He searched the dance floor. The thought that she might be out there with Crandall clenched his heart with a tumble of emotions, and Zach frantically circled the dancing couples. Relief flowed through him when he didn’t spot her.
Maybe she did go for a walk. He looked down port side of the yacht and didn’t spot anyone along it. Heading to starboard, Zach saw two figures standing halfway down the outer walkway—his worst fears confirmed.
***
Lilly’s leg had stiffened so quickly, she knew she needed to walk and loosen the muscles. Besides, watching that woman wrap her arms around Zach put Lilly on edge. She’d needed to work off some frustration. A trip around the boat would help both problems.
She made it halfway down the walkway when Crandall materialized out of the shadows, moving toward her. He pressed himself against the wall to let her pass, but stopped walking, resting his head against the wall of the ship.
Lilly paused, facing him. “Is something wrong, Mr. Crandall?”
He shook his head. “It was just seeing you tonight, knowing I don’t stand a chance with you—it made me remember my past.” He wiped at his cheek. “I had true love before, but I lost it. I’ve been searching for it again for years, but I can’t find the right person to share my life with.”
She looked at the end of the boat, hearing the faint music from the band drifting along the water. Here she was, in the dark, alone with a strange man. If Zach were right, Crandall couldn’t be trusted. Perhaps he would do something horrible to her any second.
He seemed so broken, though. Lilly couldn’t just leave him without trying to help. “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?”
Crandall leaned forward and touched her shoulder. “Why did Zach have to meet you?”
Lilly’s heart raced in her chest and she slid down the railing, trying to put some distance between them. Crandall was likely harmless, but Lilly feared being alone with him. Thankfully, his hand dropped to his side.
“Zach will be looking for me soon.” She nodded toward the band. “I need to get back. Do you want to walk with me?”
A part of Lilly prayed he would refuse the offer and she could escape.
“Don’t leave yet,” Crandall pleaded, stepping forward to grab her upper arms. “I do need someone to talk to.”
Lilly’s breath hitched in her throat and her body trembled. She took a step back, desperate to escape Crandall’s hot palms against her bare arms. Her leg faltered when she put weight on it, and she fell against the railing. Crandall gripped her tighter, pulling her upright and brushing her body against his.
As soon as she felt steady on her feet, he stepped back from her, hands spread wide in front of him. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just want to talk. I’ll keep my distance.”
She sighed. Life with Charles had made her overly sensitive. Curtis Crandall was likely a harmless flirt who missed his lost love and needed a friend. “Think nothing of it.”
“I saw the way you looked at Zach. I don’t have a chance with you while he’s around, do I?”
The hair on the back of Lilly’s neck rose. Why did he persist in this line of questioning? He acted as though his world was ending because Lilly came here with Zach. That was nonsense—she’d barely met him.
Crandall shook his head and looked out at the water. “Your silence speaks volumes. I think you should know something about him though.”
He stepped forward once more and the breeze carried his scent to Lilly. His cologne was familiar—patchouli and cedar. A Guerlain cologne her father favored. The same cologne her attacker had worn two years ago.
Lilly shivered and stepped back, matching Crandall step for step. She knew it wasn’t his fault he picked that unfortunate scent, but she wanted the man nowhere near her now.
Crandall stopped moving, seeming to sense her unease. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Lilly, but you need to know. You’re setting yourself up for failure with Zach.”
Lilly struggled to banish the images of the flashing blade and horrendous pain Crandall’s cologne provoked. She needed to focus on his words. He and Zach may not get along now, but Zach admitted Crandall had been his best friend. He might have some insight into what Lilly needed to do to win Zach over.
“What do you mean failure?”
He shook his head. “If you’re falling for Zach, this will be hard to hear.”
Lilly smiled. “Thanks for the warning, but I’d like the explanation.”
“Zach will never get over losing Victoria.” Crandall didn’t look at Lilly, resting his arms against the railing next to her and gazing across the water. “She was a wonderful woman and he loved her so much. She participated in charities, helping the less fortunate and not just throwing money at them. She especially loved helping children, and she and Zach always wanted kids.”
Lilly tried to keep her voice casual. “She sounds nice.”
“Of course, she was also very accomplished. She graduated from Yale at the top of her class.” His eyes held pity when he finally looked at Lilly. “She was a loving wife, and would have made a terrific mother.”
Well, Victoria sounded pretty darn perfect. Lilly hadn’t been aware Zach wanted children, but it made sense when she thought about how he acted with Savannah. What would happen if he found out she didn’t want to have kids?
“And you think Zach isn’t ready to move on after all this time?” she forced herself to ask.
“I know he isn’t.” He leaned toward her, and Lilly sidled back. “Sorry. I keep forgetting you like a lot of personal space.” He flashed a smile full of perfectly straight teeth. “Zach told me once how Vicky was the best lover and best friend he could ever hope for. He said she was his soul mate. He was over the moon in love with her. Her death destroyed him.”
“I’m not surprised at that.” Lilly fidgeted with her dress. She didn’t want to listen to Crandall anymore, didn’t want to think about Zach being unable to love again.
“And that is why I’m so sorry he met you before I did.” He touched her arm and Lilly cringed back involuntarily. “I really do find you very attractive. If things don’t work out with Zach, perhaps you and I...”
As his words trailed off, Lilly tried to banish her fear. It was simply the fact that she had a hard time trusting and he picked the wrong cologne. It was not Crandall’s fault Lilly could never imagine being with him. “We’ll have to see, Curtis. None of us know what the future holds.”
Zach chose that moment to find her. “Lilly?”
Relief flooded through her at the sound of his voice. “I’m down here, Zach.”
***
Zach walked toward Lilly, clamping down his anger. The pair was hard to make out in the darkness, but Zach knew who kept her company. He advanced slowly on them. Curtis Crandall’s patrician features became visible in the moonlight.
Zach handed Lilly the tea. “You should be resting, honey.”
Lilly’s eyes narrowed as she accepted the glass, just as they had earlier when he called her sweetie. Perhaps he waxed too eloquent with the pet names in Crandall’s presence, but the jerk needed to keep his hands to himself. Zach wasn’t about to lose another woman to him. He put his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead.
Lilly glared up at him, and Zach rethought his actions. He’d offered to pay Lilly for a date, after all. She didn’t owe him anything. Perhaps she was interested in Crandall and didn’t want Zach laying claim to her with such a heavy hand. That thought pierced him straight to the heart.
After an endless moment of glaring, Lilly took a sip of tea. “Well, sweetheart,” she finally replied, leaning against his chest. “I decided to take a walk and I ran into Mr. Crandall. He’s been telling me a bit about your late wife.”
“I see, pumpkin. Perhaps the two of us can talk about my past a little later, and I’ll tell you about it myself.” Whatever Crandall told her couldn’t be good. “Sarah’s looking for you, baby. She’s bringing you some medicine. Why don’t you go back,
and I’ll be right there.”
“Of course, cupcake. I’ll see you in a minute.” Lilly brushed past him. He saw a grin flash across her face and the corners of her eyes crinkle with humor.
Good. He’d amused her with the names. She was perhaps annoyed, but not angry.
He watched her make her way slowly along the railing, enjoying the sight of her slim body swaying with the movement of the boat. “I’ll be right there, sugar,” he hollered when she stepped to the end of the cabin. The delicious sound of her laughter floated back to him.
“I apologized to your lady about the awkwardness earlier, Woodbridge.” Crandall leaned against the rail and folded his arms. “She asked me some stuff about Victoria.”
“So, you told her everything? How you destroyed my marriage?”
“Don’t you think this feud has gone on long enough? You’ve always been like a brother to me. Heck, Tommy still is a brother to me.” Crandall shrugged. “I’m sorry for sleeping with your wife. It was foolish. She used to tell me all this stuff. She said you did horrible things to her, and I believed her. I was confused.” He shook his head. “I was in love.”
Zach clenched his teeth together and sucked in a deep breath. The memories of his marriage and Crandall’s betrayal didn’t sting as badly as they had seven years ago when he found Crandall and Victoria in bed. “You were my best friend. How could you do that to me? I thought I could count on you.”
“Best friend?” Crandall scoffed. “I told you I was in love with Victoria before you married her, but that didn’t stop you. What about my feelings, friend?”
“You knew what she told me. I had to marry her.”
“I told you I would take care of things, but it didn’t stop you.” Crandall’s eyes narrowed and his lip quivered slightly. “Were we ever really friends, or did you always think of me as a second-class citizen because I didn’t have money?”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Zach’s hand clenched into a fist and he struggled to maintain his composure. He clung to the promise he gave his mother. It might take all his control, but he would not throw Crandall overboard. “You’re the one who threw our friendship away. You slept with my wife, damn you. And when I caught you, you didn’t even have the decency to stop.”
“I told you, Victoria needed me. She loved me.”
“Victoria didn’t love anyone but herself.” Zach felt the old bitterness welling up.
“Don’t say that.” Crandall moved a step closer, and Zach could hear his ragged breathing. He had finally angered the unflappable Curtis Crandall.
“Is it upsetting because you know it’s the truth?” Zach asked.
“She was a goddess, damn you. You never gave her what she needed.”
Zach took a deep breath, rolling his head from side to side to relax his shoulders. “Look, I’m here to spend time with Lilly, not fight with you. I’m going back to my date.”
“You’ll never change, Zach. Lilly’s too good for you, and you know it,” Crandall said. “It’s only a matter of time before she dumps you.”
Zach took another sip of his water. His free hand twitched into a fist again. “Look, I know you’re still friends with my brother, and I’m not going to do something that will hurt him, but stay away from Lilly.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Crandall laughed. “I won’t say anything. She’ll get tired of you and come running, begging me to be with her. I don’t need to even—”
Zach’s glass fell to the deck as he slammed Crandall against the side of the yacht. “One more word about Lilly, and I will not be responsible for my actions.”
“Go ahead. Do it. You know how fast I’ll have the cops on your doorstep?” Crandall grinned and raised his eyebrows. “Lilly already said she and I could go on a date sometime. I’d love to get you out of my way.”
Zach stepped back, releasing Crandall’s jacket. He couldn’t block the pain stabbing into his heart. Lilly agreed to go out with this creep?
Crandall stood with a self-satisfied smile on his face, knowing he struck a great blow. “Now that you’ve proven we aren’t going to be friends again, I’m free to pursue her.”
Zach gave Crandall a hard look. “I care nothing about the police. Who’d believe your word over mine in this town? If you want to keep your pretty face intact, stay away from my Lilly.”
“Your Lilly?” Crandall snorted. “She’s her own person, and soon will be mine.”
“We’ll see about that.” Zach turned his back on Crandall.
Somehow, he had to convince Lilly to date him exclusively. It no longer mattered that he hadn’t wanted a relationship. The thought of her with Crandall was unbearable. He’d lied to himself all along. He came up with the scheme of paying her to date him simply because he was afraid of facing rejection. The truth was, he wanted Lilly, and had from the moment he met her.
***
Lilly sat in silence as Zach drove her home. She’d spent the rest of the evening thinking about what Crandall said. How could she ever hope to compete with Zach’s memories of Victoria? The woman sounded like a saint, a perfect saint. Even if Zach ignored Lilly’s past, she’d never qualify for sainthood.
Zach pulled up to her house and ran around the car to open her door. He smiled at her as he helped her up. “I had a good time with you tonight, Lilly.”
“I had fun, too.” She took her hand out of his and walked up the sidewalk. “I really liked dancing.” She fished her key out of her purse and placed it in the lock. “Well, I’ll see you around.”
“Hang on.” He caressed her arm and leaned into her. “Don’t you have time for a drink?”
She shivered at his touch, so tempted to let him into the house. She couldn’t handle it though. The fantasy had ended. She shouldn’t lose herself further into the dream of being Zach’s girlfriend. “I’m really tired. I think it’s best to call it a night.” She opened the door and stepped inside. “Thanks again.”
The worst part was, she’d started to believe it might be a real date to him. Sitting as they held each other before the boat left, realizing he had been jealous of her spending time with Crandall, dancing in Zach’s arms—it all contributed to her foolishness. She’d started believing there might be a real connection with Zach outside her fantasies.
She shut the door and locked it, but didn’t move until she heard his car pull away. If Crandall told the truth, Zach wasn’t available emotionally. It would be best for them both if they didn’t spend any more time together.
Maybe, if she repeated that often enough, she’d believe it.
Chapter Nine
Zach closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. There was no use trying to write today. All he could think about was Lilly. Last night, he fully expected an invitation inside for a nightcap or, at the very least, a kiss goodnight. Why had she run into the house and locked the door? Was it because she preferred Crandall?
Coming back to this little cottage hadn’t helped matters any. Victoria furnished and decorated this place to her taste, the office thrown in as an afterthought. The tiny space closed in on Zach.
Unadorned walls surrounded a dainty desk. Its legs tapered to thin points, and the matching chair was too small for him. Victoria never did spare a thought for his needs. He couldn’t concentrate here and had only written two full sentences since he moved from Seattle.
He paced through the house, walking across the black and red Oriental rug. Victoria had decorated the living room in dark reds, and Zach felt he might suffocate in the space. He walked to the kitchen and snatched his cell phone off the counter, punching three on speed dial.
“Hello?”
“I’m going insane here,” he said by way of greeting.
Sarah laughed. “I told you not to go back to that house.”
“I had no choice.”
“You do now. The Boyds left last week. Their rental is empty.”
Zach mulled that over. He remembered that cottage. It’d suit him just fine. Besides, he had to get out
of here.
“I think I’ll do that,” he said. “Mother can rent this place out if she gets anyone else up here this summer.”
“Sounds like a plan. Get your stuff gathered. I’ll get the key from Mom and meet you there.”
Zach was ready in no time and drove the short distance along the lake to the cottage. Sarah pulled up seconds behind him.
She hopped out of her red Mustang, hugged Zach and grabbed his computer and briefcase. “This will be much better for you. Wait until you see what they did to the office.” Sarah went to the front door.
Zach grabbed his suitcases and followed her in. A sense of relief descended on him as soon as he passed the threshold. The front room was painted off-white. Mirrors and tasteful art reprints adorned the walls. Zach peaked into the small kitchen, pleased to see a microwave, the only kind of cooking he could do.
Sarah crossed to the back of the house and opened the door to the master bedroom.
Zach set his suitcases on the bed and a broad smile crossed his face. This was what a bedroom should look like. King-sized bed, mirrored closet doors, light-colored furniture. The space felt so large.
Sarah beckoned him to follow her into the office. She set his computer and briefcase down on an enormous desk and smiled. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
Zach ran his hand across the glossy surface of the mahogany desk and sat in the oversized executive chair. The desk faced the window and looked onto the back patio and to the water beyond. As he watched, a speedboat raced by. It startled ducks resting along the water’s surface into flight. He watched as they settled back closer to the house. “This is terrific.”
“It’s good you’re out of that place,” Sarah said.
Zach nodded and spun in his chair to face her. “I owe you one, sis.”
“Do you really?” Sarah raised an eyebrow and grinned.
Zach felt a tingle of anxiety shoot through him. “Alright, little sister. What do you want?”
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