Chapter Four
Zane
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A pinecone crunched underneath Zane's boot. He swung open the cabin door at the entrance to the campground to a flurry of activities going on inside. One more week and Gem Haven Campground would open for the season.
"Hey, Zane." Phil set down a box. "What brings you around?"
Besides making sure every business in Gem Haven was up and running, he rarely had to visit Phil. His dad had hired him years ago when he and Kingsley used to ride their dirt bikes in and out of the empty campsites for fun, much to the older man's displeasure.
"I'm sending you another worker, " he said, walking over to the counter. "Her name's River Pruitt. She'll need to work inside. Maybe you could put her on the phone to schedule reservations."
"I already have someone—"
"Change things around." He met Phil's gaze. "For me."
"Sure thing." Phil wrung his hands. "Schedules...okay. I could use someone in the cabin to help the guests. That would free me up to oversee the maintenance crew."
He knocked on the counter. "Appreciate it."
The door swung open, and River walked in. Zane's gut tightened. Her smile fell. The pleasure at seeing him quickly replaced with hurt or embarrassment—he wasn't sure.
Last night's visit had only made her more uncomfortable with him. That wasn't what he'd wanted. Hell, anymore, he wasn't sure what he wanted. If it wasn't assigned to him by his dad from prison, he had no energy to figure it out.
He walked over to her and slid his hand underneath her hair. "Phil will get you set up here."
A tremble went through her. He squeezed and pulled her forward, making her look at him. She'd be okay. There was nothing here that she couldn't learn.
"You're a hard worker. Don't be nervous." He stepped away.
She caught his hand. "Are we ever going to talk about what's happening between us?"
He stepped back, leaving her there to get started on her new job. He could move the moon for her if that made her happy. But he couldn't give her the one thing she wanted.
Halfway back to the clubhouse, he ran into Razz—the club's treasurer.
"Phone call came in. Your visitation was approved at the prison." Razz stopped and then started walking in the same direction as Zane. "I pretended to be you, so you wouldn't miss the call. Big John mentioned you were at the campsite."
He grunted. Going to the prison was another thing to add to his list.
"Kingsley around?" Razz opened up his chew can and pinched the tobacco between his fingers.
Whenever Kingsley had free time, he went searching for River's sister. The last eight years were like a game of Hide and Seek with Kenna. As soon as his brother found Kenna, she'd disappear again.
She appeared to be the opposite of River, who had no desire to move away or run from Gem Haven now that she was living here.
"He'll be home tonight."
"Cool, I'll tell Smoker." Razz slapped Zane on the back. "Catch you later."
He walked the path through the woods, taking him to the compound. The sun warmed his back. He crossed the parking lot and went to the clubhouse.
He found Big John pouring over the stack of paperwork, going through everything his dad had done with the club. There had to be a connection between Tom Pruitt and his dad. If Pruitt loved his daughters enough to ensure they were protected, why would he choose the sons of Ridge Stafford to do the task?
He'd asked his dad numerous times during visitation over the years why Pruitt had asked him for a favor, and he had yet to receive an answer. It pissed him off enough he stopped asking.
"Find anything?"
Big John tossed a piece of paper down and leaned back in the chair. "Not a thing."
He pulled out a chair and ran his hand over his face, pulling at his beard in frustration.
He'd done his best to hold up his end of the favor. While he was able to save River, Kenna slipped out of their protection. Kingsley had taken it upon himself, even blaming himself, for losing track of Kenna.
The foster system was no place you'd want a child. Now that Kenna had left the system as an adult, it was even harder to find her.
There was nothing Pruitt could do to him while sitting on death row unless he had a team of men working for him on the outside—which he could have. But as long as Pruitt was alive, he'd have access to River and Kenna. He wouldn't do a damn thing to put the girls in danger.
He had to continue protecting River until he understood what he was up against.
River deserved the truth about how he came into her life and why he protected her. But he could never tell her without her finding out her father was on death row.
While it wasn't his secret to keep, he understood that River already believed her dad was dead. To undo the truth and have her go through his death again when the state decided to kill him was pure cruelty.
Becoming intimate with her only complicated things. She deserved the truth, and he could never give it to her.