Expecting His Secret Heir(15)

The officer laughed, shaking his head. "I bet he has."

The men chatted for a minute more before Officer Stephens moved along.  Then Sadie turned to Zach. "Luke is the brother who was there when the  mill exploded, right?" She'd heard the name all over town, but never met  the man himself.

"Yes, Jacob's twin."

As they approached the table where Jacob was solicitously getting KC  settled, Sadie studied him. "After seeing the damage, I can't imagine  how scary that must have been."

Zach nodded. "They were able to dig him out, along with Mark Zabinski,  who set the bomb. They were both injured, though Mark ended up in worse  shape than Luke. A wall came down, pinning his legs to the floor."

Sadie winced. "Ouch."

"Ouch, indeed," Zach said as they reached the table.

Not long after everyone was seated and introduced, Aiden and Christina Blackstone also made their way to the table.

"How's Mom?" Sadie heard Jacob ask after giving Christina a quick hug.

"About the same," she replied.

For a moment, Sadie was struck by the silent communication between the  Blackstones. Each gaze was tinged with sadness, with a knowledge no one  wanted to admit about their beloved mother. But the words weren't spoken  aloud. Her own shared glances with her mother were the same. Sadie's  heart ached for what the Blackstones were going through; she was going  through it with her sister's illness.

From her understanding, Lily Blackstone had been comatose for many  years, but in good health...until recently. A series of infections had  raised concern for the matriarch. And for Christina, Sadie realized as  Aiden pulled his wife close for a moment, resting his palm against her  pregnant belly. Sadie was sure the added worry of being Lily's primary  nurse did not help in any way.                       
       
           



       

"What? No camera?" KC asked, distracting Sadie from her sad thoughts.

Sadie lifted her clutch. "In here. I'm rarely without one. Mr. Callahan  let me borrow one of his smaller digital cameras, but I didn't want to  intrude on a personal gathering. Sometimes people have a hard time  enjoying themselves when a camera is in the room."

"What a lovely consideration," Zach's mom said.

"Yes," KC added, "we appreciate the thought, but please feel free. We  don't want people to see Black Hills as simply a pile of burning metal  and soot." She waved her hand around the room. "Life is a mixture of  good and bad, not just the bad. Parties have their place, too."

Sadie signaled her agreement with a smile, but she couldn't help but  wonder why everything good in her own life had always led to heartache.

The rich, decadent Italian food only served to make the atmosphere even  merrier. Laughter and the scent of tomato sauce mingled in the air.  After eating, Sadie excused herself to take a few photographs but seemed  to keep Zach in her peripheral vision no matter where she ended up.

He stayed close to his mother, making sure she had everything she  needed, though she was far from frail. The family talked easily and  continuously, leaving the impression of a perfectly formed group of  people that life had brought together. Sadie knew, probably more than  most, that it wasn't perfect, though. Zach's father had been a selfish  man, leaving Zach's mother with a legacy of heartache and a child to  raise alone. The fact that KC's father did the same years later made it  that much sadder. And she knew about the Blackstone brothers' sadness  over their mother and the danger they had personally faced during the  mill's destruction.

But it looked postcard perfect. As did the darkly handsome man in their  midst. The man who so easily cared for his family-and possessed the  strength and the means to do it.

Unlike Sadie.

Suddenly feeling as if someone had dropped a bag of bricks on her chest,  Sadie hurried outside. For long moments she couldn't breathe, couldn't  think beyond the need for the cool, fresh air. Ever so slowly, her lungs  loosened, letting the air inside, until she no longer felt that her  body had seized up. Without thought she drew her phone from her pocket. A  quick swipe and she was calling her own mother, almost desperate for  the reassurance that she still had some semblance of a family to go home  to.

Only no one answered.

There could be a lot of reasons for that. Her mother was in the other  room, or tending to Amber. Still, tears welled beneath Sadie's eyelids.  She missed her mother so much. And her sister, who was often too weak to  talk for more than a few minutes on the phone.

Careful steps took her to the window. She looked in at the party, which  was still in full swing. Raising the camera, Sadie took a few shots of  the people inside, framed by the decorative greenery on the window  casing. She hoped to capture the essence of revelry, especially the  family who had so generously offered this opportunity.

But she was on the outside looking in.

And just as Sadie started to feel sorry for herself, Zach turned to face  her. His gaze unerringly found her, holding her immobilized with a  simple look. A look that laid his soul open, telling her he could be  trusted. That a man so beloved by those around him didn't have any dark  secrets to hide.

No. The secrets were all hers.





Nine

The minute he'd seen her through the window, he'd known he had to go to her.

Zach wanted to hold her, touch her as he had too few times. But now that  he was here, he found himself hesitating. Her beauty in the half  darkness, illuminated by the twinkling lights surrounding the window,  took his breath away.

She didn't look at him, remaining in profile. "Your family is beautiful," she said.

So are you.

But the yearning in her voice kept him quiet. Somehow he knew, though he could easily seduce her, that this wasn't the time.

"You've built a good life here," she went on. "Are you happy?"

"For the most part," he conceded. Though even surrounded by family and  friends he was often lonely, aching. His nature made him a protector,  yet he yearned for someone to share the burden with him. "Are you?" he  asked, curious.

Sadie had talked very little about her life away from him. Oh, they'd  discussed books, music, photography and many other things. But looking  back, he realized how little of herself she'd actually given him. As if  she were afraid to do so.

"Not often."

In the dim glow he could see her eyes widen; she was surprised by her  own response. Why? It was certainly honest. Was she surprised because  she'd told him the truth?                       
       
           



       

And that would be the crux of his wariness when it came to Sadie's  return. The more he was with her, the more he was convinced she was  holding back, keeping things from him. That wasn't what he wanted. That  was why he hadn't gone back to the bed-and-breakfast with her again,  even though he wanted more than just one night with her.

So he asked, "What about your family?"

Her hesitation sparked impatience deep inside. "You do have a family,  don't you, Sadie?" He took a step closer. "Or are you alone in the  world?"

The thought brought sadness for her, tempered by the knowledge that he  could have kept her from being alone...if she had let him.

"Tell me, Sadie." Something. Anything.

Then she turned to face him, and his impatience melted away. Tears stood  in her eyes like small puddles left from a wintry rain. "I miss my  mom," she whispered.

Those gorgeous green eyes slid closed, cutting him off from the aching  vulnerability. When they opened again, her gaze was still glassy, but  more controlled.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Dallas." A small smile graced her lips. "I'm not a complete vagabond."

She went quiet once more, a long silence that made him wonder if she  would speak again. Just when he gave up hope, she said, "Your mom  reminds me of her-hardworking, concerned over her children, never giving  up hope." Her deep breath cracked his heart. "I wish I could take care  of my mom the way you take care of yours."

"I'm sure she knows that, Sadie." He glanced through the window, seeing  people in various groups having a good time. Then he looked at Sadie  once more, here on the outside. She wasn't a loner, by any means. He'd  seen the way she got along with people, could draw out their stories and  make them feel comfortable with her. But yes, she did still keep a part  of herself distant.

Just as she did with him.

"If she needs you, why are you here?"

For a moment, he thought she wouldn't answer. Finally she shook her head. "It's the only way I know to help her now."

She didn't elaborate on the cryptic words, so Zach asked, "Your father?"