Summer looked at her watch. “Well, they all know you left the hospital and I went to go check on you, so they’re not going to question anything. They may call the hotel when they’re heading to dinner to see if we want to join them, but if we don’t answer, they’ll think we’re pouting.” Leaning back against her seat, she considered her options. “Or we could answer and make it seem like we’re out on our own, maybe going to see a movie…something that will plausibly have us out of the hotel until late.”
“That’s fine until Ethan’s sitting in his room waiting for his nightly booty call. When you’re a no-show, and he thinks that we’re out on the town, he’s going to think something happened to us and get everyone all freaked out.”
“Hmm…I hadn’t thought of that,” she muttered. “Okay, so then we go with the silent treatment and they’ll think we’re pouting. By the time they leave the hospital tonight and get back to the hotel, they’ll come to the room and when we don’t answer, they’ll possibly contact the front desk and concierge and then they’ll find out we’ve checked out.”
“And it will be too late for them to do anything because we’ll already be back in Portland,” Gabriella concluded. “It will be too late for Mark to get back there tonight, and if we play this right, we can have a meeting with Morrison first thing in the morning and be done with it before Ethan or your father can get back.” She glanced at Summer and smiled. “If this actually works, it will be a stroke of genius.”
“If this actually works, I should firmly secure my place in this family and have everyone stop treating me like I’m a child.”
Gabriella waved her off. “Not going to happen. You are the baby of the family and the only girl.”
“Great.”
“But,” she added hopefully, “now they’ll see you can also take care of yourself.”
“That’s the dream.”
Standing, Gabriella went to the galley and got them each a beverage. She came back and handed a can of soda to Summer. “And where do you think this will all land with Ethan?”
“I wish I knew,” Summer said. “As much as I want to be with him, I don’t think I can be with someone who doesn’t defend me. Who doesn’t believe in me.”
“Maybe he was just doing it for Zach’s sake.”
Summer shook her head. “That would make it even worse. I know he defended me before to my brother; right before the climb I know Ethan did his best to make Zach understand where I was coming from. No, today was different. It was hurtful.”
Gabriella nudged Summer’s knee. “Hey,” she said softly. “You know he’s in an awkward position with your family. Maybe you just need to cut him a little slack on this.”
“No,” Summer replied just as softly. “If Ethan was really serious about me, about us, about our future, he would have been a little bit kinder with his words—and actions. It breaks my heart because it tells me he’s not the man I thought he was.”
“Do you love him?”
Sadness filled Summer’s eyes as she nodded her head. “Always. I always have and I’m sure I always will. But I need someone who is going to put me first and to hell with the consequences.” She shrugged. “I know my family would have given us a hard time, but it would have happened and then everyone would have moved on. Ethan is so stuck on playing it safe and not upsetting anyone that he never took into account how he was hurting me.” She paused and took a steadying breath.
Unable to help herself, Gabriella put her drink down and pulled Summer into her embrace. “I am so sorry, sweetie. I really thought the two of you were going to get it together. When Ethan pestered me to tell him where you had gone off to when you went to the springs, I was secretly hoping the two of you would hook up.”
Summer pulled back. “You were?”
She nodded. “It was so obvious you were both into each other. And I knew if it weren’t for your brother, you would have acted on it. I thought, with a little nudge in the right direction, you’d finally get the chance to explore the chemistry you had.” She pulled Summer back in and hugged her tight. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me too.”
After a few minutes, they broke apart and got comfortable in their seats. Gabriella remembered she still had a call to make. “I better get Bob on the phone and get him busy. If we want this to go according to plan, he’ll need to get Morrison into the office first thing in the morning. I’ll tell him to get all of the information you’re going to need organized and have it faxed over to your place. Do you have a fax machine there?”
“No. Ask him to scan it and email it to me. This way I’ll have it on the computer, and if he gets it out fast enough, I may even be able to start looking at it while we’re here on the plane, on my phone.”
“Good idea.” Gabriella sat up straight in her seat and then did what she did best. In her most authoritative executive-assistant tone, she barked out her orders to poor Bob Davis and made sure to remind him it was up to him to make this happen—or Zach would not be pleased. She actually felt a little guilty for doing it, but she had worked for Zach long enough to know exactly how to speak to some of the executives to get them to do what was needed.
Once she hung up with Bob, she placed a second call. Summer looked over at her quizzically. “Even though you are a woman on a mission, you are going to want your puppy home with you tonight.”
“Oh my goodness! Yes! Thank you for thinking of that!”
Gabriella smiled. “Hey, it’s—”
“What you do,” Summer finished for her. “I know, I know, and I am so thankful for it.” She curled her feet up under her and faced Gabriella. “I hate that I had to leave Maylene for so long. Do you think she’s going to even remember me? She’s just a baby!”
“Um, Summer, she’s a puppy, not a human. And I’m sure she’ll remember you. She may be a little bit spiteful for a few days once you get her home, but then the two of you will bounce right back into your old routine.”
“Spiteful, huh?” She frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“If I were you, I’d be hiding my shoes.”
Summer’s eyes widened.
“And your pillows.”
That didn’t sound good.
“And pretty much anything that means anything to you.”
“I guess we’ll have to go back to kennel training for a little while, until I’m settled in back home,” Summer said.
“So you’re planning on staying in Portland? Even after all of this?”
Summer shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s all too much to think about. I want to stay; I really do like it there. But if things don’t work between me and Ethan, I don’t think I can. Then I’ll probably head back to North Carolina and maybe see about working for James or Ryder or one of my cousins.”
“I would hate to see you go, Summer. You’re my best friend,” Gabriella said quietly. “Actually, you’re the only real friend I have.”
It was hard to see a woman who seemed so confident and so outgoing admit she was alone. Of all the people in Portland who mattered to Summer, Gabriella was the one she would miss the most. She’d miss her brother, but she knew she’d still see him and talk to him all the time. She would definitely miss Ethan, but she knew in time it would be for the best.
No, she would genuinely miss Gabriella the most because she was a true friend and ally. If it hadn’t been for her, Summer didn’t know how she would have survived any of this. “You could always come with me,” she suggested. “I’m sure you’ve had enough of my brother, and maybe you could use a fresh start too.”
“Don’t tempt me. After his behavior earlier, he’s lucky I didn’t break the rest of his bones.”
Summer laughed. “Nah. The way to go would have been to break his jaw so he couldn’t speak. It would have gotten the message across better than anything else.”
Now Gabriella was laughing too. “I
’ll have to remember that for next time.”
* * *
“Guys,” James said as he walked into his brother’s hospital room, “I think we have a problem.” Zach, Robert, William, and Ethan all turned and looked at him expectantly.
“What’s the matter?” Robert asked.
“I can’t get either Summer or Gabriella on the phone.”
Robert waved him off. “Oh, they’re just a little upset. They probably went off to get their nails done or their hair done or they’ve gone shopping. Nothing to worry about. Apparently your brother here upset them both pretty good.”
James couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he didn’t think it was quite that simple. “Then I could see them not answering the phone for him, but why won’t they take my calls?”
“Guilty by association,” Zach said from his bed with a chuckle. His pain medication was kicking in, and everything was mildly amusing to him.
Everyone laughed and for a moment, it was okay to forget the girls were upset because it was a relief to see Zach doing all right and returning to his normal self. When everyone quieted down, James said, “Well, I was going to see if they wanted to meet us for dinner so we could let Zach get some sleep.”
“We’ll try again in a little while,” Ryder said. “Hell, we’ll keep calling them from all of our phones. They’re bound to get annoyed eventually and answer just so we’ll leave them alone. Are we sure their phones are on?”
“They didn’t go directly to voice mail.” James paused and thought for a moment. “Maybe I’ll call Selena and ask her to call.”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Robert huffed. “Sometimes you still think too much like a cop. They’re pissed off right now. You know how women get. Just let them have their time to pout. If they don’t join us for dinner, then don’t worry about it. By tomorrow, everything will be fine and back to normal. They’ll join us for breakfast, Gabriella will do her daily check-in with the office and get us an update, and—”
“Gabriella needs to be back at the office,” Zach snapped. “I don’t want her here. Don’t bring her to breakfast, don’t have her making calls. Send her back to Portland where she belongs. At her desk.” Four pairs of stunned eyes looked back at him. Zach was looking at the IV in his hand and wasn’t aware of all of the glances being exchanged around him.
Ethan cleared his throat. “I’ll…um…I’ll talk to her in the morning.” Zach nodded slowly at his words. “Listen, buddy, why don’t you get some sleep? This has been a long day for you, I’m sure. We’re gonna go, and we’ll plan on seeing you in the morning, okay?”
“Without Gabriella, right?” Zach asked, his eyes beginning to droop, his voice slurring.
Why argue? Ethan thought. “Without Gabriella. Sure.” He reached out and patted Zach’s good shoulder and wished him a good night before stepping away from the bed. He walked to the door and watched as the others did the same, and then they all walked out of the room single file.
Out in the hall, they all sort of stopped and looked at one another. “What the hell was that about?” Ryder asked. “Gabriella has been his assistant for years. Since when has he been so hostile toward her?”
Ethan shook his head. “I have no idea. I only noticed something was off a couple of days before he left for the climb. He snapped at her and she snapped back. It wasn’t anything dramatic enough for him to still be in a snit over.”
“What was it about?” William asked.
“Zach wanted to know where Summer was, and Gabriella refused to tell him.” He stopped and thought about it. “Actually, it was more like Zach wanted her to get Summer on the phone, and she refused. She said that it was a family problem, not a work one, and she wasn’t going to get involved.”
“Makes sense,” William said.
“Not to Zach,” Ethan said as they all began to walk toward the elevator. “In his mind, when he asks—or tells—her to do something, she should do it. He’s got a little bit of tyrant in him, and he really didn’t like her telling him no.”
No one commented and when they stepped into the elevator, Ethan figured the subject was over.
“Do you think she’ll leave?” William asked.
“Alaska or Montgomerys?”
William chuckled. “Take your pick.”
“She doesn’t scare easily. I’ve watched her handle Zach for years, and his foul moods never had her walking toward the door.” He leaned against the elevator wall. “I think she’ll probably head back to Portland. There’s no point in her being here anymore anyway. We know Zach is safe and he’s getting medical attention. If he is openly hostile toward her, she won’t want to stick around and risk hindering his recovery. As for leaving Montgomerys? I don’t see it happening. She’s a company girl, and I think she likes the challenge of working with someone like Zach—no matter how much he ticks her off.”
“Maybe now that he’s going to be incapacitated for a while he’ll learn to appreciate her a little more,” William said slyly.
“Oh no,” Ryder mumbled.
“What? What’s the matter?” James asked.
“I can just see the wheels in his head turning now.” He nodded toward his uncle. “Don’t even go there. Zach isn’t going to fall in line with your matchmaking schemes, so just forget about it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” William said, feigning innocence.
“Oh, please. We all know exactly what you’re thinking. You’re thinking Zach and Gabriella will work out as a couple—especially in the right circumstances.” Ryder snorted with laughter. “If you think that’s going to happen, then you really don’t know Zach. If he were interested in Gabriella, he would have acted on it by now. And if you’re itching to play matchmaker so badly, work on Ethan here. He’s been sullen and pouty and damn-near sighing with loneliness.”
“Hey!” Ethan interrupted, and James made a choked sound in the corner.
“He may not be blood related, but he’s practically family. Find someone for him!” Ryder said.
William shook his head and chuckled at how cute and clever his nephews all thought they were. If only they knew. “First of all, I would not even dream of setting Gabriella up with Zach. All I’m saying is maybe a little time apart will repair their working relationship.” He shrugged. “I think Zach is going to need somebody who is outdoorsy and adventurous just like he is. And from what I can tell, that is not Gabriella.” He made a face as if even the thought of the two of them together was offensive. “Besides, Zach is going to be busy getting better and getting rehabilitated for a good six months or so. He’s safe from anything I might have planned.”
“Well, good,” Ryder said, seemingly relieved. “The last thing he needs right now is you springing potential wives on him.”
“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing, and yet you and James and my boys are all happily married now. Thanks to me.”
They all laughed. “You keep saying that, old man,” Ryder said with a laugh, “but I keep telling you Casey and I were already on the right path. You had nothing to do with it. Same with James and Selena.”
“And as for our boy Ethan here,” William said with a twinkle in his eye, “I’ll have to think on that one. I have a feeling all of the pouting and sighing you’ve noticed means he’s already found someone. And doesn’t quite know it yet.”
Robert and Ryder laughed. Ethan broke out in a sweat while James glared at him. “I think you’ll just have to deal with the fact that this branch of the Montgomerys isn’t as easy to manipulate as yours, Uncle William,” Ryder said.
William smiled serenely as the elevator doors opened on the main floor. “Whatever you say,” he said pleasantly and stepped out into the lobby.
* * *
It was after eleven and Ethan was getting worried. He knew Summer had been upset earlier when she’d left Zach’s room. It didn’t take a
rocket scientist to figure it out. Maybe he shouldn’t have laughed; maybe he should have just kept his damn mouth shut and let her hash it out with her brother rather than saying anything at all. But who could really blame him? The idea of Summer going to fix a multimillion-dollar deal with someone like Morrison was almost too comical even to consider.
He looked at the clock again. She was normally here by now. He went to sit down on the bed. Okay, so maybe she was more than a little upset and she was punishing him with the cold shoulder. Not that he didn’t deserve it. The thought of spending the night alone, however, was completely unappealing.
Should he go and apologize? Should he take the chance of being discovered and walk across the hall and try to make things right? Ethan thought about how long he’d been back in the room and realized he’d been listening for any signs of life from across the hall and hadn’t heard a sound. Not that he could normally hear anything, but if the girls had gone out as Robert had suggested, maybe he would have heard their return.
With a sigh, he reached for the TV remote and turned it on. Maybe he should just let it be for tonight. With any luck, things would look clearer in the morning, and he could figure out a way to talk to Gabriella and convince her it was for the best for her to go back to Portland and then convince Summer he didn’t mean to act like such a jerk earlier.
He wasn’t sure which one was going to be the harder sell.
He was tired. Tired of trying to make everyone happy except himself. Ethan tossed the remote aside, stacked his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. Life had gotten too damn complicated and he wasn’t sure what he had to do to get it back on track. He thought he was going in the right direction when he stood his ground with Zach and backed out of going on the climb.
And then he found Summer in Alaska.
So the Montgomerys were going to be upset about him and Summer? So what! He’d known them long enough to know it didn’t take much to get them worked up, but also that they didn’t hold grudges for long. So what was he worrying so much about? Why was he taking the coward’s way out and making excuses?
Meant for You Page 23
