That was more like it.
Lucy motioned for Zane to follow her into the kitchen. He unwrapped the sandwiches and set them on the paper that they came in while she poured them each a glass of iced tea and put a lemon wedge on the rim of each glass.
“You look nice,” he said, giving her an approving once-over.
She was wearing jeans and a simple white lace blouse. Casual and comfortable, but she had a jacket hanging on the back of her door to dress up her look if a potential client came by.
“Thanks, cowboy. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
Zane always looked sexy no matter what he was wearing. Today, his plain khaki green T-shirt brought out the hazel flecks in his brown eyes. She could lose herself in those eyes, she thought as she waited for him to look up and catch her staring. She wanted him to catch her, wanted to flirt with him and turn the flirting into kissing, but he was too busy contemplating his sandwich.
She resisted the urge to fill the silence by asking him if everything was all right. They ate without talking for a while. Something felt a little bit off. Lucy couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was definitely weird. Then again, it was probably her. She was tired and short on time, which was probably making her a little anxious. She needed to cool her jets.
After all, he was the one who had surprised her by showing up with lunch, just when she needed it. She was hungrier than she’d realized. This was probably just a blood-sugar episode. Or simple overthinking.
If things were to work out between the two of them, she could not melt into a heap of self-doubt at his every quiet mood. He was human—he was allowed to have good days and bad days, vocal days and days when he just needed to turn inside. The best relationships were the ones where the couples could be equally happy interacting and spending quiet moments side by side in companionable silence. She was going to have to become best friends with her self-confidence. All her life, she’d never been short on self-confidence. Lately, she was needing to dig deep and get reacquainted with it. This off-kilter feeling, this sensation of spinning out of control and not knowing where she was going to land when she stopped, was so uncomfortable.
But she needed to get her bearings so she could land on her feet.
She pondered this as she ate her sandwich. Zane had already finished and was cleaning up his trash. He took his glass to the sink, washed and dried it.
“Thanks for bringing lunch,” she said. “I needed a break more than I realized.” She glanced at her watch. “Lauren should be here in a few minutes to go over the details of Ethan and Chelsea’s wedding. I’m counting on her, since Juliette and I will both be part of the wedding party.” She shook her head. “Maybe I should’ve brought someone else in to help Lauren, given all the added security.”
“It’s not like you won’t be right here,” he said over his shoulder. “Plus, as hard as you and Juliette have been working on this, it could probably run itself.”
“If only. Events only look effortless when someone is doing a darn good job of steering the ship behind the scenes.”
Zane walked back to the kitchen island and sat down. Resting his forearms on his thighs, he looked at her for a moment. She could virtually see the wheels turning in his head.
“What is it? Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet.” The look on his face didn’t do much to make her feel better.
“I have some news,” he said, and she had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to love what he had to say. As she swallowed the last bite of her sandwich, it stuck in her throat. She had to wash it down with a gulp of iced tea.
“Good news, I hope.”
He gave her a half smile and a one-shoulder shrug. “Depends on how you look at it.”
Silence stretched between them until she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?”
“I heard back from Hidden Rock in Ocala.”
“Oh.” She did her best to put a smile in her voice and on her face, one that reached her eyes, because she should be happy for him. She wanted to be happy for him.
But the truth was she was scared to death. What did this mean?
Things had just started going so well she’d actually forgotten about the Ocala possibility. Of course, it had lived somewhere in the corner of her subconscious. She had to admit that she’d hoped the job had lost its shine for him, and that maybe, just maybe, after all that had happened, he’d decided that he wanted to stay in Celebration.
“Did they offer you the job?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.
“Not exactly,” he said. “They want me to come out again. So they can show me the ropes. They want to introduce me to the rest of the staff and talk specifics—probably negotiate salary and such.”
“So, basically, it’s imminent? They’re going to offer you the job, Zane. I mean, they wouldn’t bring you all the way back out and introduce you around there if it wasn’t a strong possibility, right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe?”
She arched a brow at him and he shifted in his seat and ran a hand through his unruly hair.
“Probably,” he said.
“I know how much you want this job.” It hurt her heart to acknowledge that. But she had to.
“Of course.” His eyes flashed and then in an instant a look of unfathomable realization commandeered his expression as his gaze dropped to Lucy’s belly. “But things have changed. I can’t leave. I probably should tell them I can’t take the job.”
Their lives flashed before Lucy’s eyes. This was how the end would begin. He would turn down his dream job. For a while he would pretend it didn’t matter. Maybe he’d even convince himself it didn’t. He’d keep working at Bridgemont, and resentment would take root and grow inside him, until it spread like kudzu and strangled the life out of them and anything that might resemble a relationship.
“Why would you do that?” she asked, working so hard to keep her voice from breaking.
“Really?” His smile was a challenge.
“Zane, I’m serious. You are not turning down a job because of me. Don’t put that on me.”
“Did I say I blamed you? Because I don’t remember mentioning your name.”
He flashed that lopsided smile and she could tell he was trying not to let the conversation devolve into a fight, trying to pretend as if this was no big deal, but his eyes gave him away.
“I think we’re getting a little bit ahead of ourselves here. They haven’t officially offered me the job. You’re trying to ship me off already.” There was that teasing smile again. “I guess I never considered the fact that you might want to get rid of me.”
“Then who would bring me lunch on those days when I didn’t even realize I needed it?” she said.
He reached out and toyed with a strand of her hair. “I imagine there would be someone who would be eager to take my place.”
Take my place.
His place.
“No one could ever take your place.” She’d said the words before she could stop herself and immediately wished she could reel them back in. He reached out and took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it.
“Come with me, Luce.”
She shook her head, a little dazed. “You know I can’t do that.” She gestured around her. “Zane, my life is here. I have my business. My family is here.”
“You don’t have to give it up. You could get Lauren to run it for you—at least for a while. I mean, when you’re out on maternity leave.”
His words swirled around her. The mere thought of leaving everything she’d worked so hard to build made her feel light-headed. She couldn’t even respond.
“You’ve done a great job with the Campbell Wedding Barn. Maybe you could branch out and do something similar in Florida. Aren’t
you ready for a new challenge? A chance to try something new? Or here’s a thought—you and Juliette have been working so closely together. Have you ever considered merging your businesses? If not Lauren, maybe Juliette could manage the Texas location while you expand the operation in Ocala. I mean, I’m just thinking out loud, but what do you think? You and Juliette are both entrepreneurs. You’re great at things like that.”
She shook her head. Her heart was pounding and she felt like she was on the verge of tears. “I think Juliette should be part of that conversation before we start making business decisions for her.”
“I know, I said I’m just thinking out loud.”
She tried to swallow her emotions and see it from his point of view. It was a good idea in theory. Taking a leap of faith and following him to Ocala. It could be an adventure...or a disaster.
Even so, a merger with Juliette was a tall order.
“If Juliette is here managing the barn, who will tend to her business? She travels a lot. I’m sure she wouldn’t be too keen about the idea of giving up everything she’s built just to accommodate us.”
“Okay, I see your point, but that’s where Lauren could come in. You’re going to have to take some time off when the baby comes. You’re going to need someone to cover for you while you’re on maternity leave.”
She blinked. Her head swam at the thought. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. She was still getting use to the idea of being pregnant. Still trying to figure out exactly how she and Zane fit into each other’s lives. Because just when she thought she had it figured out, everything changed. His pending offer for the job in Ocala was case in point.
“I don’t know, Zane. I haven’t gotten there yet. All I know is I don’t want you to turn down this job for me.”
He inhaled sharply and then blew out the breath. It wasn’t an impatient sound—it seemed more like a nervous gesture. “All I’m asking is for you to think about it. We don’t have to make any decisions right now.”
She brushed some sandwich crumbs into a small pile with her finger.
“Good, because right now I’m on overload with all the last-minute details for Ethan and Chelsea’s wedding. My head is too full.”
So was her heart.
He nodded and unfolded his tall body from the chrome bar stool. “I understand. I do. I get it. I know this is a lot to spring on you all at once. Are you finished with your lunch?”
She nodded and he gathered up her trash. He was good to her in little ways like that. Small, kind gestures that she was getting used to.
“I have to get back to work,” he said. “You don’t have to answer me now. Not until after your brother’s wedding. Just promise me you’ll give it some thought. Okay?”
“You’re going after the wedding?”
“Yeah. Last time I checked, I was standing up with Ethan.”
“When he and I talked, he asked if he needed to get out the shotgun.”
“He mentioned that.” He smiled. “Maybe that’s not a bad idea. Would it convince you to marry me?”
With his job offer pending, getting married seemed like the easy part now. The difficult choice was whether or not to leave everything behind and relocate.
“Are you going to tell him about Ocala?” she asked.
He crossed his arms over his chest and she was distracted by the way his biceps bunched, testing the limit of his T-shirt sleeves. She wanted to touch him. What would he do if she did? They were still in that strange limbo land—together...sort of. Lovers...once. Parents...almost. In love...one of them was.
It hit her that if they got married, she had no idea what kind of a marriage they’d have. Would they be lovers? If not—if he’d made his original just-friends mandate because he didn’t desire her but didn’t want to hurt her feelings—what was the postmarriage plan?
The fact that she even had to wonder about these things reminded her of what an emotionally precarious situation this was. She wasn’t going to have an open marriage, but she wasn’t okay with the thought of living like a nun for the rest of her life, either.
That song from the ’80s that talked about looking at the menu but not being able to eat came to mind. She’d add it to her Zane playlist.
“I’m not going to tell anyone yet,” he said. “Not until we have a plan.”
“Right now, the plan is that we’re having a baby.”
He nodded. “What if you visit Ocala with me when I go?”
Her heart wanted to go in the worst—and best—way. Her heart wanted to follow him to the ends of the earth. But the logical part of her warned that it was an impossible situation.
“You could see the town. Try it on for size and see if it fits. See what you think. Because maybe if we got away from Celebration, we could figure out if we could be happy there together.”
And that was the crux of the matter. They had no idea if they could be happy together in the long run. In Ocala, here or anywhere.
Wasn’t it a telltale sign that they still wanted such different things? He couldn’t wait to get out of town, while her entire life was right here.
At least for now, she thought as he kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door.
Chapter Eight
The day of Ethan and Chelsea’s wedding dawned bright and beautiful.
Chelsea’s immediate family—her father, the Earl of Downing; her mother, the countess; two brothers, Thomas, the probable future UK prime minister, and Niles, a doctor; her sister, Victoria, a fashion designer, who had created Chelsea’s gown—had all arrived from the United Kingdom with all of the security required by a family of nobility with political ties.
The entourage made the Campbell family look low maintenance by comparison.
Jude, Ethan and Lucy’s brother, had managed to find his way back to Celebration, on a break from the Professional Bull Riders circuit.
Even though they could’ve invited the entire town, and everyone would’ve gladly attended, the bride and groom wanted to keep their special day intimate and elegant. They had limited the guest list to one hundred people. Actually, the vast amount of security dictated the cap.
Not long ago, Chelsea had been hounded by a particularly tenacious tabloid reporter whose antics had bordered on stalking. One of the objectives for the wedding was to make sure no rogue reporters got past the barriers. But that was security’s task. They were trained professionals. So Lucy was banking on them doing their job so that Lauren could do hers.
That morning, Chelsea, Lucy and Juliette had prepared for the big day in Lucy’s house, which was right next door to the barn. There was a brand-new bridal room inside the wedding barn, which Lucy had built during the renovation, but since Chelsea was family, they had opted to get ready at the house.
While Chelsea was having her hair, makeup and nails done, Lucy had been back and forth between the house and the barn, checking and double-checking that Lauren had everything in place.
“Everything will be fine,” Lauren scolded when Lucy, in her long blue bridesmaid dress and black strappy sandals, her dark hair styled in an updo, had sneaked away from the bridal party for the umpteenth time to check on another detail. “I have my work order. All I have to do is follow it. Today, your job is to tend to Chelsea. You’re not doing a very good job of that when you’re over here checking up on me.”
She was right. Lauren was good at this. She had common sense, good instincts and great people skills. It was why Lucy had hired her in the first place, and why she was trusting her to oversee this very important wedding. Plus, if something did go wrong, it wasn’t as if Lauren wouldn’t be able to find Lucy.
On the way back to the house, Lucy ran into Jude, who was looking tall and handsome, if not a little uncomfortable, in the traditional tuxedo Chelsea had picked out for Ethan’s groomsmen—Jude and Zane—to wear
during the wedding.
Jude had missed last night’s rehearsal dinner because his schedule had forced him to take the red-eye and arrive this morning, but he was here now, and that was all that mattered.
She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him. So she grabbed the opportunity now.
“Hey, stranger.” She gave him a big hug, sighing at how good it was for all three of the Campbell siblings to be together again. Lucy adored her brothers. Jude was the middle sibling; Ethan was the oldest. Jude was just as free-spirited and lone-wolfish as Ethan was rooted and inclusive. Where Ethan had always been practical, Jude had marched to his own drum.
“We should have weddings more often if it will get you home,” Lucy said, pulling back to take in his ruggedly handsome face. “Speaking of weddings, have you seen Juliette?”
Jude stiffened. “Not yet, but I hear she is part of the wedding party. So I’m bound to see her soon enough.”
If the town of Celebration, Texas, had been taking wagers on which Campbell sibling would have been the first to marry, most people would have cast their vote for Jude. He and Juliette had been high-school sweethearts. Both of them had itchy feet and couldn’t wait to see the world. Everyone thought they’d go off together. But they ran into trouble when Juliette won a scholarship to a college in England. The two of them had surprised everyone when they had broken up right before she went away to school. After she left, Jude had thrown his heart and soul into professional bull riding. It had been a bitter breakup. As far as Lucy knew, the two hadn’t spoken since. Probably because about three months after the breakup, Jude had announced his engagement to a barrel racer he’d met at one of the competitions. The engagement hadn’t lasted long, but the blow seemed to have killed any chance of reconciliation between him and Juliette. Still, weddings tended to cast magical spells over people. Lucy wasn’t counting them out yet.
“Speaking of weddings,” Jude said. “What’s going on with you and Phillips?”
Lucy felt heat flame in the area of her décolletage and begin a slow creep up her face until it burned her cheeks, which she was sure were the color of the red rose pinned to her brother’s lapel.
A Bride, a Barn, and a Baby Page 11
