A shadow loomed and stopped beside her. "Hot day," a familiar voice said.
Jerking up, Zoe sucked in a breath as she looked straight into Spencer's amused eyes. "Spencer, what are you doing here? Thought you'd be back home by now." She pressed her hand to her chest and tried to steady her breathing.
He ran his hand across his blond hair. "Decided to take a few days in the city. Catch up with some friends." He shrugged before his expression sobered. "How's your Grandma doing?"
Zoe's heart plummetted. How could she tell Spencer his mercy dash had been in vain? But she had to, no use lying. He'd find out anyway. She took a deep breath and gulped. "She didn't make it, Spencer." Zoe's voice came out little and weak and caught in her throat, and before she knew it, tears streamed down her cheeks.
He stepped closer and drew his arm around her. "I'm so sorry, Zoe. You did your best."
"But it wasn't enough." Zoe sobbed. Why was she letting it out now? She'd managed to hold her tears mainly at bay with Mum and Harrison. Maybe it was the memory of the adrenalin rush she and Spencer shared as they flew Grandma to hospital, and of the sheer desperation to get her there as quickly as possible, and the fact that it had been in vain, but whatever it was, she sobbed into his shoulder.
He stroked her hair. "She's with the Lord now, Zoe. Take comfort from that."
Nodding, Zoe sucked in a breath and pulled away. She swiped her wrist sweatband across her eyes and sniffed. "You're right, Spencer. I just wasn't ready to lose her just yet."
He squeezed her shoulder. "She was a wonderful woman, Zoe." He met her gaze and held it, compassion and empathy oozing from his eyes. "You're very much like her. Strong, resilient, hard-working, determined."
Zoe's body shuddered as another wave of sobs threatened to rack her body. How much longer could she stand here eye to eye with Spencer without doing something foolish? The physical attraction between them was like a magnet, and the memories they shared, too vivid. If only he hadn't broken the promise he'd made to her when she was sixteen. But he had, and now it was too late.
"I need to go, Spencer. We've got a funeral to organise."
"Can I help? I could arrange for a transfer if you need one. I guess that's the plan?"
Zoe's chin dropped. What would Harrison think if she accepted more help from Spencer? She sighed. No, best stick to the plan. "That's kind of you, Spencer, but Mum and I are meeting with the transfer company this morning, so I think it's all in hand."
"Okay, as long as you're sure. Let me know if you run into any trouble." He turned to go, but then stopped. "I almost forgot to tell you…I've been doing some research on that guy, and I'm getting close to finding him."
Despite herself, Zoe chuckled. "Already? Wow, you still act fast."
Spencer shrugged. "Some things don't change, Zoe."
"Seems they don't." She raised a brow, shaking her head and letting out another small chuckle. "You beat me to this one." She'd dropped her game, obviously. When they were teenagers, she and Spencer were always competing to see who was the smartest and the quickest at just about everything. Well, seems he'd won this one, but she didn't mind if it meant her parents might get their money back.
"I haven't got him yet."
"No, but you will. Let me know as soon as you find him." She pursed her lips. "I want to take him for all he's got."
"You've still got fire in your belly, Zoe. You're stirred up about this, aren't you?"
"You could say that. He's ruined my parents' lives."
Spencer's expression softened. "Sometimes you just have to accept what is, Zoe. You never know what God might have in store for them."
Zoe's eyes narrowed. Why was everyone giving up hope? She wouldn't give up until every last stone had been turned. "Easy for you to say, Spencer, it's not your parents being turned out of their home."
"I understand that, but take it easy, okay? Be prepared to listen to God, Zoe. And besides, you don't want to burn out, especially not this year."
He was right—this year was going to be a shocker. But still…
"I'll think about it, Spencer. Anyway, I must go." She stepped closer and touched his arm. As she did, a current ran up her arm and through her body. She sighed. She should have kept her distance.
"Might see you back home then. Take care, Zoe." His blue eyes smiled at her.
"You too, Spencer." Forcing a smile, she lifted her hand and waved as she began to jog slowly back the way she'd come.
Harrison's eyes sprung open as he turned onto the riverside esplanade. A young woman looking very much like Zoe was hugging a well-built blond-haired man who looked very much like Spencer. No! it can't be... He took another look and his heart plummetted. His eyes hadn't deceived him.
He thumped the wheel. Why would Zoe be doing this? His lips were still raw from last night's kisses. How could she be in another man's arms this morning! She'd convinced him nothing was going on between the two of them. He didn't understand. A mixture of despair, anger and confusion welled up within him. How could he go to work now and talk calmly with Tessa as if nothing had happened? Maybe he should call off the meeting and reschedule, and instead confront Zoe and find out what was going on. He let out an angry sigh. No, Tessa had said it had to be today. He'd just have to confront Zoe tonight at dinner.
Harrison swung into the car park of the New Farm Veterinary Clinic a few minutes early. Tessa had asked him to be there by seven as she had a busy day finishing off everything before she and her husband, Ben, left for Ecuador the following morning. He closed the roof and stepped out of the car. A cigarette right now would help, but he didn't have any—Zoe had made him give up smoking soon after they'd started dating. Without one at hand, he paced the length of the car park. What was Zoe playing at? He raked his hand through his hair. He just couldn't understand her. Maybe it was all too hard and they should just call it off. But that thought made him sick in the stomach. Zoe was everything he'd ever wanted in a girl. Smart, funny, loyal, kind, beautiful. Maybe a little too feisty at times, and perhaps a little too bossy, but what they had was special. Well, he thought it was. He loved her, and he thought she loved him. If she was still hankering after Spencer, then she should come clean. Not kiss him passionately one night and fall into Spencer's arms the next. He hadn't thought she was that kind of girl.
Tessa's small blue sedan pulled into the car park and stopped beside his car. As she opened the car door and stepped out, she waved and walked towards him, a genuine smile lighting up her face. How she could be happy when things were such a mess for her and her husband? Maybe they'd heard from Ben's son?
"How are you, Harrison?"
Harrison squared his shoulders and forced himself to return her smile. "Fine, thanks. And you?"
"Busy, but good." She inserted the key into the door and pushed it open.
She turned on the air-con while he opened the blinds. The smell of disinfectant wafted in the air but didn't fully disguise the distinctive odour left behind by the dog and cat clientele.
"You must be excited," Harrison said as he turned around.
Tessa nodded. "And a little nervous."
"It'll be a great adventure."
"We hope so." She smiled at him again as she motioned for him to head into her office.
His eye was drawn to the photo of Tessa, her husband, Ben, their son, Jayden, and their two dogs, taken on one of the local beaches not long after Tessa and Ben's wedding. Who would have thought that everything could go so wrong for them?
"You look a little on edge, Harrison. Is everything all right?"
Harrison clenched his jaw. How could Tessa have already noticed? Was it that obvious? He shrugged. "Just a few issues, that's all."
Tessa angled her head, flicking her light brown hair over her shoulder. "With what? Surely not with Zoe? She was over the moon when you proposed."
That's what he'd thought, too, until God and Spencer came on the scene. He didn't have to tell Tessa everything. "Her Grandma died, and things have gotten a b
it complicated, that's all."
Tessa's expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that, Harrison. Such a sad thing to happen at Christmas."
"Yes. It's been hard on the whole family."
"I bet. Is Zoe okay?"
Harrison rubbed his neck. "She will be."
Tessa met his gaze and held it. "Is everything okay between the two of you? I'm sensing there's more than you're telling me."
Harrison shook his head and exhaled. "How do you do that Tessa? You seem to have this sixth sense about you."
She let out a small chuckle. "I'm not quite sure about that, but your downcast face offered a good clue. I would have thought you'd be on cloud nine having just gotten engaged."
He glanced out the window and then leaned his elbows on the desk, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "You win. There is something else." He drew a long breath and gulped. "I saw Zoe hugging an old flame this morning."
Tessa laughed. "Why do you men always jump to the worst possible scenario without bothering to find out the truth?" She leaned forward and lightly touched his wrist, holding her gaze steady. "Zoe loves you, Harrison. I've seen it in the way she looks at you. She'd never cheat on you—she's not that kind of girl."
"I didn't think so, either, but you didn't see her. They looked pretty close to me."
"Talk to her about it, Harrison. Don't let anything like this come between you. Misunderstandings can grow out of all proportion if you don't nip them in the bud early. Believe me, I know."
"I'll give it some thought." He leaned back and folded his arms. "She won't set a date either." He didn't need to tell her why.
Rolling her eyes, Tessa let out a chuckle and then folded her arms on the desk as she leaned closer to him. "What do you expect? You've only just gotten engaged. Plus her Grandma's just died, and she's got a huge year ahead." Her voice grew serious. "Don't push her, Harrison. Just let her enjoy being in love without adding to the pressure."
He shook his head. It wasn't true. He hadn't been pressuring her…or had he?
Tessa straightened and put on her business-like face. "Now we've got that sorted, we need to do this hand-over. It shouldn't take long."
For the next hour or so, Harrison took notes and absorbed all the information Tessa gave him. Being manager didn't phase him as much as it did Tessa. Maybe he could talk Fran, the owner, into letting them swap jobs. How many times had Tessa tried to muscle in on his surgery? He sensed she'd be happier in her old job as Head Surgeon than Clinic Manager.
When they finished, Tessa stood and tidied her desk.
An awkward moment passed between them. Should he hug her, or just shake hands? Their relationship had changed since Tessa had intervened a while back and had been the catalyst for fixing the rift between him and his mum. Plus she'd been there when he proposed to Zoe. He stepped forward and held out his hand, but as he did, Tessa looked up and instead of taking his hand, hugged him.
"You'll do a good job, Harrison, I know you will. And take care of Zoe."
"Thanks Tessa. I hope all goes well for you and Ben."
"We hope so, too." She released her hold, brushing back a tear that had slipped from her eye. She let out a small chuckle. "I just had a thought go through my mind. What if Zoe had seen you just then? What would she think?" She raised her brow. "See how easily things can be misconstrued?"
"Maybe you're right." But he wasn't convinced. It hadn't looked innocent to him.
Tessa smiled. "Okay, we're all done. See you in a few months!"
"Good luck, Tessa." He raised his hand in a wave as he exited her office. He smiled to himself. His office.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"How can you do that, Mr. Roberts? My parents have been customers of this bank for almost forty years, and you're going to take not only their home, but their livelihood from them, just like that! I don't know how you can sleep at night!"
Mum placed a hand lightly on Zoe's wrist.
Zoe shrugged it off. She wasn't going to let the bank win that easily. "Okay, withdraw five thousand dollars from my account and transfer it into their account. My fiancé will put in another five."
The bank manager's round eyes widened. "Unless you've got a lot more money to follow, Miss Taylor, it'll be a waste of your money."
"Let me decide that."
He raised a brow as he tapped his keyboard. "Five thousand?"
Stifling a gulp, Zoe nodded. She'd intended to transfer the full ten thousand, but the funeral costs were higher than expected, and Mum had nothing to put towards it.
"Done." Mr. Roberts looked first at Zoe and then at Mum. "That gives you a few extra weeks, Mrs. Taylor. I hope you can find the money somewhere, but there's nothing more we can do. We can't allow you to get further into debt."
Narrowing her eyes, Zoe leaned forward "Talking of that, why did you lend my parents money for an investment that didn't exist?"
Mr. Roberts folded his arms and adopted a superior manner. "It was a lo-doc loan, Miss. Taylor. Your parents took the risk upon themselves."
Zoe opened her mouth then closed it. She turned to face Mum, her brows puckering. Surely they hadn't done that? Why didn't they tell her?
Mum lowered her head and fiddled with the tissue in her hands.
"Is that true, Mum? Did you do it without getting the bank to check it?"
Mum raised her head and nodded. "We thought it was too good an opportunity to pass up." Her eyes watered. "We were wrong."
Mr. Roberts cleared his throat. "Any chance of getting the money back, Mrs. Taylor?"
Zoe butted in. "I've got a friend looking for the guy."
"Good luck with that. Those types seem to disappear into thin air."
"If you'd done your job properly, Mr. Roberts, they wouldn't have lost their money in the first place."
Mr. Roberts fixed his gaze firmly on her. "Watch what you're saying, Miss Taylor. You could find yourself in court."
Zoe's nostrils flared. "And so might you!" As she stood, the chair tipped backwards, making a loud noise as it landed on the tiled floor. "Come on, Mum, let's get out of here."
Outside, Zoe sucked in several deep breaths. "That man! The hide of him!"
"Calm down, Zoe. It was our fault. We should have been more careful."
"Don't say that, Mum. They were wrong to lend you money when they knew what your situation was."
Tears welled in Mum's eyes again. "It wasn't as bad back then." She pulled a fresh tissue from her purse and dabbed her eyes. "But Zoe, it's okay. God will look after us. I wish you hadn't put your money in. You should have used it for your wedding."
"It's okay. We can earn more." She cupped Mum's elbow and directed her down the street. "Come on, let's get a coffee. I need one after being with that man."
"He was just doing his job."
"Stop being so accommodating, Mum. Stand up for yourself."
"We're tired, Zoe."
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Zoe glanced at her mother. She did look tired, but Grandma dying would have contributed to that. "You can't just give in."
"God has a plan."
Zoe let out another sigh. She'd have to discuss that with God later.
Early that evening, Zoe slipped on her favourite summer dress and dabbed some of the Eternity perfume Harrison had given her for Christmas on her wrists and behind her ears. Leaning closer to the mirror, she applied a light coat of mascara and touched up her lipstick. Pointless putting much else on in this heat—it'd slide off within a few minutes, but she did want to look nice for her date with Harrison. It seemed so long since they'd spent time on their own, and now she was heading back to the farm in the morning with Mum, it might be days, possibly longer, before they'd see each other again.
"You look lovely, dear," Mum said when Zoe stepped out of the bathroom and into the living room. "I love that colour on you."
"Thanks, Mum." Zoe ran her hands down her emerald-green figure hugging dress and couldn't agree more. Taking her leather purse off the counter, she slipped it over
her shoulder. "Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"
"Yes, dear, I'll be fine. I'll do some reading and give Dad a call."
"Give him my love."
"I will. Enjoy your night." Mum gave Zoe a warm smile. "And Zoe…"
Zoe paused, tilting her head.
"Thanks for trying today with the bank. I probably didn't sound grateful enough—I'm sorry."
"Oh, Mum, it's okay. I can't imagine what you're going through."
"It's Dad and Peter I'm worried about, but I'm sure God will look after us."
There it was again. Maybe God should send rain or help them get their money back, but right now, it seemed it was up to her to save the farm.
Zoe gave a half-smile as she leaned down and placed a kiss on Mum's cheek. "I'm sure He will."
A soft knock sounded on the door. Zoe checked her watch. Right on time. "Don't wait up, Mum."
"Okay. Have a nice time, dear."
"Thanks."
Opening the door, Zoe smiled expectantly, but as her eyes met Harrison's, her smile slipped. He kissed her cheek, but his eyes were heavy and dark and his smile seemed forced. Maybe he'd just had a bad day at work.
Stepping closer, she lifted her hand to his cheek and ran it lightly down his stubble. "What's up, Harrison?"
His eyes remained focused and steady. "Not here, Zoe."
"Right." She closed the door behind her. "Where are we going?"
"I booked a table at a new restaurant at Southbank." His voice was clipped.
"That sounds nice." Zoe forced herself to stay upbeat, although her heart raced.
He opened the car door for her and she slid under his arm. His whole body seemed tense, and she just wanted to find out what was wrong, but she didn't want to force it either.
She did her seatbelt up and looked at him. "How was your day?"
Promises of Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Page 9