It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3)

by Tamra Baumann

  Zane cleared his throat, slanted his head, and leaned toward her, but then stopped.

  She whispered, “What are you waiting for?”

  “If I only get one shot, I want to make sure I get this right.”

  His knitted brow and serious expression warmed her heart. A perfectionist, just as Mandy had said. “I thought you might be worried about catching a disease. I hear you’re kind of a germ freak?”

  He winced. “I think ‘freak’ is a little over the top.”

  She slipped her hands behind his neck. “My STD is dormant right now, so you’re safe.”

  When his eyes grew wide, she laughed. “I’m teasing, Zane. I don’t have cooties.” Before he could protest, she tugged his mouth against hers. His smiling lips were warm, soft, full, and perfect, dammit! Every hormone in her body went on full alert.

  Wanting more, she parted her lips in invitation. A low, sexy hum rumbled from his chest as he pulled her closer. She snuggled against his hard body as her tongue danced lightly with his. Her fingers somehow ended up in his soft, thick hair.

  His hands wandered lower, kneading and caressing her body, fueling the growing flame inside her that screamed for more.

  There wasn’t just chemistry between them; the heat and desire churning in her blood threatened a full-out explosion. He was just her type.

  And because of that, she should put a stop to the kissing. She couldn’t be with Zane Steele. It’d give Tomas more ammo to use against her.

  But maybe she’d just enjoy the glimpse of what might have been for another moment or two.

  When they finally had to stop for air, she leaned back and met his amused gaze. She should probably slip out of his arms, but they felt nice wrapped around her.

  He said, “I hate to say I told you so . . .”

  “Okay. I’ll admit that was good. But—”

  He laid two fingers across her still-tingling lips. “Please don’t say no. How about we take things slow and see where we end up? I’m not asking to sleep with you, although now it’ll be hard not to after that fantastic kiss. I just want to have dinner with you tomorrow night.”

  She’d like to have dinner with him too. To figure out who the real Zane Steele was . . . but she shouldn’t. “I don’t date much because of my boys.”

  His brow knit. “What about Beau?”

  “The little dating I’ve done since my divorce has been when the boys are with their father. I don’t want to add another man in their lives who’ll probably disappear like their dad did.”

  “My mom did the same thing for a few years after my dad was gone. Hid her dating. But my brother and I knew. And we were fine with it because she seemed happy again. But we don’t have to call it a date. Just dinner. Think about it. Okay?”

  Memories filled her mind of the first time her father went on a date after her mom had died. It felt weird to see her father with someone other than her mom. But then her father had met her stepmother, Sue Ann, and now Dad seemed happier too. Not that it was easy to tell with her stern father, but he’d been easier to live with at least. “I don’t know, Zane.”

  “We could ‘run into’ each other at the diner tomorrow night. How about that?”

  “Why would I be eating at the diner without my boys?”

  “Then bring the boys with you. I don’t mind.” He wrapped her up a little tighter. “I just want to spend some time with you.”

  “With my kids too? What kind of a date would that be?”

  “A G-rated one.” He laid a quick kiss on her lips that left her wanting more. “I’m probably going to be up most of the night writing, so I’ll see you at six thirty tomorrow evening at Gloria’s. Goodnight.”

  He released her and walked away before she had a chance to come up with a good argument.

  After he’d turned up the hill to the guesthouse, she wandered over to the hotel’s dock and sat at the end. Wrapping her arms around her middle to stay warm, she studied the glass-like surface of the moonlit lake.

  It’d probably be a mistake to get involved with Zane. Two months would be enough time to know if they had the kind of chemistry that lasted longer than a few dates. Although, with the way he traveled, what kind of a relationship would that be if they did hit it off?

  The few minutes they’d spent together at spaghetti night before she’d gotten called away had actually been more comfortable than she would have imagined. Probably because the boys hung on their idol’s every word.

  But she’d made it a policy to hide her dating from them, so she should stick to that. She’d send Zane a text tomorrow and tell him she didn’t want to pursue a relationship with him.

  No, that’d be cowardly and rude. She’d talk to him face to face. Make sure he understood it was because of her situation, not him.

  Too bad she hadn’t met him ten years ago, when she was single and free to date whomever she liked. It was a shame to let a man go who kissed as well as Zane Steele did.

  Zane felt like he was in high school again, giddy over a first kiss. It was ridiculous how much he was looking forward to a “date.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked forward to anything lately.

  As he stepped onto the guesthouse’s front porch, he spotted Mandy sitting in one of the chairs. She had her knees tucked against her chest with her arms wrapped around them.

  “Hey, what’s up, Mandy?”

  “Couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d come back and see if you’d changed your mind about working tonight.”

  He sat on a chair next to hers. “As a matter of fact, I am going to try to get some more done tonight.”

  Mandy nodded. “I figured. You want some help, or would you rather I go?”

  He must’ve really hurt her feelings earlier. “I’d love some help. I’m sorry if I was short with you before. And if I ever did anything to give you the wrong impression about you and me . . .”

  “No, it wasn’t you.” She blew out a long breath. “It was all me.”

  He didn’t know what to say to that.

  She saved him from answering when she said, “I also wanted to tell you that I’ve decided to take another job. My grandfather said it’d be a great opportunity that might earn me a position at a record company.”

  “It’s what you’ve always wanted. But I’ll miss you. You’ve been a real asset to me.”

  “Thanks. I’ll really miss you too.” She turned and smiled at him. “You know, it’s funny. Your brother hits on me all the time. You two look exactly alike, but I’m not attracted to him in the least. It’s like he’s missing a heart or something. He’s not kind like you, even though you two were brought up exactly the same and practically have the same DNA.”

  Pissed off that Nick had hit on Mandy, Zane said, “Nick is an unhappy person. He always hated that I got better grades and that I had more friends. But he never worked for anything or any relationship in his life. He thinks the world owes him.”

  “He sent me an e-mail earlier. I don’t know how he got ahold of a computer because I thought he was on communication lockdown for the first month.”

  “He’s probably banging a groupie counselor there who thinks it’s me. What did he say?”

  “That he liked me enough to warn me. He said your ship is about to sink, and he was going to be the one to blast a torpedo in its side.”

  Crap!

  He’d better have Kip call the rehab center in the morning and be sure Nick was watched more closely. His brother might be mad enough this time to carry out his threat. “Nick’s a drama queen. But I hope that’s not why you’re leaving.”

  “No. I’m leaving because it’s time to move on. Let’s get to work.” She stood and walked toward the door. “I hope things work out with you and Casey.”

  “Thanks, Mandy.”

  Zane followed her inside, still shaken a bit that Nick had gotten hold of a computer so easily.

  Would his brother really go to the press and accuse him of murdering their dad?

  Zane cracked
an eye open and found his phone. Two p.m. Time to get up.

  He rolled out of bed and hit the shower in the guesthouse. He’d sent Mandy home at one in the morning but he hadn’t gone to sleep until six that morning because he was on such a roll. And he loved what had finally come to him. He was eager to get back to it. Maybe he’d found his muse in Casey.

  After his shower, he realized he didn’t have any clean clothes. He didn’t want to put his dirty ones back on, so he wrapped a towel around his middle. He’d have Mandy bring him some.

  He picked up his phone and sent her a text. She replied and said she’d be right over. Starvation made him head for the kitchen to see what Dax had put there for him. When he opened the fully stocked fridge, he grinned. But then something on the countertop nearby caught his eye. A whole box of his favorite cereal when he’d been a kid stood there unopened. Casey must’ve told Dax to buy it for him.

  He found a bowl and spoon, then poured the cereal out. After drowning all the little chocolate marshmallows and crunchies with milk, he took a huge bite and closed his eyes. A sugar explosion assaulted his taste buds, but in a good way. He’d never be able to eat all of it—it was way too sweet for him now—but he’d have a few more bites before he grabbed one of the wrapped turkey sandwiches he’d seen in the fridge.

  A quiet knock sounded on the front door. Must be Mandy. He laid down his bowl and crossed the living room, maneuvering around all his equipment before he swung the door open.

  “Hi, Casey. I was expecting Mandy. Come in.”

  “If this is the way you usually dress to greet Mandy, then I can see why she had the wrong impression about you two.”

  Her eyes did a slow up-and-down perusal of his body that made him want to drag her back to the bedroom. But he’d promised to take things slowly with her. “Mandy is bringing me some fresh clothes. I crashed here last night.”

  “Most guys would’ve just worn the old ones again until they could change, Mr. Clean.” She moved past him and stepped inside. “But after seeing you in a towel, I’m going to regret what I need to tell you even more.”

  Had she changed her mind about them? He couldn’t lose her. At least not before he had a solid chance to show her who he really was. Then maybe she’d see that underneath his fame he was just a regular guy, who didn’t get into the rich-and-famous scene like she assumed. That she was immune to celebrities just added to her appeal. He’d never met anyone like her. So he needed to do something. Quick.

  Without thinking it through, he tugged her against him and kissed her.

  She let out a soft sigh and wrapped her arms around him. Encouraged, he pulled her against his chest and deepened their kiss. Their bodies fit so perfectly together it was as if they had been made for each other.

  Female throat-clearing coming from the doorway behind them made him reluctantly end the kiss. When he leaned back, Casey looked so sad it sent an arrow to his heart. Was she still thinking of backing out?

  Mandy said, “Here are your clothes. Not that it looks like you’ll be needing them right away. I’ll let you two get back to it.” She dropped the clothes onto the couch and turned to go. “Oh, I almost forgot. The boys were looking for you earlier, Zane. They said you were going to help them look for something. But I told them you were sleeping and not to bother you, so they said they’d just go on without you. Whatever that meant. See you.”

  Zane’s stomach dropped. They went out to the mine alone? “How long ago was that, Mandy?”

  She shrugged. “About an hour ago, I think. Bye.”

  After Mandy left, he grabbed the clothes from the couch and quickly started dressing.

  Casey asked, “What are you helping the boys find?”

  When he glanced over his shoulder he caught Casey checking out his bare ass. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you. But I’m worried they went out to that collapsed mine on their own. They’re looking for those barrels of whiskey. I’ll go find them.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise for a beat before they narrowed in anger. “We’ll both go. I specifically told them to stay away from that mine. Why would you ever agree to help them do that, Zane?”

  He tugged up his pants, threw a T-shirt over his head, and then grabbed his cell. As they ran out the door, he said, “I didn’t want them to go alone. I thought if I went along I could keep them safe.”

  Casey led the way to her car while she called Meg and her brother Ryan, filling them in on the situation. She beeped the locks and then yanked open her car door. “Those two are going to be so buried under new chores they won’t know what hit them. What were they thinking?”

  “Does Caleb or Eric have a cell phone we could call?” Zane opened his door and slid into the passenger side of Casey’s SUV. As soon as his seatbelt was clasped, they took off at breakneck speed.

  “No. I promised Caleb one for his birthday if he kept his grades up first semester.”

  He’d already spilled the beans, so why not tell her all of it. It might make her go easier on the kids. “Your boys are doing this for you. They want to sell the whiskey and give you the money because they think you need it. After they buy themselves new bikes, that is. And Eric wants to use his cut for college.”

  Casey glanced his way. “They told you I’m broke?”

  He nodded, still wondering how much trouble he was in. “I told them you could have my cut too. I’d be happy to buy them new bikes, Casey.”

  She grunted then turned and focused on the road ahead again. “They wanted new bikes at the beginning of summer and I told them no because theirs were perfectly fine. We can’t afford to buy new ones every year. Their father keeps me in court perpetually, so I do have to watch the budget a bit. But I’m certainly not in dire straits. I make good money, so thank you for the offer of the bikes and your share, but no thanks. We’re not charity cases for you to save, Zane.”

  Okaaay. He was definitely in trouble too. Probably best to keep his yap shut. But he was glad they weren’t really struggling.

  They pulled off the winding paved road just out of town and onto a path with two dirt vehicle tracks surrounded by tall pine trees on either side. When they got to a large clearing and spotted three bikes, Casey stopped the car and jumped out.

  He followed behind her as they jogged toward an old chain-link fence half buried by rocks and dirt. Casey pointed toward the rubble. “That’s where the opening used to be, before the cave-in a few weeks back. Eric said the barrels were on a lower level, so everyone thinks there must be a back way or an old loading dock around here somewhere.”

  She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out for the boys. When there was no answer, they started down a steep bank on the side of the collapsed opening. Casey had on girly sandals that made the climb down slick for her, so he circled an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. When they hit the bottom, Casey said, “Thank you,” but then quickly pulled away from him.

  The forest was thick with trees and pinecones, but a barely discernable worn path lay ahead of them. Rushing water sounded somewhere to their right as they headed deeper into the woods.

  Caleb suddenly appeared through the trees ahead. “Mom! I was just coming to get you. Hurry. Ty’s hurt. This way!”

  Casey didn’t take the time to ask what was wrong. She just took off running. But she couldn’t keep up in her sandals, so Zane ran past Casey and caught up with Caleb. After weaving through trees, he spotted an old, thin bridge spanning a rushing river. They stopped at the edge of a tall drop-off overlooking the bridge and the water below.

  Must’ve been an old railcar system, but the wood was rotted out. Eric turned and greeted them, but Ty was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where’s your brother, Caleb?”

  Caleb had tears in his eyes as he pointed. “Down there. The wood broke under him. His arm is hurt so he can’t climb back up. Eric stayed to keep Ty calm while I went for help.”

  Zane moved closer to the edge and peered over the side of the embankment. Ty was wedged
in a cross section of wood from the old trestle bridge a few feet below the tracks. Memories of his father falling to his death warred with Zane’s struggle to stay focused and calm. A little boy’s life might depend on him.

  He called out, “Hang on, Ty. I’m coming.”

  Casey caught up. “Maybe I’d better go, Zane. I’m lighter.”

  “No. I’ll go.” He felt responsible for the boys being out there alone in the first place.

  “I’ll call my brother and ask him to bring some climbing gear.” Casey was clearly trying, but unable, to keep the fear from her voice.

  He couldn’t blame her; he could barely draw a deep breath. What if Ty fell into the rocky water below? Could he swim with his injuries?

  Tamping back his fear, Zane stepped carefully onto a cross section of wood. It cracked under his weight, so he quickly moved to the edge. Like a tightrope walker, balancing and swaying with his arms extended, he slowly made his way to the middle. The bridge creaked and groaned underneath his feet, threatening to give way any moment.

  When he finally reached the section Ty had fallen through, Zane lay on his belly and reached down. “Can you grab my hand, Ty?”

  Ty extended his left arm as high as he could, but still couldn’t reach. His right arm was bent at a strange angle that could only mean it was broken. Zane slid closer to the gaping hole and strained for the extra few inches they needed. But it wasn’t enough. He could jump down to get Ty, but he wasn’t sure how they’d get back up. Maybe he’d have to wait for a rope.

  “Hurry. It’s cracking!” The fear in Ty’s eyes was identical to Zane’s father’s right before he’d slipped on the edge of the cliff. And died.

  No time to wait for a rope. The cross supports were giving out. They’d never hold both of their weights. It was probably only an eight-foot drop into the water below. But the rapid river was filled with large boulders.

  Zane lowered himself down the hole, feet first. “Can you grab my legs, Ty?”

  “A little lower.”