“Yes, because he had a plan, too,” Zack replied, bitterness lacing his tone. “He had my life planned for me from the day I was born. I knew I had to get away from it and him. He’d never give me a moment’s peace if I had stayed. He wanted to create a clone of himself. I could never let that happen.”

  “I didn’t know that. That must have been difficult growing up.”

  Lucy was an only child to two laidback parents who had never pushed her or tried to run her life. They were simply happy when she was happy. But it had to be hard to be the firstborn son of Joel Winslow with all the baggage that came with it. Being a Winslow had many privileges, but there was often a catch to being born into money and power.

  “I’m his favorite. Can you believe that? I don’t want to be.”

  “Does he actually say that?”

  That would be a horrible thing to do to his kids.

  “He doesn’t have to say it. His actions are loud and clear. I keep telling my brother Sam that I don’t want to run the family business, that it’s his. But I’m not sure he believes me. I think he’s waiting for my dad to rip it out from under him, which he would do without a second thought. Just today he offered the firm to me, not caring about his other son. I told him that I couldn’t be part of him stabbing Sam in the back. Christ, Joel Winslow is a terrible parent. He at least kind of pretended to try when Mom was here—”

  Zack broke off, shaking his head.

  “Sorry, this has been an emotional day. I thought that maybe they’d found her. Finally.”

  “You never got any answers,” Lucy said softly.

  “No answers,” he echoed. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I just know that she wouldn’t walk away from her family willingly. And yes, the wedding goes on tomorrow. They’re not going to postpone it.”

  “Are you worried about what people will think?”

  “No, I’m worried about what I’m thinking which is nothing good about my dad and aunt. Despite what you may think, I don’t want to actively hate my father. It’s just every now and then I hope that he’ll act like a human being, and then he does crap like this. It’s a gut punch every time. And he doesn’t see why we’re upset with him.”

  “I’ve been around people like your dad. They know. They know good and well what they’re doing. They just don’t care.”

  “You’re probably right,” Zack sighed. “I’m a cynical asshole, but for some reason I keep hoping that Dad will change.”

  “Of course, you do. He’s your dad. But…he’s probably not going to. Not at this point. What motivation does he have? It looks like it’s been working for him.”

  “If he doesn’t care that his kids despise him, then nothing will make him change. Hell, despise is the wrong word. I don’t trust him, and I kind of feel sorry for him in a way. He could have real relationships with his kids, but he doesn’t try. The only things he cares about are money and power. That’s it. He’s always angry at Piper about something or other. You’d think she was streetwalker the way he acts. Who cares if she reads tarot cards? I don’t. Maybe I should have her do a reading for me. Maybe she can tell me what I’m supposed to do with the rest of my life.”

  “Do you have to know right now? I’m not making a joke here. I’m seriously curious. Would it be so terrible to take your time and figure it out?”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself. Take it slow. Don’t rush. Enjoy the time off and relaxation.”

  “And then what happens?”

  “Then there’s a little voice that says that I’m lazy and that I need to get back to the grind.”

  “That little voice sounds like a pain in the ass.”

  Laughing, he nodded in agreement.

  “He does, but he’s a persistent jerk.”

  “Then tell him to shut up. Let me ask you a few questions. Do you want to go back to this so-called grind? Do you need the money? Are you going to be homeless if you don’t go back to work right away? What terrible, awful thing will happen if you don’t take a job in the next five minutes?”

  “Nothing,” he confessed. “I made a lot of money on Wall Street. As long as I don’t blow it on a yacht or a castle, I’ll be fine living off my investments. But…”

  “But?” she prompted. “Go on.”

  “If I don’t take a job offer soon, they’ll probably stop calling me and offering me a job. Eventually, I mean. They’ll forget about me.”

  “And eventually you might want to go back?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to do. There was a time that I liked my job, but it seems so long ago. It might be different at a different company with a different boss.”

  “It might. I don’t know anything about Wall Street. I’m on Main Street.”

  “How did you decide to come home? You left town, after all. What made you buy the bookstore? And do you have any regrets?”

  Those were some personal questions, but she didn’t begrudge Zack asking them. He seemed to be in the grips of some sort of “who-am-I-and-what-do-I-want-to-be” crisis. For a man that had never questioned his goals, this had to be maddening.

  “No, but I was never as sure as you were about my future. I didn’t live in Los Angeles because I wanted to get out of town. I left for school and then got a job. I lived there and I liked it fine. But when my ex-boyfriend and I broke up, I wanted a change. And I wanted to be closer to my family. Mom’s health wasn’t so good, although she’s fine now. I came home without much of a plan, but then I saw that the bookstore was for sale. It gave me a purpose, and I haven’t regretted coming back here at all. To be honest, I should have dumped my ex a lot sooner than I did.”

  “Kind of a jerk?”

  “I’d changed, and he was still the same. That was the problem. He didn’t want to adult, so he left it to me to be the grown-up. I didn’t have a partner; I had a dependent. He held down a job and everything, but he fought any responsibility. He wanted to be carefree and unencumbered. So, I let him. Last I heard, he was living with three roommates, divorced after a six-month marriage, and engaged to a twenty-two-year-old. I hope one of them cleans the bathroom, because he sure as hell never did.”

  She had too many vivid memories of Michael making messes and expecting “someone” to come behind him and clean up. Like he was ten years old. He kept telling her that she didn’t have to do it, but she knew that someone needed to or they would live in squalor - a state that didn’t seem to bother him. As long as his PlayStation worked and the Wi-Fi was on - and beer in the fridge - he was happy.

  They’d rarely argued. They’d just grown apart with different goals. It had been sort of sad but freeing when they’d ended things. He’d seemed a bit relieved as well.

  “I don’t have any ill will toward him,” she went on. “Michael is a good person with a kind heart, but I always knew I wanted to move back home, and there was no way he was going to do that. We were going to break up at some point anyway. We have mutual friends still, and I want him to be happy. I think he wishes the same for me.”

  “That sounds way more mature than most of my relationships. Although to be honest, I worked so much I didn’t have many actual relationships.”

  “More situationships?”

  “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

  “Rumors have gone around town that you’ve dated supermodels and actresses.”

  His expression changed slightly, and she had to laugh.

  “So the rumors are correct?”

  “I might have dated a few models or actresses over the years. I’ve never really been in a long-term relationship. I think my longest was about a year.”

  “Why did it end?”

  “She said I was emotionally unavailable.”

  “Ouch. Were you?”

  “Yes,” he replied immediately. “But I’d warned her that work was very important to me. I don’t think she believed me.”

  “She probably thought it would be different with her,” Lucy suggested.

  “She said that. She thought she would be different. She was angry that she wasn’t.”

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  The question popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. It was none of her business…but she kind of wanted to know.

  “No,” Zack responded, the word drawn out slowly. “No. I don’t think that I have. Unless you count Millie Hartfield in first grade. I kissed her at the swings, and she socked me in the nose.”

  “Love hurts,” Lucy giggled. “I hope that women haven’t made that a habit in your life.”

  “These days I make sure that my attention is welcome.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “I let them make the first move.”

  “If you wanted to kiss me, you wouldn’t do anything about it? You’d just wait for me to do it?”

  A man as good-looking as Zackery Winslow could get away with that. Other mortals? Not so much.

  “I would. Would you?”

  “Would I what?”

  “Make the first move?”

  “Yes, but only if I wanted to kiss you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  They’d turned back toward the downtown area, not saying much. She was thinking about how he’d never been in love, and he was probably thinking about a myriad of things such as his mother, the wedding, and Sarah.

  To be honest, she was thinking about Sarah, too. They hadn’t been best buddies back in high school, but they’d been friendly. Sarah had been a sweet girl, always nice. She’d never been one of those mean ones that bullied people. She was the kind that would share her notes from chemistry class if you’d been out sick.

  “I wonder if they’ll have a memorial service for Sarah now that she’s been found. They never did before,” Lucy said as they drew closer to the bookstore where her car was parked.

  “They didn’t? I guess I don’t remember. She had a lot of friends in school, though. Sarah was dating Ethan when she disappeared, right?” Zack asked.

  “I think so,” Lucy replied. “He’s supposed to be at the wedding tomorrow. His wife was in the bookstore with their kids and mentioned it a few weeks ago.”

  “He’s still in town? What does he do? I didn’t even know he was married.”

  “He’s an attorney, and he got married about twelve or thirteen years ago.”

  “I guess I haven’t kept up much. When I’m home I don’t usually stay long.”

  “It’s nice that your brother Cooper has moved back. I didn’t know him very well back in school, but he’s a nice man. He comes in the bookstore every week. He’s an avid reader.”

  “What does he read? Or can you not tell me? Is there some sort of code about divulging that like with a doctor and patient?”

  “Knowing Cooper, he’d tell you himself if you ask. He reads all sorts of books. Every genre. But he loves mysteries the most.”

  She’d often wondered - but never out loud - whether Cooper read mysteries because he couldn’t solve his mother’s disappearance. Lily Winslow had been declared dead three years ago, and everyone in town assumed that she was gone.

  They continued walking until they were standing in front of the bookstore, her vehicle parked at the curb. She pressed the button on her key fob and the lights flashed with an audible chirp when the locks disengaged.

  “This is me,” Lucy said, opening the back door and shoving her purse onto the backseat. “I guess I’ll see you at the wedding tomorrow. Unless you change your mind and fly back to the Big Apple.”

  “I won’t do that. As much as my father makes me crazy, I’ll be there. I think they should postpone the wedding but it’s clear they’re not going to.” He took a step closer, and she got a whiff of his scent. Something citrusy with a hint of spice.

  He smelled as good as he looked. It had been a long time since she’d been even slightly tempted. But she had to know that he wasn’t going to stick around. If she got involved with him, she had to prepare for him to walk away. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for her, but she had to be honest with herself.

  Zack was, at most, a fling. A sexy as hell one, but he wasn’t the long-haul type. He’d never been in love after all. Women skinner, sexier, and far more successful had tried and failed to turn him into the home and hearth type.

  I’m not looking for that either right now. I’m happy on my own.

  “Don’t forget you promised to save me a few dances,” he said, a smile on his far too handsome face. “I’ll be at the wedding all by myself.”

  There would probably be five hundred people at that wedding, and she doubted that Zack was ever alone unless he wanted to be.

  “I will save you a few dances,” she promised. “I admitted that I’m not a good dancer. What about you?”

  “I’m terrible. I have absolutely no rhythm whatsoever.”

  From what she’d seen, Zack Winslow was good at everything.

  “At least you’re honest.”

  “If it’s anything faster than a foxtrot, I look like I was stung by a bee.”

  The image of that was far too funny not to laugh. Zack in a tuxedo, gesticulating wildly off-beat to the music.

  He leaned against the side of her car, his fingers reaching out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. His touch left a heated trail behind it, sending a tingle all the way to her toes.

  “Thank you for walking with me tonight. I think I needed the company.”

  “I’m glad I was here. You can invite me on a walk anytime.”

  “Can I?”

  His voice had deepened, and he was leaning closer. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek, and she had the strangest urge to reach up and run a finger over his lips. In the dim light she couldn’t see his eyes, but she knew they were blue with a gold ring around the iris.

  There was a chemistry between them. She couldn’t deny it, and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to. There was something there, and if she’d stood on her tiptoes, she could have kissed him easily.

  “You can,” she confirmed, taking a step back. “Now I should be getting home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  It was tempting. Kissing him, that is. For a moment, she’d thought he might kiss her but then she remembered that he wasn’t going to do that. It was all up to her.

  It was kind of nice. If she wanted to take this further, it would be at her pace. But the big question was…

  Did she want a fling with Zackery Winslow?

  It was looking like the answer might be yes.

  7

  When Zack woke up the next morning, stretching and yawning after a lousy night’s sleep, his sister Frankie was drinking coffee at the breakfast table. Cooper was nowhere in sight.

  “I have a key,” she said. “And I just made a fresh pot. Help yourself.”

  Puzzled, but desperately needing caffeine, Zack poured himself a cup and joined her at the table. There was a box of bakery donuts in front of her that she pushed his way.

  “They’re good, although Piper didn’t make them.”

  “I thought elite athletes don’t eat sugar,” he said, taking a huge bite out of a glazed cinnamon.

  Damn delicious. It was one of the few things he missed about his job. Every day management would have the best donuts in Manhattan delivered in the morning.

  “I’m giving my knee a rest,” Frankie said. “And that means I get a donut. These are Cooper’s second favorite. He went out for a run, by the way.”

  “Why do you have a key?”

  “Sometimes I stop in, stay for a few days,” Frankie replied.

  “Shit, am I sleeping in your bed?”

  Frankie laughed and waved the question away.

  “Relax, I’m staying with Piper this time. It’s fine. I go back and forth.”

  “You never stay at the house?”

  She gave him a look that spoke volumes.

  “You’re joking, right? Because you’re not there.”

  “I saw Emma yesterday. That was good.”

  “She’s the best,” Frankie replied with a smile. “I do try and see her as often as I can, but being around Dad and Kim makes me tense and short-tempered.”

  “You’re known for being patient.”

  Zack wasn’t kidding either. Frankie had won several Grand Slam titles by not only being an incredibly talented tennis player, but also being patient. One sportswriter had dubbed her the “human backboard” because she’d get to balls that no one else could. She’d hang in a point, knocking back the ball over and over again until her opponent would get antsy, try something risky to finish it off, and end up losing the point. She’d pissed off more than one opponent that way.

  About three months ago Frankie had injured her knee, so she was on the sidelines for this year’s Wimbledon, and possibly the US Open, too.

  “Let’s just say that Dad could try the patience of a saint. And I’m not a saint.”

  “Kim’s not so bad.”

  “She makes me crazy,” Frankie groaned. “All she cares about is her hair, her nails, her clothes, her shoes, and let’s not forget her handbags. I’ve been to a formal ball and met royalty, and I didn’t take as much time getting ready as she does every single day of her life. She’s exhausting. She mentioned to me a few days ago that she had to be up at five this morning to get ready for the ceremony. Which is at five o’clock in the afternoon. Not to mention that this is her third marriage, and she’s marrying her brother-in-law. Maybe they should have gone a bit more low-key.”

  “I must admit that this wedding is high on the ick scale, but you know how Dad is. He’d just say that we’re Winslows and it’s expected that we go all out for a wedding.”

  “I’m sick and tired of giving our father a pass because that’s just how he is. Well, this is just how I am. If he doesn’t have to change, why do I?”

  Jack finished off his donut and reached for a second. He probably should have gone running with Cooper this morning.

  “Is anyone asking you to change? I’m not.”

  “There have been not so subtle hints.”

  “Screw ‘em. You’re an adult. You can do what you want.” He stood to refill his cup. “Do you want a warmup?”