by L. P. Dover
I hated it when conversations began with a question like that. It almost sounded like he was letting me go. “You’re not about to fire me, are you?” I asked.
Galen chuckled. “Of course not. The East Coast branch of our company has thrived having you on board. We’ve reached new heights with you. To be honest, I’ve been worried about you leaving us to start your own business.” The thought had crossed my mind, but I loved working for M&M Architectural Design. Galen studied me and sighed. “You have thought about it, haven’t you?”
I shrugged. “It’s not like that, Galen. I have everything I could ever want with your company. I’m happy.”
“But,” Galen cut in, “you could be happier?”
I held up my hands. “I didn’t say that.”
He shook his head. “No, but I did. That’s why I want to promote you. That is, if you’re interested in my offer.”
Eyes wide, I stared at him curiously. “What kind of offer?”
His grin widened. “I want to make you a partner, just like Brett Walker. He handles the West Coast accounts, and with M&M expanding, I’d love to have you start up a Mid-West branch. With Wyoming being your home, and having a new ranch to go along with it, you can handle it all from your house for the time being.”
I didn’t know what to say. I always knew that to follow my dreams I would have to leave my small town to get it. I never expected to be able to have both. I loved living in Charlotte and working at the main headquarters, but being able to come back to Wyoming and expanding the company could open so many new doors.
Lifting his brows, Galen smiled. “Well? What do you think? You can have some time to think about it if you want.”
It was a dream come true. I would be my own boss and have my own team of people to work for me. Shaking my head, I held out my hand. “I don’t need anytime to think about it. I’ll take it.”
Galen shook my hand and laughed. “I knew you would. The East Coast will miss you. I can tell that this place is your home though. I haven’t been here long, but I can see that you belong here.”
I didn’t even know what to say. There was so much I had to do and I couldn’t wait to get started. “Thank you, Galen. This is definitely going to change things. I’m sure my family will be excited to have me back.”
“Go ahead and call them,” he said, waving for me to go. “I’ll order up some more drinks and we can celebrate.”
Grabbing my phone, I stepped away from the table and called my parents. I couldn’t wait to tell Drew, but I’d have to save that for later. I would never be able to get off the phone with him.
“Hey, honey,” my mom answered.
“You know how you’re always hounding me to get a job closer to home?” I said.
She gasped. “Yeah?”
“Well, you got it. Galen just made me head of the new Mid-West branch. I’m going to be a partner.”
She screamed so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Zachary, that’s amazing. I can’t believe you’ll be coming home. We have to celebrate. Don’t make any plans for tomorrow night.”
I laughed. “Okay, I won’t. I have to get back to my boss, but I’ll tell you more later.”
We said our good-byes, and I smiled. Things were about to change and I had a feeling it was going to be in more ways than one. I just didn’t know what exactly that was.
15
Clara
I had to admit, it was pretty amazing meeting Zac’s boss. Galen Matthews was an extremely successful man and he’d done it all by himself. I admired that quality in people. Even if Zac and I didn’t like each other, I was proud of everything he’d accomplished.
I could hear a set of footsteps shuffling across the hardwood floor in the living room, and I already knew it was my dad in his slippers. My mother was in the shower upstairs because I could hear her singing.
“Want some breakfast?” I called out to him. I’d been up since seven, wondering if I was going to go over to Zac’s house or not. It was Friday, the last day of my auction sentence. Even though he told me I didn’t have to be there, I was still torn. Should I go or should I not?
My dad slowly walked into the kitchen, wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants, and sat down at the table. The chemo he was on was said to have minimal loss of his hair, but I could already see it thinning in places. He looked longingly at my eggs and bacon. “I’d give anything to be able to taste that right now.”
I pushed my plate over to him. “Do you want it? I can make some more?”
He chuckled. “I’m not hungry, sweetheart. Last night I ate like a horse, but this morning, I’m nauseous.”
Each day was different with him. I just hoped and prayed it got better for him. With him having stage four cancer and it being in other organs as well, I couldn’t see him ever being able to get off chemo. My only wish was that he’d be able to enjoy life. It hurt my heart to think that this was it. He cleared his throat and stared at me with a nervous expression on his face, almost as if he didn’t want to tell me something.
“Dad? Is everything okay?”
“Well,” he said, sounding sheepish, “are you planning on going to Zac’s house today?”
I ate the last bite of my scrambled eggs. “Not planning on it. Why?” I stared at him for a few seconds and lifted my brows when he didn’t answer. “Are you going to tell me?”
He sighed. “I got a call last night and I was hoping I’d feel well enough to do it today, but I just don’t.”
“I’ll do whatever it is,” I said happily. The only thing I could think of was something having to do with the country club. “Do you need me to work at the club today?”
He nodded. “If you don’t mind?”
I waved him off. “Of course, I don’t mind. What do I have to do?”
“Oh, just help plan a party is all,” he said, looking away.
That was easy enough. I knew all of the vendors my father used, and if there was food needed then Agnes Witherspoon was my lady. How hard could it be? I got up and walked over to the counter where my mother had a pen and pad out for when she wrote down her grocery lists.
“Okay, tell me what you got. The more I know, the better I can help plan it. What time do I need to be at the club?”
He glanced down at his watch. “In two hours.”
That gave me plenty of time. It felt good being able to help my dad. Plus, it was kind of exciting to do something besides cleaning out a barn or washing cars.
“All right. Who is the party for and how many people did they say would be attending?” I asked. I had my pen ready to take notes, but I was met with silence.
I looked up at my dad, and he closed his eyes. “Please don’t be mad.”
Setting the pen down, I leaned back in my chair. There were many scenarios running through my head, and I could only think of one person that could get me upset. “Just tell me,” I said with a huff. “And please don’t say this was Zac’s idea.” He shook his head, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Our time at Hidden Falls wasn’t bad at all, but it didn’t mean I wanted to spend more time with him.
“No, Zac isn’t the one who called,” my father explained, “it was his mother. She wants to rent the club so she can throw Zac a party tomorrow night.”
And there was the problem. I was never going to get away from him. Unfortunately, I had no choice. The club belonged to my father, but one day, it’d be mine. I had to take care of it.
“What kind of party?” I wondered.
My dad shrugged. “Eva didn’t say. All I know is that she wants to invite everyone in town.” So, basically, it was going to be like the auction party, but I had no clue what the celebration was. Knowing my luck, he probably had a fiancée somewhere and forgot to mention it. Wouldn’t that be something? Me putting together his engagement party.
I didn’t even bother writing anything down on the notepad. My nerves were shot. Talking to Zac’s mother was nowhere near as stressful as talking to Zac, b
ut it was still going to be hard. Eva Ward was like a second mother to me growing up. It wasn’t her fault her son screwed up, but in the end, I never spoke to her or Zac’s father when I left. It hurt to do it, but I had no other choice.
With a heavy sigh, I looked down at my phone. “This is definitely going to be interesting. I’m surprised you didn’t get Mom to meet Eva.”
He shook his head. “Eva wanted you.”
And things just got even more interesting. My stomach tightened, and I couldn’t deny it, but I was really nervous about meeting her. I got up and kissed my dad on the head on the way to the door. “I’m going to head to the club early. That way, I can mentally prepare myself.”
“You’ll be fine,” he laughed as he blew me a kiss. “Love you, kiddo.”
“I love you, too. Tell Mom I’ll see her later.”
Once outside, I got in the car and headed on my way, my stomach hurting the entire time. I was ready to get the meeting over with.
I paced the ballroom so much I was surprised there wasn’t a path on the newly polished hardwood floor. Over the years, I’ve met numerous famous people and I worked with some of the world’s top celebrities, but none of them made me as nervous as Eva Ward. Maybe it was the fact that the party was for Zac and I had to plan it. I dreaded the thought of it being an engagement party.
“Hey, Clara,” a voice called out.
I looked over at the ballroom entrance to see Isabelle Tucker and her now teenage daughter, Hailey. The last time I saw her she was four years old. Hailey had the same auburn hair as Isabelle and the same heart-shaped face. I waved and walked over to them. “Oh, my goodness, Hailey, you’re so grown up. You were so little the last time I saw you.”
Hailey beamed. “Hey, Clara.”
I hugged her hard. “Do you remember how you used to make me play with your kitchen set with you? It was your favorite thing to do.”
She giggled and hugged me back. “Yep. I would give you the vegetables while I took the cookies and the other treats.”
That made me laugh. “I always wanted those cookies,” I said, letting her go and winking at her. “But don’t worry, I used to steal the ice cream sandwich when you weren’t looking.”
Smiling, Isabelle shook her head. “Seems like such a long time ago.”
“Are you meeting George here?” I asked, pointing toward the restaurant entrance. “I saw him come in earlier.”
Isabelle nodded. “We’re meeting him for breakfast. He decided he didn’t want my eggs this morning.”
Hailey chuckled. “That’s because she burns them half the time.”
Isabelle elbowed her, and I laughed along with Hailey. “Better watch it, Hailey. Isn’t your mom going to be your Biology teacher this year?”
Hailey sighed. “Yep. Should be interesting.”
George opened the restaurant door and waved. “Good morning, Clara.” Then he looked at Isabelle and Hailey. “Come on, girls. I’m starving.”
Our Bear Valley Country Club had some of the best food around. When I was younger, I used to eat at the restaurant all the time. My mother worked a lot, so she never had time to cook. I said my good-byes to Isabelle and Hailey and watched them disappear behind the restaurant door. The club was such a fun place to be. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.
“Clara,” a soft voice spoke out behind me.
Frozen in place, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, I turned around and faced Zac’s mother. She had the same dark hair and hazel eyes as him. I didn’t know how things were going to be with her, but what I didn’t expect was for her to open her arms and hug me as hard as she could.
“It’s been so long since I’ve talked to you. I wanted to talk to you at the auction, but things got a little crazy.”
I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. I slowly hugged her back. “Yeah, it did. How have you been, Eva?”
When she let me go, there were tears in her eyes. “Pretty good, actually. My son is back in town and I couldn’t be happier.”
“I hear you want to rent the ballroom for tomorrow? Is that right?”
She nodded excitedly. “I know it’s last minute, but if anyone can pull it off it’s you.”
I flourished a hand toward the ballroom entrance. “My dad told me you wanted to invite the town so that should be super easy.”
“Oh yes,” she agreed, following me into the ballroom. “Martin and I have been on the phone all morning with our family and friends. I even have one of Zac’s closest cousins flying in from New Orleans with her family tonight. He’ll be so ecstatic to see them.”
She still hadn’t told me what the party was for. Clearing my throat, I turned to face her. Her whole face glowed with excitement. “If you don’t mind me asking,” I began, “what is this party for exactly?”
Clutching her chest, she sighed. “Zac’s moving back to Wyoming. He got a promotion with M&M Architectural Design. His boss is making him a partner and putting him in charge of all the Mid-West accounts.”
Eyes wide, I stared at her in shock. That was why his boss came into town. “Wow,” I gasped. “That’s amazing.”
“It is,” she agreed, fanning her face to keep her tears from falling. “I’m so proud of him. He’s really made all his dreams come true.” Her lips trembled. “Just like you.”
“Thanks, Eva. We’ve both worked hard.”
She walked over to the windows that overlooked the golf course and kept her back to me as she peered out. “It’s got to be pretty interesting working with famous people,” she said.
I snorted. “It has its ups and downs.”
“I can imagine. I’ve seen you in the tabloids with Adrian Norwood. Are you two still together?”
She glanced at me over her shoulder, and I shook my head. “No. We’ve tried making it work, but there’s something missing.”
“Exactly,” she said, turning to face me. “You don’t love him. I could see it on your face in all those pictures. You didn’t look at him the way you looked at my son.” My heart stopped, and I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Eva held up a hand and sighed. “I’m not mad at you about the past, but …”
That grabbed my attention and not in a good way. “Mad?” I snapped. “Why in the hell would you be mad at me? Your son is the one who screwed everything up. It’s because of him that we never worked out.”
Brows furrowed, she stared at me with so much confusion. How could she be confused? “I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head. “You are the one who decided not to come back from France. It broke his heart.”
“Maybe he should’ve thought about that before he let some blonde-haired sea donkey rub up all over him while I was gone. I have the picture to prove it.” I didn’t want to get into an argument with her, but I would be damned if anyone blamed me for mine and Zac’s failed relationship.
She stepped toward me. “Let me see the picture.”
Huffing, I pulled out my phone and showed her the picture. I kept it as a reminder not to trust so easily. Eva slapped a hand to her mouth. “How did you get this?”
My hands shook as I slipped the phone back into my pocket. With all the anger I felt, it was as if it just happened yesterday. “Chelsea texted it to me while I was in Paris,” I said, keeping my voice low. “For an entire week, I called, texted, and left voicemails nonstop for Zac to call, but he ignored me. So before you blame me for staying in Paris, you might want to think about why I did what I did.”
Her eyes filled with tears again. “You don’t know, do you?”
I threw my hands in the air. “Know what? That your son couldn’t handle me being gone for three weeks? So instead he wanted to find someone to pass the time with?”
Shaking her head, she sat down on the window seat, her face pale. “That’s not what happened at all, Clara. They never caught the girl and her friends, but that blonde stole Zac’s phone and his money. Your friend, Chelsea, had to have caught the moment, making it look like somethi
ng it wasn’t. Whatever messages you left him was never recovered. By the time he got a new phone, he couldn’t reach you. He even flew to Paris to find you after your mother told him you decided to stay. Obviously, he didn’t succeed.”
It felt like the whole world had closed in around me. My chest hurt so bad I was afraid my heart had been split in two. If what she said was true, then everything I’d thought was wrong. I sat down on the window seat with her, more confused than ever.
Placing a hand on my shoulder, Eva squeezed. “You seriously didn’t know any of this?”
Throat thick, I shook my head. “No. After that week of hell, I cut off all contact. I got a new phone number and decided to stay in France with Trina.” My eyes burned and I closed them. “I thought Zac was ignoring me because he got caught and was too much of a coward to face me.”
“Not at all,” she whispered, rubbing my shoulder soothingly. “He was heartbroken. He thought you’d decided he wasn’t good enough for you. After realizing you were gone for good, he packed up and left for New Orleans.”
It still didn’t make sense. If he wanted to find me, he could have. I opened my eyes and turned to her. “Did he not tell my mom what happened? What about Trina? He could’ve called her phone to find me.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, Clara. That’s something you’ll have to ask him. He closed himself off there for the longest time. He didn’t want to talk about any of it. When I went personally to talk to your mother, all she said was that you staying in France wasn’t an easy decision, but it was what you needed to do.”
A part of me didn’t want to believe her story, but I couldn’t deny how true it felt. My mother never told me that Eva came to see her. Why wouldn’t she? There were so many questions.
Also, no wonder Zac had been such an ass to me. He thought I left him because he wasn’t good enough, and here I was thinking he cheated on me. We both wanted revenge on the other.
Tears fell down my cheeks. “What the hell do I do now? Zac and I have thought two different things for twelve years.”