Always & Forever Read online

  Over Savannah’s shoulder, Lilly gave him a hard look—she couldn’t have missed Savannah’s title of ‘Aunt Lilly.’ Zach knew he was probably in trouble.

  He turned his attention to Savannah. “Princess, take this pan, very carefully, into the kitchen while I help Aunt Lilly up, okay?”

  “Sure, Uncle Zach.” She grabbed the pan and headed out of the room with the exuberance only a six-year-old could exhibit. Zach was thankful the pan was metal, not glass, as Savannah bumped into the corner of the wall when she turned into the hallway.

  He pulled Lilly to her feet and helped dust off her back.

  She raised one eyebrow. “Aunt Lilly? Isn’t that setting her up for disappointment down the road when I stop coming around? I don’t want to hurt that little girl.”

  He sighed. He’d figured Lilly would worry about that. But if Zach had his way, she would be around and it wouldn’t matter that Savannah made assumptions. “Tommy called with instructions for Savannah to call his girlfriend ‘Aunt Bridget.’ She decided you must be her aunt, too.”

  “Shouldn’t you tell her that’s not the case? I’m your business associate. When you no longer need me, I don’t want Savannah thinking I’ve abandoned her.”

  “But what if that’s not the case?” he asked, stepping closer to her. “What if I want you to be more than a business associate?”

  Lilly’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me you are ready for a relationship? What changed in the last two days?”

  Zach didn’t know how to explain his mixed emotions to Lilly. She didn’t know about his relationship with Victoria and might have a hard time understanding his fears.

  “I’m really trying, Lilly. I want things to be different. I told you this was no longer a scheme when you agreed to go out with me. I thought you understood.”

  “But Curtis Crandall said...” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

  “I know he asked you to date him.” Zach struggled to keep a frown off his face. “Do you even want to continue dating me?”

  Lilly bit her lip. “Let’s see how today and tomorrow goes, and then we can think about the future.”

  “Are you dating Crandall, too?”

  She shook her head, and Zach sagged a bit in relief. Perhaps she wouldn’t commit to him, but Crandall didn’t have her in his clutches either. The good news was Tommy said Crandall left town for a business meeting he couldn’t cancel. That would give Zach time to woo Lilly without the man’s damnable interference.

  Lilly linked her arm through his and tugged him gently. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.”

  Zach led her through the foyer into the hallway. He didn’t know what he expected her to say, but she didn’t seem too excited at the news he wanted to be with her. Zach could only hope it was because of her cautious nature. Maybe once they spent more time together she would consider being with him exclusively.

  Zach could only hope that were the case. If Lilly only wanted to date casually and see other people too, Zach would have to break things off. He refused to share her with Crandall.

  “Is that you?” Lilly stopped walking and pointed at a picture.

  The hallway was Mother’s big gallery. Photos plastered the walls. They depicted him and his siblings from babies to college graduates, and many family outings and parties in between. The picture Lilly pointed to was him as a child. He proudly held up a fish he caught, while his father smiled down at him.

  “How could you tell?” he asked.

  “Messy hair.” A grin briefly touched her lips. “This is amazing.” She meandered down the hall, but stopped frequently to inspect pictures.

  “Didn’t your mother show off all your pictures?” he asked.

  “I don’t remember my mother, and Daddy couldn’t be bothered,” she said, an absent quality to her voice.

  She grew up without her mother? “What happened to her?” he asked softly.

  Lilly’s mouth tightened at the corners, and she avoided his gaze. He had the same feeling as always when he asked Lilly about her past, as though she weighed every word she decided to tell him.

  “Mom left when I was a year old. I don’t know where she is now,” she replied, shrugging. “My father was interested in things that served him. Pictures weren’t a high priority.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She grinned. “Don’t worry about it, cupcake.”

  It was nice of her to laugh it off, but it seemed every question he asked called forth bad memories. He didn’t want her to associate being around him with sadness. He needed to stop asking about her past; maybe she would tell him on her own, if given more time.

  They entered the dining room and everyone shouted greetings.

  “Hey, big brother.” Tommy came forward and clapped Zach on the shoulder.

  Tommy tended toward their mother’s build, being rounder and softer looking than Zach or Sarah. Over the last year, however, Tommy had bulked up. Large muscles bulged under the sleeves of his polo shirt. Tommy’s face had thinned out, hardening from his former baby face into something sharper, older. He had Patricia’s warm, honey hair, with not a single strand out of place.

  Zach gave him a quick hug. “Looking good, Tommy.”

  “You can thank my fiancée for that,” Tommy responded, as a tall blonde stepped forward. “Zach, meet the love of my life, Bridget Stern.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Bridget.” Zach shook her hand and then smiled over at Lilly, putting his arm around her shoulder. He hoped Lilly accepted this introduction. “I want you both to meet my new girlfriend.”

  “Katherine?” Bridget narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

  Lilly stiffened against him, whether from his words or Bridget’s, he couldn’t tell.

  “I’m sorry,” Lilly said smoothly. Her voice didn’t betray the tension in her body. “You must have me confused with someone else. My name is Lilly, Lilly Price.”

  “Lilly Price?” Tommy made a whopping noise. “Granny’s been bragging about you every time I talk to her. Said she knew you and Zach would fall hard for each other.”

  He grabbed Lilly out of Zach’s arms and lifted her up, swinging around in a circle. Zach steadied her once Tommy set her down, afraid she might fall again. He wondered what Lilly thought about Grandma’s assumptions they would fall for each other. Zach knew from the moment they met what his grandmother hoped for, but this might be news to Lilly.

  Tommy planted a kiss on her cheek. “Welcome to the family.”

  “That’s quite the greeting.” Lilly laughed and held her hand out to Bridget. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

  Well, maybe she decided to ignore that bit of information. Zach wondered if she didn’t believe they would fall for one another, so chose not to say anything.

  Bridget shook Lilly’s hand, but her eyes narrowed in concentration. “I’m sure I know you from somewhere.”

  Lilly shrugged. “Ever been to Minnesota?”

  “I know you from New York, not Minnesota.” Bridget looked down at Lilly’s leg. “And I saw you limp in here.”

  Zach pulled Lilly closer to him. What was this lady’s problem?

  Tommy’s mouth dropped open and he turned to Bridget. “Honey! What’s gotten into you? Apologize to Lilly.”

  Sarah joined the group, standing next to Lilly. “You guys seem rather intense. Is everything okay?”

  Bridget shrugged. “I made a mistake. Lilly looks like someone else.” She made doe eyes at Tommy and batted her lashes. “Are you mad at me, baby?”

  Tommy leaned in and gave her a kiss. “Of course I’m not mad. Just a little misunderstanding, right Lilly?”

  “Sure.” Lilly nodded. “It’s not a problem.”

  Bridget gave Tommy another kiss and then looked at Lilly. “You do look exactly like Katherine, Lilly. It was an honest mistake.”

  “Sorry for your confusion.” Lilly’s voice was a little higher than normal. “I’d never been outside Minnesota until I moved here.”

/>   Zach looked down at her and saw the corners of her mouth tighten.

  Sarah spread her hands out in front of her. “Who is Katherine?”

  His sister’s curiosity always got the best of her, but Zach wished she’d let the subject drop. He wanted to win Lilly over, not make her feel uncomfortable. Her body still felt stiff against him, and he couldn’t believe the others didn’t notice her tension.

  “You never heard about Katherine Price? She was notorious a few years ago.” Bridget glanced at the table where Steven talked to Zach’s parents, and leaned closer to Sarah. “She hired a hit man to kill her fiancé. Can you believe that? It was all over the news. The press said his body was cut up into little pieces and the killer threw him in the harbor.”

  Sarah gasped. “Really?”

  Bridget smiled at Lilly. “And the worst part, Katherine disappeared, and nobody knows where she went.”

  Lilly shrugged. “Surely this Katherine person is in prison.”

  “Well...” Bridget paused, and her eyes traveled down Lilly’s body, resting on her left leg. “The Price family has deep pockets. They bribed a judge or something so she could get away. At least, that’s what I heard.”

  “That’s horrible,” Sarah agreed. “And Lilly looks like her? That’s too weird. Maybe they’re cousins or something. I mean, same last name and all.”

  Lilly swayed slightly on Zach’s arm. She closed her eyes briefly. “Cousins, imagine that. I guess it’s possible.” She looked up at Zach. “Should we go sit down? This conversation seems a bit ridiculous, and I haven’t said hello to your parents or Steven.”

  “Sure.” He’d agree to almost anything right now to get her away from Bridget. He’d always known Lilly had secrets, but something wasn’t right here. She looked like she was about to pass out. Maybe this Katherine person really was her cousin. He could understand if she worried about him knowing. Not that it would make any difference to how he felt about her, but she might think, given his background, Zach would snub her because of a dirty family secret.

  That was good news, in a way. It meant she cared what he thought about her. He might be able to build something out of that.

  He turned to walk away, but Bridget pounced once again before they escaped.

  “So, Lilly, what happened to your leg?”

  Lilly’s hand tightened around Zach’s arm. “I was in a car accident,” she whispered. “Pieces of metal went through it and ruined a lot of the muscle. I don’t like to talk about it.”

  “How absolutely horrible.” Sarah shuddered and rubbed Lilly’s arm. “I don’t blame you for avoiding that topic. Let’s change the subject to something happier.”

  Lilly told him the accident story before. It sounded so rehearsed when she said it now, but that first time was such a tender moment, and Zach’s heart broke for her. He was sure she told the truth.

  He dropped a kiss on her forehead, both to reassure her and make a point to his siblings—he was in Lilly’s corner.

  It had to be hard on Lilly, having a woman she just met interrogate her. Yet, Lilly’s good manners dictated she remain polite. Tommy’s little socialite could learn a few things about class from her.

  “Enough small talk over there, children.” Patricia stood up and waved them all over to the table. “Come sit down. Your grandmother’s car service just pulled into the driveway, and the cooks are ready to serve dinner.”

  “She’s probably mad we’re talking where she can’t overhear us,” Tommy said quietly.

  Everyone laughed except Lilly. Her hand shook against Zach’s arm, and she let go of him to clasp her hands in front of her.

  Sarah sighed. “We’d better do what Mom asks, or we’ll hear about it.” She slung an arm around Lilly’s shoulders—ignoring or not noticing Lilly’s tension. “Come on, Aunt Lilly. Savannah saved you the spot next to her.”

  Zach watched as Lilly walked with Sarah to the table. Her shoulders never relaxed, even when Savannah talked excitedly at her about swimming in the lake.

  He realized he might have more problems than whether or not Lilly would ever kiss him. If his family continued to make her so uncomfortable, Lilly might not even want to see him again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lilly sat through the excruciating dinner without saying much to anyone. Luckily, Savannah kept up a stream of chatter next to her anytime there was a lull in the conversation, saving Lilly from needing to come up with anything clever.

  Why, of all people, did Tommy choose to marry Bridget Stern? The woman had attended a few parties with Lilly. Although they’d barely spoken, Bridget apparently had total recall. Zach seemed to be firmly on her side, but she couldn’t continue lying to him. She had to tell him about what happened in New York, whether she was ready for it or not.

  If she were smart, she’d pack up and leave tonight. She looked over at Zach, and her heart railed against going away without a word. Despite trying to fight it, she felt a connection to him. Even if Crandall was right and Zach could never truly love another woman after Victoria, it didn’t stop the way Lilly felt. It didn’t stop the nightly fantasies filled with his sexy eyes or thoughts about how his lips would feel against hers. She owed him an explanation—not to mention the one she owed Margaret.

  Besides, there would be questions when she disappeared now, thanks to Bridget. She wanted Zach to hear what really happened, not what the papers reported and the police suspected. Gossipmongers like Bridget would be happy to fill Zach’s ears if Lilly didn’t tell him the truth.

  Why did this have to happen right when Zach confessed he wanted to try dating for real? Lilly had known she would have to tell him eventually, which was part of her hesitation in committing to him, but now the truth had to come out sooner than anticipated. She’d hoped for a little more time with him. Maybe if they knew each other better and he developed feelings for her, he would have agreed to keep her secret and continue seeing her. Unfortunately, Lilly wouldn’t have time for all that now.

  The servers brought out the next course, and relief flowed through Lilly. Slices of her coffee cake rested on dainty saucers. At least this interminable dinner would soon be over. She could escape the Woodbridges and go home.

  Patricia furrowed her eyebrows when she looked down at her plate. “I didn’t order this. What is it?”

  Zach smiled. “Lilly made it, and I talked her into letting me bring it over. The cook must’ve thought it looked better than whatever he planned to serve.” He placed a bite of cake into his mouth.

  He dropped his fork and grabbed Lilly’s hand, squeezing tightly. “I’m going to need another piece of that cake,” he said to the server.

  Despite her anxiety, a tendril of pleasure fluttered in Lilly’s stomach. “It’s okay?”

  “Better than okay.” He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Can’t wait until tomorrow.”

  Across the table, Patricia took a small bite. She chewed it and looked at Lilly. “This is good.” She sounded surprised. “I didn’t know you baked.”

  “Cooking is a hobby of mine.” Lilly’s cheeks felt hot. She hoped she wasn’t blushing.

  “You’re good at it.” Patricia’s voice sounded cloyingly sweet. “Guess it makes sense you can cook. You must’ve been forced to learn how, not being in a position to hire any help.”

  Lilly sat stunned at Patricia’s unsurpassed skills at cultured rudeness.

  “Mother!” Zach’s voice held shock. “The things you say.”

  Margaret cleared her throat. “My William loved my cooking. Pity for my son you never learned the art, Patty.”

  James sputtered, coughing around what sounded suspiciously like a snicker.

  Patricia folded her arms across her chest, glaring at her husband.

  He avoided her angry gaze, taking a drink of coffee.

  Margaret continued to speak, as if the small exchange hadn’t happened. “Looks like Zach hit the jackpot with you, Lilly. He hates employing a cook and, I swear, that boy burns water.”

/>   Congenial laughter greeted that statement, along with a collective sigh of relief. The awkward moment had passed. A flood of compliments washed over Lilly. Savannah claimed the cake was ‘the bestest,’ and everyone agreed.

  Everyone except Bridget.

  She pushed her uneaten portion of cake away from her. Lilly looked up to see the younger woman cock her head sideways and purse her lips together.

  “I’ve heard Katherine was reportedly a terrific cook,” Bridget said loudly. “I always wondered why she didn’t poison her fiancé with his favorite meal instead of hiring someone to go after him in such a gruesome manner.”

  Lilly’s last bite of cake turned to sawdust in her mouth, refusing to pass into her throat. She grasped her cup, taking a large gulp of coffee in an effort to force the food down. The liquid splashed and the cup jittered, rattling against her teeth. She set it down and a little sloshed over the edge onto the pristine tablecloth.

  “Katherine who?” James asked.

  “No one important, son.” Everyone looked at Margaret as she blotted the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “Really, Bridget, I’m ashamed of your poor manners. I don’t care what they gossip about where you come from, but that is not polite dinner conversation.”

  Steven, Patricia, and James all looked confused. They couldn’t be as confused as Lilly. Did Margaret know something about Katherine? No one had said another word about it when they joined the family at the table.

  Sarah had gone out to fetch Margaret when she arrived; perhaps she filled her in on Bridget’s accusations. Great, even more reason Lilly would have to tell Margaret the truth. Her life here was over.

  “Grandmother!” Tommy’s cheeks flushed. “Don’t talk to Bridget that way. She’s my future wife and part of this family.”

  “That’s fine,” Margaret replied, “but Lilly is every bit as much a part of the family now that she’s with Zach. Ridiculous business, comparing her to a murderer.” She slapped her hand against the table. “I won’t stand for it.”

  Lilly held her breath and waited for someone to say something. Bridget pouted while everyone else seemed to be waiting for her to apologize. Lilly knew her type; Bridget would never do it.