The Truth About Secrets

by L. P. Dover

  “Yeah?” I replied cautiously.

  She cleared her throat. “I figured you were going to find out eventually, but Adrian called here yesterday. He’s been trying to get in touch with you.”

  “Seriously?” I gasped. “What did you say to him? I’m not ready to talk to him right now.”

  She sighed. “He’s worried about you. I told him about your father. He wants to come to Wyoming to visit.”

  Groaning, I leaned back against the counter. This week was not the time for Adrian to visit me. “This is a disaster. I can’t have him coming here this week.” My mom averted her eyes, and I groaned again. “Please tell me you didn’t say he could.”

  “Well,” she began, giving me that sheepish look of hers, “I kind of did. He’s waiting on you to call him back to confirm.”

  The week just kept getting better and better. Dealing with both Zac and Adrian wasn’t what I needed. “Fine,” I huffed, “I’ll call him, but I’m not letting him come out here this week.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “You’re not getting close to Zac, are you?”

  Mouth gaping, I scoffed. “Definitely, not. I can’t stand the guy. He’s doing everything in his power to make my life miserable right now.” I gave her a quick rundown on what I did to him yesterday. She thought it was hilarious.

  “Have you spoken to him about what happened all those years ago?” she asked, staring curiously at me.

  I shook my head. “Nope. I’m only around him strictly out of business, nothing more. Once this week’s up, I don’t plan on seeing him again.”

  That seemed to appease her. “Good. He doesn’t deserve someone like you.”

  I grabbed my orange juice off the table and guzzled it down. “I have to go. Call me if you need me. I can always run by the club if something comes up.”

  She smiled. “I will, but I think the club will be fine. If you want, you can always run by there one day this week and let the staff know everything’s okay.”

  “I can do that.” I waved at her and fetched the car keys off the counter along with a bag of extra clothes I had packed just in case.

  Once outside, I breathed in the crisp morning air. The sky was so blue with no trace of clouds anywhere. It was going to be a beautiful, warm day in Snowy Creek, Wyoming. If there was one thing I missed about being in Wyoming, it was the peace and tranquility. Soon, I’d be able to enjoy it all once my week of hell was over.

  On the way to Zac’s house, I decided to bite the bullet and call Adrian. If I didn’t, he’d probably take it upon himself to show up in Wyoming. Taking a deep breath, I pressed his name on my phone, and it started to ring over the car speakers.

  He answered on the second ring. “Clara, baby, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. You?”

  He sighed. “I’m not worried about me. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

  “I know. You called my mother,” I said blandly.

  He sighed again. “Not my finest moment. Usually, you don’t ignore me.”

  That was one of the reasons why our relationship had issues. He didn’t like it when people ignored him. Guess that was one of the downfalls of being famous. Once you got a taste of the attention, it was hard to let it go.

  “I’m fine, Adrian. It’s been a busy week.”

  His voice softened. “How’s your dad? Your mother told me everything. I just wish you would’ve told me.”

  I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. “You were busy with your movie. I didn’t want to bother you.” My relationship with Adrian was the closest thing to love I’d had since Zac. Adrian filled that void, but I couldn’t see myself spending the rest of my life with him. I was thirty years old and ready for that next step. I wanted a family, but it didn’t look like that was coming anytime soon.

  “You wouldn’t have bothered me, Clara. Also, the movie’s done. We wrapped up yesterday. I was hoping we could get together and talk? I thought about flying out that way to see you if that’s okay?”

  I turned down Zac’s driveway, and then it hit me the second I saw him walk out of his house. That son of a bitch waved his women around in front of me to piss me off when, in all reality, I could do the same with men. It was time Zac saw that I didn’t give a rat’s ass about his life; I had one of my own.

  “You know what? I think that’s a good idea,” I said, pulling up to Zac’s house. All three of his cars were in the driveway, and off to the side were buckets and car wash supplies. Guess I knew what I was about to do. I just hoped and prayed Zac had other things to do, especially with him parading around shirtless wearing only a pair of khaki shorts.

  Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to say no.”

  I shut off my car and hopped out, trying my hardest not to pay any attention to Zac. He glanced quickly over at me, but then turned away and grabbed the water hose to fill up one of the buckets.

  “Actually, I think it’s a great idea,” I said, making my voice a little flirty to see if it grabbed Zac’s attention. “But I would wait until next week, or maybe even the next,” I added. “I’m in hell right now.”

  “I know,” he murmured, “especially with your dad starting chemo.” That was part of it, but the main hell being that I was stuck with Zac.

  My words did grab Zac’s attention and his jaw clenched. Picking up the bucket of water, he started toward me. “Ready to get to work?” he called out. There was anger in those hazel eyes of his and I loved it.

  I smiled. “Yep.”

  “Who was that?” Adrian asked.

  “My personal hell. Do you remember me telling you about the local auction my parents started many years ago?”

  “Oh yeah. The one where you auction off people?” he asked.

  Zac tensed, and it made me smile even harder. “Yep. This year I opted to do it in place of my dad. Turns out the town jackass won me and he’s determined to make my life miserable.” I raised my voice so Zac could hear. “But it’s not going to work.”

  Adrian chuckled. “The joy of small-town life. I can honestly say it’s not for me.”

  “Yes, I know,” I agreed, watching Zac grow more and more impatient by the second. “All right, I should probably get off here. I have work to do.”

  “Okay, baby. I’ll call you later.”

  We said our good-byes, and I tossed my phone into the car. Zac smirked and walked over to me.

  “Looks like I’m washing cars today,” I said.

  He nodded back at his cars. “I want them to look nice when I go on my dates this weekend.”

  I gave him a thumbs-up, even though I really wanted it to be a different finger. “Great. I’ll clean them up good for you. Do you want them vacuumed out as well?”

  He leaned against his truck, which no doubt accentuated his nicely indented abs. “I do,” he said, his gaze roaming up and down my body. I had on a form fitting pink tank top along with a pair of denim shorts. Figured I would let him get a good look at what he threw away all those years ago. “I heard that you think I’m your personal hell,” he added. “Who were you talking to?”

  “Not that it concerns you, but it was Adrian Norwood. He’s coming to see me next week.” It felt so good to say it.

  Zac pursed his lips and pushed off his truck, his strides slow as he walked toward me. “Why aren’t you letting him come see you this week?” He closed the distance between us, and I stepped back; he was too close. “Did you not want him to see you with me?”

  I scoffed. “I couldn’t care less about that. There’s nothing going on between us other than you being a complete dick to me. You’re seriously acting like a Grade A douchebag.”

  His eyes darkened. “Did you ever ask yourself why that is?”

  I threw my hands in the air. “Didn’t ask, don’t care.” Storming past him, I went straight to the water hose and sprayed off his truck. It was going to take me hours to clean it since it was so big.

  Zac walked up behind me, but I didn’t da
re look back at him. “I’m staying around here today. Got some calls to make. And just so you know, the cheesy orange juice was a nice touch. I’m glad I smelled it first before drinking it.”

  I shrugged. “Hate it failed. At least you get to work out in a nice pretty-in-pink gym.”

  He chuckled. “That I do. I told my lady friend last night that I did it for her. She thought it was sweet.”

  Rolling my eyes, I continued spraying off his truck. “You can go now. If you keep bothering me, I won’t be able to concentrate on your cars.”

  I could feel him so close to me and it made me tremble. “Don’t scratch the paint,” he murmured, his lips close to my ear. “Oh, and tomorrow you’ll be back in the barn. Might want to wear some old clothes.”

  Clenching my teeth, I fought the urge to respond. I hated him, but I also hated myself for allowing him to mess with me. I only had until Friday to put up with him. Once I got through today, that left only two more days. I could do it. At least, I hoped and prayed I could.

  The day dragged on, but I was able to get all three of Zac’s cars washed and fully detailed, trying my best to forget where I learned how to do all of it from. When Zac and I were younger, I used to help him wash cars so he could earn some extra money. He was the one who taught me the proper techniques.

  Luckily, once I was done with it all, he was on a phone call and I was able to skip out before he could criticize my cleaning skills or make those stupid comments he’d been making just to piss me off. I already dreaded tomorrow. The thought of shoveling horse shit again really didn’t excite me.

  When I got home, Agnes had just pulled out of the driveway and waved at me. My mom was by the door, holding a picnic basket with a big smile on her face. Agnes had seriously been a miracle worker this week with her amazing food. I was going to miss it when I went back to San Francisco.

  My mother waited in the doorway while I got out of the car. “You’re not covered in crap today,” she called out.

  I rolled my eyes. “Today, no. Tomorrow, maybe. He wants me back in the barn. I had to wash all of his damn cars today.”

  I stepped past her into the house, and she huffed angrily. “Why are you so stubborn, Clara? I can’t believe you’re actually doing that mess. It’s not like you’ll get in trouble if you don’t do it. I’ll make sure the hospital gets their money.”

  As much as I loved my mother, she was used to using her money to get what she wanted out of life. She never had to do the dirty work. My dad, on the other hand, did. He loved working for what he had.

  She followed me into the kitchen, and I sighed. “It’s called pride, Mother. Besides, I’m almost done with him.”

  “Thank God,” she griped, setting the basket down on the kitchen table.

  “Clara.” My father’s weak voice came from the living room. I rushed in there to see him bundled up with blankets on the couch. He smiled, and that was all I needed to see.

  “Look at you,” I said, sliding in next to him. “It’s about time you graced us with your presence.”

  He chuckled but it sounded weak. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I’ve just been so tired.”

  My eyes burned, but I held back the tears. I wasn’t used to seeing my dad like that. He was always so strong and full of life. “Do you want something to eat? Agnes brought over her famous broccoli and cheese quiche. I know it’s your favorite.”

  He smiled. “I can smell it in the kitchen.”

  I patted his hand. “Say no more. I’ll grab us some.”

  When I walked into the kitchen, my mother already had a serving tray ready for him with a plate of quiche and a glass of tea. I picked it up and set it on his lap. He slowly grabbed his fork and turned to me. “How did it go at Zac’s? You kill him yet?”

  I giggled. “No. If he keeps being an insufferable tool, I can’t promise I won’t slap him.” I didn’t want my dad knowing that it was excruciatingly hard to be around Zac. I wanted to scream at him and demand to know why he felt the need to stray on me all those years ago. I thought we were happy. It just turned out I was the biggest idiot on the planet.

  My father’s gaze narrowed. “It has to bother you being so close to him. You two have history.”

  My heart hurt just thinking about it. Who would’ve thought that after twelve years I’d still harbor such strong feelings for Zac? Most of it was hate, but what I truly wanted was closure. I never got it.

  “Why the questions about Zac, Dad?” I asked, studying him curiously.

  He shrugged. “Things change, Clara. People change. Zac’s made an amazing life for himself. The boy’s come a long way.”

  “It still doesn’t change the fact that he hurt our daughter, Alex,” my mother said, appearing in the living room doorway. She shook her head and walked back into the kitchen. I was starting to think she hated Zac more than I did.

  My father held up a hand. “You’re right,” he called out so my mother could hear him. Then he turned to me and lowered his voice. “People make mistakes, sweetheart. Then again, if he’s being an ass, maybe he doesn’t deserve your forgiveness.”

  “He obviously doesn’t want it. I don’t understand why he’s being such a dick when he’s the one who screwed up.”

  He nodded. “Makes no sense, I agree. All I’m saying is that life’s too short. If you want answers from Zac, now’s your chance. Don’t wait until it’s too late.” Swallowing hard, he focused on his food and sighed. “You never know how much time you have left.”

  It was true. We all had a time stamp on our lives, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk to Zac. At least, not yet.

  10

  Zac

  Adrian fucking Norwood. The second she said that name, I could feel the jealousy burn in my gut. Why was I jealous? Who the hell knew, but it was there. I’d seen the tabloids over the years of them together and I hated it. Then again, that was who she was meant for, not a nobody like me. I wasn’t a nobody anymore though.

  The last thing I wanted was for Adrian Norwood to come to Wyoming. Snowy Creek was my town, not his. He needed to keep his pompous ass in California or wherever the hell he was from.

  “Zachary!” The sound of my mother’s voice echoed down the hallway.

  “In the kitchen!” I hollered back.

  “I came by to see if you needed help with the horses.”

  The smell of Clara’s lasagna filled the air and I breathed it in. I was terrified she had put ex•lax in it, but I ate it last night and didn’t get sick. “Nope, I’m good,” I called out. “The horses have been taken care of.”

  My mother walked into the kitchen and sucked in a breath. Everyone always said I looked like her with her dark hair and hazel eyes. It was how I fit in so much at River Enterprises when I went to work with my Broussard cousins. We all had the signature dark hair and hazel eyes.

  “Oh wow, it smells amazing in here,” my mother gushed. Her gaze narrowed at me. “Did you cook?” My mother was the cook in our family. However, I could do anything on the grill. Give me some steaks, burgers, or any other meat and I was good to go.

  I was still angry over the news of Adrian. “Clara did,” I replied. “It was one of the things I made her do yesterday. Since I didn’t get sick eating it, I figured I’d eat more tonight.”

  Her eyes widened. “I was wondering how that would go. Have you two talked about anything?”

  I shook my head. “Not even close. She’s just as pissed at me as I am with her.”

  “I wonder why that is. You’re not the one who ended things,” she stated.

  I shrugged. “It was so long ago, I don’t even remember what happened.” It was a lie. I remembered everything.

  She sat down at the bar and looked over at the oven. “So she made you dinner, huh?”

  I sat down across from her. “Yep. I told her it was for me and a date I had coming over last night. I was afraid I would get explosive diarrhea, but I’ve been fine today.”

  She burst out laughing. “Clara’s a pistol, but I don�
��t think she’d go that far to put a laxative in your food.”

  “You’d be surprised.” I nodded toward the hall. “Come with me.” She followed me down into the basement, and I showed her the gym which was now pink, not gray.

  She gasped when she walked inside. “Oh my God. What is this?”

  I waved a hand around the room. “I asked Clara to paint it, and this is what she did. When she left, she had that look on her face.” My mother knew exactly what look I was talking about.

  She cringed. “Yeah, that’s not good. That girl was such a trickster. I used to think it was funny when you were kids.” Looking around the room, she sighed. “Now she’s older and definitely more creative, I’d be careful if I were you.”

  She was absolutely more creative. I walked over to the weight bench where I’d left the bag of supposed condoms. I held them up so my mother could see. She stared at the bag curiously. “Am I supposed to know why you have a bag of finger cots down here?”

  I chuckled. “This is the bag of condoms I asked Clara to get me.”

  She slapped a hand over her mouth to contain her laugh. “Oh my God, that’s hilarious.” My lips pursed, and she held up a hand. “Okay, maybe not hilarious, but it’s exactly what Clara would’ve done.” She stared at the bag again and then huffed. “Zac, please tell me you didn’t ask her to get condoms just to get a rise out of her?”

  At the time it felt great to piss her off. I could see it in her eyes, especially now that I knew Adrian was coming into town. I didn’t want her thinking I was pining over her after all these years.

  I threw my hands in the air. “Okay, I’m guilty. I wanted her to think I was going to do more last night than just eating dinner with my date.”

  With a heavy sigh, my mother crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you even have a woman over here?” I had Julie’s number right there on my counter, but I couldn’t do it.

  When I shook my head, my mother pursed her lips. “I knew this was going to be a bad idea. I never should’ve told you she was being auctioned off.”