan placed her hands on her hips. “To do what? Tell her you’re sorry for what you did but that you still don’t love her? Just let her go, Zane. You’ve done enough damage. Besides, she’s not going to Atlanta.”
He lifted a brow. “Where did she go, Megan?” he asked in a near growl.
“Don’t tell him,” Bailey piped in to say. “He will only hurt her again. Channing wants to be loved, and Zane isn’t capable of loving any woman.”
Zane ignored Bailey’s words and continued to hold Megan’s gaze. “Did she go to her parents’ in New Hampshire?” he asked.
“Don’t tell him, Megan!”
Megan drew in a deep breath. “No, she didn’t go there, either.”
Zane felt an intense need to ferret out her location. All of Channing’s family lived in New Hampshire. He then remembered that she’d told him her brother had moved to San Diego. “Did she go to California?”
“No.”
“Then where the hell did she go?”
Megan lifted her chin. “If you find out Channing’s whereabouts, it won’t be with my help. Bailey’s right. You’re not capable of loving anyone but yourself, so just leave her alone.”
She turned and headed for the door. After giving him one hard glare, Bailey followed her sister.
* * *
Early the next morning, after a sleepless night—and when he was certain Megan had left for work—Zane got in his truck and headed over to Megan’s Meadows to see Rico. His brother-in-law opened the door with a sympathetic look on his face. “I heard my wife tore into you pretty damn good last night.”
Zane grunted as he strolled toward the kitchen, following the aroma of coffee. He went still when he saw his brother Derringer and his cousins Jason, Riley, Canyon and Stern sitting at the kitchen table. “Somebody gave you guys a day off of work or something?” he asked Riley, Canyon and Stern. The three worked for the family-owned business, Blue Ridge Land Management.
Riley chuckled. “It’s still early yet. Besides, we heard both Megan and Bailey chewed you out, and we wanted to be here when you came and asked Rico for a bandage.”
Zane set his chin in a frown. “Funny.” After helping himself to a cup of coffee, he slid into one of the empty chairs at the table.
“That’s not why they’re here, Zane,” Rico said, grinning, leaning against the counter with his own cup of coffee. “In fact, Ramsey and Dillon are on their way over, as well. I called you earlier this morning to tell you about this impromptu meeting, but you didn’t answer the phone.”
Zane shrugged. “I thought it was Megan calling, and we don’t have anything to say to each other until she tells me where Channing is.”
Derringer snorted. “Don’t hold your breath for that to happen. Megan’s pretty angry with you.”
Zane opened his mouth to respond to Derringer’s words when there was a knock at the door. “That’s probably Ramsey and Dillon,” Rico said, moving toward the living room.
Moments later, Ramsey and Dillon Westmoreland walked in and glanced around. Their gazes locked on Zane. Dillon smiled and said, “Glad to see you’re still in one piece.”
Zane cursed under his breath. Had everybody heard about Megan’s and Bailey’s visits?
Rico proceeded to get everybody’s attention. “I wanted to give you guys an update on something I discovered with Raphel’s investigation. I told Megan last night, and now I want to share the information with you.”
“What did you find out?” Dillon asked. Since there weren’t any more empty seats at the table, he and Ramsey settled their tall frames in stools at the breakfast bar.
“The woman who survived the train wreck and who adopted Raphel’s son was Jeannette Outlaw. She named her son Levy—after her husband who was killed in the train accident. She moved to Detroit as a single mother and everyone assumed the child belonged to her deceased husband. She never told anyone anything different.”
Rico paused and then continued, “Levy Outlaw married at twenty-five, and he and his wife had one son, Javier. That’s where the trail stops. It seems Levy Outlaw, his wife and son moved away from Detroit, but we’re not sure of their final dest
ination. My people are working on it.”
Rico leaned back against the counter. “The other news I wanted to share is that I found records on a woman by the name of Isabelle Connors who lived in Percy, Nevada. As you all know, Isabelle was documented as Raphel Westmoreland’s fourth wife.”
“Percy, Nevada?” Dillon asked, lifting a brow. “That’s where our great-grandmother Gemma was born and raised. Do you think there’s a chance that she and Isabelle knew each other?”
“That’s a possibility I’m checking out,” Rico said. A smile touched his lips. “Of course Megan is excited about the information I was able to find on Levy Outlaw.”
Ramsey grinned as he shook his head. “I bet she was. She’s determined to find more cousins to the Westmorelands.”
Rico chuckled. “Yes, and don’t be surprised if I do.”
* * *
“I want to know where Channing is, Rico,” Zane said after the meeting had ended and everyone had left. “I’m sure Megan told you.”
Rico took a sip of his coffee. “Yes, but Megan doesn’t think you need to know where Channing is. Your sister believes all you’re going to do is hurt her friend again.”
Zane didn’t say anything. Megan had pretty much made her thoughts damn clear. He had stayed up most of the night, walking the floor. Knowing he had hurt Channing to the point that she had left town had kept him awake. His sisters were right. He had been wrong.
“Zane?”
He glanced over at Rico. “Yes?”
“If you found Channing, what would you do?”
Zane lowered his head and gazed down into his cup of coffee. He had asked himself that same question while walking the floor last night. He would apologize of course, but would that be enough? Lifting his head, he met Rico’s gaze. “I’m not sure,” he said honestly.
Rico nodded. “Then maybe you should be sure before you go looking for her. When a man goes after a woman, he needs to know why he’s doing it. He needs to have a game plan.”
Zane didn’t say anything, mainly because he’d never needed a game plan when it came to women.
“Do you know at what point I knew I loved your sister, Zane?”
Zane shrugged. He figured there was a reason Rico wanted to tell him this. “No. When?”
“I knew I loved your sister when I realized I couldn’t live a single day without her.” Rico took a sip of his coffee. “If you ever feel anything close to that kind of emotion, let me know and then I’ll tell you where Channing is.”
* * *
“I’m fine, Megan, really I am. Don’t worry. I love it here,” Channing said, stepping out onto the porch of her grandparents’ oceanside villa in the beautiful Kindle Shores community of Virginia Beach. The house and five others were on a private section of land that developers had been trying to purchase for years. However, like her grandparents, none of the owners were interested in selling.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here, so maybe Zane did me a favor after all. In addition to reminding me what jerks some men can be, it made me realize I hadn’t taken time off from work in a while to rest, relax and regroup,” she said, sliding down into the porch swing.
The ocean looked beautiful. As a child, she enjoyed spending her summers here with her grandparents. Adele Hastings hadn’t asked any questions when her granddaughter had called saying she needed to come to the house and stay awhile. But Channing had still heard the concern in her grandmother’s voice when she’d told Channing where to find the key.
The moment Channing arrived and opened the door a sense of welcome had settled upon her. The memories of the summers she’d spent here were special. It was the time when she and all her cousins would get together to share their grandparents’ wisdom and love.
She’d seen how her grandparents had spruced up the place with painted walls, gleaming tile floors and all-new furniture. She liked the look and all the vibrant colors. When it came to decorating, her grandmother still had style.
“Well, if you need anything—and I mean anything at all—call me, Channing,” Megan said, interrupting Channing’s thoughts. “Again, I’m sorry about everything.”
“Don’t be. Zane warned me how things would be between us in the very beginning, but I let myself fall in love with him, anyway. As far as the other night at McKays, the desire was mutual. I wanted him, Megan. Your brother proved he’s still my weakness. I thought I had gotten over him, but evidently I haven’t. He’s not a man a woman can forget easily,” Channing admitted. “But I will,” she added with strong conviction.
“Well, it’s going to be a long time before he gets back in my good graces. At some point, he has to come to terms with the fact that he’s going to grow old alone,” Megan said in a tiff.
A few moments later, after ending her phone call, Channing stood to stretch and look out at the beach. The beautiful blue water was inviting, and she decided she would take a dip later. But for now, she would make a sandwich and start reading the suspense thriller she had picked up at the airport.
But once she sat back down, she couldn’t help thinking about what had happened over the past couple of days. Hurt and heartbroken, she had canceled her symposium with apologies and plans to reschedule and had flown from Denver to here. Upon arriving, she had gone shopping for enough food for the three weeks she intended to stay. On the first day, she had called Zane every god-awful name in the book. Then she’d called herself a damn fool and indulged in a good cry. The next day, she had gotten out and gone back into town to shop.
Her first stop had been a boutique where she’d found the most gorgeous pair of sandals. Deciding that she hadn’t treated herself to a day of beauty in a while, she’d visited a spa. A couple of hours later, with several new beach outfits, new sandals, a pedicure and manicured nails, she had returned to the beach house feeling a whole lot better. Pain and anger were no longer at war inside of her. She had reached the conclusion that no man would ever take her joy.
She’d also faced a few realities. It seemed her dream of love, marriage and family was just that—a dream. Some dreams weren’t meant for everyone. Zane had taught her that lesson. She couldn’t put her love and trust in a man who didn’t deserve it, a man who wasn’t capable of loving, a man who couldn’t make her happy. She wanted a man who simply adored her—the way she would adore him—a man who would love her, a man who wanted the same things she wanted, not because she wanted them but because they wanted them.
She’d meant what she’d told Megan. She appreciated Zane for making her realize just how naive she had been. She thought she had taken off the rose-colored glasses the last time she’d left Denver, but this time not only had she taken them off she’d tossed them into the sea. The next man she dated would have to work hard for her affections.
At that moment, she doubted she would ever fall in love again. She’d tried and lost her heart, and now it was time for her to get out of the game.
* * *
Zane turned over in bed and glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning. Sitting up, he ran a frustrated hand across his face. Once the haze of his anger over Channing’s engagement deception had shifted away, all he could see every time he closed his eyes was her stricken face. It hit him right below the gut each and every time he thought about hurting her.
Unable to sleep, he eased out of bed and went downstairs for a cold drink of water. However, when he opened the refrigerator it was a bottle of beer that he pulled out instead. Leaning against the countertop, he twisted off the bottle cap and took a huge swig, liking the feel of the liquid moving past his throat to hit solidly in his stomach.
He had built this house seven years ago, but this was the first time he’d realized just how lonely it was. His siblings and cousins visited often—and Bailey too much—but he never allowed women to consider his place as their home.
Except for
Channing.
He had surprised even himself when he’d given her a key, but he had never questioned why he’d done so. All he’d known was those days when he would arrive home after working with the horses all day and see her car parked in his yard, sensations he couldn’t describe tugged at his chest. His mood would brighten as soon as he opened the door and saw her, and he would sweep her up in his arms and kiss her like his entire life depended on it.
He could remember the last time she’d sat at his kitchen table. It had been one morning after she’d spent the night and had awakened early to prepare breakfast for the both of them. They had eaten together, and it had been enjoyable, as usual. But it had been that same morning when Channing had come out and asked where their relationship was headed.
The question had annoyed him because he’d known she was about to bring up something he didn’t want to discuss. He had told her he didn’t love her and that nothing had changed. Afterward, he had quickly left for work, not wanting to stick around to see how she handled his response. A few weeks later, she had dropped the bomb that she was leaving town. Her decision to leave Denver had made him bitter. He hadn’t even bothered to attend the going-away party Megan had thrown for her.
Taking another huge swig of his beer, he pushed away from the counter and walked over to the window to look out in brooding silence. Most people were in bed asleep, but here he was, right where he had been for the past three days, enduring sleepless nights due to a woman he should have gotten over two years ago. She was the only woman who could make emotions tug at him...like they were doing now. In fact, they weren’t just tugging; they were eating away at him big-time.
He was still on Megan’s and Bailey’s bad sides. That much had been evident at tonight’s chow-down. His sisters-in-law and his cousins’ wives were sending him seething looks, as well. Even Gemma had called him from Australia to give him a blistering earful, saying, “How could you hurt Channing again, Zane? She is way too good for you. She is liked and well respected by all who know her, and she has a heart of gold. But that isn’t enough for you, is it? Any other man would have appreciated the beautiful and heartwarming person that she is. One day you’re going to realize just what you lost!”
Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Collection: ZaneCanyonStern Page 5