Chapter One
“Thanks for bringing me back, guys.” Clay smiled at Zack and Luke. “I know it was a late flight, but I figured we’d all rather get back here than stay in Nashville till tomorrow.”
Luke grinned at him. “You know how I feel about it.”
Clay nodded and grasped Zack’s shoulder. “What about you, son?”
Zack smiled. “I’m happy to fly you wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go.”
“And I appreciate it,” said Clay. “I’d like to think this worked out well for you, too, though.”
“I’m always happy to be back at Summer Lake. You know that.”
Clay nodded and gave him an inquiring look. “I hope so. Are you still friendly with …” He shot a glance at Luke and changed his mind mid-sentence, “… with that friend of yours?”
“Yeah. I’m sure we’ll catch up while I’m here.”
“Okay. Well, we’re all free and clear until a week from Monday. So, go have fun. I’ll only call you for a flight if something urgent comes up and I don’t think that’s very likely.” He smiled at Luke. “Go on, get out of here. I’m sure Angel’s going to be thrilled you’re home early.”
Zack and Luke watched Clay climb into the SUV that his security guy, Adam, had pulled around in front of the building, then they walked across the parking lot to Zack’s truck.
Once they were in and Zack had started the engine, Luke gave him a puzzled look. “What friend was Clay talking about?”
Zack met his gaze. He wanted to shrug it off. He’d managed to avoid the subject almost completely for a long time.
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Just one more thing you don’t want to tell me about?”
“There’s nothing to tell.” He felt bad. He and Luke had been good friends for a few years now—ever since he’d first come to Summer Lake. They were close, but Zack still hadn’t told him anything about his background. He was hoping the time was approaching that he’d be able to tell him everything. He blew out a sigh. The friend that Clay had been talking about had nothing to do with his past. There was no harm in telling Luke. “Okay, okay. I don’t keep you in the dark because I don’t trust you. It’s just that there are some things about me you’re better off not knowing.”
“I know you have some super-secret past. Rumors have it that you’re ex-mafia, ex-CIA, and a whole bunch of other things. I don’t buy any of it. And you’ve promised me enough times that you’ll tell me when the time is right. I’m good with that. I was just curious about this friend. I thought I was your friend.” He gave Zack a mock hurt look. “I thought I knew all your friends—here at the lake, at least.”
Zack laughed. “You do. This friend has nothing to do with my past; there’s nothing secret about her.”
“Maria?”
Zack nodded. “Yup. One time, I think it was the first time Clay came out here, he knew that by giving you a job in Nashville he was taking you away from Angel. He wondered if I had a girl here, too. He didn’t believe that there was no one at all, and I told him that there was someone I liked, but that we’re just friends.”
“Why, though?”
“Because that’s all we are.”
“I know that, but why? Why aren’t the two of you more than friends? You met her not long after I met Angel. We all know why it took Angel and me so long to get together. But I never figured out why you and Maria didn’t. In the beginning, I thought the two of you were a sure thing, but then nothing came of it and—like everything else—you refused to talk about it.”
Zack shrugged. “Because there’s nothing to say.” He put the truck in reverse and backed out. “We don’t need to sit around here talking all night. Angel’s going to be surprised enough that you’re home tonight. We should get you there before she goes to bed, or you might scare her.”
“So, you’re just going to shut me down and refuse to tell me about Maria again?” Luke asked as they pulled away from the airport.
“Like I said, there’s nothing to tell. Sure, I find her attractive—very attractive. I think she’s an awesome person.”
“So, why have you never asked her out?”
“Because …” Zack didn’t know how to explain anything without explaining everything, which was why he’d never tried. “You know that mysterious past of mine?”
Luke nodded.
“It makes it so that I’m better off not getting close to anyone.”
“For your sake or theirs?”
“Both.” He hadn’t allowed himself to get close to anyone for years. He’d come to Summer Lake with the intention of keeping things that way. He hadn’t intended to become such good friends with Luke, but it’d been unavoidable—Luke was such a good guy. But Luke was different. It wasn’t the same as getting involved with a woman—a woman he could care about. And within a few weeks, he’d known that Maria was a woman he could care about—very much.
They drove on in silence for a while until Luke looked over at him again. “I hope someday you can deal with your past and allow yourself to a have a future.”
“Thanks, bro. Me, too. Anyway, are you going to call Angel and let her know you’re almost home?”
Luke grinned. “Nah. I want to surprise her.”
That made Zack smile. “I think with any other woman, I’d be worried about what you might find—coming home early on a Friday night and surprising her. But with Angel, I know damned well that the worst you might discover is that she’s still at work. You two are good together. Made for each other.”
Luke nodded happily. “We are. I hope one day you find what we have. Maybe you and—”
Zack held up a hand to stop him before he said Maria’s name. He’d heard it too many times tonight, and every time it made him wish for what he knew he couldn’t have.
~ ~ ~
“What do you say, ladies? One more glass?” Angel stood in the doorway from the kitchen waving a bottle of wine.
Maria laughed. “Yeah, why not?” She looked at Roxy. “We know how to live it up on a Friday night, right girlfriend?”
Roxy laughed with her. “Sure, we do. I mean, who needs to go over to the resort and listen to the band? We can have a good time right here at Angel’s—with face masks and wine. I’ll have one more glass, but then I’ll have to stop. I hate to be a party pooper, but I’m going to have to call a cab soon.”
Angel came into the living room and refilled both their glasses. “You’re no party pooper, Roxy. I’m not sure I’ll even make it through another glass before I fall asleep. You’re both welcome to stay over, though. Tonight has been so much fun. Why don’t we do this more?”
Roxy laughed. “Because you’re usually either working or with Luke. And that’s not a complaint—at least, the Luke part isn’t. I know I speak for us both …” she nodded at Maria, “… when I say we are very happy for you. But you still need to take more time off from work when he’s away. Tonight’s been awesome. And thanks, it’s tempting to stay, but I’d rather get back to my own bed, then I can sleep in tomorrow, and after all this wine, I’m going to need to.”
She nodded again at Maria who had to laugh. “It has been a lot of fun, and I’m up for doing it again whenever. Though maybe not the face masks next time?”
“And why’s that?” asked Roxy.
Maria laughed again. “Because you look like some kind of drunken clown—big silly grin on your face, nodding away to yourself like that.” She reached up and patted her own cheek. “We should wash them off. They’ve been on a long time now.”
“Finish your wine first,” said Angel. “Do you want to stay?”
“I will if you want me to.” Maria would rather go home, but the way Angel kept asking made her wonder if she wanted some company.
“No. It’s fine. I’m hoping Luke will be home early in the morning, so I’d be rushing you out of here anyway.” Angel chuckled. “Maybe it’s because I feel guilty about that, that I keep offering for you to stay.”
“In that case, no way. I don’t have to go into work tomorrow, so I want to sleep late and have a lazy morning.”
“Drink wine. Call taxi. Remove face goop,” said Roxy.
Maria had to laugh. “I want to think that it’s because you’ve had a little too much wine, but you always make me laugh.”
Roxy gave her a happy smile. “That’s okay. You’re making me laugh, too, right now. You’re always so pretty and put together, but you look a lot like a clown yourself with the face goop on.”
Angel sat down on the sofa beside her. “She’s right. We all do. But who cares? No one’s going to see us. And I love this. I never thought I’d have girlfriends I could hang out with like this and do girly stuff. I love you guys.”
Roxy leaned in, and they all hugged. Maria squeezed them tight. She loved them both. She might have only known them for a couple of years, but they were the best friends she’d ever had. Unlike Angel, she’d always had lots of friends, but until she’d come to Summer Lake, she hadn’t had close friends—not like Angel and Roxy. She knew that the two of them would always be there for her, and she would do anything for them.
Angel sat up looking a little embarrassed. It wasn’t like her to get so emotional. “Sorry, I might be a little tipsy, but it’s not just the wine talking. I really do love you.”
“And we love you, too,” said Maria.
Roxy hiccupped and grinned at them. “We do. It’s true.”
Maria took her glass away from her. “I think you’ve had enough. Why don’t you go and wash your face and I’ll call us a cab.”
Roxy gave them a sheepish look. “Sorry, girls. I’m not that bad.”
“I know, but any more and you will be. It’s getting late anyway.”
“Okay.” Roxy made her way into the little powder room in the hallway.
Angel smiled at Maria. “What are you going to do with your weekend?”
“As little as possible. I love having both days off, and it happens so rarely. I might take my camera out for a hike, but other than that, I’m just going to chill at home.”
“Luke talked about going to the Boathouse tomorrow for dinner. Do you want to come?”
Maria shrugged. “Not if it’s just the two of you, but let me know if there’s a bunch of people going? I haven’t heard the band play in ages.”
“I’ll call you, but I think he meant for us to meet up with everyone—not just us.”
“Okay, if that’s the case, I’m in. Call me.” She dug her cell phone out of her purse. “I’m going to call us a cab. If Miss Tipsy hurries up in there, I should have time to wash my face before it gets here.”
Angel laughed. “Are you okay in there, Roxy?” she called.
“Doing fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back.”
The dispatcher told Maria he could have a car outside in ten minutes. “Come on, Roxy. Time’s up. I need to wash my face before we leave.”
Roxy opened the door and stood there grinning at them. “All done.” She swept her arm toward the powder room as she came out. “In you go, madam.”
Maria stepped inside and closed the door behind her. No sooner had she done that than she heard the doorbell ring. Damn! That was quick. There must have a been a cab just around the corner.
Her heart started to pound when she heard the front door open and Angel squeal. “Oh, my God!”
She heard a man make a weird sound and then footsteps came into the hallway—footsteps that weren’t Angel and Roxy.
Time seemed to stand still while her heart and mind raced. Her friends were in danger! She looked around for something—anything—she could use as a weapon. There was nothing—it was a powder room after all. She eyed the towel rail and pulled at it. She stepped backward and thudded against the wall as it came away in her hand; she hadn’t expected it to. She’d lost the advantage of surprise by making that noise. The powder room door flew open, and she raised the rail and screamed, ready to defend herself and her friends against the intruder.
Her scream turned to a gasp when she saw the man standing there. He gasped, too, and took a step back at the sight of her.
“Maria? Are you okay?” Angel appeared beside Zack.
Maria stared at them both wishing the floor would open and swallow her up. Was she okay? Hell, no! She almost wished it was an attacker who’d flung the door open. Even that would be better than having gorgeous, sexy Zack standing there with that horrified look on his face! She still had a face mask on—white of course—so her eyes and mouth must have looked like something out of a horror movie when she screamed at him. And she was still … she slowly lowered the towel rail that she realized she was still holding up ready to strike.
Zack backed slowly away. Maria couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. “I thought … when I heard the doorbell … and then you opened the door and screamed … I thought it was someone … I dunno.” She held the towel rail up apologetically. “I’ll fix it for you.”
Angel chuckled, and Luke and Roxy crowded around the doorway, too.
“Sorry, Maria,” said Luke. “It’s my fault. We got back tonight instead of in the morning. I wanted to surprise Angel.”
“But I surprised him,” said Angel with a smile. “I forgot I had my face mask on, and I thought it was your taxi. So, I opened the door…”
Luke laughed. “And scared the life out me!”
Maria shot a glance at Zack. If she’d still had any lingering hopes that something might happen between them one day, she’d dashed them tonight. “Not as much as I scared you, right, Zack?”
He smiled. He’d either recovered from his shock and horror or was hiding it well. “I’m not going to lie, but to be fair, you looked like you were about to batter me to death with—what is that?”
She looked down. “Towel rail … or at least it used to be.”
He held her gaze for a moment in that way he had. When she first knew him, she used to think he meant something by it—that he felt something between them the same way she did. But she knew better now. “You’re quite something, Maria.”
She wished that he might mean that in the way she wanted to take it, but she had to stop thinking about him that way. He was a friend, that was all. He was being a good sport about her almost beating him with a towel rail while screaming—and looking—like a banshee.
She gave him a rueful smile. “Aren’t I just?”
