Lily followed me into the living room. We set our bowls down on the coffee table, and I flipped through the rental service that was part of our cable subscription and selected Aladdin from the list of rentals.
As soon as the movie started, Lily squealed with excitement and hopped up onto the sofa, kicking her feet and wiggling her butt between the cushions.
Right when I got comfortable in my corner of the sofa, my phone rang on the kitchen counter. I groaned. “I’ll be right back, Lily. Don’t touch that curry. You hear me?”
“Promise,” she said, only half paying attention. She was already absorbed in the movie as a camel crossed the desert and the narrator began his introductory speech.
I hurried to my phone to answer it before it went to voicemail and smiled as Zach’s name flashed across the screen. “Hey, can I call you back? Sorry, I’m just about to eat dinner with Lily. I think she’d like to talk to you too.”
“Uh, no,” Zach said, sounding very unlike himself. “I kind of need to talk to you now. It’s important.”
“Oh. Okay. What’s up?”
“Can you go somewhere private for a minute?”
My stomach rolled over, and I was suddenly nauseated. “Um, yeah. I’ll go outside. Hold on.”
Zach waited silently on the other end as I called over to Lily that I was stepping out. She nodded and didn’t answer. She was already completely engrossed in the film. I stepped outside and pulled the front door closed behind me.
“What’s going on, Zach? Is something wrong? Are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine. I just—fuck. I have bad news, and I don’t know how to say it.”
I swallowed. “Just say it.”
“I met with Woodbury this morning.”
“Okay,” I said slowly as dread spread through my body.
“And I asked him why the money hadn’t appeared in your accounts yet.” He paused and exhaled. I could tell he was stressed and angry. “Fuck, I don’t know how to do this, so I’m just going to say it. He’s not going to pay you, Senna. Either of you. He never had any intention of giving you any money after you signed the documents.”
My breath was knocked from my lungs like he’d just kicked me in the gut. “What?”
He didn’t say anything.
My mind reeled as I tried to process this information. No money? How the hell was I supposed to afford groceries and rent and my mortgage? How would I buy Lily her school supplies for her classes, which started in three weeks?
How had I trusted him to protect us?
“Senna. Say something. Please.”
“What do you want me to say, Zach?”
“Anything.”
“Anything?” I laughed spitefully. “Oh, trust me, you don’t want me to say anything. I feel like such a moron! How could I have fallen for this? How could I have thought that Woodbury would have a shred of decency in him? Lying, cheating, loathsome, good for nothing piece of shit!”
Zach was quiet on the other end as I came unraveled.
“I never should have trusted you,” I said, defeat creeping into my voice. I struggled to keep the tears at bay. “I should have known this was going to happen. I was right to try to keep you away from the start. I never should have let you in. I never should’ve let you anywhere near Lily.”
“Senna, please, I had nothing to do with this.”
“You work for him. How could you not know that this is how he does business?”
I heard Zach swallow. “I had my head in the sand. I see that now. But you have to believe me. This isn’t what I wanted. I tried to—”
“I don’t care.”
“Senna—”
“I don’t care! This is my fault. I was stupid. I ignored all the warning signs. This is all I’m good for. Being walked over.” I laughed bitterly. “There must be something about me that screams ‘sucker,’ and guys like you flock to it like moths to a light. That’s what my ex did, too. And he ruined us, Zach. Now that I’m finally back on my feet and have Lily in a good place, this happens. I can’t believe you would do this to me. To us.”
“I can fix this.”
“I don’t want you to fix it!” I cried.
He was silent, and then he asked quietly, “What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing, Zach. I don’t want you to do anything. Don’t call me again. I’m done with this.”
I ended the call and stared at the phone as tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t read his name through the blurry haze, and I wiped at my cheeks to try to chase the tears away. I couldn’t go back inside looking like this. I didn’t want Lily to think something was wrong, not after we’d made these plans to have a mother-daughter night that was much needed.
“Pull it together, Senna,” I whispered to myself. “He’s just a guy. You don’t need him.”
My chin trembled, and I buried my face in my hands. That wasn’t true.
I did need him because I’d fallen for him. I’d walked right into his trap and let him use me like the fool I was, and in so doing, I hadn’t just screwed myself over, but Edith too.
How was I going to tell her that she wasn’t going to get the money back?
She needed the cash as desperately as I did, and she’d had a feeling something was going to go wrong, and I’d shut her down, but she’d been right.
This was all my fault. I’d ruined everything.
We should have stayed and made our stand against Woodbury and his mall. Instead, we’d done exactly what I’d resisted for three long years—we’d caved. We’d laid down and gave in and let them have what they wanted.
We weren’t going to get anything out of it.
I put my phone in my pocket and wiped my eyes again before taking three deep, steadying breaths. I could fall apart later after Lily was asleep. For now, I had to put on a brave face and carry on with our evening. I owed her that much—especially since life was about to get a whole lot harder until I could make ends meet comfortably again.
I took one last deep breath before going back inside.
Lily was still on the sofa, and her bowl of curry was still untouched in front of her on the coffee table. I passed it to her as I took my seat and picked up my own bowl, taking a few hurried bites to at least appear like I was hungry when I was really still nauseated.
Lily ate too. “It’s good, Momma.”
“I’m glad you like it, and it’s the perfect temperature now, right?” My voice trembled.
Lily looked over at me. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yes. Perfectly fine, bunny. Don’t worry. Eat your dinner.”
Lily rubbed her lips together and continued staring at me. I watched the TV in an effort to appear normal. She wasn’t buying it.
“Momma?”
“Yes?”
“Everything will be okay, you know?”
I stared down into my bowl and willed the tears not to come.
Lily shimmied closer to me on the sofa and curled into my side. “And if it isn’t, we always have each other, right?”
I looked down at her. She saw my tears and smiled at me.
“I love you, Momma.”
I kissed the top of her head. “I love you too, bunny. More than anything. You’re right. Everything will be okay.”
I wished I believed that like she did.
Chapter 37
Zach
Bob greeted me with a cheeky smile as he popped open the back of his SUV. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon, Mr. Hammel. You look good. How are things back in Orlando?”
“Sorry, Bob. I’m not in the mood to talk.” I hoisted my suitcase into the back. “Can we get out of here?”
Bob nodded. “Of course. Hop in. I’ll get you where you’re going.”
I regretted sitting in the passenger seat. Bob made small talk the whole way, which only agitated me and made my swirling stomach more uneasy. I tried to tune him out by staring out the windows at the passing traffic, but it was useless.
“Your friend Jonah and I went fo
r drinks last week. Funny guy, your friend. He’s writing a book. Did you know that? Flat out refused to tell me what he was writing about, which seemed odd because at some point, he’s going to have to tell people the synopsis, right? I mean, who buys books if they don’t know what they’re about? Not me, man. Not me. I suppose there are some people out there who’ll like the element of surprise, but you’d think he’d be willing to at least tell me the genre. His lips were sealed, though. Has he told you what it’s about?”
I rolled my head to look at him. “No, he hasn’t.”
“Really? Damn. What a secretive dude. Do you think there’s a reason he’s so secretive? Maybe it’s real dark and fucked up. Sorry. Shouldn’t swear on the job. Messed up.”
“I doubt it. Jonah isn’t the sort.”
Bob drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he came to a stop at a red light. “You’re probably right, but you never know.”
“No, I suppose you don’t.”
Bob cast me a sidelong look. “So, are we stopping for flowers or something on our way?”
I frowned. “Sorry?”
“Is this an apology trip? If so, I highly recommend flowers as opposed to showing up emptyhanded. Or chocolates. Or—”
“What makes you think I’m here to apologize?”
Bob shrugged. “I’ve gotten good at reading people over the years doing this job, and you, my friend, are dripping with self-loathing. Which makes me think you did something wrong that needs forgiving. So, therefore, flowers. Yes?”
“Just drive, Bob,” I muttered, pulling off my glasses and wiping the smudged lenses with the hem of my shirt before sliding them back on.
Within another twenty minutes, I found myself standing outside Senna’s front door with no flowers in hand. Now that the moment was upon me, I was starting to think I should have followed Bob’s advice.
The words I had to say were more important than the gesture of flowers, though, and if they weren’t enough, then I didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
I lifted my hand and rapped my knuckles on the door.
There was a chance that if Senna looked through the peephole first, she wouldn’t open the door, or she would anyway just to give me an earful.
The door opened.
Senna stood there in a pair of tight black leggings and on oversized gray sweatshirt that was sliding off her left shoulder. She blinked at me and then took a step back. “Zach, what are you doing here?”
Now was the time to lay it all out on the table. No reservations. No games. No funny business. Just the truth and nothing else.
I shifted my weight from foot to foot as I slid my hands in my pockets and forced myself to look her in the eyes, rather than down at the ground like I wanted to. “I came to apologize.”
“I don’t want an apology.”
“I know, and I know I don’t have the right to ask you this, but will you hear me out? There are some things I need to say.”
Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “There are some things I’d like to say, too.”
I could only imagine what sorts of things those might be.
You’re an asshole, Zach.
You ruined something I spent the last four years building from the ground up.
You’re no different than the man who abandoned me and Lily after she was born.
You’re a liar.
I hope the money makes you happy.
I never should have trusted you.
Lily never wants to see you again.
I dropped my head, unable to continue looking her in the eye. “I imagine you do, and you can say them, but please, just hear me out, okay?”
She folded her arms. “Fine. Go ahead.”
Her tone suggested that she was gearing up for a battle.
I licked my lips. “I got a promotion after I went back to Orlando.”
Senna rolled her eyes. “Great. You came all the way down here to tell me how well you’re doing after what you did to me and Edith? Nice. Real classy move, Suit.”
I flinched. So, she was back to calling me Suit. “No, just listen. I was promoted, and the promotion came with a bonus.”
“Of course it did,” she hissed.
I carried on. “The bonus will more than cover the costs associated with the move for both of you, and I want you to have it.”
“What?”
I nodded. “I’m going to split it between you and Edith so that you aren’t in the red when you open your new shops. There’s a bit extra to get some work done if you want or to keep for unforeseen expenses.”
“I don’t want your money, Zach.”
“It’s not to keep. Consider it a loan. You can pay me back after everything else is done.”
“Everything else?”
“There’s more I need to say,” I told her.
She uncrossed her arms. “Okay, I’m listening.”
I stood up a little taller and lifted my chin. “After I found out what Woodbury was planning on doing to you and Edith, I did some digging. You’re not the first people this has happened to. Unfortunately, this has happened to almost every small business we’ve closed down over the last two years. Maybe more. I just couldn’t get my hands on those files.”
“You’re not important enough to Woodbury for him to grant you access?” she asked sarcastically.
I shook my head. “No because I got fired before I had the chance.”
Senna cocked her head to the side. “Fired?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
I scratched the back of my neck. “For gathering intel on the company and passing it on to lawyers.”
Senna’s expression grew more curious than it was angry. “Lawyers, huh? What are you playing at?”
“I’m taking them down, Senna. I’ve reached out to every small business I could find a record of that wasn’t paid what they were promised, and I have a growing stack of documents and emails that prove Woodbury does dishonest and illegal business. The case is being built around it right now, and I’m taking them to court, along with the other business owners. There’s no way they are coming out of this one on top, no matter how good their lawyers are.”
She stared at me.
I sighed. “So, I want you guys to have my bonus. Then when the case is closed, you’ll get a cash settlement that will likely be five to ten times the amount that Woodbury originally said he’d give you. Just like the other small business owners. And Edith too, of course.”
Senna frowned. “What about the mall? After all that, Woodbury Enterprises will end up going out of business, won’t they?”
“There are already buyers circling the mall like vultures ready to swoop it out from under Woodbury for a fraction of the cost the company spent to build it.”
Senna rubbed her hands together. “Sounds like justice.”
I nodded, and then I took a breath. “Listen. None of this makes up for the fact that you were right, and I didn’t listen. I bulldozed over you. I thought I knew best, and all I was thinking about was my paycheck at the end of the whole thing. When I started to care for you, I should have backed off. I should have—”
“Care for me?”
I took her hands in mine. “Senna, no one in the world has ever made me feel the way that you do. When I’m with you, nothing else matters. I don’t like who I was before I met you. I was angry and shallow, and all I was doing was spending my time waiting for the next best thing to come around. I was blind to all the good that was around me every day. But then you changed all of that. I know I’m asking a lot, and you have every right to tell me to get the hell out of here, but I have to ask. Is there any way you can forgive me?”
My mouth had gone dry.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Shut up, Zach,” she said softly.
Then she surprised me by grabbing the front of my shirt and pulling me close to seal her lips over mine.
I stood paralyzed by her kiss for a
brief moment. Then I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back. She smiled into the kiss and plunged her fingers into my hair. I breathed in the smell of her, lavender and honeysuckle.
Her hands wandered all across my shoulders, and then she stepped backward, pulling me into her house with her to eventually close the door behind her.
Hopefully, Bob took the hint to leave and come back later.
Chapter 38
Senna
I stumbled over a pair of Lily’s shoes in the entranceway, and Zach caught me before my feet went out from under me. We never broke our kiss, and I hurried to undo the buttons of his suit jacket and tear the thing off his shoulders.
We moved down the hall into the kitchen, where my hip bumped the island. I tore at the buttons of his shirt rather frantically, and he caught my wrist and looked me in the eyes. “We have time, right?”
I nodded. “Lily is with Edith for the night.”
He lifted my knuckles to his lips and kissed them. “Then slow down. I don’t want to rush this. I want to savor every moment.”
My breath hitched in my throat. “Then savor it.”
Our lips crashed together once more. He let out a contented sigh and scooped me up in his arms to set me down on the counter. Then he worked my sweatshirt up over my head. He reached behind my back to snap open my bra, but his fingers searched aimlessly, unable to find the clasps.
“Sports bra,” I said, pulling it off over my head.
He kissed me again, harder this time. As we kissed, he ran his hands over my shoulders and down my chest to caress my breasts. I moaned into his mouth. His touch was exquisite, and I hadn’t thought I would ever be lucky enough to feel it again.
But there I was, in his arms, right where I knew in my heart I was supposed to be.
Zach pushed me down on the counter. I giggled and swatted his hand away as he held me down.
“Stay still,” he growled, hooking a thumb in the waistband of my leggings and tugging them down. They were too tight for him to pull off with one hand, so I had to brace myself on the counter while he shimmied them down, one side at a time, back and forth, until he could finally pull them off my ankles and throw them over his shoulder.
Good Luck Charm: A Single Mother Romance Page 22