Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Zane’s long weekend in solitude had him come to a single conclusion.
He needed Kylie in his life.
He didn’t know how that would work, though.
Or even if she would even be interested in a relationship with him.
They had both known their affair would be brief, but she had left a lasting impression on him.
He didn’t trust many people, but he did trust her.
Zane wasn’t certain what it would look like, trying to keep his current role in Wagner Enterprises while being committed to Kylie, but he had to try.
Zane only hoped that Kylie would also be willing to meet him halfway. He would take whatever he could get from her.
This was something he needed to talk out with his dad.
While Sullivan would be able to transition easily to a life in the Bay, drawing up plans for and crafting custom furniture, Zane didn’t have a marketable skill such as that.
He traveled the world, representing his family’s business.
He didn’t know how often he could be in the Bay with Kylie—or even if she would take him on a part-time basis.
That’s why he wanted to talk with Dad. They had always been close, and Zane could confide anything to the man he admired and loved.
He set out on foot for the office, hoping that today’s conversation with his father would bring clarity. And answers. Only then would he contact Kylie and ask for a face-to-face with her. He owed it to both of them to say what he needed to say in person.
That he loved her …
As he turned the corner, he saw a blond resembling Kylie down the block, stepping from a car and entering the Wagner Enterprises building.
His heart sped up before he told himself how foolish he was being.
Just because Kylie was constantly in his thoughts, he was now conjuring her on the streets of New York.
He greeted the two guards at the security desk and rode the elevator up to the top floor, where the offices of Wagner executives were housed.
Emily was at her desk and greeted him with a bright smile. “How was your weekend at the beach?”
“Contemplative. How about yours?”
Her face lit up. “Ted and I had a picnic in Central Park. We took in a show off-Broadway. Even treated ourselves to brunch on Sunday. I have to tell you, Zane, I’m really enjoying married life. It’s even better than I thought it could be.”
He held out hope against hope that Kylie might want to marry him.
“What’s my schedule look like today?” he asked.
“You have a Zoom at eight-thirty with people leading the Portugal project. After that, it’s simply playing catch up on half a dozen things. I’ve placed a hard copy of what you need to look at today and prioritized it.”
“Thank you. I need to talk to Dad about some things. I’ll do so after my Zoom ends. Would you check and see if he has time to visit with me this morning?”
“Will do. Coffee?”
“No. I’m cutting back on caffeine.”
“That’s right, you’re preparing for the marathon. Did you run this morning?”
“For about ninety minutes in Central Park. I’ll be ready when race time comes.”
Zane went to his office and replied to several emails. Em came in bearing a cup of hot tea.
“It’s herbal. It’ll help you stay hydrated. I checked and found out that Alexander is interviewing someone right now, but he will be free after that.”
He thanked her for the tea and wondered who Dad might be interviewing.
He so rarely did that, trusting his department heads to vet new hires.
Then again, Dad had hopped on LinkedIn and actually found a few gems that had made for terrific new hires.
Curiosity filled him as Em told him it was time for his Zoom.
He asked her to sit in and take notes. She returned with her tablet, and Zane logged into the session, greeting the other six people on the line.
The meeting proved to be productive, and when it ended, he signed off and looked to his assistant.
“If you’ll type up those notes, I’d appreciate it.”
“Will do.”
“I’m going to see if Dad’s interview is over.”
Zane walked down the corridor to the CEO’s office and greeted Mandy, his father’s longtime assistant.
“Morning, Zane,” she said. “Emily said you want some time with Alexander. I’m not quite sure when he will be finished with Kylie, but I can give you a buzz when they’re through talking.”
“Kylie?” he asked, not certain he had heard Mandy correctly. “Kylie Mayfield?”
“Why, yes. Do you know her? Alexander mentioned that she was from his hometown. I suppose your paths crossed when you were at Tidewater.”
Zane marched to his father’s door and opened it without knocking. Sure enough, Kylie sat on the sofa in the corner of Dad’s office, as she spoke animatedly about something.
He had the foresight to close the door before he went over and confronted them both.
“What the hell is going on?”
Kylie looked up at him guiltily. “Your dad and I are discussing job opportunities for me within Wagner Enterprises.”
“You’re willing to leave the Bay?” he asked, dumbfounded.
Her gaze steadily holding his, she replied, “My plan all along has been to return to the business world. Coming home to the Bay to lick my wounds was just a part of healing before I was ready to take my next step.”
“You never mentioned anything about leaving,” he accused, anger roiling through him.
“That’s because you never asked about the future,” she said calmly. “You merely assumed I was going to stay in Driftwood Bay the rest of my life, but I have different plans for myself.”
His dad rose. “I think I’m going to give the two of you the room,” he said diplomatically. “Kylie, we’ll finish our conversation when you and Zane are done.”
“Thank you, Alexander. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of what you have to say.”
Zane waited until Dad left the room, closing the door behind him, and then said, “What the hell, Kylie?”
Her jaw set stubbornly. “I don’t owe you any explanations, Zane,” she said crisply. “We had our fling. You left to return to your world. I thought we were done.”
“If I would have had any idea you would be willing to come to New York, I would have …” His voice trailed off.
“Would have what?” she asked softly.
He closed the distance between them, pulling her to her feet. “I would’ve have asked you to come with me, Kylie. Because I love you.”
Zane saw the startled look on her face just before he kissed her.
It was a punishing kiss, anger still simmering within him.
But as it always did when he kissed her, his feelings changed in an instant.
His arms encircled her, and he kissed her with everything he had, trying to convey his love for her.
It was Kylie who ended the kiss, looking dazed as she asked, “Did you say you love me?”
“I most certainly did. I love you, Kylie. I never thought I could love. Imagine a life with a woman. But I do with you. You’ve been in every waking thought since I left you. I’ve been unhappy every single day because I walked away from you, not telling you how I felt.”
“Why didn’t you?” she asked, questions in her eyes.
“Because I thought there was no way to combine our worlds. I thought you’d returned to the Bay to stay. I can’t do my job for Wagner Enterprises there. It requires a lot of travel, Kylie. I didn’t want to tie you down and only stop by the Bay every blue moon.”
“I love you, too, Zane,” she said quietly. “I can’t even begin to tell you when those feelings arose. Only that they did and I can’t ignore them. I was a very trusting person before my marriage, and what Brady did nearly destroyed me. His actions colored how I saw the world.”
She bit her lip. “There are things I need to tell you. Things that might make you look at me differently.”
He squeezed her shoulders. “Nothing you could ever say or do will change the way I feel about you, Kylie. I get that we’ve both had trust issues, but we can get past those. Our love is strong enough. We’ll make compromises. Sacrifices. But I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.”
Zane paused. “I know you said that you didn’t want marriage or kids. I felt the same—but I’m open to the possibility of both. If you are.”
She burst into tears, wrenching sobs, and he wrapped her in the security of his arms, letting her cry it out. Her husband must have really done a number on her for her to be reacting this way.
Stroking her back, he said, “I don’t care if you were married before. That’s in the past. I want to build a future with you.”
“My past haunts me more than you could ever understand,” she said, her voice breaking. “But I need to share it with you.”
Kylie sat on the sofa, and he joined her, entwining his fingers with hers, hoping he could help give her the strength to share her story with him.
“Brady and I wanted very different things in life. You know my beginnings are humble. You’ve met my family and know the way I grew up. Money has never meant much to me, but Brady became obsessed with making lots of it.”
She swallowed. “I went to work after we eloped and put him through law school. We barely saw one another during those three years. He was either in class or meeting with one of his multiple study groups. I understood how intense that experience was and was willing to wait it out because we were committed to one another. He changed, though. His priorities shifted so much that money became the driving force in everything he did.”
Tears began rolling down her cheeks, and he used his thumb to wipe them away.
“I gave birth to a daughter, Zane. Amy Marie, named after my two grandmothers.”
Her words shocked him. Kylie had never mentioned a daughter. Neither had any of her family or friends. Zane knew that whatever had hurt her was wrapped up in this little girl.
“Go on,” he encouraged softly.
“By the time I went into labor, I couldn’t even get a hold of Brady, whom I suspected was cheating on me. I had to get myself to the hospital. He finally did arrive. It was a traumatic birth. I had an unexpected complication, which left me in a pretty weakened state.”