Chapter 8 Zach
Zach
Zach jammed the crowbar beneath a piece of wood and leaned on it. Tearing apart Lauren’s house was oddly therapeutic, but that was a secret he’d be keeping until the day he died.
She made him breakfast. Breakfast! She got up early and cooked extra bacon and eggs.
This wasn’t going to work. No one on the outside had ever made him a meal. His parents had barely even given him formula bottles, and his mom had promptly exited the scene after that stage of his life.
Lauren woke up before him and cooked him breakfast. He didn’t even work up the courage to eat it until almost ten o’clock.
Even cold, it was the best thing he’d ever tasted in his life.
She put cheese in the eggs, and the bacon was just crispy enough to crunch but not burnt enough to crumble in his mouth.
She couldn’t do that anymore. He couldn’t live in her rental house for free and also eat her food. She’d given him way too much already.
Zach slid the crowbar under another board and ripped it up. The pressure in his chest was growing, and every breath huffed out of his nose like a raging bull. He couldn’t get used to free meals and a free roof over his head. He’d never taken a handout from anyone.
Stealing, on the other hand, didn’t bother him as much. There wasn’t the expectation that whatever he took would ever be returned.
Now, he was mooching off of goodie-two-shoes Lauren like she was a money tree growing in his back yard. He didn’t even have a yard!
Lauren was the kind of person who would give and give and give until she gave every bit of herself, and he wasn’t going to be that leech in her life. He wouldn’t be the taker when he didn’t have anything to give back.
Which meant he had to work twice as hard for her. He’d do every single thing she needed done around here and then some. It was the only way to make sure the score was even.
“Lauren!”
Zach stilled with the crowbar half jammed between two boards. What was a man doing in Lauren’s house?
What was a man doing in Lauren’s house? If she had a boyfriend, that was something she should have disclosed on day one.
A boyfriend. The muscles in Zach’s neck tightened into chords. That was a little tidbit of mystery that had the potential to drive him mad.
Mad enough to do something stupid? Absolutely.
Gripping the jagged metal in one hand, he quietly rose to his feet and pressed his back against the wall beside the door.
Freedom had been fun for all of twenty-seven hours.
His parole officer was going to blow his top when he found out Zach was already contemplating murder on his second day as a free man.
“Lauren!”
Zach let out a breath and lowered the crowbar. Unfortunately, he knew that voice. “Officer” Dawson Keller had done enough talking to Zach before the trial. Mr. Good Cop thought everything was black and white, and ratting on friends was as easy as cutting Jell-O.
Zach might have made sure Lauren didn’t get hurt, but he wasn’t stupid enough to flip sides. Anything he told the cops would get him killed, and he wasn’t in the mood to die just yet.
“Dawson!” Another man yelled.
“Where’s Lauren?” Dawson asked.
Zach stepped out of the laundry room and propped his shoulder against the door frame. Reuniting with his past wasn’t going to be pretty no matter how long he put it off. “She’s at work.”
Dawson jerked around to face Zach. His eyes grew wide as he reached for the gun on the side of his belt. “Don’t move.”
Asa Scott stepped up behind Dawson. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, he didn’t have the strait-laced look of his buddy today. Zach hadn’t ever seen Asa without his uniform, and the street clothes actually made the guy look normal.
Asa rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “He’s supposed to be here. I wanted to tell you before you got here.”
Dawson, decked out in uniform, bulletproof vest, and full utility belt, kept a steady hand on his gun and his gaze locked on Zach. “In what world is he supposed to be in Lauren’s house?”
Asa patted Dawson’s shoulder as if signaling a trained dog to stand down. “It’s a long story. We can talk about it later.”
“Nope. I want to talk now,” Dawson said, keeping his stare on Zach.
This was fun. He should surprise the law more often by showing up in seemingly ordinary places and not breaking any rules. It would throw their tiny little pea brains into a whirlwind every time.
Zach let out the chuckle that bubbled in his chest. For once, he got to actually surprise the cops. It might not happen again, and taking full advantage of the situation was only natural. “I think it’s cute that you sent the welcome committee. Would you like to leave a message for Lauren?”
“Dude, what’s going on, and why can’t I shoot him?” Dawson asked.
Zach clicked his tongue behind his teeth. “Well—”
“I’m not talking to you.” Dawson glared Zach’s way, but the guy was too much of a goodie-goodie to pull off the intimidating look.
“He’s staying in Lauren’s rental house for now,” Asa explained.
“Nope,” Dawson spat. “He’s got to go. Far away from Lauren. Mexico sounds good.”
“That sounds great. Who’s funding this vacation?” Zach asked.
Asa lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s helping Lauren out. She said she has the situation under control.”
Zach raised the arm gripping the crowbar, causing Dawson to flinch back toward his gun. “I’m not under anyone’s control.”
“Asa, this is not happening. Please tell me you understand how messed up this is,” Dawson said, gesturing to Zach.
Asa hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Can we please unload the lumber? I parked around back, and I want to get it inside before it rains.”
The front door slammed closed, and Lauren appeared, jogging through the house like she was late for work. “Dawson! Don’t freak out.”
“Too late. I am officially freaked out.”
Lauren leaned a hand on the kitchen counter and sucked in a few deep breaths. Her honey-colored hair fell loose over her shoulders, and a light shade of pink tinted her cheeks.
Shoot. Why did she have to be so pretty?
She’s ugly. So ugly. She probably has a hairy back and foot fungus.
Ugh! Who was he kidding? Not even a foot fungus could make her ugly.
Lauren held a hand toward Dawson. “He’s helping. I need some repairs done on the rental house.”
“So you’re letting him live there? And work in your house when you’re not home? No way!” Dawson waved his arms in the air. “I can’t wrap my head around this.”
“He’s fine.” Lauren pointed to Zach as if the fact that he was standing there, not burning the place to the ground, was proof of good behavior.
“He is not fine. I’m not fine!” Dawson’s volume rose until he was shouting in the small kitchen.
Lauren propped a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. “Come on. I’ll buy you a donut if you’ll just chill out.”
Zach pressed a hand over his mouth and pretended to rub his jaw. Watching Lauren put Dawson in his place was peak entertainment. “Yeah, calm down, officer. There’s no need to get testy.”
Dawson pointed a straight finger at Zach. “No one asked you.” Turning back to Lauren, Dawson’s tone lost its edge. “Why do you always use my love for donuts against me? You know I can’t resist them.”
Lauren reached out and placed a delicate hand on Dawson’s arm. “It’s okay. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Zach’s attention zeroed in on the point of contact. Nope. That was not okay. “What about me?”
“What about you?” she spat. “I brought you a sandwich from The Basket Case. I left it in the car because I had to run in here and make sure you were still alive.” She pushed her hair back and let out a big whoosh of air. “Are we all okay here?”
Dawson pointed at Zach. “You’re walking on eggshells. I’m watching you like a hawk.” Dawson’s finger swung to Lauren. “And she’s bringing me donuts.”
Lauren clapped her hands as if they were breaking from their team huddle. “Fine. Everyone is on their best behavior, and we can all get to work. Can you please bring the lumber in the back door?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the three men replied in unison.
Gross. Now Zach was falling in line behind the good guys. What had the world come to?
Asa and Dawson moved obediently to the back of the house while Zach remained leaning against the doorframe. Lauren pushed her hair back and let out a whooshing breath as if she’d just dodged a bullet.
Well, she dodged a bullet three years ago. That’s what got them all here in the same house, cooperating like seemingly normal adults.
Lauren lifted her chin and donned a smile. “Everything okay?”
No, everything was wrong, and he wasn’t sure which way was up. “Everything is peachy.”
Lauren crossed the kitchen and stepped into Zach’s personal space to peek around him at the demolished laundry room.
His heart took on a life of its own and started a sprint as her warm scent tingled in his nose.
Shoot, even her smell was addicting. What was that?
She smelled like a holiday candle. It lit his nerve endings on fire.
“Looks good in here,” she said, studying the shambles of the laundry room.
Zach cleared his throat to push down the attack she’d just forced on his senses. “I think that’s the first time anyone has said a gutted room looks good.”
“It’s what I asked for. You ready to rebuild it?”
Zach huffed. “I watched a few videos while I ate. I think I can manage.”
“Good. I’ll go get your lunch.”
“We need to talk about that. You can’t keep giving me food.”
“Ha! And where exactly are you going to get it if I don’t? Did you find a job during your online search this morning?”
Man, that was infuriating. Did she have to press on the fresh bruise? Anyone would hate being a mooch. Couldn’t she just let him figure it out?
“I’ll manage.”
Her shoulders lowered as she looked up at him. “I have a friend who might be able to help you get a job. I’ll call him on my way back to work. I know this is hard for you, but I’m not trying to steal your independence. I’m just trying to help.”
Just trying to help? Why? He couldn’t understand why she would spare two seconds on him. No one cared if he lived or died except her, and he couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“Why do you care?”
Her delicate brows pressed together. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I’m not your responsibility. You don’t owe me anything. Actually, I owe you, and I hate it.”
Rubbing a hand down one side of her face, she let out a bone-deep sigh.
“I don’t know. Okay? I wouldn’t sleep well at night knowing someone—anyone—needed my help, and I didn’t do something if I could.
You don’t owe me anything because I would have spent a small fortune hiring someone to do all this stuff.
It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
She made it sound so equal, but he didn’t feel equal. He never would when he and Lauren were on opposite ends of the scale.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d get me in touch with your friend. If I can get a job, I can still work for you after hours.”
There. He’d be well on his way to paying her back and putting this whole rut behind him. He could say, “Nice knowin’ ya,” and get out of her life.
That was the way it had to be. Zach couldn’t let their lives get tangled any more than they already were.
He lived in a web of lies, and she’d already gotten herself stuck in his trap—one he hadn’t meant to set.
If he had any chance of keeping her out of his dark life, he had to keep a level head around her. Why was that so hard to do?
Lauren smiled as if he wasn’t a criminal who ruined her life and stole her peace. “I appreciate that. Now, I need to get back to work. I’ll be home around six-thirty. Do you know how to cook?”
“Cook?” Zach asked.
“Yes. Mix ingredients, then warm up food until it is nutritious and tastes good? I think that’s what cooking is,” Lauren said, squinting one eye as if unsure. “Oh, and no botulism or salmonella, please. Those are not good.”
Zach stared for an extra second because he could get away with it. If he acted stupid, maybe she’d keep talking and let him admire her.
“Can you do it?” she asked with a sarcastic fist pump, giving all the effectiveness of a coach rallying a football team giving his best halftime motivational speech.
Honesty was the best option here. Lauren would appreciate it, and there wouldn’t be any unmet expectations later on. “No.”
“I’m going to need you to change that to a yes. You’re a semi-smart guy. You can do it.”
“I promised to work for you, not cook and clean.”
“Come on, it would help me out a ton if you’d make a simple supper for us. I have a lot of work this evening, and you could take the rest of the night off.”
Zach tightened his grip on the crowbar. He owed her, and he’d promised to work for her. Why did it feel like he’d sold his rights away? “Fine. I’ll give it a try.”
Lauren squinted her beautiful eyes at him.
“I’m not loving that confidence, but I’ll accept it.
Please assemble spaghetti for us tonight.
You can use my computer to find a recipe.
You’ll find all the ingredients in the kitchen.
I’m not going to hold your hand. Does that seem fair?
I buy the ingredients, and you do the preparing. ”
Zach blinked a few times. He’d completely underestimated her. Again.
“Did I just become a house husband?” he asked low, careful not to be overheard if Asa and Dawson came back in.
Lauren pressed a delicate finger to her plump lips. “Shh. It’ll be our little secret.”
Zach inhaled a deep breath, completely captivated. Lauren Vincent knew how to get what she wanted, and she didn’t hesitate to go after it. She spouted rainbows and butterflies like the sky opened for her whenever she walked outside, and her tenacity was becoming his favorite thing.
“I’m good at keeping secrets,” Zach whispered.
Lauren’s smile faltered slightly, but she righted it within half a second. “I’m sure you are.”