by Noelle Adams
Whatever she chose to do, sleep was imperative at this point.
Imperative yet elusive. When she wasn’t staring at the ceiling, she dreamed about him, and Sunday loomed like a threatening storm cloud.
But it didn’t rain. Zach didn’t call. He didn’t show up. Conversely, instead of providing relief, she found his silence hurt twice as bad as finding out he’d ordered a background check. Because his giving up without a fight only confirmed she didn’t mean enough for him to care that he’d broken her heart.
Sadie kept busy by cleaning the apartment from top to bottom, and Gemma pitched in without being asked. Besides that anomaly, her sister was uncharacteristically quiet. A hundred times she wanted to ask Gemma what Zach had said yesterday. Had he promised to be back? Had he made any attempt to explain? Apologize?
A hundred times she bit her tongue.
When the apartment was clean, she tortured herself by editing her feature on Zach, and somehow, come Monday morning, she was prepared for her meeting with Chuck Ericson.
After waiting nervously while the short, solidly-built, balding editor skimmed her article, she was not prepared for the first thing he said when he lifted his gaze.
“How would you like to write for OLEP fulltime? We can offer a generous salary plus benefits.”
“Are you serious?”
Chuck smiled at her surprise. “Yes, I’m serious. You’ve got a great voice that fits our publication, Sadie. I see it in this,” he pointed to his computer screen, “and I’ve checked out some of your work at Life’s a Beach. Now, just to let you know, I won’t be able to start you on features immediately, but you keep handing in work like this and you’ll be there within a year.”
Recovering her composure, she asked, “If I accept the job”—as if there were any if to it—“what about this piece?”
“We’ll pay you freelance for this one up front. After that, you’ll be given assignments from your supervising editor, and you’re still free to submit anything you write on spec.”
He named a figure for the freelance piece that threatened to drop her jaw open. And when the salary was double what she’d been making at Life’s a Beach, she barely restrained herself from rushing around his desk to hug him.
“So, what do you say?” Chuck asked, eyebrows soaring toward his non-existent hairline.
Sadie grinned. “I accept.”
“Great.” He stood and motioned her ahead of him to the door. “My assistant, Jeanine, will show you down to HR to get the paperwork started. I’m sure you’ll want to give Life’s a Beach two weeks notice, but if they don’t hold you to that, we’ll take you right away.”
She glanced over her shoulder as they exited the office. “I’m no longer with the paper. Didn’t Kris tell you?”
“No, but in that case, how do you feel about starting today?”
It would be very nice to have something to think about other than Zach…but she was supposed to pick up her sister from an audition at eleven.
Chuck noticed her hesitation. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Tomorrow or the next day is fine, too.”
“No, it’s okay. Today’s perfect.”
She’d text Gemma about taking the bus home. After she learned about her new job, Sadie had no doubt she’d understand. And if she didn’t, well, sometimes things didn’t turn out the way a person expected—she’d just have to deal with it.
The bitterness in her last thought made Sadie pause. Damn it. She should be thrilled after landing a job she’d only ever dreamed about. And part of her was.
But the other part of her heart still ached over Zach.
Twenty-Seven
“Sadie’s ruined everything.”
“What?” Zach jerked around from where he’d been finalizing last-minute details with Russ and Matt. The image of Gemma in the gray nurse’s cap and dress, a big red cross on the white apron, reminded him yet again of the day he’d met Sadie. The day that had resulted in so much more than a kiss.
“What happened?” he asked. “Did she find out?”
“No, she got a job.”
It dawned on him the blond in front of him looked no happier than Sadie had the day of the commercial.
“I don’t understand the problem, that’s great news.” Especially given her obstinate independent streak.
“Except she’s starting today and not coming to pick me up like we’d planned,” Gemma pointed out, killing his enthusiasm. “She texted and told me to take the bus home. Now what?”
Fists planted on his hips, he surveyed the recreation of the MovieMail commercial set he’d spent most of yesterday constructing. A handful of actors in costume were hanging out, camera crews standing by. All they needed now was the leading lady for RC.
His leading lady.
“We’ll just postpone it,” Russ suggested. “Text her back and ask her to pick you up here after she’s done and we can all meet back here later.”
“That could work,” Zach agreed with reluctance, though waiting all day held no appeal. He’d done enough of that on Saturday. Damn, why’d she have to be so darn stubborn? If she’d just confronted him about the damn paper when she’d found it.
Guilt slapped him upside the head. He should’ve ignored his brother. Or, more accurately, he never should’ve asked Gabe to run the background check in the first place. The blame wasn’t Sadie’s; all fault rested squarely on his shoulders.
Gemma didn’t look convinced by Russ’s solution. “I told her I was at an audition. She knows they don’t last that long.”
“Tell her you got the part,” Matt reasoned.
“That might work…” Gemma hedged.
Zach took one last look at his carefully orchestrated set up and made a decision. “Where’d she get the job?”
“That magazine, Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary People.”
Kris’s sister’s husband’s mother’s cousin’s brother-in-law worked there. Or something like that. Perfect.
“Alright. If I can’t get her here, I’m heading over there. Matt, have Kris send me the address on my phone.”
Confused sputters erupted as he grabbed one of the dozens of red rose bouquets he’d added to the set and headed for the exit of the rented studio.
“Are you coming back?”
“What am I going to tell everyone?”
“You can’t go there—it’s her first day!”
He spun around to face his three interrogators, hands spread out in apology as he backed toward the door. “Sorry, but I’m not waiting. As for this—everyone can go home and they still get paid. Free roses and happy holiday. Wish me luck!”
“No fair,” Russ called as the door was closing. “I saw the beginning, I wanted to see the end, too!”
The end? God, he hoped not.
Fifteen minutes was all it took to reach OLEP’s offices, yet so much was riding on the next fifteen, he kinda wished they’d have lasted longer. Grabbing the flowers from the passenger seat, he strode inside with grim determination. He’d barely greeted the receptionist when someone spoke from his left.
“Zach Robinson.”
“That’s me.” He turned to face a short, balding guy who appeared to be in his mid-forties.
“I feel like I already know you after reading Sadie’s expose,” the man said. “I’m Chuck Ericson, executive editor.”
“Um, nice to meet you.”
Confusion must’ve showed on his face because Chuck quickly explained, “Kris called to let me know you were on the way.”
He should’ve known. “Then you already know why I’m here.”
“To see Sadie.” His gaze flicked to the flowers at Zach’s side. “She’s settling into her desk if you’d like to follow me.”
Zach’s step faltered the moment they entered the large, cubicle-filled office floor. Low divider walls kept the space open, allowing everyone to talk to each other and see everything going on in the entire room. Damn, he should’ve thought this through a bit more. Her first day on the
job and he was going to cause a scene in front of her new boss and co-workers. Even with the roses, not the smartest move in the book.
He spotted Sadie’s unmistakable blond curls one row in and leaned toward the editor, swinging the flowers behind him to avoid damaging them.
“Any chance you have some place a little more private where I can talk to her?”
Sadie rose from her chair, gathered a folder close to her chest, and turned. She pulled up short at the sight of them, her blue eyes wide. After a quick glance at his companion, her gaze returned to Zach, narrowed and full of fire.
Crap. She was still pissed.
“…to use the conference room,” Chuck offered as they came to a stop at her desk.
Zach didn’t even get a hello out before she slapped the folder on the desk and faced him head on.
“What are you doing here?”
“I—”
“No, wait, let me guess. You’re worried about what I added to the article, aren’t you?”
Of all the scenarios he’d rehearsed on the way over, he hadn’t thought of that one.
“Well, don’t,” she assured him. “Rotten as it was, I didn’t say a word about what you did, nor did I plan to.”
A glance past her shoulder confirmed they’d caught the attention of pretty much everyone. Even her editor lingered nearby to catch the action.
“Can we maybe talk about this somewhere else?”
His low-pitched request sent her gaze around the room. Color tinged her cheeks when she turned back to him, but it didn’t keep her from settling against the edge of her desk, arms crossed over the pale blue silk blouse she’d tucked into a slim gray skirt.
“I’m good here. Say what you came to say.”
Stubborn as hell. Zach squared his shoulders, his gaze challenging hers. “Fine have it your way. I don’t care who hears what I have to say, just so long as you do. These are for you.”
He brought the roses from behind his back and thrust them toward her. She leaned back as if they’d bite.
When he held them steady, she hesitantly took the bouquet, her gaze lifting to his. “So…you’re not here about the article?”
“I don’t give a damn what you write about me, Sadie. I never have.” He shook his head in exasperation. “Don’t you know? I only ever wanted an excuse to see you again.”
The emotion that flashed in her eyes gave him strength to continue. “I’m sorry about the background check. I’m especially sorry you found it after—well, the way you did.”
Her face turned as red as the flowers in her hands.
“I realized a couple things when I woke up and saw the report lying there. Besides the fact that I should’ve never asked for it in the first place, once I had the damn thing I should’ve just told you.”
“Or tossed it.”
“No. I should’ve told you,” he repeated. “The thing is, I called my friend at the NYPD before I truly got to know you. I sold myself on the idea that I wanted to prove to my brother he was wrong about you. It wasn’t until the night of my dad’s party, when Gabe gave me the envelope, that I realized back when I’d requested it, there was a small part of me that wondered.”
Disappointment dimmed the light that’d been growing in her eyes. “You said you trusted me. That I had nothing to prove to you.”
“I did trust you. And I still do.” He took a deep breath for the next words and stepped closer so he could lower his voice for her ears only. “Matt said it best; I fell for you hard. And as fast as it happened, when he continued to raise concerns, I wasn’t so sure I was being objective. He’d been through identical situations twice, and I was following his exact pattern, so…”
“You didn’t trust yourself,” she surmised, her voice almost a whisper.
“When I first made the call, no, I didn’t. But like I said, the truth hit home at Dad’s party. Once the envelope was in my hand, I knew whatever was inside didn’t matter. I didn’t want to know—didn’t need to know.”
“It was opened,” she reminded.
“Matt was gonna read it. He reasoned it would be best to erase any doubts, but in that moment I knew I didn’t have any. I still haven’t read it.”
“You haven’t?”
He shook his head. “No. But then…you left without giving me a chance to explain. You shut me down and refused to answer my calls. Which has risen a doubt…do you trust me?”
Her gaze dropped from his to the roses. “Not trusting your own self is something I get,” she admitted, lifting a hand to finger a crimson petal. “Meeting you scared the heck out of me, Zach. First it was the crazy chemistry during the commercial, and then I found out what a great guy you are. But considering my family, and my financial situation when we met, not only was I worried about others judging me like my mother, but I was afraid to trust what I felt for you.”
“Why?”
“Because they didn’t believe Gemma and I could make it out here. Doug and my mom. They swore the day would come when we’d call, begging for help. And before today, we were close. Too damn close.”
“I wouldn’t have minded helping, Sadie. No strings attached.”
“I know—which only made it worse. Because if I failed at taking care of myself and Gemma, falling back on you would be easier than calling home.”
“You do realize Gemma’s twenty-one and more than capable of helping out?”
“Yes. And she does. But it didn’t stop me from questioning if your ability to offer complete financial security skewed my true feelings.”
He reached to take her hand before she destroyed the rose. When those blue eyes met his once more, he swallowed hard and asked, “So what’s the final verdict?”
She smiled for the first time. “I sold the article and I got a job. I don’t need or want your money.”
“Good. Because I’ve decided I’m not giving you any.”
That got him a laugh that warmed him all the way through.
“I did mean it when I said I don’t care what anyone else thinks—only you. In fact, the impact of finding that police report proves to me my feelings have nothing whatsoever to do with your money. If that were the case, I’d have been angry instead of heartbroken.”
Her statement made his chest constrict.“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Right now, I’m not. I realize it’s just what I needed.” Intertwining her fingers with his, she tightened her hold and pulled herself to her feet. Then she lifted her arms to drape them around his neck, flowers and all. “But, there is one thing I do want from you.”
“Name it.”
“Your heart.”
“It’s already yours, Goldie.”
He leaned in, but she pulled back with a slight frown. “That’s going to have to stop, you know. I really don’t like being called Gol—”
His lips smothered the rest of her protest. He linked his hands at the small of her back, and when she leaned her body into his, warmth became full-body heat. She didn’t hesitate to return his kiss and after a moment he was lucky to remember they had an audience of strangers who’d stopped working to watch the drama unfold. Then again, their applause was hard to ignore.
Reluctantly, he ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.
Her eyes smiled into his and she said the one thing that made everything perfect. “I love you, Zach.”
“And I love you…Sadie.”
“Ooh, you’re lucky.”
“I won’t argue that.”
And he kissed her again, audience be damned. Until an obnoxious wolf whistle split the air. He lifted his head and they turned to see his brother, Gemma, Kris and Russ standing at the forefront of the onlookers.
“Perfect RC ending,” Russ declared.
Zach shook his head with a grin. “Not by a long shot, my friend. This kiss is just the beginning.”
About the Author
I fell in love with books at a young age, so for me it seemed only natural to graduate to writing them…when I’m not
at my desk for the day job as a corporate travel agent. I credit my parents for encouraging my dreams of becoming a published author, as well as the very talented friends I’ve made in Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA) since joining in 2004.
An avid reader and fan of movies with happy endings, I live in Wisconsin with my husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. In my limited free time I enjoy gardening and canning, and visiting my parents up north at the cabin on the lake with the whole family.
Follow me online
Website and Blog: http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel
Twitter: http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel
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Other Titles by Stacey Joy Netzel
ITALY INTRIGUE SERIES
Lost In Italy, 2012 Write Touch Readers’ Award Winner
Run to Rome
COLORADO TRUST SERIES
Trust in the Lawe
Shattered Trust
Shadowed Trust
WELCOME TO REDEMPTION
A Fair to Remember, Book 2
Grounds For Change, Book 4
The Heart of the Matter, Book 6
Hold On To Me, Book 8
(books 1,3,5,7 written by Donna Marie Rogers)
ROMANCING WISCONSIN SERIES
Mistletoe Mischief*
Mistletoe Magic*
Mistletoe Match-up*
(*2010 Write Touch Readers’ Award Winner)
STAND ALONE ROMANCE TITLES
More Than a Kiss, contemporary romance
Chasin’ Mason, contemporary western romance
Ditched Again, high school reunion novella