15. Evangeline

FIFTEEN

EVANGELINE

F or the next few days, I do everything I can to avoid Zane. He’s trouble. Not he’s-going-to-get-me-busted-by-the-cops kind of trouble. But the kind where if you’re not careful, your heart might start feeling things it shouldn’t Like falling into an all-encompassing, this-is-my-soulmate, I-can’t-stop-thinking-about-you kind of feeling. The kind that will only end in heartbreak if things don't work out. Again.

No one, especially me, wants that kind of trouble.

Zane seems to understand I’m not interested, although by the casual winks I get when I pass by—all while I’m trying to ignore him—it’s clear he isn’t taking me seriously. Or he is but he’s determined to get in my good graces.

The news of his engagement ending has spread like wildfire. Noelle, who has only met Zane once, heard it from a friend, who heard it from a guy, who heard it from so and so, who heard it from my dad.

Really?

My dad of all people, spreading gossip through the town like a school-aged kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar and blaming it on someone else?

Benny Holcomb is also on the let’s-forgive-Zane train, acting as if nothing happened. I get the whole bygones thing, but my memories are fresh. I lived them. He isn’t the one who had their life upended because their boyfriend decided a job was more important.

Maybe that was my problem—I put too much faith in one person, too much of me depended on Zane. Which honestly, isn’t fair to either of us, and is probably why I have avoided any serious relationships. They’re complicated and too many feelings end up getting hurt.

The bell announcing someone has entered my law practice chimes. I glance at the security monitor on my desk, showing me who is walking in. I groan at the sight of a tall man, looking a bit too familiar. Unfortunately for me, Noelle is off today. She invited me to go shopping with her, but I told her I needed to stay and prepare for tomorrow’s Christmas party for the kids. It’s my job—well the job of my truck—to deliver Santa to the party.

Zane comes into my office and casually leans against the door jamb.

I keep my expression as stoic as possible while my insides go topsy-turvy with stupid excitement because the attraction I’ve had for him, for like forever, is jumping up and down, screaming, pick me! I’ve never been a pick-me girl, and I don’t plan to start now just because he’s suddenly single .

He’s been single for a week.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Whitaker?”

I turn my focus on my computer monitor, bring up a random social media page, and pretend I’m working.

“Are you busy?”

“No, I’m just sitting here picking my nose while I wait for someone to steal the snowman in front of the church,” I say sarcastically. I’m the only attorney in town, representing just about everyone. Of course I’m busy.

Maybe.

“Such a nasty habit for a young woman.”

“I’m not young,” I tell him as I try to avoid eye contact with him but fail miserably. He smirks, knowing he’s caught me staring. At times, I can’t help it. I think he purposely stands the way he does, leaning there with his hands in his pockets and his ankles crossed. He’s flirting, and he knows it gets my attention.

Zane laughs and pushes off the door casing. I eye him warily and continue to frantically click on this website. He sits down, extending in legs and looking as relaxed as ever.

Inhaling deeply, I resign myself to having to speak to him. “What’s up?” I ask, as casually as possible.

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

It’s not a question, but a demand.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Why should I?”

“Because we’re friends.”

“No, we’re not, Zane.” There’s a folder on my desk and I pick it up and move to the other side for no other reason other than to make myself look busy.

He rolls his eyes. “We are. You don’t want to admit it.”

Is he right? It’s hard to say. If Zane left tomorrow, would I be sad? Would I miss him?

Probably, but life would go on. This time though, I know he’d be back. I think he’s realized how much damage he’s done to this dad. Everyone in town has seen the change in Mr. Whitaker since Zane returned. If Zane were to disappear again, the people of Deer Ridge would hunt him down.

“Lunch then? It’s less formal.”

I shake my head. “I really am busy and Noelle’s off today,” I tell him.

The bell chimes at the front door. I glance at the security camera quickly and stand. “I’ll be right back.”

Do you think Zane listens?

No, he doesn’t.

He stands and follows me. “Just in time,” he says. Zane steps in front of me and meets the delivery person at Noelle’s desk.

“What’s going on?”

“Thanks, have a good day,” the delivery person says as he hands over a couple of bags. Zane follows him out and locks the door behind him. While he’s at the door, he turns the OPEN sign to CLOSED.

“What are you doing?” I stomp my foot in frustration and ball my hands into fists.

“We’re having lunch,” he says as he takes the bags of food toward my conference room. “People need to eat, especially lawyers. Besides, I need to talk to you about taking my case.”

“What case?” I ask, hot on his heels. He’s right, I do need to eat and whatever is in the bags smells delicious. My stomach thinks so as well. It’s gurgling and making obscene noises. As much as I don’t want to bend to his will, he knows the way to my heart.

We get to the conference room and Zane waits for me to enter, then shuts the door behind me. “You locked the front door.” I remind him.

“Yes, but if anyone needs you, they can look through the window and see you’re having a meeting in the conference room. I want us to enjoy our lunch together.”

“How do you know they can see me?”

Zane shrugs. “Because I’ve done it.”

“Creeper.”

He laughs as he sets the bags of food onto the table. Slowly, he pulls out two cartons and sets one in front of me. “I call it surveillance.”

“Are you a PI now?” I open the carton and my mouth waters. “Is this from Burger Island?”

“It is,” he says as he rips open the bag of fries for us to share. Zane sits and hands me a chocolate milkshake.

Damn, he knows how to get me to soften up.

“I haven’t had a burger from them in years.” I take the lid off my shake and dip my fry, closing my eyes when the sweet and salty combo hits my taste buds.

“I didn’t even know they were still open until the other day when I had to make a delivery for your mom. ”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes at his mention of my mom. It annoys me how short my parents’ memory is. Ever since he showed up, at the right time I might add, my parents have been all over Zane being here for the winter. It could be because they thought of Zane as a son, especially after my brother passed away. He stepped up big time for my family.

“Honestly, the only time I leave town is during December when I make deliveries.”

“Are you really that busy?”

I nod and take a bite, waiting until I swallow to answer. “I represent the town in all their legal matters, especially the landowners, and I serve on some committees. My work keeps me busy, which is good. I like being busy. It gives me less time to think about mundane crap.”

“Like life?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Zane dips some fries into his shake and sticks them in his mouth. “Do you want to know the last time I’ve eaten fries like this?”

“No.”

He laughs. “Is everything I did in New York off limits to talk about?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Fair enough,” he says, taking a bite of his burger.

I do the same and figure I owe him some credit. “You remembered how I like my burger.”

“There isn’t a single thing I’ve forgotten about you, Eve.” He winks.

He freaking winks at me !

I eye him warily as I reach for my shake. The concoction is thick, and it takes me a couple pulls to get the ice cream into the straw. “I wish I could tell you I’ve forgotten everything, that you’re like a stranger to me, but I’d be lying.” I admit. “And if you remember everything, then you’d know I’m lying about lying, and we’d continue to run circles around each other.”

“I’m actually not doing any running,” he says. “I’m just standing here, watching you spin.”

I throw my fry down and sigh. “You don’t get to be like this, Zane. You left and started a whole new life. Up until a few days ago, you were engaged to someone else. Someone you lived with and brought home to meet your dad.”

“Everything about my relationship was wrong,” he says. “The night I showed up at your place, Caryn had said some things to me that made me wonder if meeting her was a setup.”

“Isn’t that how most people meet?”

“Yes, or casually. But it didn’t matter where I was, because Caryn was always there. Even non-work functions.” Zane sighs heavily. “This one time, I was at the train station, and she was there. She suggested we get drinks before I caught my train. I agreed because she was the boss’s daughter. We sat there, I watched the clock, listening for the announcement. When it was time to go, she insisted I held her stuff while she used the restroom. Next thing I knew, the train had left. You know, she was super apologetic and paid for my ticket because I couldn’t get a refund. But I’d missed my train, and all she said was, ‘don’t worry there’s another one tomorrow.’”

“You allowed yourself to be manipulated by her.”

Zane nods. “I thought she was the key to keeping the internship.”

“Is she the key to keeping your job?”

He nods. “I’m in a contract though, so Bamford will give me a severance package, and I have until the end of the month to clean my things out of the apartment and pick up my belongings at the firm.”

“What about your clients?”

“They’ll stay with the firm. I don’t have the means to work their cases. Besides, corporate law isn’t what I really want to do anymore.”

“What is?”

Zane sighs again. “Well, I was hoping the local town attorney would hire me. I know she has an empty office space and according to her, she’s really busy.”

I roll my eyes, and then roll them again.

“Is that why you bought me lunch?”

“No,” he says as he dips another fry. “I bought you lunch because you need to eat.” He sticks the fry in his mouth, chews, and swallows. And then he leans closer. “I asked you to dinner because ever since I saw you at the farm at the beginning of the month, I realized something.”

“That the beginning of the month was two weeks ago?”

Zane laughs. “Always with the comebacks.”

I shrug. “What can I say? I’m a laugh a minute.”

“Do you want to know what I realized? ”

Shaking my head isn’t going to matter in this situation. He’s going to tell me anywhere. “Sure, Zane. What did you realize?”

He leans closer. “As soon as I stepped onto the farm it felt like I could breathe again and see clearly. It was like the past five years had been a dream. And then you appeared, and I felt like I was home.”

This time I don’t want to roll my eyes. As corny as it sounds, the moment I saw him, everything shifted. It was like the life I had once imagined could happen now.

But then, she came into view.

“A week ago, you were engaged, Zane. You need time to process everything.” I throw my napkin on the pile and start cleaning up.

Zane reaches for my hand, halting me. He links his fingers with mine. “The night I showed up at your place was the first time in my life when I thought about being unfaithful. Seeing you again made me realize I wanted to be with you, to make love to you, to show you how incredibly sorry I am for what I’d done to us. To you. I’m not in the shadow of some rebound romance. When she told me it was over, I said okay and hung up. That’s not what people do when they’re in love. They fight for what they want. Who they want to be with.”

He stands and angles my body to his. “I’m going to fight for us. We deserve a second chance at making this right.” His fingers trail along my cheek and under my jaw until he reaches my chin, then he lightly pulls my head upward, giving me no choice but to look into his eyes. Zane moves slowly, giving me time to step away, but I don’t.

The gasp I let out when his lips touch mine is almost embarrassing. But I go with it because being kissed by Zane should be on the national registry of things you should do in your lifetime. I hope, moving forward—if I move forward—I’m the only one on the list to try.