Zanar grinned a little at the understatement of the year. Borgoz was a tough bastard, even if his mate had softened his edges a bit.
“I’ve only been back for one day, so I’m sure they’ll give me some time to figure things out, but until then, I’m floundering a bit.”
There was a knock at the door, and she got up to answer. A woman who looked similar to Celeste, if a few decades older, bustled into the room with two large shopping bags. She set them down and turned to Zanar, her eyes blazing with curiosity as she held out her hand.
“I’m Janine Carlisle, Celeste’s mother.”
Zanar stood and shook her hand. “I’m Zanar.”
“And why are you in my daughter’s hotel suite so early in the morning?” she asked.
Was it his imagination or did she look a little gleeful over his presence? Zanar cleared his throat.
“I came to take Celeste to breakfast.”
“Excellent! Well, I’ll just let the two of you get to it. If anyone needs me, call my cell phone. I’m going to explore the city a bit today and then I think I’ll go home tomorrow to wrap up things in Tennessee so I can move here permanently.”
Zanar’s eyebrows rose. “You’re moving here?”
Janine nodded. “I want to be near my Celeste, and until her daughter is returned she needs to remain near the Terran station. I don’t have one near my home, or I’d have taken her with me.”
Zanar was grateful that Celeste was staying in Kentucky for a while longer. Maybe long enough to convince her that the two of them might make a nice couple. Thrace had known almost immediately that he wanted Avelyn for his mate, and Reyvor had wanted Hazel the moment he’d welcomed her into his hotel room. Who was to say that Zanar couldn’t know the moment he saw Celeste that she was the one for him? Convincing her of that might take a little work though. He doubted after all this time that she believed in love at first sight.
Her mother whirled out of the room as quickly as she’d arrived, leaving him feeling a bit dazed. Celeste was shaking her head and smiling, and he wondered if she’d share the joke.
“Am I missing something?” Zanar asked.
“My mother is hoping there’s a budding romance between us. She’ll probably have our wedding planned by the time she gets back to her room. She’s harmless, but she can be a bit pushy at times.”
“I like her.” Especially if she wanted Celeste to marry him. Maybe he needed to get better acquainted with Janine Carlisle. He could use an ally if he was going to win over Celeste. Maybe if he could find a way to bring her daughter home she’d be willing to give him a chance. But what the heck was a bartender going to do?
“I should see what she bought for me and take that shower or we’ll still be sitting here when lunchtime comes.” She smiled. “I promise I won’t take long.”
“Take as much time as you need. I think I’m going to use the Vid-comm in the conference room downstairs. I’ll wait in the lobby for you when I’m finished, but please don’t feel rushed.”
Her brow furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Seeing your mom just made me realize I haven’t spoken to my family lately. I thought I’d give them a quick call while I was waiting.”
Her smile widened, and he made a quick exit before he did something stupid like pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless. That probably wasn’t the best move to make right now. Especially since they hadn’t even been on a first date. She knew nothing about him, and while he knew a little more about her now, there was still a lot to learn. She’d had an entire life before being captured by the Vaadens. He didn’t even know how old she was now. Celeste didn’t look very old, but maybe she just aged well.
Zanar made sure the conference room wasn’t in use and then booked it for the next half hour. He didn’t quite know what he was going to say to his family, but he knew that he needed their help. It didn’t take long to punch in the code to ring their home, and he just hoped that someone was there. He wasn’t certain when he’d get another chance to make a call home with his busy schedule. Normally, he spoke to them at least once a week, but traffic had picked up at the bar leaving him with more paperwork than usual.
His mother came on screen with his father standing behind her.
“Zanar? Is everything all right?” his mother asked.
“Everything is fine. For me anyway. I’m not calling about me though. I met someone.”
His mother’s face lit up. “Your mate? You’ve found her?”
“I think so, but I only met her last night, so it’s still a little too soon to tell. And she’s been through a lot, so I need to tread carefully. Celeste was held captive on Vaaden for five years. She’s been returned to Earth, but it wasn’t without cost. Her daughter was kept from her and remains on Vaaden with her paternal grandparents.”
His father scowled. “Are you certain you want to claim a woman who was a slave for so long?”
Zanar felt his anger rising and could feel his cheeks flush. “I don’t care about her past, father. The fact she survived and is determined to get back her child is all I need to know.”
“What is it we can do?” his mom asked.
“Can you see what you can find out about Sophie’s grandparents? Celeste said her owner’s name was Pynder and he died defending her. I want to bring her daughter home to her, but I don’t know how. I don’t have the pull some of the council members have, and I know they said they would try to help her, but I can’t help but feel they’re going to brush this aside.”
“You’re really interested in this woman?” his father asked.
“Yes, sir. I am. I honestly think she’s the one. I’ve been on Earth for years now, and I’ve not been tempted to claim any of the females I’ve seen, not until now. The moment I saw her, it was like something shifted inside of me, and I wanted to get as close to her as I could.”
His father smiled a little. “Then we’ll see what we can do about bringing our future granddaughter home.”
The tension in his shoulders eased and Zanar returned his father’s smile.
“Thank you. Please let me know if you hear anything. I’d love to give Celeste some good news, but I don’t want to give her false hope either.”
“We understand,” his mother said.
“Give me a few days, maybe a week,” his father said. “I’ll see what I can come up with. At the very least, I’ll learn everything I can about Sophie and her grandparents. Maybe they’ll negotiate. I’ve heard the Vaadens still sometimes charge a bride price when a marriage is arranged. Perhaps if we offered them enough money, they would give Sophie to us.”
“Do whatever you can. If you need money, I’ll clean out my savings to make this happen.”
“I’ll call as soon as I have news,” his father said. “Stay strong and go after that woman. Turn on the charm you’re so famous for and she won’t know what hit her.”
“Thanks, Father.”
Zanar disconnected the call and went to the lobby to wait for Celeste. He didn’t have to wait long before she stepped off the elevator looking absolutely enchanting in a short sleeve blue dress sprigged with small white flowers. She looked wholesome and very much like a mother should. His heart warmed as she smiled at him.
“I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?” she asked.
“Not at all. I just finished my call a few minutes ago. It’s been a while since you’ve been on Earth. Is there someplace in particular you want to go for breakfast? Or a type of food you’re craving?”
“I like pancakes and omelets,” she said.
“Then I know the perfect place. It’s not very fancy, but the food is wonderful. If you’re ready to go, that is.”
She nodded eagerly.
Zanar held out his arm, and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. He led her out to his truck and helped her inside before walking around to the driver’s side. The drive to the diner didn’t take very long, and he was able to pull into a parking sp
ace right out front. She seemed charmed by the fifties style diner as they stepped into the cool interior.
A waitress waved to them. “Sit anywhere you like.”
Zanar led Celeste to a booth by the window and claimed the seat across from her. She looked at the décor, her eyes wide as she took everything in. He couldn’t imagine being captured from his home world and then held captive for five years where he had no rights. It must have been a nightmare. He wanted to remind her how wonderful her world was, and help her celebrate her newfound freedom, and hopefully keep her thoughts and worries off her daughter until he had some news for her.
A waitress stopped by long enough to drop off two menus and get their drink order. When Celeste said she would love some orange juice, he asked for a pitcher for their table. If she wanted juice, Zanar was going to make sure she got as much of it as she wanted.
“Everything here is good,” he told her. “I think I’ve tried everything at least once. You can order whatever you want.”
She studied the menu and Zanar studied her. The sun glinted on her hair, making it look like spun gold. Her lips were pursed as she read everything on the menu, her brow furrowed. She looked adorable, and he felt the urge to protect her and give her the world. Zanar would order everything on the menu if that had been what she wanted.
The waitress came back. “Do you need more time?”
“I think I’m ready,” Celeste said. “I’d like the ham and cheese omelet with a short stack.”
“Do you want sour cream on that?” the waitress asked.
Celeste shook her head.
“And for you?” the waitress asked him.
“I’ll take three eggs over medium, bacon, sausage, and some hash browns.”
“I’ll get that out to you shortly.” The waitress picked up their menus and disappeared behind the counter to place their order.
Celeste seemed nervous, playing with her napkin and silverware. Zanar reached across the table and covered her hands with his. Her startled gaze met his and he smiled at her. Her cheeks flushed a becoming pink and her gaze skittered away.
“I thought that maybe after breakfast we could do some tourist type things around here. Unless you’d prefer to go back to the hotel,” he said. “We can do whatever you want.”
“I’d kind of like to spend a little time with my mom today before she drives back to Tennessee.”
“Of course. I wasn’t thinking. We can tour the city some other time if you’d like to.”
Celeste smiled. “I’d love to tour the city with you. Maybe… maybe you’d like to join us for dinner tonight? Or do you need to work?”
He nearly groaned with disappointment. “I have to work.”
“Lunch?” she asked.
Zanar smiled. “Lunch would be great. I can pick the two of you up at the hotel, or we could eat in the hotel restaurant if you want. I’ll let you ladies pick where we go. And lunch is on me. I insist.”
“You don’t have to keep buying me food. Although I guess I don’t exactly have a way to pay for it myself right now.”
Their food and drinks arrived, and they dug into their meals.
“What kind of work did you do before you were abducted?” he asked.
“I was a student at the University of Tennessee. I was only nineteen when I was captured.”
“So, you’re twenty-four now.”
She nodded. “I looked at the calendar in my hotel room and my birthday was two months ago. We never celebrated my birthday on Vaaden, so I lost track a little.”
“When you’re more settled, we’ll have to go out and celebrate your birthday. And if there’s anything I can do between now and then, just let me know.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “Thrace offered his help too. Everyone has been so nice to me since I came back. I only wish the Vaadens had been more like you. My time with them wasn’t exactly pleasant, even though Pynder was nice enough. I don’t think he loved me, though. I thought I loved him when Sophie was born, but the longer I’m home, the more I realize that I cared for him, but it’s not the same thing. I was forced to stay with him, and I suppose I grew comfortable with him, but I wouldn’t have picked him if I’d been given a choice.”
Zanar nodded. “I understand.”
She took a bite of pancake and some syrup clung to the corner of her mouth. He smiled and reached out to flick it off with his thumb, causing both of them to freeze. There was awareness in her eyes, and it gave him hope that maybe she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Or at least that she would come to want him that much.
“Sorry, you had a bit of syrup there.”
“Thanks,” she said softly.
“You said you were a student. What did you study?”
“Biology. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I graduated, and help animals. I had quite a bit of school left to go. I’d only been in college a year when I was taken.”
“Can you take classes again? Maybe not at that particular school since it’s so far from the Terran station here, but I think there’s a university nearby. Maybe you could transfer to that one?”
She shook her head. “I think it’s too late for me to go back to school. I just need to focus on finding a job that will support Sophie. I need to prove that she’s better off with me than her grandparents. Something Pynder once said makes me think they’re well-off.”
“I’m sure someone will make them see that Sophie’s rightful place is with her mother. Who could care for her better than you? And don’t worry about the money part. The council said they would help you find employment, right? I’m sure they’ll pull through for you.”
“I hate relying on them so much.”
“For now, just take your time easing back into things. Enjoy life as much as you can, and let everything fall into place. Don’t feel rushed to create an entirely new life on your first day back on Earth. No one expects you to pull everything together right away.”
Celeste smiled. “Thank you for that. I’ve felt this huge amount of pressure since I stepped off the shuttle. I’m scared I’m going to screw everything up.”
Zanar reached across the table and took her hand. “You’re not going to screw anything up. Just do the best you can. That’s all anyone can ask of you.”
They finished their meal and went back to the hotel. Zanar agreed to wait in the lobby at noon for them to have lunch together. Even though her mother was joining them, he still looked forward to spending more time with Celeste. Besides, her mother might be a good source of information on Celeste. He’d love to hear about her childhood and how much of a handful she’d been as a teenager. There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t want to know about her.
Chapter Four
Celeste stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It had almost seemed as if there was a moment with Zanar earlier where he had been interested in her as something other than a charity project. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, and as the minutes ticked by, she knew she was running out of time to figure it out. Her daughter, her reason for living, was stuck on another world. And yet, even though Celeste knew she needed to focus her energy on getting her life together and getting her daughter back, there was a part of her that blossomed under Zanar’s watchful gaze. Pynder had found her attractive, but he’d never made her feel desirable. She’d been a means to an end, a necessity to him, and she wasn’t certain he’d ever wanted her specifically. He’d never really taken the time to get to know her. She’d been something shiny for him to look at it, a way for him to slake his lust, but they’d never had the kind of relationship she’d always yearned for.
She had a feeling that some lucky woman would be Zanar’s entire world. Even though she barely knew him, there was a kindness in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in a long time. He made her feel warm and when he’d wrapped his arm around her to guide her into the diner, she’d felt cared for and wanted. She might be a mom who missed her daughter fiercely, but she was also a woman. A woman who had been lonely for a v
ery long time, and while she didn’t believe in love at first sight, she couldn’t deny that Zanar intrigued her and made her heart race when he was near.
Her mother stepped up behind her, placing her hands on Celeste’s shoulders. “No matter how long you stare, you’re not going to get more beautiful. It’s impossible.”
Celeste smiled.
“You like him,” her mother said. “Despite everything you’ve been through, it didn’t harden your heart or make you stop believing in love.”
“I always hoped that things would change, even when it didn’t seem likely. I’m glad to be home, I truly am, but I miss Sophie. I think she would be happy here. There’s so much for a baby to do, so many toys to play with and movies to watch. She’d be fascinated with television.”
“You’ll get her back, Celeste. It may take some time, but I know she’ll be with you again.”
“But will it happen before she’s forgotten who I am?” Her eyes teared. “I’m so scared that she already doesn’t remember me. What if I get her back and she’s miserable with me? What if she wants her grandparents instead of me?”
Her mother tightened her grip and turned Celeste to face her. “You listen to me. That baby girl knows you love her, and from what little you’ve shared, you were her entire world. She’s not going to forget you anytime soon. She’s probably scared and wonders what happened to you, and she will be so happy to see you when you get her back.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Her mother kissed her forehead. “And the first thing we’re going to do is set up a nursery for her. Just as soon as you have a spare room.”
Celeste nodded.
“Are you ready to meet Zanar for lunch?” her mom asked. “I’d be willing to bet he’s been down there a while. He seemed rather anxious to spend time with you this morning.”
“Do you really think he could like me? I mean… I’m not the woman I used to be. What if something happens between us and I disappoint him? What if I’m broken after spending so many years on Vaaden?”
Celeste and the Alien Bartender Page 4
