Call it fate, p.25
Call it Fate, page 25
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a lot of patients, as you can see.”
At this rate, it was going to take a while to catch up. But before I could excuse myself, the door opened again, and Doctor Anders walked in. “Phew. Sorry it took me so long. I had to park a couple blocks down the road.”
He stood in the entrance, looking around at the full waiting room until his eyes landed on my surprised ones. “Zach, good to see you again. I see you’re keeping busy as usual.”
I jumped up to greet my mentor and boss, wondering why no one had warned me he was here. “What a surprise.”
He shook the hand I offered and slapped the back of my shoulder. “I had two good reasons to come here. I’m glad to see both are doing well.”
I watched as he took in his surroundings and briefly recapped what I’d just finished telling his friend. He looked at me with a wry grin. “You know, part of my reason for wanting to send you here was not only because I knew you’d do a fine job, but because I was hoping you’d slow down a bit. I see that didn’t work.”
“You know me, sir. I’m not one to sit around. This seemed like a good solution to a lot of issues.”
“Looks like you could use some help. What do you say I roll up my sleeves and pitch in? Maybe you can salvage some of your afternoon.”
“Oh, I couldn’t—”
But he was already headed toward the back, so I quickly hurried after him. When he hesitated outside of an exam room, I paused, too, waiting for his instruction. He shook his head. “No, son. This is your show. Tell me exactly what you need.”
I gave him a quick explanation. “The girls will help you with anything else. They’re amazing at their job.” Within another hour, everything trickled to a stop. It had been a long day, but I felt great about seeing so much good done. It amazed me how the people of Sterling Mill turned out to support their community the same as they would if it were a party.
I ushered my last client out the door with a bag of coupons and treat samples. It was finally quiet again. Katie and Sarah were closing everything down, and Doctor Anders and the Claypools left—Wanda with a smile and Harold with a frown. Doctor Anders gave me a wink and a grin as he followed them out the door.
I was just about to lock the door when Emalee and Iain walked up, a tiny furry head poking out from the crook of her elbow. One of its ears was red and irritated.
“What’s this?” I was genuinely but pleasantly surprised. I ruffled Iain’s hair and bent to kiss Emalee, but her look of exasperation stopped me in my tracks.
“This is all your fault,” she hissed, but her sparkling eyes belayed her tone.
Meow.
“Look what we got, Dad!”
I pet the head of the small kitten that was purring with its eyes closed while I arched an eyebrow at Em.
Her sigh said everything her words didn’t. “When I finished my turn at the bake sale, I walked around to see how the other booths were going. The lady from the shelter was closing up. She only had one animal left.”
“Let me guess. She went home without any, and you’re going home with this little guy.”
“It’s a girl. Isn’t she adorable?” Iain stood on his toes to see his new kitten better, scratching its ears.
“She sure is. Let’s get this little gal checked out, shall we?”
“Oh, my god. Please, Zach.” Em panted between her pleas as her back arched. Her hands pulled on my hair, the sting only urging me on.
Hearing her groan my name as her thighs tightened around my head was the most gratifying thing I’d heard all day, and that was saying something. I flicked my tongue against her clit one more time, and she went off like a firecracker. Her legs continued to tremble as I lowered them from my shoulders.
“That was…” Her head collapsed onto the pillow and her eyes closed, but the smile on her swollen lips finished the sentence for her.
“I’m sorry, did you think you were done?” I asked, kissing my way up her torso. I sat up and stroked my shaft that was aching to be inside her. I settled in the cradle of her hips and ran my hardness along her still sensitive core. I waited until her eyes cracked open, then slid inside her slick heat. Even now, her pussy fluttered around my length, urging me to move. I pulled back and slid slowly back in, causing her eyes to widen as the movement alerted her that she was, in fact, not done.
“Touch yourself,” I commanded, or maybe it was more like begged. I wasn’t going to last long, and I wanted her to come one more time with me.
Her fingers slid between her legs, brushing along my cock as she began to rub her clit. I moved faster and so did her fingers.
With a growl, I crashed my lips to hers. Her body trembled beneath mine. Thrust after thrust. Slapping skin. Heavy breathing. It was a cadence that sent us both over the edge at the same time.
“Fuck, sunshine. I don’t know how it gets better every time, but it does.”
“I know,” she whispered as her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug.
I finally rolled to her side, tucking her against me. She was asleep within minutes and feeling more content than I had in a long time, I sent a prayer of thanks that she’d come back into my life and vowed that nothing would separate us again.
Chapter 37
Emalee
* * *
“And the little monkey threw poop on the big one.” Iain held his stomach from laughing too hard as he recounted his zoo experience at one of our Sunday brunches at the farm. “And they started a poop fight. It was hysterical.”
Cam and Chase laughed along with him. “What else did you see?” Chase asked.
“The snakes were cool,” he said, causing Cam to shudder. “The lions just laid around, but they were neat. And one of the hippos had this pink thing that kept getting longer in his pee-pee area. That was weird. I asked Dad what it was, but he was too busy reading the map they gave us.”
Oh, god. It was just as funny hearing it for the third time since they’d been to the zoo.
Cam’s shoulders shook as she hid her face in her napkin which did nothing to silence the snorting noises she was making. Chase laughed outright.
“I wanna go back sometime. Can we, Daddy?”
“Maybe next winter,” Zach answered, his voice gruff with exasperation.
“Okay. Can I be s’cused?”
I nodded, silently laughing too hard to correct his pronunciation.
Cam’s eyes were wet as she looked at Zach after Iain left the room. “Pink thing?”
Everyone but Zach laughed. He glared at us. “I never want to see a horny hippo again. But the kangaroo cage was the worst. We saw the males, which, if you didn’t know, have fucking huge balls. The kids wanted to know what they were. I thought I’d die. Some of them were also humping each other. They even had threesomes. All of the kids wanted to know what they were doing.”
Chase was howling. “What did you tell them?”
Zach grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “I told them they were trying to play leapfrog.”
“Leapfrog?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t think a bunch of first graders need a sex education lesson. I mean, who the fuck takes a bunch of six-year-olds to the zoo in the spring anyway? Don’t they know the animals are all horny that time of year?”
The rest of us only laughed harder. I wiped my eyes. “I told you taking a bunch of kids on a field trip wouldn’t be easy.”
He shook his head. “Might be a while before I sign up for that again.” But his tone was light, and I knew if Iain asked, he’d be the first to say yes.
“So, Em, how was your interview while Zach was protecting innocent minds?”
I nodded. “I think it went well. They took a lot of pictures and were very complimentary of the rooms and the breakfast samples I put out for them.” The group of judges had asked a lot of questions about the history of The Dogtrot, my procedures, and plans for its future. “They really loved the gardens and thought the idea of a gazebo was wonderful. If I win, they want to come back and take updated pictures. I can’t thank you enough for helping me pull all that together. I know it took up a lot of your extra time.”
Zach and Chase had both taken time off from work to help me paint and get the gardens dug and planted. It wasn’t the completion of my vision, but it was a beautiful start.
“Eh, that’s what’s family is for,” Chase said.
“When will you find out who wins?”
“They said in a couple of weeks.”
“You’ll win.” Zach’s voice was confident.
“So, Zach. Want to take a little walk with me around the place?” Chase kept his face neutral, but his eyes were sparkling with humor. “Maybe we could check in with the goats and see if they’re feeling any springtime urges.”
Zach threw his cloth napkin at Chase, who laughed. I was delighted to see them behave like friends after their rocky start.
After they left, Cam turned her eyes on me. “So, everything seems to be good between you and Zach. Have you made any decisions about what you two are going to do?”
“Well, I’ve made one definite decision. I talked to Mama, and we agree the inn is becoming too much for our tiny staff. I’m going to place an ad for some more help.”
I had never realized how many hours I was working, seven days a week. It was one of the downsides of living where I worked. If I wanted time off or if I got sick, it took a lot of schedule rearranging to make things work. Our bookwork was consistently in the black. And Zach had pointed out to me that with the quality I was delivering, I could raise my prices and still be competitive, helping to cover new expenses.
“Good for you. And what about Zach?”
That was a harder answer. “I know he wants us to move to Charlotte with him if he gets the internship.”
“Are you all right with that?” Cam asked, peering at me closely.
“I don’t think I have a choice.”
“Have you asked him to stay? Maybe if he knew how important it is to you, he’d consider it.”
I shook my head. “He grew up with so much pressure to do what his dad wanted. I don’t want to do the same. Besides, he’s missed out on so much already, thanks to his father. I can’t ask him to give up anything else that’s important to him. It’s time for me to make a sacrifice. Besides, there are a lot of opportunities in Charlotte that there aren’t here. Maybe I’ll go back to school after all.”
“You don’t sound happy.”
She saw too much. I gathered up some dishes from the table and carried them to the kitchen. “Well, of course, I’m sad. I love it here. But I’m hoping that once Zach’s internship is over, he can find something close to here.”
Her mouth twisted. “Why does it sound like you’re trying to convince yourself as much as me?”
I couldn’t keep my shoulders from slumping. “I might be more excited if it wasn’t for Zach’s dad.”
Her brows snapped together. “What’s that asshole done now?”
“I saw him when we were out one evening when we were in Charlotte. He didn’t say anything, but it scared me, you know? He could make life problematic for all of us.”
Cam crossed her arms. “Does Zach know what happened?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t told him. I don’t want to hurt him with that.”
“But honey, don’t you think Zach would want to know so he can protect you? Protect Iain? You’re not kids anymore. You have to tell him. Zach deserves to know the truth about his father.”
I bit my fingernail, something I hadn’t done in years.
“What truth?”
We both froze. I hadn’t heard anyone come in.
Cam’s worried eyes met mine and then shifted to peer over my shoulder. I turned slowly to see Zach standing there, Chase not far behind him. His voice had been deceptively calm as he stood with his arms by his sides. But I saw how the cords in his neck strained and his hands clenched and unclenched.
“What about my father, Emalee?” His eyes never left mine as he moved closer.
“Zach.” I reached a hand out to him, to ground him as best as I could. I could feel tiny tremors of fury pulsing in his rock-hard arm.
“Answer me,” he growled, his eyes blazing and nostrils flaring
Oh, shit.
Chase put a hand on his shoulder. “Easy now.”
Zach shook him off. “I want to know, Em. I thought we were past secrets, but there’s something you’ve been keeping from me, isn’t there?”
“Zach, you know I love you. I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t see what good it would do.”
“Tell. Me.”
I drew a breath. “Your father knew I was pregnant,” I answered quietly, knowing my words would be like a knife to his heart.
I waited for him to shout, to curse, to throw something—any kind of physical reaction.
Instead, Zach stood so still he could have been a statue. It was as if my revelation had stopped time. All of us were frozen, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Where’s your bathroom?”
Chase pointed down the only hallway and Zach bolted. Throwing a worried look at my cousins, I followed him. From the hallway, I heard the sounds of retching.
I tried the door, but it was locked. From the corner of my eye, I saw Cam and Chase talking softly, then Chase left. I hoped it was to find Iain and keep him away from the fracas that was happening here. I waited for a few minutes, then leaned my head against the door and knocked softly. “Zach? Please let me in.”
The toilet flushed and water ran for several minutes. I tapped again. “Please, honey.”
I heard the click of the lock being released. Drawing a deep breath, I opened it and went inside, shutting and locking it again behind me.
Zach was sitting on the toilet seat, hunched over with his head in his hands.
“Zach…” I wasn’t even sure what to say at this point. “I’m sorry.”
His head shot up. I flinched when I saw the anguish that stared back at me through watery eyes. I cursed his father all over again.
“I need to know what happened.” His voice was raspy and raw as if he’d swallowed glass.
I sat on the floor in front of him. “As I already told you, I went to the fraternity house to see if anyone knew where you were after you graduated. What I didn’t tell you was that one of them had a home address for you.” It was quite an intimidating place with gates and a guard.
His lips formed a straight line. “Did they let you in?”
I shook my head. “I kept begging for someone to see me. I’m pretty sure the guard was close to calling the police. I finally blurted out that I was pregnant with your child. That’s when I was finally allowed up to the house. Your father met me at the door. He said I’d already done enough damage, that I had been holding you back from your true potential. He implied you were sorry you’d ever met me and that I should never come back. He told me the baby was my problem, but if I made trouble or tried to contact them or you again, he’d see to it I lost custody.”
“What?” He was so pale I thought he was going to get sick again.
I grabbed his hands. “I couldn’t take that chance, Zach. They obviously have so much money, I knew I wouldn’t be able to fight them. I couldn’t imagine how you came from such a cold home, but I wasn’t going to allow my child to have anything to do with them. After what I thought I saw at the hotel, I thought maybe there was some truth to what he said. I’m so sorry. I know that isn’t true.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this earlier.”
I bowed my head. “I’m so sorry, Zach. In the beginning, I was scared. I’ve spent Iain’s entire life looking over my shoulder, terrified they’d try to take him from me. I was just starting to relax and then you showed up. Until I knew why you were here and what your motivations were, I had to be careful. When I realized you didn’t know about our child, I didn’t want to make things worse for you by telling you about how awful your father is.”
He rubbed his hands over his face. “All that time, you thought I didn’t care.”
I didn’t answer. He’d put the pieces together.
“Fuuuck,” he moaned. “Fuck me. Fuck my parents. Fucking fuck my father.” He fell to his knees in front of me and rested his hands on my thighs. “I’m so, so sorry you had to go through all of that alone. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.” He rested the top of his head against my chest. “And most of all, I’m sorry for my son of a bitch father who manipulated you and did this to you, to me, and to Iain.”
I brushed my fingers through his hair. “As you can see, we came through it just fine. I wasn’t alone. We had my mama and other family. And now, we have you.”
His jaw was tense as he lifted his head, staring into my eyes with his own that still glistened with tears. But his lips were pressed into a straight line, and his shoulders were drawn back. “I’ll never forgive him, Em. Never.” The words bit harshly through the quiet of the small room.
There wasn’t much I could say. I felt the same.
Chapter 38
Zach
* * *
Everything had been status quo for days. After Emalee’s latest revelation, I threw myself even more into my work. I checked in with Harrison and Sam. I checked on Sterling, who still said I was sexy. I even drove out to Crazy Tilly’s house and checked on that damn raccoon, who didn’t seem to give a raccoon’s ass about me in return.
When I wasn’t working, I spent every minute with Iain and Em and their family. I couldn’t stand to be alone. Whenever I was, dark thoughts about my father crept in. Em seemed to understand that, spending all her nights with me. She got up early and went to The Dogtrot to fix breakfast. Then I brought Iain over to eat before I took him to school. If he thought anything was strange about us spending so much time at my home, he never said. I felt every passing day was like a ticking time bomb until that time when I’d have to return to Charlotte. Em had been interviewing candidates to work at The Dogtrot, but so far, none of them had been the right fit.
