All or Nothing (48 page)

“Then skip it. This is worth it.”

“You're leading me astray again,” Jen complained.

“No, I only lead you into temptation. What you do when you get there is up to you.” Zach winked at Jen and she laughed.

Dr. Levittson smiled in her turn. “Sounds like exactly what the doctor would order. Have fun.”

“We will,” Zach said.

Jen sat up slowly, but Zach knew she was still worried. He gave her a hand to get down from the table as she seemed a bit unsteady. “Sore?”

“Not so bad,” she said, although she was pale.

“Come on,” he urged. “Let's get Roxie and go home.”

“But...”

He stopped her protest with a kiss. “No arguments. Just trust me.”

She glanced through her bangs and gave him that little pixie smile, the one that turned his world upside-down. “Okay. I will.”

“I'm going to hold you to that,” he teased, relieved when her smile broadened.

* * *

The traffic was miserable.

By the time they went to Zach's place and picked up an exuberant Roxie, ensured that Roxie had a chance to relieve herself and stopped at Natalie's for Jen to pack a bag, it was six o'clock. The roads heading out of Cambridge were choked with commuter traffic.

There was nowhere to stop for dinner and eat anything remotely good for them, so they decided to keep going. Natalie had hastily packed them a few sandwiches on her fresh bread—made with wheat berries this time—but there weren't any parks to stop for a picnic. Jen unwrapped vegetarian sandwiches and poured green tea from the thermos Natalie had also filled, Roxie watched the food move between passenger and driver with avid interest, and Zach drove.

It seemed to take forever to leave the congestion of the city behind. Zach refused to name their destination, but they were headed northeast. When they turned out toward the coast, Jen unrolled the window a bit and just enjoyed the drive. Roxie stuck her head over Jen's shoulder to sniff the breeze and Zach told a few bad jokes. Jen was happy, or as happy as she could have been given the uncertainty of waiting for lab results.

Jen must have dozed off because she woke up when the car was bumping slowly along a dark road. It was unfamiliar to her, although she could see the silhouettes of buildings to one side. Trees adorned with snow rose high on the other side of the car, houses beyond them. There was no traffic and no streetlights, just Zach peering up at the buildings in the darkness as if he wasn't sure where he was going.

He finally turned into the parking spot behind one that had no lights.

“No one's expecting us,” Jen said.

“I think this is it,” Zach said. He pulled a key ring out of his pocket and turned on the light in the car to sort through them.

The key ring had a hang tag that said “
272 Main Street.
”

Jen read that and knew where she was. She raised her hands to her mouth in surprise and stared at Zach. “You bought it,” she whispered. “You were the one who bought MacCauley's bookstore.”

He flashed her a grin. “No. We bought it.” He extricated the second set of keys and handed them to Jen. “It's jointly owned. Welcome home.”

Jen was incredulous. “But you didn't know...”

“Yes, I did, Jen.” Zach tapped his chest, and looked fierce. “I knew, right here, that we should be together. Even without your mother's astrological charts.” He grimaced. “I was, however, a little less certain that you knew the same thing.” He grinned at her. “I am shameless enough to use all possible arguments in my favor, including real estate.”

“You bought this place and made it joint, not knowing what I'd say?”

“I followed my instincts.”

“You're crazy.”

“New material, Jen, you need new material. And don't say that before you see the mortgage. Your name's on that piece of paper, too, although James may cut us some slack on payments.” He smiled at her. “I knew you'd like this better than a trip to New York and a ring from Tiffany.”

Jen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. “You're right. I do.” She threw her arms around him and made her feelings clear with a resounding kiss. Roxie barked with impatience, making them end their kiss all too soon.

“She's right,” Zach said. “Getting caught steaming up the windows is a bad way to meet the neighbors for the first time.”

“With melted Jockeys, too,” Jen teased and he laughed.

“Come on. Let's go in. I hope the furnace is still on.”

They spilled out of the car, gathered their things, then made their way to the back door. They laughed together in the darkness as they tried to get the key in the lock, and Zach talked about a first improvement being a new light.

Then they stood, hand in hand, in the space that would be Jen's wool shop. Jen had a lump in her throat the size of Rosemount. The furnace was on, churning away in the basement, although they didn't flick on the lights right away. Roxie trotted through the whole building, her nails echoing on the hardwood floor, the sound of her sniffing resonating in the empty space.

“It's perfect,” Jen breathed.

“I thought we'd keep the condo at least until you finish your degree,” Zach said. “Then we can decide what to do with it.”

“It might be handy, but maybe too expensive to keep.”

“We'll work it out. I think this will be home, though.”

Jen smiled. “So do I.”

“You'll need shelves and inventory.” Zach strolled the length of the space, looking at it. “Quite a lot of it, really.”

“But Teresa wants to be my partner and investor. I already know that she loves this space.”

“Then all you need is a name.”

“Oh, but I have that already,” Jen said, hearing the laughter in her own voice. He turned to look at her and she loved him so much that she couldn't believe her luck.

But then, she'd known what she wanted and asked for it.

She'd wanted Zach. She smiled at him, knowing that she exuded confidence the way he so often did. “I'm going to call it The Black Sheep, since that's who brought me to Rosemount in the first place.”

Zach was clearly flattered. “I like it.”

Jen crossed the floor to him and put her arms around his neck. “And I love you, Zach Coxwell. Thank you for following me today.”

He snorted as he caught her close. “As if I could have gone anywhere else.” They smiled at each other, then Zach sobered. “It's going to be okay, warrior queen.”

“I know,” Jen said and she believed it. “Because we'll face everything together.” She smiled at him, feeling mischievous. “So, are you planning to kill me the way I tried to kill you?”

“You bet,” Zach said with a laugh. “Pucker up, sister Jen,” he said, his tone teasing, then bent to kiss her thoroughly.

* * *

Jen was cleaning the kitchen in the apartment when Dr. Levittson called Zach's cell on Friday afternoon. The oncologist immediately apologized for being wrong. Jen practically danced across the hardwood floor as the doctor explained that the biopsy was benign, then insisted that Jen book another mammogram in six months.

“Let's be proactive,” Dr. Levittson said and Jen agreed.

She hung up, dialed and made that appointment, then leapt on Zach when he returned from the hardware store five minutes later.

They fox-trotted across the empty apartment after she told him the news, making up the steps as they went and laughing at each other in their happiness. Roxie bounced around them and barked, sensing their joy.

“What if we don't get married in February?” Jen asked and Zach froze.

“What do you mean?”

She grabbed his collar and gave it a shake. “I mean, what if we get married sooner?”

He smiled slowly, a smile that warmed her to her toes. “You're blowing off the Asiatic lilies and roses?”

“All I want is you.”

“Ditto.” He gave her a look that was filled with mischief. “Think we can find the justice of the peace tomorrow?”

Jen smiled, not having thought of that soon, but liking the suggestion when she heard it. “Rosemount isn't that big.”

“No, it's not. I think we can do it.”

Jen laughed, thinking a quick and small wedding would be the perfect solution. She was going to follow Zach's impulse and surrender to the moment.

She knew she was going to be getting better at that with every passing day.

* * *

It's Dinah Dishman, the Dishing Diva, here on Radio Rosemount on Monday January 25, with all the latest gossip about what's going on in and around Rosemount.

Your eyes didn't deceive you, ladies: Zach Coxwell is back but that boy is taken. The lucky lady is Jen Maitland, formerly of Cambridge. Fear not, ladies, you'll be able to catch glimpses of the happy couple around town: they've bought the building that used to be MacCauley's bookstore and are already living in the apartment upstairs. Rumor has it that the happy couple tied the knot right here in Rosemount, sometime earlier this month, and just dropped into the J.P.'s office one Friday afternoon.

That Zach Coxwell is something else, isn't he? I can believe that Jen was swept off her feet. There are lots of us in town who would have gone for that deal, but the Diva isn't dishing those names. Your secrets, ladies, are safe with me.

For now.

Jen tells the Dishing Diva that her knitting store will be opening in the former MacCauley's and the Diva is advising you to watch for a grand opening in September. The store's to be called The Black Sheep, which I'm sure has nothing to do with our boy Zach's reputation. Nuh uh uh. Has he mended his ways? Or will life get more interesting in Rosemount? Stay tuned.

Our boy Zach has been busy. After all his travels, he's the star of a one-man photography show down at the Holland-Mercer Gallery in Boston. The grand opening was on Friday night and rumor has it that not only does our local-boy-made-good have another show booked for later in the year, but that this one is already sold out. Shake your booty on down to Boston to check it out through the end of February and see where Zach has been.

Not to mention—although of course I am mentioning it—there was a private reception for the newlyweds last Saturday, at the Coxwell digs we all know and love, for five hundred of their nearest and dearest, including yours truly. Grey Gables was hopping, courtesy of an ancient karaoke machine, the like of which I would never have expected to see at a Coxwell party. It was some kind of fête—those Coxwells know how to turn it on. In case you were wondering, both bride and groom can really sing.

Darlings, I fox-trotted the night away and practically wore holes in my fave shoes, just to be able to bring you the real dish.

The fashionistas among you will want to know that the bride wore Balenciega for the reception, a perfect little retro number conjured up by Meg Erickson, owner of the vintage store, Twice Loved, in Boston's North End. In fact, the Dishing Diva can divulge that the talented Meg is considering a move to digs in our own delectable town, the better to concentrate on her custom dressmaking. Shhhhh—the tentative name of her new biz is Vintage Interventions and I'm thinking that real estate on Main Street has suddenly gotten more valuable. You heard it here first, boys and girls.

Got news? Got gossip? Call the Diva and let's dish down at the Dishman Diner. Call me, too, to sell your house or help you buy real estate in town. I'm your single source for everything you really want to know, darlings. Listen for me daily on Radio Rosemount, simulcast on the web for you, me and everyone else who's dying to know the dish on what's going down in Rosemount.

* * * * * * * * *

Yes, you really can buy a knitted prosthesis like the one Jen wears in this story, from this website. If you'd prefer to knit your own, you can grab the pattern from the archive of the Fall 2005 issue of
Knitty.com
. The founder of Titbits, Beryl Tsang, generously shared her pattern—but be warned that her introductory comments are very funny.

Since
All Or Nothing
was originally published, a number of new patterns for knitted fruit and vegetables have been published. (Maybe Jen and I inspired a trend!) One of my favorite projects was knitting the beet designed by Norah Gaughan, but you can find plenty of others. I also love the book Amigirumi Knits by Hansi Singh because she offers patterns for critters, too. (You can find Hansi on
Ravelry
, and her book at online booksellers—just in case you need a knitted crab.) These are fun projects, comparatively quick, and often a good way to learn new techniques.

Happy knitting!

* * *

If you like young adult novels, you might enjoy Deborah Cooke's trilogy
The Dragon Diaries
. This is a spin-off from Deborah's successful paranormal romance series,
Dragonfire
, in which Zoë Sorensson learns to wield her powers as the only female shapeshifting dragon.

Read on for a taste of
Flying Blind
, book #1 in that series.