It was pretty quiet inside the inn today, Zach thought, after stepping into the dining room and grabbing an empty plate from the buffet. About a third of the tables were full. Zach settled into a seat near a window and began to eat. After helping himself to a second plate, and finishing it off with dessert, Zach scooped up his check and went to pay the cashier.
When Zach was finished, he headed through the lobby, and down the hallway encased in glass. Apparently, everything for sale in the gift shop was designed by local artisans. He’d had this destination fixed in the back of his mind, he supposed, since he’d awoken this morning from a night with little sleep. Once again, Beth had invaded his dreams.
He saw what he wanted right away, when he looked through the glass at the jewelry on display.
When he pointed it out, the woman behind the register grinned, and asked, “Would you like it wrapped?”
“Yes, please,” Zach answered gruffly.
“How about a card?” she asked, once it was wrapped in shiny silver paper.
He hesitated. What would he even say? Zach cleared his throat. “Nah—it’ll be fine like that.”
When Zach left the gift shop with the box in his hand, he was wearing a rueful smile on his face. He’d made a few decisions, over the last few days, when he hadn’t been able to quit thinking about Beth. He wasn’t going to put off his reconstructive surgery any longer. If the scarring had covered his back, or run over his shoulders, like Luke’s, he probably would’ve been able to cope a little bit better with the sight of his naked body in a mirror. He’d had one operation so far—along his lower belly—and it looked to have worked pretty well. The trick was to remove patches of healthy skin from other parts of his body, and then insert it around the edges of his scars to regenerate tissue growth.
But, unfortunately, the most severe scarring was on his upper chest—Zach thought he looked hideous. Since that area was central to his burns, as well as the most sensitive, the final operations would be a little trickier—he’d also be looking at some reconstructive surgery, much like what was done after a woman’s mastectomy, he’d been told.
Meanwhile, he didn’t know what he was going to do about Beth. All he did know was that he couldn’t stand the idea of her seeing him like this!
* * * * *
Beth and Kyle had a lovely Christmas. Cal and Jenny’s two oldest daughters were at the Callahan house with their spouses and families when Beth and Kyle arrived to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. Beth’s other three cousins had apparently joined the entire family on Christmas Day. Although she and Kyle had been invited, Beth had chosen to spend the day at home with Kyle. She’d be going to work all too soon, and Kyle would be off to school—even during the summer, she’d been warned—so she wanted to spend as much quality time with him as possible.
She’d called and talked to her entire family in Arizona. Next year, they’d all be coming here to celebrate Christmas with her and Kyle.
There had been several more inches of snow during the next week, and Cal had arranged for a friend to regularly plow out her driveway—but the snow kept falling down. Beth had gone outside to shovel a little bit wider path around the back door, when she’d discovered a bag, containing a gift, hanging from the doorknob.
Even now, Beth fingered the lovely pendant hanging from her neck. It was a simple design—two dragonflies were encircled by a silver filigree heart. But it was the most exquisite piece of jewelry that she’d ever seen.
There hadn’t been a card with the gift, and she was becoming more and more confused. Although his intentions remained unspoken, Beth knew that it’d had to have come from Zach.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was February now, and Kyle was going to school, where he was thriving. Beth had been told by Kyle’s teacher that he wouldn’t begin in the vocational program with Zach until late spring. There was only one other student that Debbie Abrams was working with, so she could give Kyle and his classmate her undivided attention. They’d begin slowly initiating Kyle into the work program for a few hours every afternoon, during his school day. Increasing his time on the job would be dependent on how well he trained, as well as his behavior.
It took every effort in Beth’s power to keep Kyle awake during the evening until ten though, so he wouldn’t wake up too early in the morning. He was increasingly excited for each new day to begin.
After working and keeping accounts for a huge company, Beth found her job at Callahan Construction to be much less stressful. Kelly Callahan had overhauled the entire company accounting system over the past five years—and Beth’s method of accounting was wholly compatible with Kelly’s. This left Beth the time to get to know her fellow employees and their families, and make a bunch of new friends.
The construction work in her house was nearly done. Even though much of the house would still need some finishing touches, the kitchen had finally been completed, so she and Kyle had been able to move in.
After receiving the dragonfly pendant, Beth had been secretly hoping the situation between her and Zach might change after the holidays.
But, no—she hadn’t talked to him since Christmas Eve. Beth was relieved to discover he was still planning on moving in next door, though—on the first of March—since the house in Bloomington still hadn’t been sold.
And then she got the shock of her life, on Valentine’s Day, when she had an unexpected visitor at work.
“Jim?” Her mouth gaped open when he strolled into the office. He looked thinner—and he also seemed a lot more tired than he had the last time she’d seen him.
“Hi, Liz.” He walked up to her, apparently expecting her to stand up and welcome him with open arms.
Amazing—considering she hadn’t even heard a word from him since she’d moved here. Why hadn’t he called? It’s not like he didn’t have the number for her cell.
When she remained seated at her desk, he began to look uncertain. “I thought I’d take you up on that offer, to move in with you.”
Beth’s mouth gaped open even more. And then she quickly pulled her thoughts together and spoke. “I’m sorry, Jim. That plan’s just not gonna work for me anymore.”
When Jim dropped down into a chair beside her desk, he was looking wearily defeated. “But...why not, Liz?”
It was time to be firm and tell him the truth. “Because we don’t have the same priorities—and you wouldn’t know how to be a good father for Kyle.” She hesitated. “Besides, I’m not in love with you. I didn’t have the heart to tell you before I left Bloomington.”
Jim grimaced. “Ouch,” he said, suddenly bending over, and dropping his head into his hands.
“Okay, Jim—what’s this really about?”
And then he told her.
* * * * *
Zach checked his watch, as he stepped out from his truck, and began approaching the house overlooking the lake. Cal would be meeting him here momentarily to give him a tour of the house, while Beth was at work.
What a view, Zach thought as he stepped onto the deck surrounding the family room. Stone Lake was miles wide, and connected to a chain of lakes that extended nearly one-hundred miles north.
“Who in the heck are you?”
Zach started, turning to stare at a stranger, who was standing in the doorway leading out from the family room.
Zach frowned. “I’d like to ask you the same question?”
All of a sudden, Cal appeared from around the corner of the house. “Jim, I presume?” Cal asked, as he made his up the staircase, and onto the deck. “Beth told me you were staying here. This is Zach. He’s going to be renting the house.”
Looking uncertain, the man held out his hand to shake Cal’s. “Oh. Beth didn’t mention anything about it to me this morning.” Jim turned, and appeared to be sizing Zach up.
“Here for a visit?” Zach asked, politely.
“Yeah,” Jim growled. And then, strangely, he smirked at Zach. “I missed Beth. We’ve been dating for over five years, and my life hasn�
��t been the same since she left.”
Dating? Zach took a closer look at Jim. The guy was older than Beth, with a receding hairline and a slightly thickening waistline. But Zach supposed he wasn’t a half-bad looking guy, for someone who had to be close to fifty.
Did that mean Jim was living here with Beth?
For a minute, Zach felt like punching Jim out. Instead he just glared at him, before following Cal through the doorway into the family room.
Zach paid little attention to Cal as he led him through the house. They made their way through a huge kitchen, attached to the family room, and down a staircase into the basement. A laundry room was located underneath the staircase. Inset into a cliff, the basement had a unique layout, with a bar and a huge picture window overlooking the lake.
But there was only one thing Zach was interested in, when they were traveling up the staircase toward the bedrooms. How many of those three bedrooms were in use?
Zach recognized Kyle’s room right away—it was loaded with stuffed animals and toys. Peeking into another bedroom, situated beside Kyle’s, Zach noticed it was devoid of furnishings.
Last on their tour was the brightly lit master bedroom and bath further down the hallway. And Zach couldn’t believe how upset he was, when he saw the open suitcase laid out on a chair.
Because it definitely belonged to Jim.
* * * * *
It was the third week of February, and Zach had been recuperating nicely from the surgery he’d had nearly two weeks ago, until he’d gone over to see the house he was supposed to rent from Beth.
Kelly had sent over something to eat, and, as Zach laid resting on the bed in the guesthouse, Luke was staring down at him with concern. “Feeling better today?”
“Yeah,” Zach answered. “Those damned pain killers really knocked me out.”
“You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with what you saw the other day?”
“So, what? She has a boyfriend, and he’s staying at her place,” Zach muttered. He was trying really hard not to let the situation bother him.
Yeah, right, Zach thought, giving Luke a humorless smile—that’s why he’d been hiding away from Luke and Kelly, since he’d discovered Jim living with Beth.
Luke grinned. “Hey, man—you’re sneering.”
Zach growled.
“Well—I just thought I’d let you know, you were misinformed. Jim’s not actually staying with Beth.”
Zach sat upright in the bed. “What do you mean? I saw Kyle’s stuff in one of the bedrooms. And Beth’s clothes were definitely hanging in the closet of the master bedroom.”
Luke shrugged. “Beth and Kyle had already moved into the main house a few days earlier, I guess. She just hadn’t finished moving everything over there yet. Apparently, Jim’s returning to Illinois within a week or two. I guess that Beth broke it off with the guy before she left Illinois.”
Zach slipped off from the bed, immediately beginning to feel more energetic. Besides, Kelly was an excellent cook. “So—what was it you said, Kelly sent over for me to eat?”
Luke began to laugh.
* * * * *
A few hours later, as soon as she returned home and stepped into his office through the doorway, Kelly asked Luke, “Is Zach better?” Luke and Kelly were working together with Jake Loughlin to reopen the Crystal Rock Airport, so Kelly had her own office headquarters inside of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, so she could serve as a liaison, while Luke worked from home.
“Yeah, he perked up right away when I told him Beth’s boyfriend, Jim, was returning to Illinois. Zach’s surgery went well, I think, and he was already up, moving around and on his feet, before he decided he wanted to go over there, to Stone Lake, to take a tour of the house before moving in.”
He sighed. “I was hoping when he discovered Beth had a boyfriend that day, Zach would go back over there later and confront Beth.” Luke rolled his eyes upward. “I didn’t expect him to hide away in the bedroom all week. God, I hate seeing him like this. The guy’s lost all of his confidence.” Luke hesitated. “I tell you, Kel—if you could’ve seen what Zach was like in Iraq—everyone under his command would’ve done anything for the guy!”
“Well—I didn’t exactly have it easy with you, you know.” Kelly frowned. “The scars must look pretty bad?”
Luke started, staring hard at Kelly. “You know what, Kel?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve still never actually seen them.”
Kelly stilled. “Oh, Luke,” she finally moaned. “They must look pretty awful?”
“Probably, babe,” he answered, with a grimace.
“We’re just gonna have to keep on trying.” she said, firmly, settling down into his lap. Luke had rolled his wheelchair behind his desk, and she wrapped an arm over his shoulder and around his neck.
“It’ll be your turn to think of something next.” But Luke was distracted, gazing into Kelly’s eyes.
“Alright,” she answered, looking thoughtful as she stared outside through the window. “There’s got to be a way to get them to spend more time together. It should help that he’s finally moving into the house next door to hers.”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “But Zach says that she’s promised him his privacy, since he’ll be spending a lot of time with Kyle in the work program.”
“Hmm.” Kelly snuggled deeper into his lap and laid her lips over his. Finally breaking away from the kiss, she muttered. “I’ve got an idea. We’ll have to wait until the weather gets a little warmer first.”
But Luke was too busy pulling her closer, and kissing her again, to ask what she had in mind.
CHAPTER NINE
February turned into March, and soon Zach was moving in next door. But two weeks later, Beth had yet to talk to Zach.
It was a hazy Friday night, and a winter storm watch was in the forecast for the weekend, when Beth saw Zach pull into the garage next door in his truck. She’d bundled up Kyle tightly into his winter coat, and they were walking along the shoreline as large wet flakes of snow began dropping like crazy from the sky. Kyle was giggling madly, of course, and stopping and spinning around on the heels of his boots with his arms stretched upward.
Beth heard a shark yip, and there was Emily scampering along the icy shoreline, jogging as fast as she could, on her short little legs, to catch up with Kyle. Beth grinned—Emily was wearing the festive doggie sweater she and Kyle had gifted to Zach at Christmas.
Beth turned and studied the pathway, searching to see if Zach was following on Emily’s heels. And trying hard not to feel disappointed when she didn’t see him, Beth sighed, as she and Kyle continued their walk. The temperature was dropping quickly, and a sharp breeze was blowing in. They would have to get back to the house soon anyway.
The vegetation along the edge of the shoreline was definitely in need of a heavy trim. She and Kyle moved further along, and when Beth saw a heavy birch branch laying on the ground and blocking their way, she decided it was time to turn back.
The wind was gusting fiercely, and the temperature was dropping quickly, as they struggled to reach the staircase that led up toward the house. A cacophony of sounds echoed through the woods and across the frozen lake. Branches from trees were becoming heavy and, as they became laden with ice, they were literally snapping from the trees and dropping to the ground.
It was when Beth began following Kyle up the steep staircase, when trouble struck. She heard a sharp crack, and before she could escape completely from its path, a huge pine came barreling down, smashing into the staircase, and pinning her leg underneath the ripped up steps.
Oh, no. What was she going to do? Luckily, she’d escaped any real damage—she could wriggle her leg and her foot and her toes just fine.
Emily stuck her snout into the air, and began to howl, as Kyle stared at her uncertainly from the top of the staircase.
Zach. Hopefully, he’d be able to pull her out? Kyle knew Zach was living in the house next door—he’d been trying to sneak over there the last few weeks
. Of course, maybe Kyle was slightly confused after moving to another new house. But would he be able to fetch Zach? Well, she really didn’t have any other choice, she thought.
But before she could figure out how to best direct Kyle, Zach suddenly appeared at the top of the staircase.
Beth sighed with relief.
“Beth,” Zach roared. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She grimaced. “But I seem to be stuck.”
Zach turned to Kyle, and laying his hands over his shoulders, moved him away from the staircase. Emily was following closely behind Kyle. “You stay right here Kyle, with Emily.”
Beth watched as Zach made his way gingerly down the staircase, obviously making sure each step was secure before putting his full weight down.
He studied the thick broken railing she was leaning against. “Can you stay balanced without the railing?”
Beth rotated her shoulders.
Zach reached around her and took a hold of the railing. Twisting and yanking, he pulled apart the long board from the base of the staircase.
“Okay. I think I can use this railing to prop up the trunk just long enough for you to slip your foot out from underneath.” He frowned. “Otherwise I might have to attach a chain to my truck, and hook it around the tree trunk. Hopefully not, because the ground is a sheet of ice, and I’m not sure how much traction I’ll have, even if I manage to get the truck close enough to the edge of the cliff.”
Beth watched as Zach took the thick eight-foot board, and inserted it under the trunk of the pine near the edge of the staircase. Walking down the stairs and positioning himself behind Beth, he steadied her with a hand underneath each arm. When he stepped on the end of the board, putting his full weight down, he continued to hold onto Beth as she wriggled her foot free from beneath the pine’s trunk.
Two Hearts Unspoken (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 2) Page 6