Too Much Love to Hide (Summer Lake Seasons Book 2)

by SJ McCoy

  Maria smiled. “Do you want to know how I see it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I think we all gel because, no matter how different we are on the surface, underneath we’re all kind, caring people. You think about the whole bunch of us, and there’s not one who wouldn’t go out of their way to help someone. Nadia’s not like that. She’s all about what’s in it for her. She doesn’t like Austin hanging out with us because we’re not the cool kids, we’re not the in crowd. We’re of no value to her because we don’t have anything to offer. We’re not the wealthy ones, hanging out with us won’t help her social standing.”

  Colt frowned. “Yeah. I can see that, but she doesn’t hang out with the people who would elevate her social status either. I mean you think about the people with money around here—and there’s a lot of them, with a lot of it—you don’t see her hanging out with them either.”

  Maria smiled. “Because being wealthy doesn’t necessarily make you superficial. Some of the most down-to-earth people around here could buy and sell the rest of us. There’s Smoke, for starters. And think about Dan Benson. And his brother Jack and Pete Hemming. They’re all multi-multi-millionaires, but they’re not about all the social climbing and that kind of stuff that Nadia is.”

  Colt nodded. “You’ve got a point there. Even if you deliberately didn’t mention Zack.”

  She frowned.

  “Okay. Sorry. I’ll drop it, but we both know Zack’s got more money than the rest of them put together.”

  She smiled. What else was she supposed to do? She knew Zack’s family was wealthy. She knew he had a lot more than she did, but it didn’t matter, did it? She wasn’t going to let her pride get in the way of the way she felt about him. “I guess he’s just another example. I don’t even think of him as being one of the money people because that’s not who he is to me.”

  Colt smiled. “It’s not who he is to any of us. He’s just Zack.” The server came out with his food and Maria smiled.

  “I’ll leave you to your dinner. But if you’re here for a while I’ll come over when the girls arrive. Lenny’s granddaughters are coming. I should introduce you.”

  Colt smiled. “I’ll probably be gone by then.”

  She laughed. “Stick around. If your dating options are down to Nadia’s friends, then it’s time you met some new people.”

  He laughed with her. “You might have a point there. I think Austin likes one of them, though.”

  Maria frowned. “Well, that’s neither here nor there until he breaks up with Nadia, is it?”

  “No, but I’m not going to get in the way.”

  “Hey, you two.” Angel appeared at Maria’s side.

  “Hey.” Colt smiled at her. “Go on. You two get your chatting time in before the others arrive. I’ll catch up with you both soon.”

  “Are you working on Saturday?” asked Angel.

  “I’m on the early shift this weekend.”

  “Good. Then you can come out in the evening.”

  Colt smiled. “I’d love to. Let me know what the plans are.”

  “Will do. Talk to you soon.”

  Angel took Maria’s arm and led her away. They found a table on the other side of the terrace. “We can move inside later if the girls want to, but let’s sit out here for now.”

  “Sounds good to me. How are you?”

  Angel laughed. “I’m fine. Luke’s fine. We’re very happy together. Work’s great and … umm … unless you can think of anything else, that’s me done. Now that we’re caught up on my news, I want to hear all about you.”

  Maria laughed. “That’s it?”

  “Yes! You’re the one who’s got so much going on. A couple of weeks ago, you were happy to get a glimpse of Zack. Then you were seeing each other but no one could know about it. Now, you’re happily living together in one of the big waterfront estates and everyone’s talking about it. I think, as your best friend, you owe me a few details here and there to fill in the gaps.”

  “Well, since you put it like that. I suppose I do.”

  “So, come on, what happened? How did you go from naught to sixty in no time at all? And don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving you a hard time. I’m thrilled. I know how much you like him. I’ve always suspected how much he liked you, but he’s so private. He’s been like the mystery man.” She grinned. “So, what’s it like to unravel the mystery?”

  Maria looked around. There was no one sitting close enough to hear them. “I don’t mind telling you that he makes me unravel!”

  Angel chuckled with her. “I had a feeling he might. He’s one of those guys, isn’t he? He’s all manly and sexy and …” She rolled her eyes. “Not my type. You know that.”

  “I do know that, and you’re right. I always thought of Zack as more of a macho type, but he’s so sweet, too, Angel. He’s so good to me. He cooks for me and he brings me coffee in bed in the morning before I have to go to work.”

  “Aww. That’s lovely. He can come across a bit harsh. I remember when Luke and I first started seeing each other, he thought I might be just using Luke and he wasn’t afraid to say so. But it was only because he cared about his friend.”

  “Yeah. You wouldn’t think of him as a sweetie pie, but he is underneath.”

  “At least, he is to you, and that’s all that matters. So, where do you go from here? I can’t believe you just moved into that house together—oh, and by the way, I’ll expect you to invite me and Luke over as soon as you’re settled.”

  Maria smiled. “I’d love to.”

  “What was the big hurry, though?”

  She’d asked Zack how much she could tell Angel, and he’d said there was no reason not to tell her everything. He wasn’t making any attempt to hide anymore. And he’d already told Luke. “What’s Luke told you?”

  Angel made a face. “He said Zack finally explained what his situation was and that it made sense to him that the two of you would want to move into a place like that. He said that some guy has been after Zack for years and Zack’s sick of running and hiding.”

  “That’s about it,” said Maria. She looked around again. She’d been about to tell Angel about Manny, but thought better of it.

  “So, you’re just waiting for this man to track Zack down so they can have some kind of showdown?”

  Maria nodded.

  “Do you know what it’s all about?”

  She nodded again. “I do, and I don’t think I want to talk about it here—out in public. I’ll tell you when we’re on our own.”

  “Okay. But do I need to worry about you? Luke said that Zack had always liked you, but he’d never done anything about it because he didn’t want to put you in danger.”

  Maria nodded.

  “And you aren’t in danger now? Why is it safe all of a sudden?”

  “Well, for one thing, the house is pretty much a fortress. It’s in its own grounds behind big gates. There are all sorts of security systems. And … he’s got help now. I really don’t want to talk about it out here. But he thinks it’s all going to be done with soon.”

  “Okay, but I’m not thrilled. I mean, you’re stuck, aren’t you? You can’t just go back to your place till this man has been caught.”

  Maria smiled. “You’ve got nothing to worry about there. I don’t want to go back to my place. Not unless Zack’s going with me.”

  “I see.” Angel smiled at her. “So, you like him enough that you can put up with all this weirdness?”

  “No, I don’t like him enough …”

  Angel’s eyes widened.

  Maria couldn’t hold back her smile. “I’m in love with him, and he’s in love with me.”

  “Oh, Maria! That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you. I thought the two of you might be headed in that direction, but … no, you know what? It really isn’t that fast, is it? You’ve known each other for ages. The two of you have hung out as friends. You’ve been much closer than Luke and I were for the last year, until we got together.”

&nb
sp; “That’s true. You know I always hoped for more, and I always kind of got the feeling he liked me. Now I know that the only reason he didn’t do anything about it was because of this whole situation.”

  “So, he stayed away from you just so that you wouldn’t get mixed up in this business of his?”

  “Yeah.” Maria smiled at her friend. “He told me he had to hide his heart.”

  “Aww! I’m liking him more with everything I hear about him.”

  Maria grinned. “Me too.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “What time are you expecting Maria home?” asked Manny as he followed Zack up the steps to the front door.

  “She said she’d be back by ten.”

  “I thought you’d stay out later yourself.”

  Zack shrugged. “It was just a quick drink. Luke and I talk all the time.” He opened the front door and Manny waited for him to go in first.

  “So, the two of you met up to kill some time while your girls are out?”

  Zack gave him a rueful smile. “Yeah. You got me.”

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re in love with her.”

  Zack nodded. “I know it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but I do feel guilty about the timing. I stayed away from her for over a year. I should have been strong enough to wait until Morales was taken care of.”

  “Maybe, but you can’t change what’s happened. You can only make the most of it. And if you want to look on the bright side, you could see it that getting together with her is helping to end this.”

  “You sound like her; she always finds the bright side.”

  “It’s a useful trait to have, as long as you don’t let it blind you to the darker side of things. You need to acknowledge that the darker side exists before you turn away from it and look for the good.”

  “Yeah, she’s realistic enough.” He went through to the kitchen and took a beer from the fridge. “Do you want one?”

  Manny laughed. “Ask me a different question. You know I want one, but I’m not going to have one.”

  Zack went and sat on the sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table. Manny sat in the armchair opposite him.

  “How long do you think it’ll take before he shows himself?”

  “My guess is that he’ll monitor your movements for a couple of weeks. Get a handle on where you go, what you do, when you’re most likely to be vulnerable.”

  Zack nodded. He knew that much himself. He was just antsy. He wanted it to be over with. “How long can you and the guys stay up here? I mean, I’m glad you’re here, and honored that you think I’m worth it, but …”

  Manny smiled. “I’m glad we’re here, too. We’ve got a month before we need to reassess. And don’t flatter yourself. It’s not that you’re so important. It’s him. He’s weaved his way in and out of all the major gangs, families, and cartels since his days in Medellín. He has so much information that could—”

  “Wait. You’re not saying that they’d cut him a deal, are you?”

  Manny shook his head. “My job is to bring him in. What happens to him will be up to the justice system.”

  “So, you’re telling me that he might walk free in return for information?”

  Manny shook his head. “If he cuts any kind of deal, his priority is going to be hiding his own ass, not coming after yours.”

  Zack frowned. “I suppose I’ve been naïve all this time. I was just thinking of him getting locked up and them throwing away the key.”

  “And that might be the case. But I don’t think you’ll need to worry about it. I’m more concerned about getting to him before he gets to you.”

  “And so am I, if I’m honest. I guess I won’t need to worry about anything if he gets to me first.”

  “We won’t let that happen, Zack.”

  “I’m banking on it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Maria finished wiping down the countertop and looked around. Everywhere was clean and neat.

  Zack came to stand behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Relax. It’s only Angel and Luke.”

  She rested her head back against his shoulder and looked up into his eyes. “I know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m all panicky and wanting everything to be perfect.”

  He turned her around and planted a kiss on her lips. Then picked her up and sat her on the island. He rested his hands on either side of her hips and rested his forehead against hers. “What are you panicking about, peanut?”

  She laughed. “I am not a peanut!”

  He kissed her again. “You are to me; you’re my little positive peanut. So, I don’t get why you’re so wound up about our friends coming over. Is something bothering you? Is there something you’re not telling me? Something you’re not comfortable with?”

  “No!” She slid her arms around his shoulders and drew him closer, so he was standing between her legs. “There really isn’t anything. That’s why I don’t understand why I’m so nervous. They’re our friends, they’re both happy for us.”

  “Maybe it’s not about them?”

  “What do you mean?” The way her heart started to race told her that he might be right. Something else was bothering her on some level, but she didn’t know what it was.

  “You still haven’t talked to your parents, have you?”

  Her heart thudded to a halt. That was it. She blew out a sigh. “How did you get so smart?”

  “I’m not so smart, but I think I know you pretty well by now. It’s been bothering you that you haven’t told your parents about us. I understand why you don’t want to yet. You want all this behind us before you do, right?”

  She nodded. “When I tell them about us, it’s going to be tough enough to tell them that I already moved in with you. They’re going to ask all kinds of questions and I don’t want to lie to them. I don’t want to hide from them the fact that there’s a crazy man trying to kill you.” She let out a little laugh. “I guess it’ll be easier to tell them that there was a crazy man, but it’s all over.”

  He smiled. “I can’t wait until we can tell them that.”

  “Me neither. I’m hanging in there, Zack. I’m doing my best to look on the bright side, but it is getting to me.”

  “I know.” He closed his arms around her. “It wasn’t fair of me to …”

  She put a finger to his lips. “Don’t you dare say we shouldn’t have gotten together yet. You made me wait long enough.”

  He bit her finger and sucked the tip of it into his mouth. “I promise I’ll never make you wait longer than you want to again. Any time you want me, you tell me.”

  She made a face at him. “That’s not fair. I want you now. But we can’t.”

  He stepped closer and rocked his hips. “We could.”

  She wrapped her legs around his and rubbed herself against him. “They’ll be here any minute.”

  He nipped at her lips and then kissed her deeply. “If you want me, I’m all yours.”

  She reluctantly put a hand to his shoulder and pushed him back. “Angel and Luke will be here any minute and then we’re going out with everyone later. So, I guess I’ll have to wait until bedtime. I do want you, and you’d better still be all mine tonight.”

  He gave her that look, the one she’d never been able to figure out.

  “Is that a maybe?” she asked.

  He shook his head with a smile. “That’s a definitely. I’ll still be all yours tonight, and tomorrow, and for all of your tomorrows. I love you, peanut. When I told you you’re stuck with me, I meant it. I’m all yours, you’re all mine—forever.”

  She wrapped her arms around him again and nuzzled her face into his neck. “I want to be. I love you so much.”

  She loosened her grip on him at the sound of the buzzer that told them there was someone at the front gate. Zack went over to check the monitors. “They’re here. Manny must have let them in.”

  ~ ~ ~

  It had been an enjoyable afternoon. Zack hoped that they’d have many more w
eekends like this. He hadn’t thought he’d ever become one of those guys who was part of a couple and had couple friends. Not only was it not in the cards for him because of his past, but it hadn’t held any appeal anyway. Now he understood it. He and Maria had had a great time with Luke and Angel. They’d all been friends for a long while now, and the dynamics worked so well. Angel and Maria were good friends, as were he and Luke. He and Angel had never been close, and he hadn’t been too enthusiastic about her relationship with Luke at first, but she’d impressed him with the way she’d handled that. She’d appreciated that he was only looking out for his buddy and had gone out of her way to show him that she, too, had Luke’s best interests at heart. She’d even admitted that she didn’t have a great track record with relationships and asked him to tell her if he thought she was doing something wrong. He had a lot of respect for her. Luke and Maria were both open and easy going. The four of them made a great group with lots of good conversation and easy laughs.

  Angel and Luke had left a while ago to go home and get changed. They were all meeting up with the rest of their friends at the Boathouse to watch the band, and if Maria got her way, to dance the night away.

  He was sitting in the kitchen waiting for her to come down so they could leave. There was a knock on the door that lead to the annex. “Come on in.” He could never quite forget that Manny and the guys were over there, but he managed not to focus on it most of the time.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  Zack smiled. “Just as soon as she’s ready.”

  Manny smiled back at him. “Do we need to stand down a while?”

  Maria came down the stairs at that moment. “Hey. I’m not one of those girls who takes forever to get ready.”