Chapter Three
No sooner had Mom laid eyes on him than she enveloped Zach in a fierce hug. “I am so glad to see you. It’s been months.” She pulled him into the room and closed the door before seizing him in another hug.
Ordinarily, Zach freaking loved Mom-hugs, but he was too wound up to enjoy this one. And when Mom released him, her brow creased into a frown, he knew he’d been unable to hide his tension.
“What’s wrong?” She took a step back, her arms falling to her sides.
Zach ignored the bags everywhere, the flowers, and the clothing, and came straight to the point. “Now I know why you haven’t shared all that much about Lee.”
Her frown deepened. “Excuse me?”
“I just met him in the lobby.”
Mom widened her eyes. “Oh, that’s great. I—” Her voice died, and that frown was back. “Obviously it wasn’t so great.” She sat on the nearest bed.
Zach’s chest was so freaking tight. “I’m sure he’s a terrific guy, but I bet that’s what his five previous wives said too.” He swallowed hard. He couldn’t let her do this.
Mom arched her eyebrows. “That doesn’t sound like something Lee would do. He told you about them? Right off the bat when you first met him?”
That iron band around Zach’s chest got tighter still. “No, his son Nick did.”
“You met Nick too?”
Zach snorted. “We’d already met. Remember me telling you about the guy Head Office brought in—the asshole? Surprise! But forget about him. I’m more concerned about you.”
Mom put her hand to her chest. “Why? I’m happier than I have been in a long while.”
“But Mom… this Lee is a serial monogamist. You’re just the latest in a long line, and I figure you have to know that, so why are you marrying him?”
“Okay, stop.” Mom took a deep breath. “First of all, you don’t know him like I do.
Yes, he’s been married before—a few times, granted—and yes, I know all about his previous wives.
He’s told me everything. But you have to understand, what Lee and I have is…
” She sighed. “What we have is not something I feel the need to explain to you. My marriage to Lee is not going to affect you whatsoever.”
“It will, if your marriage goes the same way as all his others. Because I’ll be the one picking up the pieces.” Zach sat beside her. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all.”
She met his gaze. “He lost his first wife to cancer, the same way I lost your dad. Even he admits he’s been through a few mid-life crises—okay, rather a lot of them—but that’s over now.
This is what we both want, and we’ve got a great many years together to come.
” Her eyes glistened. “I thought you’d be happy for me. ”
Shit, now he felt like a complete asshole. “Aw, Mom.” He placed his hand on her knee, but she pushed it away.
“Don’t you ‘Aw Mom’ me, not when you just barged in here and had a tantrum as though you were six years old.” She wiped her eyes, then glanced at her hand. “And now look. You’ve made my mascara run. I must look like a panda.”
Zach lurched off the bed and grabbed the box of tissues from the nightstand. “You do not.” He pulled one free and gently wiped under her eyes. “I’m sorry. Nick made it sound like you deliberately hadn’t told me about Lee’s previous marriages because you—”
“Because I what? Because I was hiding them?” She took the tissue from him.
“Sweetheart, I didn’t tell you because it’s none of your business.
You have your life in Brooklyn, and I have mine in Pennsylvania.
You visit at Christmas, on my birthday, and whenever I can make you feel guilty that you’ve stayed away too long.
” She held up her hand. “And before you deny it, credit me with knowing my own son, okay?” Her lips twitched.
“I wouldn’t have you any other way. And I do know why you stay away. ”
“You do?” Was he that transparent?
She curved her hand around Zach’s cheek.
“Every time you show up, I ask the same questions. ‘Have you found someone? Do you have a boyfriend? Is there someone special in your life?’ I guess that can get kind of tiring, especially if the answer is always no.” She fell silent, and in that moment he loved her so much.
“I’m impressed.” Zach bit back a smile. “You were dying to add, ‘Is it still no?’ weren’t you?”
Mom laughed. “Guilty as charged. But do you blame me? You’re thirty-five. I’ve been waiting years to hear you say you’re going to settle down with someone, and be happy.”
Zach had long since given up on such dreams. He had yet to meet the man who could take his breath away and sweep him off his feet. Not that there’d been anyone remotely of interest in his life.
Too bad the only man who got him hot and bothered was a complete dick.
A complete, straight dick.
She took Zach’s hands in hers. “Okay, about Lee… Why don’t you delay your verdict until after dinner this evening? Give him a chance.”
Zach guessed he could do that much. “Fine, but that’s more than I’ll do for his son.”
“You really work with Nick?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Zach wasn’t going to tell her what a jerk Nick was—she’d find that out soon enough.
Then he remembered—she already knew. Zach had shared his low opinion of Nick in past phone conversations.
He’d never referred to him by name: the last time he’d mentioned Nick, he’d called him “that Head Office asshat”. ’
Mom’s face fell. “I’m sorry you two don’t get along. I had high hopes you would, especially since—”
The abrupt end intrigued him. “Since what?”
She blinked. “Oh, nothing. Now, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Zach knew evasion when he heard it. “I need to eat something, then I might take a nap. I only hope my roommate doesn’t have the same idea.”
She stared at him. “Oh God. And we’ve asked you to share. I am so sorry. Do you want me to talk to the manager, and see if they’ve got a room for you?”
Now Zach felt like he was the jerk. “God, no. They’ve got enough problems, what with the weather. Nick and I are both grown-ups, right? We can cope with a couple of nights sharing a room.”
He had a feeling that would be easier said than done.
Nick glanced at the packets of coffee provided by the hotel and grimaced.
He’d seen a coffee shop in the lobby. That had to be better, right?
Besides, he didn’t want to be around when Zach got back from seeing his mom.
At least, that was where he assumed Zach had gone, based on what he’d said in the lobby.
Maybe seeing her is more important than eating. He’d certainly left in an awful hurry.
The less time Nick spent around Zach, the better.
The present situation made him head spin.
What are the odds? Of all the people to meet up and fall for each other, why did it have to be his dad and Zach’s mom?
To his shame, Nick found himself hoping Becky would turn out to be like all the rest. Okay, so that would entail a brief spasm of unhappiness for his dad, but it would be mean bye-bye stepbrother Zach.
Because having the hots for your stepbrother?
Plain wrong.
Then Nick snorted out loud. It wasn’t as if anything was going to come of it. He’d done such a stellar job of keeping Zach at arm’s length and treating him like shit that no way in hell would Zach be interested in him.
None of that mattered. It wouldn’t be long before Head Office moved Nick on to another branch in need of his talents, and that would be the last he’d ever see of Zach.
Nick would make sure of it.
There were moments when he weakened, of course. Nights when he thought how good it would be to have Zach over, for a drink or dinner or… whatever. Then he’d remember. They worked together. He couldn’t afford for anyone in that office to know he was remotely interested in Zach.
Well, you did a great job. They probably think you hate his guts.
Nick had overplayed the role, there was no denying it. Right then he had no idea if Zach was such an asshole toward him because Nick had driven him to it, or if he really was an asshole. Either way, Nick had set things up for a very uncomfortable couple of days.
He grabbed his jacket and headed out of the room.
There was no sign of Zach as he waited for the elevator, and Nick hoped their paths wouldn’t cross until dinner.
There was no way of getting out of that, and if he were honest, Nick was curious to see what Zach’s mom was like.
Given Zach’s age—which was a couple of years more than Nick—Becky didn’t sound like the usual air-headed bimbo.
One of the previous incumbents had been younger than Nick, and there had been no freaking way he was going to address her as Mom, not that she’d shown any signs of wanting him to.
In fact, she’d shown every sign she was interested in him.
Nick could’ve read her all wrong, he supposed, but when his stepmom had grabbed his ass and given it a good squeeze, there were few other conclusions Nick could’ve come to.
That divorce had come as no surprise whatsoever.
Of course, it had also come with a large settlement, which had made Nick want to heave.
How could his dad not see through these hustlers?
In the end, Nick had given up trying to make his dad see sense, and left him to his own devices.
He’d gone to the weddings, smiled for the cameras, and then gotten the hell out of there.
Maybe it’s the sex.
Dad had to have needs, right, just like everyone else?
Not that Nick wanted to even contemplate such things.
But surely he could’ve found another way to meet them, other than by marrying wife after wife.
Isn’t that what sex workers are for? So maybe there was more to it than sex.
Companionship? But how good a companion could even one of those empty-headed women have been?
Nick wanted to meet Becky Tate more than ever.
Because if he got even an inkling she was after Dad’s money, he wasn’t going to stay silent.
He was going to make sure his dad saw her for what she was.
For all his dad’s faults, Nick loved him.
They’d been there for each other when Mom had passed, though there’d been little Nick could have done at the age of thirteen to help his dad get through the pain of losing her.
Then it had been just them. Dad had thrown himself into his company, making great strides and forging himself an empire.
After college, Nick had refused a job with his dad’s company.
He wanted to make his own way in the world, and that meant not giving anyone the opportunity to think he wasn’t there on merit.
The elevator doors slid open, and Nick stepped out into the busy lobby. He weaved through the crowds and headed for the coffee shop. As he drew closer, he scanned the area for an empty table, and his heart sank.
Zach was there, eating and peering at his phone.
Aw fuck.
Then he reconsidered. Maybe it was time to clear the air.
For all Nick knew, Zach was a nice guy who was simply pissed at Nick’s treatment of him.
Not that Nick could blame him for that. And deep down, the last thing Nick wanted was to be avoiding Zach the whole weekend.
That was crazy, right? Their parents were getting married, for Christ’s sake.
If anyone’s going to hold out an olive branch, it should be me.
Nick walked over to Zach’s table and waited until Zach glanced up at him.
“Oh. It’s you.” Zach went right on eating and looking at his phone.
It was on the tip of Nick’s tongue to say Fuck you and walk away, but he resisted.
After all, he had to accept some blame for Zach’s attitude, right?
And suppose by some miracle his dad and Becky made a go of this marriage?
Unless he wanted every family gathering to be hell on Earth, Nick had to do something about the waves of dislike and disdain that rolled off Zach.
He took a deep breath. “Can we talk?”