A New Chapter

by Susan Coventry

  Zack ran his hands through his hair, obviously frustrated too. “Just when I think I understand women, I realize that I don’t have a clue. The reason I didn’t call you last night is because I figured you were freaked out about the kiss and needed some time to decompress. I wasn’t ignoring you or the significance of the event, I was just giving you time. Regarding the UPS guy—if my coming in here is enough to scare him off, then he’s not worth your time. You deserve better.”

  Emma’s jaw dropped. In a heartbeat, she had gone from being furious at him to wanting to wrap her arms around him. She took a couple of deep breaths instead.

  “So, what do you have in your hand?”

  Zack smiled and held up the tickets. “I happen to have two tickets to a country music concert at DTE Music Theater for this Friday night. Since you like country music, I figured you might want to go with me.”

  Emma eyed him suspiciously. “How do you know that I like country music?”

  “I might have snooped around in your entertainment cabinet when we had the sleepover,” Zack replied unapologetically.

  Emma frowned, but she couldn’t stay mad, not when she saw the amusement in those twinkling gray orbs. “And what else did you discover besides my CD collection?”

  “I found a lot of dirty movies. Now I know how you spend your free time,” he said with a grin.

  Emma broke out into laughter, which erased the remaining tension between them. “I do not have a dirty movie collection. Well, maybe just one or two.”

  “Anyway, what about the concert? Will you go with me?”

  “I wish I could; however, I won’t be here. I’m going to Chicago for a bookseller’s trade show.”

  Zack visibly deflated. “Oh. Did that just come up?”

  “No. It’s an annual event that I’ve gone to since I opened the shop. I made the arrangements months ago.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Is there someone else you could take to the concert?” Say no, say no!

  “I don’t know anyone else who likes country music except you.”

  “Sorry, Zack.” He looked so forlorn that she wanted to hug him, but she resisted. “I hope that you didn’t pay a lot for the tickets.”

  “Actually, I got them for free. Dan passed them out to a few of the guys and Brandy.”

  Oh no, not the bimbo. “You could go with them,” she suggested weakly.

  “Nah, I’ll just skip it. So, tell me more about your trip to Chicago.”

  “There’s not a whole lot to tell. It’ll just be a bunch of book nerds like me walking around the convention center checking out what’s new in the world of books.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “I fly out on Thursday morning and fly back Sunday morning.”

  “Chicago’s a great city. What else will you do there besides go to the book show?”

  Emma was touched by his interest. “I’ll be at the show for most of the day. By the time it’s over, I’ll probably get some dinner and then go to bed. Nothing too exciting.”

  “Who will you go to dinner with?”

  Hmm… now it sounds like he’s fishing. “I know a few people who will be at the show, but I’ll probably end up eating on my own. Why?”

  “Just curious. No hidden agenda, Em. Just asking as your friend.”

  Back to that again. Maybe the kiss didn’t mean anything after all. “Well, I’ll be fine on my own. I’m getting used to it.” Liar!

  “Well, if you get lonely or anything, you can always give me a call.”

  She searched his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity there. Emma stepped forward and put her arms around him. “Thanks, Zack,” she whispered.

  He was obviously caught off guard by her show of affection, but he quickly recovered and wrapped her tightly in his embrace. Emma reveled in the feeling of warmth and security while she leaned into his hard chest, her head tucked under his chin. She was no nurse, but she could have sworn his heartbeat was a little faster than normal. Of course, hers probably was too.

  Zack ran his hands up and down her back as he held her close, and for once, he didn’t seem inclined to speak. A tap on the office door caused them to pull apart.

  Kelly poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, Em, but there’s a local author here who would like to talk to you.”

  “Be right there,” Emma said.

  “So…” Zack began.

  “So…” Emma repeated.

  “Can I call you tonight?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good.” Zack gave her his full-out devilish grin and then turned and sauntered out the door.

  After he left, Emma tried to give her undivided attention to the local author, who was there to pitch her latest children’s book, but her mind kept drifting, first to the kiss, then to the hug, then back to the kiss again. As the author showed her the illustrations in the book, Emma decided that being in Zack’s arms ranked right up there with reading and chocolate. It had been a long time since a man had made it on her top three list, and it was then that Emma realized that she was in big, big, trouble!

  Chapter 22

  Emma leaned her head against the window of the airplane and watched the Detroit skyline disappear. It seemed fitting that now her body was in the clouds along with her head. She had been thinking about Zack and Gracie all morning long.

  Zack had called her as promised on Monday evening and filled her in on his conversation with Alicia. Apparently, Alicia had tried to read him the riot act about it being too soon to introduce another woman into Gracie’s life. Zack had retaliated with, “Well, what about the intern? Why does he get to be a part of Gracie’s life?” He had also gone on to defend Emma and had pointed out how much Gracie liked her. Evidently, that had shut Alicia up, at least for now.

  Zack had asked Emma to have dinner with him and Gracie on Wednesday, but she worked until closing that night. In lieu of dinner, she had received a sweet phone call at the store, where first Gracie and then Zack had said their goodbyes. Emma warmed at the thought that someone—make that two someones—would actually miss her that weekend.

  The plane touched down smoothly at O’Hare Airport a short time later. Emma pushed all thoughts of Zack aside while she deplaned, retrieved her luggage, and caught a taxicab to the McCormick Place Convention Center. It was still early enough that she would have time to drop off her bag and get to the trade show right when it opened. It helped that she was staying at the hotel that was connected to the convention hall.

  Before long, Emma was completely immersed in a sea of books. She meandered up and down row after row of booths showcasing books of every kind. Halfway through, her tote bag bulged with literature and freebies from the various tables that she had stopped at. As always, Emma gravitated to the children’s books, and as she paged through them, she was reminded of Gracie—and the other kids who came to story time, of course.

  By four o’clock that afternoon, Emma was exhausted. Between the early flight and all of the walking she had done, she wanted nothing more than to take a nap and order room service, which is exactly what she did. After dinner, she curled up in the chair in front of the window and enjoyed the expansive view of Lake Michigan while she cracked open the latest James Patterson novel. The book was engaging, but her attention kept drifting out to the lake, where boats sailed by, full of smiling passengers. Chicago’s nightlife was already in full swing, and here she was tucked away in her hotel room, alone. She was considering venturing outside for a walk when her cell phone buzzed. Just like that, her melancholy mood slipped away.

  “Hello, Zack,” she answered.

  “Hey, pretty lady. How’s the windy city?”

  Pretty lady? That’s a new one. “Bustling as always. I’m looking out at Lake Michigan from my hotel room right now.”

  “Sounds nice, but why aren’t you out on the town?”

  “It’s not as fun when you’re alone. Besides, I’m kind of tired. It’s been a long day.”

  “I wish I were t
here,” Zack said.

  Does he mean in Chicago or with me? “What would you do if you were here right now?”

  “Well, for starters, I would take you out for a nice dinner.”

  “Then what?” Emma wrapped her arms around her legs and gazed out at the lake, letting Zack’s voice warm her from the inside out.

  “Then we would go bar-hopping or, wait, even better, shopping on the Magnificent Mile.”

  Emma giggled. “You are the only man I know who doesn’t mind shopping.”

  “It’s not that I love to shop, Em. It’s that I like to see you smile.”

  Oh boy. Was that a line? If it was, his delivery was great, because she was tingling all over. “And what would happen after we went shopping?” It was easy to flirt when he was hundreds of miles away.

  “Well, that would depend.” His voice dropped a couple of octaves lower.

  “On what?”

  “On what you were in the mood for.”

  Ok, I’ve done it now. Might as well keep going. “So, it would be my choice?”

  “Yep, because I would be up for anything.”

  Emma cleared her throat noisily, and Zack chuckled gruffly. She was trying to formulate a witty response when she heard Gracie’s voice in the background. Emma wasn’t sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed at the interruption, although she leaned toward disappointed.

  “I should go,” Zack said, sounding disappointed too. “Call you tomorrow.”

  “Ok.”

  Emma still felt tingly when she slipped under the covers. She let herself imagine what it would be like if Zack really were there with her, and she finally drifted off with a soft smile on her face.

  The next day, Emma wandered around the show and collected all the information she could about how to be a successful bookseller. She loved this part of her trip, but she wasn’t looking forward to another lonely night in the hotel room. She had decided that tonight, she would at least go out to dinner and maybe walk along Michigan Avenue for a little while before settling in.

  Emma left the convention center around four thirty and was heading back toward the hotel when she felt the vibration of her cell phone in her purse. She stepped out of the flow of foot traffic and hurriedly extracted her phone. She hadn’t expected to hear from Zack until later, so she was surprised to see his name on the display.

  “Hi,” she answered and slipped back into the stream of people leaving the convention.

  “Hey. Are you still book shopping?”

  “No. I’m on my way back to the hotel.”

  “How did it go today?”

  Wherever Zack was calling from, there was a lot of background noise, and it dawned on Emma that he might have gone to the country concert after all.

  “Good. Where are you? It sounds noisy.”

  “Huh? I can’t hear you. It’s really loud here.”

  Emma giggled. She had just entered the lobby of the hotel, and she stopped to catch her breath. She set down her heavy tote bags and fanned her face to cool off.

  “Where are you?” she repeated, louder this time to make sure that he heard her.

  “I like your dress.”

  Wait, what? She must have misunderstood him, or maybe he had said it to someone else. “What did you just say?”

  “I said I like your dress.”

  Emma looked around wildly but didn’t see any sign of Zack. How ridiculous of her to think that he might be there! “How do you know that I’m wearing a dress?”

  “Look over your right shoulder.”

  Emma’s heart leapt to her throat as she did what he had asked. She swung around and almost dropped the phone onto the gleaming white tile floor. There in front of her, not ten steps away, stood Zack, phone to his ear, with a smug smile plastered across his gorgeous face.

  “Surprise,” he said unnecessarily.

  Emma wished that she had something to hold on to, because she suddenly felt light-headed. Luckily, Zack reached her in a few long strides and wrapped her in a tight hug. She gripped his forearms, looked into his eyes, and sputtered, “But how, when, why…?”

  Zack tipped his head back and laughed. “Slow down, Em. I’ll explain everything, but first tell me that you’re happy to see me.”

  Like he has to ask! “Yes, of course I’m happy to see you! I’m just shocked.”

  “Well, why don’t we drop those bags off in your room, and then I’ll explain over dinner.”

  Emma was about to open her mouth to ask more questions but decided it was probably better not to. She had already made quite a spectacle of herself in the middle of a crowded hotel lobby. She could at least wait to quiz him when they had more privacy.

  Zack effortlessly hefted the tote bags over his shoulder and led her to the bank of elevators. “Which floor?’ he asked while they waited among a throng of people.

  “Fifteen,” she croaked. On the ride up to her floor, Emma kept sneaking glances at Zack. She still couldn’t believe that he was there, and she was almost afraid to take her eyes off of him in case it was all an illusion. He caught her looking a few times and just gave her that devilish grin that she had come to know and… love?

  “Which way?” Zack asked when they stepped off the elevator.

  Emma pointed down the hall and stopped in front of her door. “Right here,” she said and extracted the room key from her purse. Zack followed her inside, set the tote bags on the king-sized bed, and sauntered over to the window to take in the view of Lake Michigan.

  “Wow. Gorgeous,” he commented with his back to her.

  “I agree,” she said, although she was referring to him rather than the view.

  He slowly turned around, and she felt dizzy all over again. “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Not until you answer my questions. Tell me why you’re here, Zack.”

  He took a step forward, and she inhaled sharply.

  “Because I hated the thought of you eating alone?” He quirked his eyebrows at her.

  “Try again.”

  He took another step toward her. “Because I missed you.”

  Oh my God. I’m going to pass out. “How did you get here?”

  “I drove.” He took another step.

  “You drove for five hours to take me out to dinner?” Emma’s voice had raised, and her heart pounded rapidly. He was only an arm’s length away now.

  “That about sums it up. Yes.” Zack stopped right in front of her and let his gaze roam freely over her. “That ok with you?”

  Emma swallowed hard and hoped that she wasn’t blushing. She looked into his eyes and nodded.

  “Good.” Zack reached out and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

  The gesture was so simple yet so intoxicating that Emma had to suppress a moan. “Where are you taking me for dinner?”

  Zack chuckled and took a step back. “I was thinking about Timothy O’Toole’s. It’s an Irish pub that serves excellent fish and chips.”

  Emma let out a breath. The spell had been broken, and they were back on friendly ground again. “Sounds great. Should I change?” She glanced down at her kelly green dress and nude-toned wedges and looked back up to meet Zack’s appraising eyes. Uh-oh. He looks hungry, but not for food!

  “No. We should probably get going. Besides, I like the dress.”

  “Ok. I need to freshen up, and then we’ll go.” Emma hurried off to the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind her. She leaned her back against it and took a few deep breaths. She then used the facilities, gargled with mouthwash, and reapplied her lipstick. When she came back out, Zack was standing by the window once again, with his hands tucked in the front pockets of his khaki pants, seemingly deep in thought. She still couldn’t get over the fact that he was there, standing in her hotel room, looking drool-worthy as ever with his wavy, dark hair curling slightly at the edge of his collar and…

  He turned around to catch her staring. “Ready?”

  For dinner, yes. For whatever comes after, I’m not s
ure. “Yes.” Emma grabbed her jean jacket and purse and followed him out the door.

  Chapter 23

  Emma and Zack hopped in the back of a cab and relaxed while the taxi driver wound his way in and out of the busy traffic. The quiet interior of the cab was like a haven compared to the hustle and bustle of the city. The contrast was similar to what was going on inside Emma’s head. Zack’s presence had both comforted and energized her at the same time.

  “Is Gracie with Alicia this weekend?” Emma ventured.

  “No. My parents have her. I’m not sure who was more thrilled, them or Gracie.”

  “It’s great that you have their help.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

  “So what did you tell them about this weekend?” Her real question: Do they know about me?

  “I told them the truth, that I was going to see a friend in Chicago.” Zack reached over and squeezed her knee before turning his attention out the window.

  Emma wondered if it was just her or if he felt the presence of a third passenger in the cab—Sexual Tension!

  “I’m glad you’re here,” she said.

  “Me too.”

  Zack gave her a hand out of the cab, but he didn’t let go when they entered the pub. It was early enough that they were shown to a table for two, but before long, the place would be packed. Zack pulled out her chair and then took the seat across from her. His legs were so long that he stretched them out alongside hers under the table. Emma tried to concentrate on the menu, but the feel of his pant leg brushing up against her bare skin distracted her.

  An attractive young waitress approached to take their drink orders. She was fitted in a tight black t-shirt with the restaurant name imprinted on the front. Emma noticed the way she perused Zack like he was the daily special, but Zack appeared unfazed.

  “What are you drinking?” the waitress asked.

  “Rum and Coke, Em?” Zack chuckled at their private joke.