Always & Forever (29 page)

She felt horrible for lying. Eventually Zach’s family would learn the truth. However, Zach was right. It was Tommy’s day. It wouldn’t be fair to tell them now.

Masculine laughter came from a doorway and Lilly veered toward it. She peeked at the three men sitting in the room and tapped on the doorframe. “Is this a boy’s only club, or are girls allowed?”

Zach looked up. The undisguised lust in his expression set her pulse on a mad gallop. “Come on in, baby.” He jumped up from his chair and hurried to her. “How’d things go with Mother?”

“Great,” she said. “The food’s in the oven and the kitchen’s still standing.”

“Guess it’s time to go put on our fine feathers,” Zach’s father said as he stood up and stretched. “It’s been good visiting, boys. Next summer, everyone has to get to the lake sooner.”

“Course we will, Dad,” Tommy said. “If you’ll all excuse me, I need to hurry. My bride will be here soon.”

Lilly found the smile spreading across his face endearing.

“You’re really happy with Bridget, aren’t you, Tommy?” she asked.

He nodded. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“It shows.”

Tommy leaned down and kissed Lilly’s cheek. “Don’t you worry about tonight, Lil. We’ve got your back. If anyone has a problem with your old identity, we’re here for you.” He winked and passed through the door.

Lilly grew cold.
Zach told them? After telling her they shouldn’t?

James patted her shoulder on his way past. “And if that stalker messes with you, we’ll all protect you. I’ll talk to Patricia and tell her what’s going on.”

James and Tommy left, and Lilly rounded on Zach. “How
could
you?”

Zach held up his hands. “It sort of slipped out. I’m sorry. They knew something had happened between us. Then, the story about the stalker came out, and I ended up telling them everything.”

Lilly swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I spent the last several hours feeding your mom a line of bull about my life, as per our agreement. Don’t you think I should know if you’re disclosing my secrets?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. Dad’s going to make it right with her. She’ll understand. Don’t worry.”

“
Don’t worry?
Zach, your mother already hates me.” She bit her lip. She couldn’t let her anger take control right now. “Never mind. Let’s get dressed.”

“Our clothes are upstairs.” He held out his arm, and Lilly reluctantly accepted it. “Dad’s going to talk to Mother. Please don’t worry. With something this important, she’ll trust my judgment. Besides, Dad’s crazy about you.”

Lilly pressed her eyes tightly together for a moment and prayed for patience. It would have been nice for him to tell her before he exposed her, but neither one of them could undo it. At least James and Tommy seemed supportive, and Sarah already knew. Lilly never expected Patricia to be her best friend anyway.

She sighed as she walked alongside Zach. “I guess it doesn’t matter. Tommy will tell Bridget she was right, huh? Pretty soon everyone will know who I am. Good thing your grandma still wants me to work for her, because I won’t be able to find a job anywhere else.”

“Lilly, you don’t have to worry about that stuff anymore. You’re with me now.”

“We slept together, Zach, we aren’t married. Unless you’re proposing, I still have bills to pay.” She stifled painful gasps as they ascended the staircase. “I worry every day whether I’ll be able to pay my rent. I’m glad your life’s not that way, but this is my reality now.”

They reached the top landing, and she took a minute to catch her breath. Lilly blinked back tears born of equal parts pain and anger.

Zach didn’t respond, although his face reddened and his breathing sounded as labored as Lilly’s. He walked down the hallway and opened a door, revealing a large bedroom.

The bag holding Lilly’s dress lay on the bed next to Zach’s suit. She walked toward it, breathing deeply in an effort to reign in her frustration.

Zach shut the door and joined her near the bed. “Maybe to you what we shared was just sex,” he said softly. “But I think I’ve proven you can trust me now. I don’t know what else to do that
could
prove it.” He stared at the floor. “I didn’t sell you out, damn it. I told my brother and my father, people I trust. How can you be angry?”

“Trust?” Lilly whirled to face him. “I trusted you when you said we shouldn’t say anything.” She clenched her fists tightly. “If you trust them, why stay married to a woman you hated for five years? Why let them think you were happy? Yeah, Zach, you trust them a lot.”

He looked up and it stunned Lilly to see tears on his face.

“You’re right, Lilly. I’m a horrible person who’s
trying
to ruin your life.” He tossed a small box onto the bed. “I wanted to bring you up here and make love to you before I gave you these. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He grabbed the bag holding his suit and headed for the door. “I’ll see you downstairs. Please don’t upset my family by leaving right now. I’ll take you home as soon as the party’s over.”

A spasm of pain and guilt clenched her chest. “Zach, wait. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

He opened the door and walked through it without looking back.

Lilly tumbled down onto the bed. Sobs wracked her body. It seemed like she spent most of her time around Zach either scared or angry. How could she even hope for a future with a relationship like that?

The honest part of her acknowledged the truth. It wouldn’t matter who she was with, Charles destroyed the joy and ability to blindly love she once had. She couldn’t let her guard down, even with someone as sweet as Zach.

Zach made a mistake, and it was a big one, but did that mean she shouldn’t try with him anymore? Perhaps subconsciously, she wanted Zach to prove he wasn’t anything like Charles before she could truly love him. Force him into a position where he would either hit her or leave. Time after time, Zach had proven he wouldn’t hit her. This time, he left.

She buried her face in her hands. “Damn you, Charles. Damn you for ruining my life.”

The box Zach tossed out of his pocket slid along the bed, coming to rest at her hip. Lilly picked it up with trembling hands and flipped the lid open. Enormous teardrop-shaped sapphire earrings, studded by miniature diamonds, glinted from a nest of black suede. It was the first time anyone gave her jewelry.

Zach seethed with impotent rage thirty minutes later when he joined his parents in the living room. He really thought Lilly was the one, the girl of his dreams. During his marriage to Victoria, Zach clung to the belief he had a soul mate out there somewhere, someone who would truly love him.

From the moment he’d met her, Zach felt as if Lilly was that woman. He’d tried to deny it to himself for three months, but something changed the night of the boat party. It changed even more when she told him her story. The feel of her in his arms, the exhilaration of making love to her—other experiences paled by comparison.

And Charles ruined her. She would never trust, never love. Zach couldn’t reach beyond her shield of doubt and anger, and he constantly made wrong choices and hurt her.

“Things okay, son? Where’s Lilly.”

Zach looked into his father’s concerned eyes and shook his head. “She’s not real happy with me right now, Dad. She’ll be down soon.”
I hope.

“Well,” his mother said, “bad breeding will always tell, if you ask me. I’ve met Katherine’s father. Lying little cheat is what that man is. I’m not surprised
she’s
been lying to us all this time.”

Zach’s heart sank. Lilly was right—right about his mother’s reaction, right about his cowardice in lying about his marriage. She was certainly right about the fact that he should have talked to her before telling his family.

“Mother, please stop.” Zach ran a hand through his hair and willed her to be silent. “
Lilly
hasn’t done anything wrong, and I shouldn’t have told you about her past.”

Sarah gasped from the doorway. “Zach, you didn’t.”

Zach jerked his head to look where Sarah, Steven, and Savannah stood inside the entry. “Yeah, I did.”

“Something’s wrong with my Aunt Lilly?” Savannah asked. Her lower lip trembled.

Zach crossed the room and picked her up. “Uncle Zach was naughty and she’s a little angry right now, Princess, that’s all. Don’t worry.” He fought against the tears stinging his eyes, and hoped he hadn’t just lied to Savannah.

She struggled against his side and he released her. Savannah put her hands on her hips, and her pink dress swirled around her little legs. “Did you appoleragize?”

Zach shook his head. “No, Princess, not yet.”

She tapped her toe against the floor and glared up at him.

“But I’m going to,” he assured her. “I need to wait for her to calm down a little first.”

She nodded, seeming satisfied with that response. “I’m going to the play room now, Mommy.” At Sarah’s nod, Savannah dashed out.

“If you ask me, it’s for the best,” Patricia said as soon as Savannah was out of earshot. “Katherine can go away now and leave us in peace. Honestly, I try to be nice, and she lies to me. She’s obviously no good, Zach, and you’d do well to get rid of her.”

“Mom!” Sarah favored their mother with a disapproving glare, hands on her hips in an echo of her daughter. “How can you say something like that about the woman Zach is in love with?”

Zach’s legs felt weak and he sat abruptly. He was in love with a woman who couldn’t return the emotion. What was he going to do? There had to be some way to reach her, some way to break through the barrier around her heart.

“In love?” Patricia repeated. “He’s barely found out who she is. He can’t be in love with her.”

Zach put his head in his hands to rub his aching temples. “I can, Mother, and I am.”

“Oh, Zachie.” Sarah’s voice was full of approval. “That’s great.”

“That is
not
great,” Patricia said, raising her voice. “You can’t possibly know already.”

He looked into her eyes and prayed she would listen. “You promised you’d give Lilly a chance, Mother. I’m holding you to that.”

“I promised to give
Lilly
a chance.” Patricia paced around the room. “I never said anything about Katherine.”

“If you call her that again, I’m out of here,” he said quietly. “I’ll take Lilly and leave, and I’ll never come back.”

“That’s enough,” his father said. “Cut the dramatics, both of you.” James turned to his wife. “You will be polite to Lilly, Patty. I’m not going to have a battle here. If you can’t find yourself sympathetic with all that’s happened to the poor girl, at least have a care for what your son wants.”

“But, she’s lied to us,” Patricia protested. “James, think about your mother. She’ll never stand for this.”

“Grandma knows,” Zach said. Weariness descended on him. Would Mother never shut up? “Grandma has always known.”

“I don’t understand why you’re all standing behind Katherine on this,” Patricia complained. “She can’t be important enough to cause us to fight like this.”

“Mother!” Zach shot out of his chair. “What did I just say? Her name is—”

“Patricia’s right,” Lilly called down from the top of the stairs. “You shouldn’t fight because of me.”

Zach looked up. Lilly stood with her hand resting on the banister. His breath caught in his throat and his heart pounded.

Her sapphire dress hugged her slim hips and flared out into a slight bell at the bottom. She had pulled her red tresses on top of her head, but several tendrils curved down to artfully soften her face. The earrings he’d tossed down dangled from her lobes. The large gems accentuated the color of her bright eyes and drew attention to her slender neck.

He ached to go to her, to take her in his arms. There was still anger on her face, anger mixed with sadness. Despite his misgivings, he started up the stairs. He leapt them two at a time without really being in conscious control of his feet.

“I’m so sorry,” he said before he even reached the top. “You have to forgive me. I should have kept your secret.” He stopped on the step below her.

Lilly reached her hand to his cheek and gently wiped away a tear he hadn’t felt fall.

He pressed his forehead into hers and closed his eyes. “Please,” he whispered, “don’t tell me I’ve ruined everything.”

Her hand trembled against him. She drew in a sharp breath, and Zach opened his eyes. The color drained from her face and her freckles showed beneath her makeup. She looked ready to faint, and Zach put his arms around her to steady her.

She shook her head and a tear slid down her cheek. “I tried to tell myself that this was okay,” she whispered back. “I tried to pretend. After all, having you until January would be better than nothing. But I can’t cause problems between you and your mother. It’s not worth that.”

“Until January? Honey, what are you talking about?”

The sound of the doorbell recalled them to their surroundings, interrupting whatever reply she might have given.

“My bride’s here,” Tommy called from the other room.

“Alright, everyone,” James said. “This conversation is over for now. We are a happy, happy family and we will not embarrass Tommy.” He looked up onto the balcony at Lilly. “I’m including you in this as well.”