Ethan was too stunned to speak. Summer was dating someone? When the hell had that happened? How did he not know? Wracking his brain, he tried to remember if he had seen Summer with anyone but came up empty. And pissed. And insanely jealous. Feeling Zach’s intense scrutiny yet again, Ethan shook his head and turned away.
“Where are they going?” Zach asked his assistant, who was slowly walking backward to the office door. She stopped at her boss’s question.
“She…she booked a weekend getaway—one of the hot springs resorts.”
Zach cursed under his breath. “It’s just like her; leave it to Summer to drop a bombshell like this right before I have to leave.”
Gabriella took a step back toward the center of the room. “No disrespect, sir, but Summer didn’t drop a bombshell; she simply did as you requested. She left. She knew the two of you were going to keep fighting if you left for that…that climb you’re doing,” she said with just a hint of disapproval and then cleared her throat at Zach’s arched brow. “So she decided not to add to your stress before you left. If you ask me, she was trying to help you.”
Coming around his desk, Zach stalked his assistant until she began to back away again. “Help me? Help me!” he barked. “How is going off for a weekend with some man none of us knows helping me? This little stunt hasn’t decreased my stress; it’s added to it! Get her on the phone! Now!”
“No.”
Both Zach and Ethan froze in place at the one softly spoken word from Gabriella. “Excuse me?” Zach said with a hint of a snarl.
“I said no. This is not a business problem; it is obviously a family problem. In my opinion, Summer did the only thing she could. She didn’t agree with what you’re about to do and neither do…” She stopped. “If you want to argue with her or yell at her, you’ll have to do it on your own.” She looked at her watch. “I’m going to lunch.” She spun on her ridiculously high stiletto heels and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
The two men stared at one another, completely dumbfounded. “What the hell just happened here?” Zach asked. “She has never spoken back to me like that! What is going on with all the women in this place?” He raked a hand through his hair. “This is all Summer’s doing. Gabriella never gave me any trouble until now. Until Summer.”
“Dude,” Ethan interrupted, “you have got to stop blaming your sister for everything. You are clearly starting to lose it. I think you are officially done here. Go home, finish packing for the trip. I’ll wrap things up around the office, and I’ll meet you at the airport tomorrow night. Trust me; you’re not going to get anything done here. Just…go home.”
“Dammit, Ethan, how am I supposed to get ready to leave when Summer’s out there with some…guy no one knows? I’m supposed to be looking out for her, and she totally took off with a stranger!”
“Okay, dramatic much?” Ethan said sarcastically, hoping to defuse the situation. “Just because you didn’t know anything about this guy doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with him.”
“She’s been here for a month, Ethan. The first week she was here she didn’t leave my sight. So she’s known this guy for a few weeks. Tops. I don’t like it. Maybe I need to find that spa and talk to her.” Turning and scanning the room for his keys, he spotted them and continued to think out loud. “What if it’s that creep who ruined her life in New York? What if he’s come here and is trying to win her back? Maybe she’ll believe all of the crap he’ll try to sell her about how sorry he is and how it will never happen again. Right. Like that would be the truth,” he spat.
Ethan stopped him before he could walk out of the office. “Zach, get a grip. You are getting ready to do this climb. You need to focus.” He knew he was going to regret his next words, but he couldn’t stop them if he tried. “I’ll go; I’ll get the information from Gabriella and go try to talk some sense into Summer.”
“You’re climbing too, Ethan. You don’t need to be chasing my sister up and down the coast.”
“You got a better idea?”
Defeat washed over Zach. “No. But if anyone’s going to go, it should be me. Summer’s my responsibility.”
“And this climb has been something you’ve been looking forward to for a year.”
“And you haven’t?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’s going to be great, sure. But I’m just along for the ride. I don’t have any illusions of making it to the top. That’s all you, buddy. I’ll be happy if I make it to the midway point.”
Zach shook his head. “What’s the point in that? You should be right there with me! How cool would it be to stand at the summit and look down at the world around us?” He grabbed Ethan by the shoulders. “Can’t you just see it? This will be our best adventure yet!” When Ethan didn’t respond, Zach removed his hands. “You used to want to do all the same things I did; what’s happened to you?”
Taking a step back, Ethan shrugged again. “Nothing’s happened to me; I just don’t get the rush out of it anymore the way you do. You wanted to do this and I think that’s great. I’m going to be there with you just like always. If I make it to the top, great; if not, I’ll live.”
“Lame. Totally lame.”
“Now you see why it’s better for me to go after Summer; you need to get your head on straight. That’s what’s important. I’ll take the drive, find her, and talk to her and make sure this guy’s on the up-and-up, and I’ll meet you tomorrow night. I promise.”
Zach took a minute to think. “Just make sure you do, man. She could be anywhere in the damn state. Those resorts are scattered everywhere. I don’t want to do this without you.”
Ethan smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
* * *
It took every ounce of willpower Ethan possessed to be patient while Zach got his things together and left the office. He didn’t let out a complete breath until the elevator doors closed, and even then, it was a full five minutes before he let himself relax. He checked his watch and noted that Gabriella should be back from lunch any minute. He’d always had an easy working relationship with her, so Ethan figured it wouldn’t be hard to get the information he needed about where Summer had gone.
And with whom.
Could Zach be right? Could her creepy ex-boyfriend be here, trying to woo her back? Summer hadn’t said much about what the guy was like other than how he had devastated her, and that was enough to make Ethan want to kill the bastard. While he wanted to believe Summer was stronger than that—that she wouldn’t fall for this guy’s excuses and promises—he couldn’t be one hundred percent certain. For as long as Ethan had known her, he didn’t really know her on that level. He’d hate like hell to have to kick this guy’s ass and send him packing and risk Summer being angry with him because of it.
With his fists clenched at his side, he paced. Where the hell was Gabriella? Back and forth, back and forth, until he began to feel like an Edgar Allan Poe character, slowly going insane while listening to the clock ticking on the wall. There were dozens of things Ethan needed to do in order to be ready to head for Denali with Zach the following day; this little detour was certainly not going to help him in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, he was putting Zach’s needs first, so his friend could have more time to focus.
Then he heard a desk drawer close and the sounds of Gabriella getting settled back in at her desk. With a fortifying breath, Ethan pasted his most relaxed and charming smile on his face and walked out to the reception area. At Gabriella’s anxious expression and quick look around, Ethan knew exactly how to play this. “No worries, I sent him home.”
She visibly relaxed. “Oh, okay.”
Ethan walked over and sat himself down on the corner of her desk. “Between you and me, I couldn’t stand him another minute longer. It’s bad enough I’ll have to travel with him and all. Hopefully he’ll take the next twenty-four hours to chill out.”
“One can only hope,” she said coolly, organizing papers on her desk.
“He just has a lot on his mind and, you know Zach; he likes to control everything and everybody. I know he’s just concerned about Summer, but he needs to realize how crazy he comes off sometimes.”
“Try all the time.”
Ethan hid a smirk. “Well, believe me, I’ve known them both for so long, this is nothing new. I don’t think Zach can help feeling responsible for Summer. And Summer? She just likes to push his buttons. And she’s good at it.” Gabriella barely shrugged. “Still, you can’t blame Zach for being upset. I mean, he has so much on his plate right now…the least she could have done is told him where she was going.”
Gabriella sighed wearily. “I know what you’re doing, Ethan,” she finally said. “It’s one thing for me to step in when you and Zach are snapping at one another; it’s really quite different when it’s Zach and Summer.”
He was confused. “Why?”
“They’re family. The two of you are the top executives here at Montgomerys; it is beneficial and sometimes necessary for me to step in and send you each to your own corners until things cool down. The way I see it, this is a private family matter. They need to work it out for themselves. It’s none of my business.”
He hated when people threw solid logic at him. “But it’s going to affect Zach on this climb. Is that what you want? For him to be so distracted that he makes a stupid mistake and hurts himself or another member of his team? All I’m asking for is the name of the town she went to, Gabriella. That’s it. Please. For Zach’s safety.”
She glared at him. “Low blow, Ethan.”
Knowing he just about had her, he leaned in closer. “I’m going on the climb too. Zach’s the leader. I need to know I’ve done everything humanly possible to make sure his head is on straight.” He paused and gauged her reaction. “Please, Gabriella. If you won’t do it for him, do it for me. I just want to make sure Summer’s all right.”
She sighed. “Fine. She’s going to Burns. There’s a resort there where you camp in a giant tepee not too far from the hot springs. She was supposed to leave today but I’m not sure what time.”
“Thank you!” he said before jumping from her desk and heading to his office. Using the office phone, he tried calling Summer. It went right to voice mail. He did a quick mental checklist and realized he could delegate the rest of his work to the junior execs and be out of here within thirty minutes. First, he’d swing by Summer’s place just in case she hadn’t left yet. Then, if by chance he missed her, he’d stop by his own place and grab a few things before making the five-hour drive south. Tepee camping? Leave it to Summer to do something so outrageous. Most of her family wouldn’t be caught dead in anything less than a five-star hotel.
This family was going to be the death of him.
With any luck he’d catch her before she left, and all of this could be cleared up before he had to meet this mystery guest and fight the urge to strangle him. This was so not what he needed today. Before Ethan could talk himself out of what he had clearly gotten himself into, he called an emergency meeting and did his best to wrap up all the loose ends around the office before packing up and heading over to Summer’s.
He wasn’t sure what he was hoping to accomplish with all of this. Obviously it was going to put Zach’s mind at ease, but in the process Ethan was torturing himself. For the last month, Ethan had done his best to keep his distance from Summer and make sure he was never alone with her. By going after her like this, he was certainly tempting fate.
What would he actually do or say when he found her? What was he going to say to this mystery guest of hers that wasn’t going to result in charges being pressed against him and missing the flight to Denali? Summer Montgomery had done nothing but tie him up in knots for the better part of twenty years; he should be used to it by now.
But somehow, the image of a teenage Summer and the woman she had grown into brought to mind two very different kinds of knots. Back then, it had been a fleeting feeling—more of a whimsical wish. Now? He was drawn to her as a man, with all of the feelings that went with it. If it weren’t for his friendship with Zach and his closeness to the entire Montgomery family, Ethan would have acted on his feelings for Summer as soon as she became an adult.
He was too loyal.
He was too afraid to rock the boat.
He was totally screwed.
Chapter 2
What was she thinking? Sure, Summer was always up for a new adventure, but maybe she should have given this one a little more thought. The fact that it was going to piss off her brother was certainly a perk though. The soothing voice of her GPS informed her she had another sixty miles to go. “I should have just flown,” Summer mumbled to herself. “Road trips are all fine and good, but this is a little more than I was looking for.”
She didn’t mind driving; she even found it to be relaxing. Looking over at her sleeping travel companion, she felt a twinge of envy.
“Note to self, get some sleep over the weekend.”
It was one thing to say it and quite another to actually accomplish it. It seemed like months since Summer had gotten a good night’s sleep—one of the downsides of having your life turned upside down and being unsure of what to do next.
Her family had always been a blessing though, and when her father and Uncle William had suggested this temporary move to the West Coast, Summer had figured, why not? What did she have to lose?
Nothing.
That was the problem.
For all of the traveling, exciting jobs, and constant stream of activities in her life, Summer Montgomery had nothing to show for it. No permanent home, no career to call her own, and no one to love her. Well, except her family, but they didn’t count. Not in the way she meant. She wanted a man in her life. She wanted someone who was hopelessly in love with her and brought out the type of passion you only read about in a good romance novel.
She thought she had at least found part of that with Alex. He had swept her off her feet—literally—while she had been out walking her clients’ dogs. He had started walking with her in the park after their initial meeting and had talked about his love of dogs and how he wasn’t allowed to have pets in his building. Summer had actually felt bad for him and found it sweet that he had wanted to spend time with her—and the dogs. He was attentive and romantic and said all the right things, but they were all a lie. It had been crushing to find out that he was actually a married man with a wife and two kids living in Chicago. There had never been a question about why he was always traveling; his job dictated it. What she hadn’t known was that she was the pit stop, not the other way around.
The thought of being the other woman made her want to retch. That was so not who she was—not who she had ever wanted to be—and yet, here she was. It hadn’t taken long to pack up her New York apartment and head home to her family in North Carolina, but after a month there, she had grown restless. It must have been obvious to everyone, because when her father and uncle had sat her down, it seemed like they had everything worked out. They must have been working on it for some time to have had all of the details already in place for her, including a new condo in Portland.
The West Coast was definitely a pleasant change of pace for her, but she had yet to fully make the connection. It was as if she knew that this too would be temporary and so she held herself back. It would have been different if her brother hadn’t welcomed her with barely veiled hostility.
Typical Zach.
It wasn’t that she was expecting some kind of grand gesture from him or a welcoming committee, but it would have been nice for him to at least smile in her direction once in a while or tell her that he was happy she was there. It wasn’t normally Summer’s MO to run away from a challenge, but at this particular point in her life, she needed a little more TLC and a lot less…well, of whatever you’d call it that Zach was
always spewing in her direction.
All of the employees at Montgomerys had welcomed her with open arms and warm smiles. Even Ethan.
She sighed at the image of how pleased he had looked when she arrived. It was almost as if he had been waiting for her. All of her girly parts melted on sight. And if it weren’t for Ethan running interference between her and Zach, she probably would have left by now. Music played softly in the car; maybe the love song channel wasn’t the best choice, but it certainly fit her mood. Someday she’d have what all of these songs were talking about: love, passion, and someone who wanted only her.
Not her plus a wife and kids.
Damn Alex.
A soft snore beside her brought a smile to Summer’s face. To be able to sleep that soundly, that deeply, was to be envied. Maybe this weekend getaway would help her achieve at least a small amount of peace. While not really a fan of roughing it, the thought of sleeping in a tepee with a private hot tub seemed to be just the sort of thing for her. She knew she could be a bit eccentric and quirky. No one in her family would even consider camping like this. Good. They weren’t invited.
She was making good time now that she was out of the city limits and let out a sigh of relief when the GPS stated it was only another thirty miles to go. Either she was going really fast or she had seriously lost track of the time. It didn’t matter; she was almost there and it would be a blessed relief to get out of the car and stretch her legs.
One more glance at her companion and she whispered, “Just you, me, hot tubs, hot springs, and the stars in the sky. It sounds perfect.”
A weekend away from everyone and everything was exactly what she needed to perhaps gain a little perspective on her life. Who knew? Maybe by the time she got back to Portland, she’d have a sense of direction and finally be able to put this miserable chapter of her life behind her and move forward.
With a renewed sense of purpose, she pressed down on the gas and smiled. “Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Summer. Hopefully.”
Meant for You Page 2
