Full Circle Love (A Four Part Anthology of Cat & Zach Stories)

by Lori Leger

  “My instructor told me a good starting rate is five hundred dollars per website for five pages and a hundred bucks for every page after that. But for you, I’d do it for two-fifty.” She leaned in close to him. “Believe me, that’s a steal. Out of two dozen students, my website scored highest points for both creativity and effectiveness. In my instructor’s own words, mine was ‘the bomb.’”

  Zach gave her a hug. “Well, I’d sure appreciate that, Ms. Ellen.”

  “I’d do it for free, but I’m saving for my trip to Europe with my friends. I plan on ‘parlais vous anglais-ing’ in Paris at least once in my lifetime.”

  His deep chuckle resonated throughout the room. “I don’t blame you a bit, and I sure don’t mind paying full price for your talents, either.”

  Cat’s mood darkened, watching Zach with her mother. Obviously, the jackass didn’t have a problem with a woman working, as long as she didn’t have babies at home. Did he think he could keep a wife barefoot and pregnant while demanding she hold off on a career until after the hypothetical children were grown? Not a chance.

  “Mom, I think we should let Kellie get some rest now. We’ll see her tomorrow—how about if I ride home with you to get my car?”

  Zach’s head cocked slightly; he looked like a curious puppy. “I thought I was taking you back to your car?”

  “Mom’s right here. No use wasting your gas.”

  “Aw, I don’t mi—”

  “But, I do.” She looped her purse strap over her shoulder. “Come on, Mom. I’ll get my bags from Zach’s truck then we can go.” She gave Kellie a kiss on the cheek, her brother-in-law a somewhat cool goodbye, and headed out the door. Booted footsteps behind her told her Zach followed.

  She pulled her bags from the back seat of his truck in swift, jerky movements.

  “Let me get that for you, Cat.”

  “I’ve got it. Thanks for the ride over, and uh…” She thought about telling him to take the kitten back, it would serve him right for assuming she’d have the time for it. Unfortunately, the animal lover in her already adored Chableu and refused to give him up. “Thanks for the kitten and housewarming gift.”

  His smile seemed genuine enough, if a little confused. “You’re very welcome.”

  He leaned in for a kiss and a last-second adjustment on her part had it landing on her cheek instead of her lips.

  “I’ll see you around, Zach.”

  His blue eyes, haunted and confused, never left hers. “Did I do something, say something to upset you?”

  “Not at all,” she lied. “We decided a long time ago we’d just be friends. I don’t see any reason to alter that course. I have my writing and photography to work on. Sure, I’ve a little saved, but if I don’t sell books and pictures, I don’t get paid.” She hefted her accessory bag strap onto her shoulder as she saw her mom approaching her car one row over. “Thanks again.” She walked off, feeling a mixture of relief and stark disappointment.

  “I’d really like to see those pictures when you’re finished with them,” he called out.

  Without turning, she lifted one hand to let him know she’d heard.

  Chapter 4

  Cat spent most of the next week preparing her shots for the contest. She submitted the portfolio without the usual angst, somehow knowing it was a winning combination of nature photography at its best.

  She spent the rest of her time turning away Zach, either on the phone, through emails, or at her front door. Cat found herself wishing there was a little more to Lake Erin than two grocery stores and a handful of gas stations and various other shops. Her luck at avoiding him finally ran out smack dab in the middle of the local grocery store. She turned the corner, and there he was, picking up a plate lunch from the deli. No chance he could have been looking in the opposite direction.

  He placed his to-go plate in his basket and pushed it straight to her. “I’m leaving now, Cat. You don’t have to look so damn panicky.”

  “I’m not—” His frown, accompanied by a low growl had her keeping the rest of the denial to herself. She looked straight ahead as she pushed past him with her buggy without another word. For the next ten minutes she fought hard to concentrate on the items on her list—ultimately giving up before she was done. She approached the open register, feeling jittery, as well as defeated. She parked the buggy after checking out, and hauled the two bags to her Jeep Wrangler. The sight of Zach stepping out from the opposite side had her sucking in her breath.

  “I always figured you for a Jeep kinda girl.”

  She released her breath slowly, tried to stiffen her resolve as she hit the unlock button on her key fob. Cat cast sidelong glances at him as he grabbed the bags from her and placed them in the back. She swallowed, thinking nobody pulled off that sexy country-boy look like Zachary—faded jeans, paired with a plaid work shirt—a good combination on that hardened body.

  She cleared her throat. “Too many out of the way photo opportunities in the Dallas area. I traded in my Mustang when I couldn’t cross a stream to get a shot I needed once. ”

  “Understandable. This suits you, but—was the Mustang candy apple red, too?”

  She opened her door and threw her purse into the passenger seat. “Yep. Why?”

  He met her at the driver’s door, a trace of a grin showing at the corners of his mouth. “Just thinking how hot you must have looked driving that thing.”

  She had no idea how to respond, so opted for silence. It had warmed up considerably so she removed her leather jacket, draping it over her arm. She lifted one foot to climb into her Jeep, but the feel of his hand on her arm stopped her.

  “You ever gonna tell me what the hell I did to scare you off, Cat?”

  “Scare me off of what, Zachary? We’re what we’ve always been. Good friends.”

  “Friends don’t try to hide from each other in grocery stores or behind gas pumps. You really think there’s a spot in this town you wouldn’t stand out?”

  She turned on him then. “That’s because thinking about being anything other than friends with you has me freaking the hell out. It’s already changing our relationship for the worst.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You think for once you could try being honest with me?”

  “I’ve never been anything but honest with you.”

  “That is such bullshit, and you know it. You think you were being honest when you came up with that stupid pact our freshman year?”

  “Yes.” He stepped close—too damned close. When he laughed, she felt the rumble of his chest.

  “That wasn’t honesty. That was cowardice. You were too much of a coward to risk anything then, and you’re still a coward.” He leaned in closer, dipped his head so that they were nose to nose. “When you decide to grow up and take a chance on real life, let me know. Maybe I’ll still be around.” He stepped over to where his truck was parked on the opposite side of her Jeep. “Or maybe I won’t be. You never know.”

  She got into her Jeep and started it. The radio blasted Jason Aldean and she reached over to shut it off. Zach revved his truck’s engine and tore out of the store parking lot onto the street.

  She didn’t know how long she sat there mulling over his words. Long enough to hear the sound of his engine fade off into the distance. Long enough to know this would be a whole lot easier if she’d never shared those two dances with the sexiest man in town.

  She felt around for her cell phone, finally found the vibrating mass under her pillow. She cracked open her eyes to squint at her screen. A two a.m. phone call from a number she didn’t recognize threw her into an immediate panic. Concerned for her sister and the baby, she answered, her voice full of trepidation.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Cat? It’s Rob. Rob Mayes. I’m sorry for waking you like this, but I’ve got a situation.”

  “Rob?” Zachary. “What is it?”

  “It’s Zach, Cat.”

  She sat up, suddenly sick to her stomach. “What happened?”

  “
Nothing yet, that I know of. But I’m on my way to work and my younger brother is working out at the Dusty Rose tonight. He said Zach is stinking drunk over there and he’s threatening to drive home. He doesn’t want to have to call the cops on him, but he’ll have to if he walks out of the place with his keys. I know it’s an inconvenience, but you think you could bring his drunk ass home for me?”

  She crawled out of bed, grabbed a pair of jeans from the shelf in her closet. “I’ll go get him, Rob. I hope he doesn’t make this a habit, because I get cranky as hell without my sleep.”

  “Honestly, Cat—it’s usually me he’s hauling home. I owe him, and that’s why I called someone I could trust to get him home. You know Zach—he hardly ever loses his cool.”

  “Call your brother and tell him I’m on my way, Rob. Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks, Cat. I appreciate this.”

  She ended the call and traded her boxers for the jeans—her T-shirt would do. She slipped into a pair of shoes and grabbed a light jacket, along with her purse, on the way out the door.

  In less than five minutes she stepped into the smoky confines of the Dusty Rose, a local bar just outside the Lake Erin city limits. The driving base of an Eric Church song reverberated in the air around her.

  It wasn’t difficult to spot Zach at the opposite end of the bar, supported by a pool stick and a busty brunette.

  “Aw, Jeeze—please tell me you’re here to bring him home.”

  She turned to face Rand Mayes, Rob’s younger brother. “Sure am.”

  “Good. I keep holding him off. I already cut off his alcohol. I’ve never seen him like this. He seems determined to drink himself sick tonight.”

  Cat’s gaze landed on Zach’s left hand, droop over the brunette’s shoulder and blatantly cupping one ample breast. “I’d kinda like to cut something off about now …”

  “You say something?”

  She shook her head. “No, but thanks for calling Rob. I’m sure Zach will appreciate it when he doesn’t wake up in a holding cell or a hospital bed.”

  “Sure thing. It’s good to see you, Cat.”

  “You too, Rand. I just wish it were under different circumstances.” She approached Zach in time to see the busty woman whisper something in his ear.

  He grinned but shook his head. “Thanks, but no thanks, Shay. You’re young enough to be my—um—niece, maybe?”

  She leaned in to nibble on his ear lobe. “Are you sure? I like my men a little more mature than the boys my age.”

  Cat stopped in back of her. “You may have to keep looking then, honey. I don’t think this one’s quite done yet.”

  Zach leaned to the right, cracked a big grin. “Look! Cat-tastrophe came out to play.”

  “I’m not here to play, Zachary. I’ve come to collect you and bring you home.”

  He pushed “Shay” aside, and straightened, looking suddenly interested. “Your home?”

  The brunette snorted. “You didn’t say you had an ol’ lady at home.”

  Cat sent her a look that would shrivel a fresh picked rose. “I’m not his “old lady”. And I doubt I’m that much older than you.”

  “You look like you’re at least thirty. That’s so old.”

  Cat turned, got nose to nose with the girl. “Go. Away. Now.” Shay—which, in her opinion, wasn’t a name, but something that belonged in body butter—frowned and turned to Zach, pushing her lower lip out in a pout that made Cat want to slice it off with her Swiss Army knife.

  “I bet you don’t want me to go, do you?”

  Zach gave her a sheepish grin. “Uh, yeah. I kinda do. Sorry.”

  Her eyes narrowed angrily. “What a waste of time you turned out to be.”

  Cat pushed her lower lip out in an exaggerated pout. “Oh, don’t go away mad, body butter. Just go away.”

  Shay spun on her heels. “Whatever …Bitch.”

  Cat rolled her eyes, deciding it was way too late to let a kid like that upset her with a little name calling. She turned back, saw Zach grinning. “Come on cowboy, I’m taking you home.”

  “You taking me home with you?”

  “I’m taking you to your home, so you can sleep it off.” She cocked her head toward the door. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “If I go with you, will you give me a kiss?”

  “It depends on how much trouble you give me.”

  He swayed on his feet. “No trouble. I promise.”

  She took his arm and walked him out the door, struggling to keep him on a straight path to her Jeep.

  She cursed under her breath when the two of them nearly hit the ground. “Aren’t you a little old for this?”

  Once they’d righted themselves, no thanks to her drunken passenger, he gave her a goofy grin.

  “Guess not.” He stuck a long finger in her face, touched the tip of her nose. “S’been awhile, though.”

  “Uh, huh. I’ll bet.”

  “S’true. Only, I was smart ‘nuff then to get plastered at home.”

  She opened her passenger door and pushed him inside. “Way to use your noggin, Ferguson; nothing says genius like destroying brain cells in the privacy of your own home.”

  “Aren’t ya gonna ask me when that was?”

  “Wasn’t planning to.” She pulled the seatbelt strap around, struggling to get him buckled in.

  He wrapped both arms around her, pulled her flat against him. “When you got ‘ngaged, Cat. Up ‘til th-then, I always thought you’d come home to me.”

  “Zach …”

  He dipped his head, capturing her mouth with his. As drunken kisses go, it was okay. As what should have been a fabulous first kiss, it was sorely lacking. She wriggled away from him, reclined his seat before turning. “I gotta get you home.”

  He grabbed at her hand before she could get completely away. “Will you stay with me?”

  She pulled out of his grasp and slammed the door, waited until she’d walked around to the opposite side of her Jeep before addressing his pitiful look. “I’ll put you to bed, but then I’m going home.”

  He gave her one drunken grin before laying his head back against the seat. Thankfully, he passed out.

  Several minutes later, she pulled into his driveway. A huge golden retriever approached, barking up a storm. “Uh, Zach? Is your dog a biter?” Not a peep from her passenger. “Great.” She lowered her window. “Hey dog, I’m just here to drop off your drunken master. You gonna give me any trouble?”

  The dog jumped up, rested its two huge paws at the base of her open window. Its tail wagged furiously as he panted at her. She reached out to pet him. “You’re huge but you seem harmless enough. Down!” The dog obeyed and she opened her door to step out. She spent several seconds petting and talking to the animal then walked around her vehicle. She pulled open the door and reached around to unbuckle his seat belt. “Come on big boy, let’s get you to bed.”

  He lifted his head and tried to sit up. “S’nicest thing you ever said to me, Cat.”

  She couldn’t help but grin as she grabbed his arm to help him into a standing position. “Is your house locked?”

  “Uh huh.” He smiled crookedly at her. “Keys are in my front pocket. Go fo’ it, bee-you-tiful.” He thrust his hip forward in what he’d surely meant to be sexual—probably would have been had he not been so alcoholically challenged at the moment.

  “Sure.” She shoved him back against her Jeep and stuck her hand in his pocket to fish out the keys. “You won’t remember any of this after tonight, anyway.”

  He grabbed her hand through the denim of his jeans and applied pressure. “I will, if you gi’ me somethin’ to remember.”

  She pulled her hand from his pocket and jangled the keys in front of his face, then used her other hand to make a fist. “I’m about to give you something else to remember me by if you don’t stop that. Now, get the hell up. I’d like to get some sleep at some point tonight.”

  Cat assisted Zach up his steps, suspected his drunken stagger was slightly exa
ggerated so he could lean heavily on her. Nothing she couldn’t handle. She left him swaying, in order to unlock the door, turned in time to see him land hard against the porch rail. She grabbed his shirt, pulled him back before he flipped over the railing. Okay, maybe he wasn’t exaggerating.

  “Good grief, Ferguson. What the hell have you been drinking tonight?”

  He righted himself with her help. “A lot—I think.”

  She snorted. “I think you’re right.” She wrapped his arm over her shoulder, pushed through the door supporting his weight. “Where’s your room, Zach?”

  He lifted his arm to point to the west side of the house. “West side, so sunrise doesn’t wake us up.”

  “Us?” She struggled down the short hallway to the room at the end.

  “Yep. Built this house for you, Cat. You n’me.”

  “I didn’t ask you to, Ferguson. I never led you to think we were anything other than friends.”

  “Couldn’t help m’self. S’what I always wanted.”

  They made it to the bedroom door. With his resting place in sight, Zach leaned forward, forcing the two of them into a gravity induced run for the king size mattress. Despite a last second spin to try to avoid ending up in a heap, Cat landed on her back in the bed. Her breath left her in a loud whoosh as Zach landed on top of her.

  It took several seconds to catch her breath. Once recovered, she found Zach’s face mere inches from hers.

  “S’what I still want,” he slurred, the smell of his whiskey breath chipping away at twelve years between now and a long-buried memory.

  The first wave of panic set it as she pushed at his chest. “Let me up, Ferguson.”

  His mouth cracked wide in a drunken grin. “Do I have to? You promised me a kiss.”

  “Y-yes. You already got your kiss.” The entire situation would have been laughable if she could catch her breath. In an instant, a particular memory took hold of her, triggered something so disturbing—transformed an innocent occurrence into the ugliest night of her life. She tried to keep her panic from overwhelming her. She tried not to let the smells, the feelings, get to her—transport her back to the one night in her life she wished she could forget. The alcohol, the cigarette smoke, the drunken weight of him on top of her—suddenly she was back there, but it wasn’t Zach on top of her.