CHAPTER NINETEEN – ELLIS #2
She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach all the way to her eyes. “Dreams have their places. I’m just not sure it’s right here and now.”
I nod, swallowing down my disappointment.
Not that I’m going to give up. Lily has planted a seed of an idea inside me, and I just need to get Zander alone to talk to him about it.
If there’s anyone who appreciates sunny fields and wide-open spaces, it’s my taciturn riding teacher.
“I’m still going to make an offer for Moondance,” I tell her.
“He’s a great horse, and I can stable him at our ranch in Colorado. ”
Lily bites her lip, and even though it’s her turn to look disappointed, she straightens her shoulders. “I think that’s a great idea.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her exactly how great, but I bite it back, and after sealing the deal with Marianne, Zander follows us to a nearby diner.
I know he’s itching to get home, and since I’ve got a hot date at Lovers’ Lane, I don’t beg him to reconsider and spend the night at the manor.
“She’s a good distraction for you,” he says when Lily heads into the restroom to freshen up.
We’ve settled into a red vinyl booth, which puts me right in Zander’s line of sight, and I find myself sitting up straighter, just like he taught me.
“Not sure she and her kid are going to take to your big city lifestyle, though.”
“They don’t need to. I’m taking a break from acting.” The server brings over our drink order, and he studies me while he sips his black coffee. “I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for, and that means focusing all my attention on them. Or, as much as they’ll let me.”
He nods, and although he’s probably curious about our dynamic, he’d rather add a dozen pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup to his coffee than pry into my personal life. Instead, he drums his fingers on the table. “Gotta admit, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone turn down a horse like Moondance.”
I grimace, because while I kept my cool in front of Lily, Zander knows how much I wanted this to work out.
“I might have jumped the gun a little, but I think he can still be Leo’s horse in the long run.
” I quickly recap what Lily said about her pipedream future and outline the plan that’s been cooking in the back of my brain ever since.
“Would you consider a trip out to Colorado to talk to our ranch manager about setting it up?”
Zander sets down his coffee, and I steel myself for a lecture.
We both know I’m impulsive and soft-hearted, and he spent a good part of my formative years trying to teach me to pick one thing and stick to it, so I almost fall out of the booth when he leans across the table and squeezes my arm. “It’d be my honor, Ellis.”
“Seriously? You don’t think I’m being… rash?”
“Sounds to me like you know what you want, and now you’re ready to invest in it. That’s the opposite of rash, son.”
I sit back abruptly, blinking frantically to keep my tears at bay. Which is an even harder feat when Lily returns from the bathroom and Zander rises to his feet to take her hand. “I didn’t get a proper chance to say this to you before, but it’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
Lily flushes an adorable shade of pink. “Oh, thanks so much, Zander. And you too, of course. I’m sorry if I complicated the sale in any way.”
“You didn’t.” He touches the brim of his hat and gives her one of his rare smiles. “But I’m going to get back on the road. Got a long drive ahead of me.”
“Okay.” She slides into the booth across from me, but her gaze is still on Zander. “I hope we get to meet again.”
“Oh, we will,” he says with a side wink for me. “This one has big plans.”
Zander is still chuckling as he strides out, and Lily gives me a careful look as she sips her coffee. “I hope I didn’t drive him away.”
“Hardly. That’s the most activity his smile muscles have seen in decades.”
She snorts, but then reaches across the table to take my hand. “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, Ellis. I know you only have Leo’s interest at heart.”
“I do. But you’re just as important to me, Lily, and I realize that decisions like this should be made by both of us.”
She looks pleased by this response, and when the server brings us our food, some of the strain seems to ease from her face.
We eat in companionable silence, and when we get back on the road after splitting a slice of cherry pie, she threads her fingers through mine.
“Zander’s important to you,” she muses, her head resting on my shoulder.
“Did you spend much time with him growing up?”
“A lot,” I hum, thinking back. “My mom was on set most days and my dad’s pack relocated to New York when I was a kid.
After he passed away, I didn’t have anywhere to go over the summer, so she took me to meet Zander.
He put me to work mucking out the stables and that was it. I’d found my home sweet home.”
She chuckles softly. “I want that for Leo, too. Not just the happy place, but the look in your eyes when you talk about Zander.”
I open my mouth, but I’m not sure what to say.
I’ve always idolized Zander, and despite being a man of few words, he’s never given me any reason to doubt that he cares about me, too.
Could I become that for Leo? I mean, Logan is already a tight-lipped grump of a father figure, but maybe I could be his loveable sidekick.
Whatever role I get to play, I just hope I’ll make Lily proud.
We chat about Leo until we arrive home, but as we pull up at the manor, I’m surprised by the number of brightly dressed women milling around.
I’m starting to wonder if my security accidentally let a fan group past the gates when Lily lets out a groan.
“Crap. I just remembered it’s book club tonight.
It’s my turn to host, so Kaysie must have redirected them here. ”
“Book club?” I perk up, and if I had a tail, it would probably be wagging. “I’ve always wanted to join a book club.”
To my delight, Lily goes bright red. “Not this one. Our members are obnoxious, and our reading choices questionable.”
Sounds perfect to me, but then I remember the little knot in our plans for tonight. “If you’re hosting, does that mean no Lovers’ Lane?”
It’s flattering that she looks as disappointed as I feel. “Can we take a raincheck? I mean, I’d be happy to sneak out after it’s over, but book club is kind of a mood-killer.”
I smirk at the pained look on her face. I’m starting to get the impression that Lily doesn’t play that well with others.
Luckily, mom says I came out of the womb looking for a posse of playmates.
“Then why don’t I co-host? I’ll distract the obnoxious ones, while you dazzle everyone with your in-depth analysis of… ”
I leave the title of the book hanging and she groans again. “Something about a hot rancher and his big-city omega.”
I bit my lip so hard, my dimples ache, but Lily just rolls her eyes and climbs out.
She’s met by a swarm of women decked out in sequined vests and cowboy hats, and a single male omega in his early twenties, who is wearing an enormous pink Stetson and tasseled chaps.
I assume he’s fanning himself with a copy of their Book of the Month, although I still can’t quite catch the title.
They greet me with a mixture of awe and amusement, especially when I turn to Lily and gasp, “You didn’t tell me it was a book club and a costume party!”
“That’s because Lily always ‘forgets’ her costume,” the male omega, who’s called Beau, informs me with exaggerated air quotes and a smirk in her direction. “But don’t worry, I brought extras.”
He plops a bedazzled Stetson on Lily’s head, just as Leo comes tearing onto the porch with his own cowboy hat held aloft.
“Beau says we’re rhinestone cowboys,” he tells me as he leaps down the stairs and barrels into me for a hug.
When he’s done, he turns and asks the male omega, “Have you got a hat for my dad, too?”
Beau’s eyes widen, and the chatty group suddenly goes deathly silent.
I don’t think it’s shock as much as respect for Lily’s privacy that has them averting their eyes as I crouch down next to Leo.
“That’d be great, but if we can bend the rules a bit, I think I might have something to wear upstairs. ”
“Bend away!” Beau hoots, still clearly listening in on our conversation. “And have as many wardrobe changes as you like, Mr. Castle.”
“Ellis is fine,” I grin, while Lily rolls her eyes at her smirking friend. “Leo, do you think you can come help me pick something out?”
“Sure can!” he chirps, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the porch stairs. “And if you can’t find something good, don’t worry. One Halloween Mom stuck chicken feathers and tree branches on me and told everyone I was a tornado.”
That earns him a groan from Lily and another round of spirited cackling from her friends.
“Well, my mom once wrapped me in tinfoil and called me a disco ball,” I tell Leo as we head inside. “My friends kept spinning me around until I puked on my shoes.”
“Ew!” He makes a gagging sound, but he’s grinning from ear-to-ear. “I would’ve told everyone I was a fork, and I’d stick ‘em like a hotdog if they tried that on me.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind for next Halloween.”
“Don’t worry, Dad,” he says, giving my hand a squeeze. “I promise I’ll remind you.”