by Nancy Radke
“You’re willing to do that for her?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Zack knew why. It was the only way he could help the person he loved. “She’s having a rough go with her business. I can absorb the loss.”
“Is that the only reason?” John queried.
“Of course.” Zack wasn’t going to admit his feelings to John. His friend was always trying to set him up with one woman or another. If he knew Zack had fallen for Jennel, he’d approve her plans just to push them together.
The door opened, and a woman entered who exactly fit Jennel’s description of her. Pink lace and satin pillows.
“Zack. This is my wife, Elenora.”
“I’m so happy to meet you, Zack. John has told me so much about you. Isn’t this a delightful island?”
“Yes. It is.”
“And isn’t Jennel simply a delightful person?” she enthused, beaming at him.
“That, too,” he agreed. “Here are her plans for your home. Take a look at them while I let her know you’re here.”
Excusing himself, he walked quickly back to the house. Five men were clearing the area for the helicopter-- three piling branches and stacking the split wood while the other two cleared away the low brush. All worked with a skilled economy of movement.
He stopped on the porch and motioned Jeff over. “Someone’s going to fall through this. Maybe break a leg.”
“Right. I’ll put Hank on it. Anything else need fixed or protected?”
“No.” Just Jennel. His heart needed fixing, and she needed protecting. Unless he figured out some way to keep her close, he wasn’t going to be able to do much about either.
He entered the house and found her picking up the cans, just starting to clean up the raccoon mess. She was dressed in jeans, a light pink blouse and a rose-pink sweatshirt, all making her look like an efficient worker. To this, she had added a pair of stylish boots. She didn’t portray the image of a Boston socialite right now. Her hair was down, billowing around her shoulders.
He had to steel his heart against casting caution aside and begging her to marry him. Instead, he gestured at the can she was reaching for. “Leave that.”
“Bu...” She threw out her hand, questioningly, and Zack grabbed it, pulling her towards the door. John was his last hope to keep Jennel on this side of the continent.
“The Van Chattans are here.” Picking up her bag, he hurried her outside. “They came with Clyde. They’re looking at your designs.”
She stumbled, thrown off-stride. “They are?”
Zack slowed his pace. “Yes.” He could feel her hesitate. The moment of truth had arrived and the fear of failure was apparently shaking Jennel’s normal confidence.
“Right now?”
“I just handed them over and left. They speak for themselves.” He nudged her, eager to hear what the Van Chattans thought. “Go on! They sounded pleased enough when I walked away.”
John beamed approvingly at Jennel as Zack introduced her. “Young lady, you’ve performed a miracle,” he declared. “Elenora and I think these are great. It’s the first time we’ve ever agreed on an interior.”
Elenora’s face was lit in pure delight, her happiness overwhelming the contriteness of her words. “My dear, I’m so sorry. I realize I put you into a very bad situation here.”
“That’s okay.”
“We like all your designs, Miss Foster,” John Van Chattan added. “We’d like you to do the whole house, top to bottom.”
“But what about Zack’s plans?” Jennel protested. “He put in hours of wor...”
With a sideways glance at his wife, John waved off her worry. “I’ll pay for both sets of designs. And I’ll pay whatever else it takes to implement yours. I’ll put thirty thousand into your account. Let me know when you need more.”
Relieved at John’s handling of the situation, Zack turned to him and said with a broad smile, “I’m glad that’s taken care of. Can you spare a few hours, or do you need to leave right away?”
“We’ve got some time. We’re taking the last ferry to Vancouver.”
“Good. I need to guide in the helicopter. I’ll show you around briefly, then Clyde can take me to Roche Harbor while you look on your own.” Zack looked at Jennel, feeling her happiness. “Why don’t you finish your elevations...after you do your hair?”
“Okay.”
“You can leave with John and Elenora this afternoon.”
The smile fled from Jennel’s face. “What do you think?” she asked John. “Wouldn’t you prefer I stay here, at the site?”
John Van Chattan answered with a shake of his head. “No. That won’t work. Stay in Seattle. Include your rent in your fee.”
Chapter Thirteen
Alone on the boat, Jennel half-heartedly examined the stack of mail Clyde had brought over with him. Hers was all bills. At least she could start paying them. The total was not impossible. She’d be able to save her company. To stay independent. How empty that thought seemed now!
It was time to go back to Boston. Time to leave the West Coast before she fell more deeply in love with Zack. As if that were possible! They would make a grand team: he designing the houses and she fashioning the interiors.
Love didn’t happen just because you wished for it, and apparently Zack didn’t love her. Not when he sent her off the island as fast as he could.
Whatever happened, she would always remember this island and this man...and some day, somewhere, she might meet someone who would be able to capture her heart again. But for now, she would leave it behind with Zack.
He would never know.
Would she ever again meet a man as challenging as Zack? So wonderful? The pain of leaving was already unbearable. What would the days and nights be like once they parted? How could she stand them?
A brief tap on the door announced Clyde, who came briskly in, his square figure clad in the same wool navy checked coat and baseball cap.
“Hello, Clyde...er, Mr. Brekley.”
“Clyde’s fine, to my friends.”
Jennel folded the bill she was holding and shoved it back into its envelope. “Friend? Even after I asked you to sabotage your reputation for being dependable?”
Unconcerned, he shrugged his broad shoulders and commented, “It didn’t hurt with Zack. We’re good friends. And it was for a good cause.”
“I lied to you. There was no surprise.”
“I knew that.”
“You did?”
“Yes. But you can’t catch a fish using a straight hook.”
“I never....” Jennel paused, completely baffled. What on earth was he talking about? Head cocked to one side, she frowned quizzically at his weathered features. This had nothing to do with fishing.
“Looks to me like you did pretty well,” he praised her, rubbing his hands together in evident satisfaction, making Jennel even more perplexed.
“Well? I haven’t done anything right since you left me here.”
“Then what did I see when I arrived? I’d say you played him just right, girl. All you have to do is reel him in.”
“Clyde!” The full meaning of his fishing hints finally landed. “I’m not talking about Zack.”
“You aren’t?”
“No!”
“Why not?”
“I wasn’t trying to catch him. Was he the friendly little shark you talked about?”
“‘Course. What other game is there? When a single lady goes fishing, she’s not after fish. Wasn’t he friendly enough?” He looked bewildered, as if his plan had gone awry. “Zack’s been due to get caught for quite a spell now. We were just waiting for the right gal to come along.”
“And you thought I was it?”
“Made to order, aren’t you?”
“No.” Although she wished she was,and her spirits dropped accordingly. A sudden suspicious insight made her ask, “Is that why you left me on the island the first day, without warning me about the conditions here, becaus
e you knew Zack was coming? And you knew I’d probably end up staying on his boat?”
His grin would have put a jack-o’-lantern to shame. “Uh-huh. We pulled out just ahead of him. I could have sent you with him...except he wouldn’t have taken you. This way he had no choice.” He chuckled mischievously. He had been way ahead of her. “Of course I agreed to your staying here longer. Worked, didn’t it?”
Jennel took a deep breath, letting it out in a forlorn sigh. “No. Your plan didn’t work. My plan didn’t work. Zack trumped both of us.”
“Your plan...?”
“I was trying to save my business, not catch a man.” ...at first, she added to herself.
“Is that all?” He made her business sound of small importance as compared to catching Zack. He was right. Without Zack, Jennel felt little interest in her work.
“That’s enough.” Her voice dropped in resignation as she motioned to the stack of opened envelopes. “Bills! Companies I owe after remodeling a house and getting paid with a bad check.”
“What happened?”
Jennel explained, giving him the estimated total. “This job saved me. I’m sorry I asked you to stay away. It was foolish of me, and dangerous. If Zack had cut himself badly...”
“I’d have come. I only made excuses when he wanted you picked up.”
“But you didn’t come the night he needed stitches!”
“That time my radar really was down. I can repair my own engine, but not the radar.”
“Then what made you come today?”
“The Van Chattans flew in last night and were determined to see what was going on. We couldn’t wait much longer, Zack’s crew was chomping at the bit. What’s been happening”
She spent the next few minutes telling him, her voice reflecting the hopelessness she felt. Clyde merely sat and nodded, saying little. She finished her account by saying, “The raccoons destroyed everything. Didn’t you see the mess?”
“No. John stepped through the rotten boards on the porch, so we didn’t go inside.”
“Oh, no! Was he hurt?”
“No. Startled him, that’s all. He didn’t go into the house, after that.”
Zack entered the cabin just then, heard Clyde’s comments and added “It was my fault. I should have covered that spot sooner.”
At last, thought Jennel, something that Zack didn’t blame on me!
“Are you ready to leave?” he asked Clyde.
“Yes.”
Zack’s glance swept over her. “How do your shoulders feel? Are they limber enough you can braid your hair or will you need help?”
“I think I can manage.”
“Mrs. Van Chattan is resting in my boat, but she assured me you wouldn’t disturb her with your packing.”
Packing again! He couldn’t get rid of her fast enough. “I won’t have much to do. Most of my supplies were groceries and the raccoons effectively took care of them.”
She left without another word and watched as Clyde’s boat pulled off. Sighing for the unattainable, she joined Elenora Van Chattan.
The older woman’s perceptive brown eyes discovered Jennel’s secret immediately. “Clyde told us you and Zack collided right away. What happened? Did you fall in love with him?” She sounded happy, eager for her guess to be fact.
Jennel sighed ruefully as she picked up her hairbrush. “Is it so plain?”
“You’re like a bee in a jar.”
“That’s the way I feel.” She told Elenora about her brief stay, adding, “It was almost funny at times. Zack thought I’d jinxed him.”
“I’m sure he didn’t,” Elenora answered sweetly. “Not you, especially.”
Jennel knew better, but couldn’t think of any way to defend herself. It did little good to either protest or feign indifference since her mind was full of Zack.
Elenora fiddled with her wedding ring. “Zack would do for you nicely. Your jobs would hold you together instead of apart. A marriage must be tended like everything else in this world. Neglect it and lose it.”
Jennel grabbed a pin to finish fastening her hair. “You’re wrong, you know. Our jobs were the source of friction all the time.”
“Are you sure that caused the friction?” Elenora teased, with a gleam of mischief in her eyes.
Jennel finished with a vigorous jab as if to do away with her frustration over the whole affair. “Of course.” Then, being fair, she reluctantly tacked on, “He did consider my designs...but only because he didn’t know you.”
“Oh, sure!” Elenora giggled delightedly at the alleged reason. “Your talent had nothing to do with it.”
“Well, of course—!”
“Nor,” she persisted, relentlessly, “those expressive blue eyes of yours. They rather give you away, you know.”
“Not to Zack. At least, I hope not. He was always too angry to look at my eyes.”
“Nonsense! No man is too angry to fail to notice your eyes. They were the first thing about you I mentioned to John,” Elenora responded, pulling the blanket snugly around her body. “That and your beautiful black hair.”
Jennel sputtered angrily. “Zack can’t stand my hair.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He insists I keep it braided up, out of the way. It irritates him.”
Elenora gave her a look of sympathy. “Oh, my dear. Are you sure that’s why?”
“Yes,” Jennel muttered. What other reason could there be?
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease so. I forget how vulnerable a woman becomes when she falls in love. It really is taking unfair advantage. And after you’ve done such a beautiful job on my home.”
“I’m glad I could please you. But now I think I’ll take a walk along the beach, so that you can get some rest. I have a decision to make, and I need to think it over.” She pulled off her boots and reached for her damp tennies.
“Yes, I can see—you’ve been fidgeting more every minute. Does it have to do with Zack?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think you could give him more time? You’re going to be staying in Seattle.”
“I think I’ll go back to Boston. I can send my instructions out from there.”
“Oh, dear.” Elenora sighed deeply, as if in defeat. “John and I had such high hopes for you and Zack. I’m sorry we put you through such a time, but it seemed like such an ideal solution.”
“What do you mean?” Jennel asked, pausing, the shoelace ends in her hands. “Was this more than just Clyde’s doings?”
“In a way, yes. When I described you to John, he thought you sounded ideal for Zack. We hired you to get the interiors the way I wanted them, while at the same time letting the two of you meet.”
Jennel stared at her, open-mouthed, not knowing what to say. “You mean, you knew Zack planned to do the interiors? And hired me anyway? Both of you?”
“Yes.”
“It was all a plot?”
“Yes. Clyde added his own twist by leaving you on the island without Zack’s knowledge.”
“Why did you do this to me?”
“We didn’t want to cause you grief. We only wanted to make sure the two of you got to spend enough time together to get to know each other. Zack is always so busy, he never takes time for more than an occasional date.”
“But why me?”
“Your interiors are delightful. So are you. We figured any man with a lick of sense would fall for you.”
“It’s all been for nothing. Zack hasn’t fallen for me.” She finished knotting the laces and put on the other shoe. They felt as uncomfortable as her emotions.
“It’s a shame, but at least I got my interiors the way I want them. I didn’t want to discourage Zack. I thought I’d just repaint the rooms after he finished. It would have been a bother because John sees him every so often. This way, I won’t have to change anything, and John is happy. I only wish you were.”
“You can’t make someone love you.”
“True. I wish you would give h
im more time. Don’t go back to Boston just yet. Stay in Seattle.”
“That’s the decision I have to make.”
“Run along then. Maybe I’ll sleep. I’m still recovering from the flu. I hope for both your sakes you make the right choice. Zack is a man worth fighting for.”
Brutus was on the dock, tail wagging, and Jennel climbed down the ladder to the beach and threw a piece of driftwood for him. Then, with the sea gulls wheeling and mewing above and the little rock crabs scurrying sideways to shelter, she walked along the water’s edge, saying a last goodbye to the island.
And a heart-aching goodbye to Zack. She didn’t see how she could stay around Seattle. If her feelings were as apparent as Elenora claimed, people would realize she was in love with Zack and feel sorry for her. When the word reached him, it would embarrass him.
She hadn’t planned to fall for Zack— she had not been “fishing” as Clyde so aptly put it. Zack wasn’t fishing either. He only wanted her to leave. In fact, he couldn’t get rid of her quick enough, throwing her back as soon as she was hooked.
She couldn’t blame him. She’d made a botch of things. He probably wanted her away before she burned the house down trying to start a fire in a clogged-up chimney.
But somewhere in her tempestuous stay, she’d fallen for his dry humor, his deep compelling voice, the way he looked up when she exasperated him, the unexpected flash of his smile...even his dog.
Zack had a magnetic personality that flared and sparked and glowed. He was everything she disliked in a man: confident to the point of arrogance, a dominant, brusque, disapproving male...and yet, he was also everything she loved to see in a man: perceptive, unpretentious, generous and decisive. Could he be the latter without the former? Could he be decisive without also being dominant, perceptive without sometimes being disapproving? Didn’t the two go together? Weren’t some of those qualities two sides to the same trait?
What kind of man was she looking for if not one like Zack? She wanted a man, not a wimp, and if she wanted the tougher traits of a man she could look up to, then she must not expect him to refine himself down for her. She couldn’t have a soft and gentle “yes” man if she wanted one she could depend upon.