Chapter 5
Chapter Five
After several weeks of construction, making design selections, and talking to anyone who would share their experience and knowledge, Essie leaned back in her chair and stared hard at the circled date on the big desk calendar in front of her.
Tomorrow was the first day of the rest of her life.
She crossed her fingers at that thought.
“Essie. Sara asked if you would come to lunch,” Zander asked from the doorway.
Without thinking, she leapt to her feet and started forward. “Why aren’t you herding cows or counting bedbug screams?” she asked, hearing the sharpness in her voice.
“I don’t need another mother, Essie,” Zander said, before muttering under his breath. “The one I had already screwed up the best thing I ever had.”
“What are you talking about? Your mom was the sweetest. Well, other than deciding she hated me.”
“My mother made mistakes like all of us. Are you coming?”
“Sure. I need to speak to Sara about the menu tomorrow, anyway.”
They walked down the hallway for a short distance before Essie stopped, blocking him from advancing. “No. Tell me what you meant.”
“This isn’t the time, Essie. You’re busy. The events start tomorrow. You’ve got a thousand worries on your mind. Just forget I said anything,” Zander said and tried to go around her.
“Not going to happen, Zander,” Essie told him and held her hands out to each side, blocking his path.
Over the last two weeks, she’d enjoyed having Zander in the mansion.
He didn’t cause any trouble. He made sure she ate when everything was hectic and lent his muscle to moving the supplies dropped off willy-nilly at the door.
A half-dozen toilets waiting to be installed lined up on the front porch would not have made the impression she wanted when a client walked up the stairs to book an elegant wedding venue.
“I couldn’t ever talk to you about us because your mom and aunt wouldn’t let me through the door. I didn’t agree to not see you anymore. You were my best friend. I didn’t plan to lose you over Genevieve and Pedro.”
“Do you mean Jennifer and Pete?” Essie asked, struggling to follow him. Did he just mix up their names to show her how little they mattered to him?
“Yes. Them. That’s why I sent Tux to you. I didn’t want us both to be lonely.”
“Aunt Esther gave me Tux.” Essie stared hard at him in disbelief. “Why would you try to take credit for giving me a stuffie?”
“She sent him for me. I knew your mom wouldn’t let you keep him if he came from me. I visited your aunt every afternoon until she agreed.”
Essie’s mouth opened and closed several times as she tried to find something to say. He hadn’t turned his back on her. Zander had missed her as well. Knowing this rattled everything inside her like the world spun in the opposite direction. “Why didn’t you say anything when I came back?”
“You were so mad at me. I figured whatever I’d say would make everything worse. I hoped Tux would make you remember me in a positive light. Did you throw him away?” Zander looked crushed at that possibility.
“No. I love him. I sleep with him every night.” Essie rushed to reassure him and then realized what she’d revealed. “You know, like as a pillow.”
“A pillow, huh?” Zander smiled at her.
That grin did things to her inside. He was so damn handsome. Even as a kid, she’d noticed how attractive he was. Why was he still a bachelor?
“Are you two coming for lunch?” Sara asked, popping up at the end of the hallway.
“Yes. Of course. We were on our way and stopped to chat,” Essie said.
She turned and led the way into the kitchen, steeling herself not to peek over her shoulder at him.
Essie’s mind whirled. He’d wanted to see her, but their mothers had interfered.
A desire to rant at her mother kindled inside her.
And her aunt! Not telling her Tux was from Zander.
Esther had sent the stuffie to her. Had her aunt felt bad about keeping them separated?
This time, her emotions shifted as she sat across from Zander. Maybe he wasn’t the awful person who simply moved on when their families had interfered. He hadn’t trashed their friendship at the first hurdle they’d faced. She wished they were alone to talk through this.
A thought popped into her mind. Sara had to have known. Essie shot a hard look at Sara. To hell with being polite!
“Sara, why didn’t you share with me that Zander tried to contact me several times after the malt shop incident?” Essie asked.
“Essie. This wasn’t Sara’s fault. She had to protect her job.” Zander sent an incredulous glance at Essie as if shocked she’d brought the ban on their friendship up.
“Found out, did you? I told all three ladies that keeping the two of you apart was the absolute wrong thing to do,” Sara said.
“Like you can shove something into a box when it’s already free,” Edmund said, appearing in the doorway and waltzing inside like he owned the place.
“Exactly!” Essie agreed with both of them, trying not to focus too much on the hazy figure now leaning against the countertop.
“I doubt your mother will write us an apology letter, and my mother and Esther aren’t here to agree,” Zander said.
“I don’t think you need anyone’s approval now,” Sara said quietly.
Essie’s gaze zipped to meet Zander’s. Sara was right. What were they going to do? Was Zander even interested in being her friend?
“Hey. Just wanted to let you know I’m here early.”
Everyone at the table turned to stare at Ivan in the kitchen doorway.
He continued talking, obviously not picking up on the charged atmosphere.
“I’m going to do the last of the cleanup in the garden.
The local weather gal is calling for rain tomorrow.
Do you want me to put up that emergency tent you ordered? I might need some assistance.”
“It’s supposed to rain?” Essie mentally kicked herself for not checking. Of course she’d missed adding that to her get-ready-for-the-event list. Quickly, she pulled up the weather app on her phone and groaned. “It’s a seventy percent chance. Yes. Definitely, let’s set up the tent. I’ll help.”
“Me, too,” Zander volunteered.
“Oh, you don’t have to…” Essie began.
“Great! That tent takes some muscle.” Ivan jumped in, talking over her.
“I’ll be glad to have your assistance too, Essie.
You’ll need to make some decisions for us.
I’ll get busy cleaning. When you finish lunch, come join me.
I’ll put you both to work. Don’t rush. I’ve got an hour’s worth of effort before we can focus on the shelter. ”
Thank goodness she’d ordered those big fans.
The heat and humidity that shimmered off the garden’s hard surfaces had threatened to give Essie a headache before she’d detoured to her car for her sunglasses.
Ivan and Zander had stripped off their shirts as they constructed the miles of canvas and a hundred poles into a shelter.
Essie’s gaze kept returning to Zander’s chiseled body as he worked.
His glistening skin pulled tight over bulging muscles demanded her attention.
In shorts and a tank top, Essie wished she could go topless as well.
She snorted, imagining how ridiculous she would look.
The world isn’t ready for all my plus-sized glory.
“Stop it.”
Yanked out of her self-criticism, Essie glanced up into Zander’s blue eyes. “What?”
“Stop thinking whatever was running through that beautiful brain of yours,” Zander said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. You always get the same expression when you’re worrying about something negative. I noticed that when we were kids.”
“You learned….” Essie studied him, wondering what planet he had come from. No preteen boy ever paid that much attention. And she didn’t really have a I’m thinking about something negative look. Did she?
“Yes. When we planned to go fishing, and it started to rain, I’d see you with that same expression. Or when your mom suggested you skip the mashed potatoes at dinner.”
“I have a no-carbs face?” Essie asked, trying to make light of his observations.
“Essie. Tell me what you were focused on.”
“Going topless,” she blurted out.
“You’re hot?” he guessed.
“Yes. Not that I would subject you and Ivan to that view. Ewww!” Essie shook her head, laughing at herself.
Zander’s expression hardened, and he leaned over her to state in a quiet, stern tone, “I never want to hear you say anything bad about yourself again. If I do, there will be consequences, Little girl.”
Her breath had frozen at the first sentence and gushed out as he finished the second. “Consequences?”
“Unless you want to be stretched over my lap getting your cute ass reddened for criticizing your body, you’ll work on being kinder to yourself. And if I ever have the pleasure of looking at you topless, the very last thought entering my mind would be Ewww.”
“You’re threatening to spank me?” she squeaked.
“Promising. And Ivan better damn well never see you in anything more revealing than a swimsuit. Preferably one of those Victorian all-one-piece outfits. Do you understand, Essie?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll take that until I can convince you to call me Daddy.”
Her mouth rounded into a silent O.
“Zander? Can you hold this corner for me? The canvas isn’t cooperating,” Ivan yelled from the other side of the courtyard.
“On my way,” Zander said. He started to turn before facing Essie fully again. Before she could protest, he pulled her toward him and kissed her hard.
Essie braced her hands against his shoulders to push him away, but her mouth had a will of its own.
Returning his urgent kiss completely, Essie clung to him instead.
The warm scent of Zander surrounded her—all masculine pheromones doing funny things to her insides.
Essie rose on her tiptoes to press herself against him.
“Zander?” Ivan called.
Zander ripped his mouth from hers and snarled, “Damn it! We aren’t done.”
Watching him stalk away, Essie lifted her fingers to her mouth. Zander had just kissed her. And said they weren’t done. And threatened to spank her. And wanted her to call him Daddy.
Essie turned and fled back into the manor. Her heart pounded. What in the world was going on?