“Oh, thank you, Zach.” Spinning around, Beth wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t know what I would’ve done, if you hadn’t been here tonight.”
“Yeah,” he muttered, into her ear. “What the heck were you guys doing down here, anyway, in this kind of weather? We had a couple of tornadoes pass through last summer, and it doesn’t look like any work was ever done to clear away the debris.”
For a moment she stilled. He seemed to be angry, but staring into Zach’s eyes, Beth could see they were filled with obvious concern.
“That’s my fault,” she said. “I told Cal not to worry about the exterior property until spring.”
For some weird reason, Zach looked at her again and froze. After slowly disentangling himself from her arms, he tied up his hood more securely around his neck. Stepping down to the ground beside the staircase, he reached for Beth’s hand.
Beth grimaced, as they struggled to climb the icy bank. Although she’d been wearing boots, assembled with extra thick padding inside, her foot was beginning to feel sore.
Zach must’ve noticed, because she suddenly found herself being scooped into his arms when they finally reached the top of the cliff. Kyle began giggling, and he and Emily followed behind Zach while he carried Beth toward the main house. Beth was ready to protest, before looking into Zach’s eyes, which definitely held a warning—there was no way he’d be putting her back down.
Beth grinned. Why complain? After all, this was exactly the kind of situation she’d been secretly hoping to find herself in with Zach.
Kyle opened the front door for them as they approached the house, and Emily scampered inside after Kyle.
“Where to?” Zach asked, as he carried her through the doorway into the huge entryway.
“Down the hallway, there’s a family room off from the kitchen,” Beth answered. “I can walk. It’s alright—you can put me down now.”
“Not a chance,” Zach muttered, looking grim.
When he reached the family room, after making his way through the room toward the fireplace, he settled Beth onto the end of a sectional couch, and proceeded to prop her foot on top of a matching ottoman.
He pulled off her boots carefully, while Beth began wriggling out of her heavy winter coat.
Zach must’ve noticed where Kyle had already hung up his coat on a hook near the kitchen door, because he picked up her boots and her coat and made his way from the family room into the kitchen. After resting Beth’s boots on the floor, next to Kyle’s, he hung up her coat.
Kyle had switched out his boots for his slippers, and was sitting on the floor with Emily in his lap.
Beth grinned, when Kyle began to giggle. Emily was licking his face, and it didn’t look like she was ever going to stop.
Zach was smiling too, she noticed, when he returned to the room. “Would you like me to get a fire going?” he asked, staring at the fireplace.
“Just flick on that switch.” Beth pointed at the knob on the wall near the mantle. “I had gas piped into this room to save on the mess,” she said. “But I decided to splurge in the rec room. The room that’s being built, overlooking the lake?” Beth grimaced. “Along with an outdoor kitchen, I’m having an indoor-outdoor fireplace installed into the exterior wall. It’s really gonna be cool, if it ever gets finished.”
“I was wondering what all the other construction material was for,” Zach said, warming his hands near the fire. “I saw Cal unloading more lumber inside of your garage just the other day.”
“Yeah. Kyle loved the family room so much, over at your house, while we were living there, I decided it’d be worth building something similar here. He has such a short attention span. The visual stimulation helps keep him occupied. Some days, I don’t have as much patience with him, as others.”
Zach nodded, and Beth noticed he seemed uncertain as he stood up on his feet.
“You’ll stay for dinner, won’t you? I made a huge batch of potato soup.”
Beth held her breath—Zach definitely seemed hesitant, but he finally nodded his agreement. “I’d like to keep an eye on you, for a little while, and make sure you’re okay.”
“Oh—I’m fine.”
“Oh, really?” he answered. Stepping towards her and bending over the ottoman, he carefully removed her sock.
“Whoa,” she answered, startled. Her foot was swollen, to nearly twice its size, and was an ugly black and blue. She shook her head in consternation. “How did that happen?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s just bruised.” Zach grimaced. “Usually, I’d say, go to the doctor. But not in this weather. Besides, it’s obviously not broken. Better to just stay off of it, as much as you can, over the weekend. It’ll probably look better after a day or two.”
Beth nodded.
* * * * *
He couldn’t leave her alone tonight. No doubt, the first thing she would do was stand up. Zach hadn’t been able to stop watching out for her whenever he was home. Whether she was taking a walk with Kyle, or shoveling snow, she never seemed to sit still. Zach had even seen her moving furniture through the windows, when he’d been outside walking Emily, one evening last week. It’d sure been difficult to sit back and not offer his help.
When he’d seen the pine go tumbling down over the bank, Zach’s heart had nearly stopped. He’d watched Beth and Zach travel down that staircase thirty minutes earlier, and as usual, he’d been sitting in the family room after returning home from work, going through the emails on his computer.
Barely taking the time to sign off, he’d scrambled through the house to retrieve his heavy coat and gloves and boots, just in time to see Kyle and Emily step up from the staircase, as he stared through the window. Zach had breathed in a sigh of relief, until he’d noticed Kyle gazing downward, over the cliff, while he stood glued in place with Emily nearby.
By the time Zach had made it outside, Emily’s howls were echoing through the air. He’d run toward the staircase, and had never felt so relieved to see anyone in his life, as he had when he’d seen Beth. Although, outwardly, he’d tried to appear calm, his heart had been pounding in his chest with anxiety, as he’d studied her.
And once her foot had come loose, when she’d turned within his arms, and had wrapped her arms around him? He’d nearly reached his breaking point. Beth probably hadn’t had a clue, at how close she’d been, to being thoroughly kissed—again!
But then he’d remembered his neck was uncovered. Had Beth seen the scars? Probably not, he guessed, as he studied her now. Her hair was mussed, and her nose was shiny, but she looked so cute in her jeans and fuzzy sweater.
“Potato soup, did I hear you say?”
Beth smiled, and his heart did a flip flop. “It’s my own recipe—sour cream, bacon, onions and red potatoes. I’m a pretty darned good cook, you know.”
Zach grinned. “I’ll bet.”
She wrinkled her nose. “And Kyle likes to help.”
Zach laughed. “Yeah. I kind of figured.
“He’s getting to be pretty good at peeling potatoes.”
“Cool,” Zach answered, looking over at Kyle. Emily was really becoming attached to the kid. She hadn’t moved from Kyle’s lap, and Kyle seemed to be equally happy to have her there.
Beth was studying Kyle as well. “We’re getting a break from the keyboard. Usually, it’s the first thing he goes to, once we’re finished with our walk. Well, besides going to the kitchen for a snack, that is. In fact, I don’t want to keep you here, if you have things to do. Would you like to eat right away? Kyle’s probably ready to eat now, too.”
“What do I need to do?” Zach asked, moving toward the kitchen.
“The soups on the stove. In fact, it’s probably still hot. I turned the burner down, before we went for our walk. And the bowls are in that cabinet up on top, on the left side of the sink.”
“Wow, the inside of this place is looking pretty amazing.” Zach studied the handcrafted cherry cabinets as he pulled out the bowls from inside. Dark granite co
untertops wound around the exterior walls, while a lovely shade of light seafoam glass covered the backsplash. The large island in the center of the kitchen was designed from a beautifully patterned slab of buttery quartz, complementing the granite. “Is this a heated floor?” Zach asked, staring down at the tile that was intended to resemble wood.
“Yep,” Beth answered. “Wish I’d have had one of those in my house in Bloomington.”
Soon Zach had scooped out soup for the three of them. After bringing over a bowl for Beth to eat in the family room, Zach sat beside Kyle in the kitchen at the island, where they ate theirs.
Afterwards, Zach prepared them all hot cocoa, before sitting down beside Beth on the sectional, and watching TV—when the satellite signal was coming in, that is. The storm was getting worse outside, and he was pretty sure they’d be snowed in until tomorrow.
They talked about Kyle, and about how they would communicate with each other about his progress in the work program. Zach was surprised when he found himself telling Beth a little about his past—he’d been raised in New Orleans, and had family property there, that’d suffered some damage from Hurricane Katrina. His cousin was living there now, and overseeing a bunch of repairs, since Zach’s father had been assigned overseas.
Beth told him about her past, and how she’d been devastated to move into the town of Bloomington, while she was still in high school. She’d never really felt at home there, like she did in Crystal Rock.
Finally, Zach stood up, preparing to depart.
“Can I help you get Kyle ready for bed?”
“I think we’re just going to sleep in here, in the family room, tonight. It’ll be easier for both of us to use the rest room.” Beth grimaced. “My foot is feeling pretty sore.”
“Have you got some ibuprofen? That should help a little.”
She nodded.
“I can get it for you.”
“It’s in the kitchen—there’s a cabinet over the fridge, with a child lock. But I can get it—I need to use the bathroom anyway.”
“That’s alright,” Zach answered. “I’ll find it for you, while you’re in the bathroom. Can I brush Kyle’s teeth, get him into pajamas, or do anything else to help you out?”
She studied him uncertainly, and cleared her throat. “You don’t have to leave, do you? I mean, have you got some stuff you need to do at home? Or maybe you’d rather have something more to drink than hot chocolate? There’s beer, or wine in the fridge, you know.”
“I—” Zach couldn’t believe he was actually thinking about staying and keeping Beth company. The last thing he really wanted to do was go home to an empty house. “Ah—no. I don’t have to leave. I’m not much of a drinker these days.” In fact, the last time Zach had had a few extra beers, he’d become incredibly depressed, and had begun feeling sorry for himself. “It’ll be easier for me to help you with Kyle.” He grinned, looking over at Kyle. He’d been making music for a while on his keyboard, but now he was looking sleepy, sitting in a huge chair near the fireplace, with Emily in his lap. “A sleepover, huh?”
Beth was looking slightly sheepish. “Well, truthfully? It’s not so much that I really need your help, as much as it is that I like your company.”
Zach started. Was she blushing? It was too difficult to tell, as she stood up from the couch, and began hobbling toward the bathroom.
But Zach grinned.
* * * * *
When Beth came back into the family room, Zach already had Kyle in hand and was changing him into the pajamas he’d apparently managed to retrieve from the laundry room, located next to the kitchen.
Settling back on the couch, Beth swallowed the ibuprofen, drinking the glass of water Zach had left for her on top of the coffee table. Zach quickly took Emily outside, before refilling the water bowl he’d laid on the floor for her at dinner.
It was so heartwarming watching Zach with Kyle and Emily, as he tucked them into the chair near the fireplace, under a blanket.
When he’d pulled off his coat earlier, Beth had gotten a kick out of seeing Zach wearing the festive fleece pullover Kyle had picked out for him at Christmas.
Somewhat nervously, Beth looked at Zach, when he was finished. Where was he going to sleep?
After hesitating momentarily, he settled in beside her on the sectional., and pulled a blanket over the two of them.
Beth rested her head against his shoulder. And, much to her surprise, after picking up the TV changer from the coffee table, and surfing through the channels, Zach wrapped an arm over her shoulders.
The day must have been catching up with her, because she began dozing off immediately. “Glad you like the fleece,” she muttered softly.
She could hear his muffled laughter, as he pulled her in closer beside him.
Where she felt warm, contented and, oh, so secure. She clung to him throughout the night—she was certain he was holding onto her as well. Beth barely recalled moving from her upright position on the sectional, to laying down beside Zach through the night.
But the next morning, Zach was gone. It was almost as if he’d never even been there at all.
CHAPTER TEN
Each time she ran into him over the next several weeks, Zach seemed to be genuinely happy to see her, but made a point of escaping from her as fast as he could. She really didn’t know what to think sometimes—had she just imagined their near relationship?
Emily came over and visited her and Kyle, a couple of times, when she’d apparently gotten away from Zach. But Zach really wasn’t at home very much anymore. He was working a lot of hours on behalf of the Wounded Warrior facility, according to Luke and Kelly.
Kyle was getting ready to begin his vocational training, so Beth was busy herself, attending meetings at the school, or filling out tons of paperwork. But no one had bothered to tell her that Kyle would be working at Callahan Construction!
By the time April came along, Kyle was outfitted for his new job with work clothes and steel-toed boots. He’d begin his work in the warehouse, helping load lumber and supplies on the trucks. And if that worked out, he might be able to go out on site someday—not only to drop off lumber, but to assist with numerous odd jobs.
By the end of April, Kyle was on the job five days a week, for two hours every day. A notebook would go back and forth between her and Zach—she’d keep him informed about any behavior issues Kyle was having. Sometime she’d have to adjust Kyle’s medication, because of all the changes he was undergoing in his life. In turn, Zach would write to Beth about any problems Kyle had been having at school or at work during the day.
She always kept trying to read between the lines in the notebook—Zach’s handwriting was surprisingly neat and precise, while Beth wrote with a nearly-illegible, squiggly scrawl. With their constant communication, she was still thinking about Zach way too much.
Soon it was May, and finally northern Wisconsin was coming into bloom; nearly a month behind central Illinois. It was Mother’s Day today, and Beth peered through the kitchen window, staring over at the house next door. Seeing no sign of Zach, she sighed.
Looking over at the oven, she checked out the timer on the door. Making her way across the kitchen, she pulled out the cheese potatoes and left them cooling on the stovetop. She and Kyle were going over for a cookout at Luke and Kelly’s tonight, and cheese potatoes were Kyle’s favorite. Beth smiled at Kyle where he sat eating his lunch at the kitchen island. Come to think of it, pretty much everything layered with cheese was Kyle’s favorite.
Nearly an hour later, Beth was pulling the SUV next to Zach’s truck in Luke and Kelly’s driveway. Luke and Kelly had gone out for breakfast with their family that morning for Mother’s Day. And even though Kelly had said that she and Kyle would be their only guests, why was Beth even surprised that Zach was here? It’d been pretty evident this winter that Luke and Kelly had been attempting some matchmaking.
When Zach, Emily, and Hawk appeared to help unload the van, Zach gave her, what appeared to be, a rueful
smile.
Beth grinned. “They didn’t mention that we were invited here too?”
Zach shook his head, and grinned. “Nah—they’re at it again,” he muttered.
Beth rolled her eyes, and they both began to laugh. She pointed out the cooler containing the potatoes, along with the drinks and snacks she’d brought along for Kyle, and Zach carried it into the house.
The view across the bay was amazing, Beth thought, as they sat on the deck of the front porch. It was a lovely afternoon. But even though it was unusually warm for northern Wisconsin, it was still a little too cold for swimming today.
“The water is freezing, buddy,” Zach told Kyle, before he grinned at Luke. Kyle had been trying to drag both of them down to the beach.
It was fun to sit and relax, while drinking a couple of glasses of wine before dinner. Beth just listened to Zach and Luke talk—they’d remembered some pretty humorous stories about their time in the air force.
And that sexy voice of Zach’s? It seeped through her senses like honey—and his slow southern drawl was doing silly things to her insides again.
Kyle seemed content as he ran along the pathway through the woods with the dogs—even a few hours later when they’d all finished dinner.
They continued to sit outside and talk, and take in the breathtaking view of the colorful sky, while the sun was beginning to set.
When a long loud howl came echoing through the woods, and suddenly cut through their conversation, Zach’s eyes immediately met Beth’s. “Something’s wrong!” they both shouted in unison.
Beth had known Emily long enough now, to know when that howl of hers meant trouble. Beth shot up from her seat and began staring down the pathway. “Where’s Kyle?” She was really beginning to panic, and she called out his name again and again.
After scoping out the area, Zach grabbed Beth’s hand, and they rushed down the steps, from the deck, and ran down the pathway that led to the guesthouse, following the sound of Emily’s howls.
Two Hearts Unspoken (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 2) Page 7
