Expecting His Secret Heir(20)

       
           



       

Her defenses and resistance fell with his words, and she had a feeling  she'd never be able to rebuild either again. Instead she took a deep  breath and nodded. "Okay." Her voice wasn't too shaky, at least.

As he locked up the car, she glanced around. Parts of Black Hills had  become fairly familiar to her by now, but she had absolutely no idea  where she was at the moment. Zach grabbed their bags, then her hand and  led her across the asphalt to a large metal building.

They were spending the weekend in a manufacturing plant? It certainly  didn't have the romantic feel she would expect, but then, Zach was a  guy. The dark night kept her from reading the sign farther down the  wall. It wasn't until they passed through the double doors that Sadie  got a clue.

They'd arrived at the small municipal airport. The too bright,  fluorescent-lit space wasn't big enough for commercial traffic-mostly  crop dusters and shuttle planes. Which also explained why it was mostly  deserted at this time of the evening.

Zach dumped their bags near a grouping of chairs and waved her into a seat. "I'll just get everything set up."

Sure he would. She remembered him talking about loving every minute of  learning to fly in the military, and he'd done some crop dusting in town  until the notorious cotton killings last year.

"Zach, would you mind telling me what we're doing?"

He paused a few feet away, his expression filled with an almost childlike excitement. "Do you like surprises?"

A frown started between her brows. "I haven't had any good ones in my life."

"Well, let's try this one and see."

* * *

Zach felt like he'd spent the entire two-hour flight grinning-and he  wasn't a grin type of guy. He preferred a smirk or a glare. But the  reaction to Sadie's every gasp and sigh was unstoppable.

Despite her initial shock, it was clear she'd enjoyed the view, no  matter their altitude. Zach's new private plane, no matter that it was  small, made the trip pure pleasure. It was the first thing he'd bought  for himself since he'd hit the big time. Add on the anticipation of  being with Sadie, and yeah, he grinned.

He was giving himself a gift, and hopefully giving her one, too. He'd  told her the truth: the past was the past. He didn't need a crystal ball  to guess the future was uncertain. But for this weekend, they would  have all they wanted of each other.

No more interruptions.

He took the plane down and handled the technicalities at the airport  with ease but not nearly enough speed for his liking. It took way too  long to get everything loaded into the Jeep he kept at the airport and  get started on the road.

"We'll be at our destination in about twenty minutes," he said.

At least, he hoped so. He hadn't checked the weather forecast the way he  normally did before his trips, and a light snow had started to fall as  they ascended the mountain.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"My favorite place in the world."

She didn't question him further but grinned herself. Then she turned her  gaze back out the window to the darkened landscape. "Well, I already  know it's beautiful," she said in a hushed voice.

As did he. The real estate agent was the most trusted in Black Hills, a  woman Zach had known most of his adult life. He'd laid out his  specifications, and in a week she had an even dozen options from a  trusted network of agents all over the South. This one had stood out  from the rest at first glance. He'd made the purchase without  hesitation-and without familial consent. Heck, his family didn't even  know the specifics about this place. And they'd never actually been  here.

He came to the cabin regularly. Always alone. It was the one place he  could let down his guard, let go of the ever-present responsibility and  truly relax. He'd never wanted anyone else's personality to imprint on  the place...until now.

Maybe he should have planned this a little more, but Zach knew all about  trusting his instincts. The impulse was true. At least when Sadie was  gone, he'd be able to come here and remember her.

Even he had to admit that the cabin looked charming as they arrived. The  light, fluffy snow had started to accumulate on the nooks and crannies  of the log house and roof. He parked out in front instead of pulling in  close. The cabin wasn't large, though it did have two bedrooms and two  baths. The second story held only the master bedroom, bath and sitting  area.

Not big, but it had all the amenities he'd wanted. A wide wraparound  porch perfect for relaxing. A balcony with a hot tub, accessible from  the master suite. An environmentally friendly exterior finish. And the  whole thing was surrounded on three sides by a forest dense with cedar  and pine.                       
       
           



       

"Wow, Zach. This is gorgeous."

He helped Sadie out of the Jeep and grabbed both of their bags before  leading her up the stairs to the porch. Her red hair glinted with  snowflakes, tempting him to keep her outside to admire her beauty. But  his body protested any further delay.

The security system and locks were a minute's work for him. Then they  were stepping through the door into the slightly cool interior. Dropping  the bags, he made a beeline for the opposite wall and adjusted the  thermostat.

"I keep it cooler in here when I'm away-just high enough to keep everything from freezing-but it will warm up soon."

She nodded, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she surveyed the  interior. "I'm serious, Zach. This has to be your best-kept secret. I  love it."

Arms tucked around her to combat the chill, she wandered through the  downstairs area. But her words held him still. Because the cabin was a  secret of sorts. He never talked about it with anyone; he'd never even  described it or shown his family any pictures, even though they knew of  its existence.

Because deep down, he felt guilty for taking this time, this space for himself.

The admission stunned him. Guilt was a weakness he couldn't afford and didn't have the time to wallow in.

Suddenly Sadie stood before him, her appearance shaking him from his  daze. "You're right," he told her, "it is my secret. You're the only  person I've ever brought here."

Her green eyes widened. He could almost see the impact as his confession  hit her. Then she narrowed her gaze on him. "Why, Zach?" she asked,  soft-spoken but demanding in her own way. "Why wouldn't you want people  to know about this part of your life?"

"They wouldn't understand why I want to be here...need to be here." The explanation burned in his throat.

Sadie reached out to him, offering comfort instead of the passion he'd  planned on when he'd first walked through the door. "I understand.  Sometimes life is overwhelming, and you need to recharge-somewhere away  from all the things you feel like you have to take care of."

She stepped in close, the arm around his waist making him wish there was  nothing between his skin and hers. "You've worked incredibly hard,  Zach. You deserve this sanctuary for yourself."

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it."

"Why?"

He shook his head. "If it wasn't for the Blackstone brothers, I'd  probably be rotting in jail from that crop dusting incident. To have  everyone patting my back...it just feels false."

Sadie wasn't buying it. "You've worked at the mill a long time, right?  Long before you were head of security for the Blackstones."

Zach nodded.

"You've known most of those people all of your life, right?"

"Yes."

"I saw you with them, Zach," she said, squeezing him a little tighter.  "I've watched you interact with them since that first trip out there.  They respect you. Your direction and judgment."

Her gaze remained clear and direct, pulling him in.

"That doesn't come from Blackstone backing. You have to earn that. Which  you did with your integrity and hard work. They know you because you've  proven yourself time and again. And that's why they won't judge you for  indulging in some of what we girls call me time every so often."

Her assessment left him speechless and in desperate need of a few  minutes to himself. As if she completely understood, she graced him with  a sweet smile and continued on her exploration.

Leaving him and his emotions behind.





Twelve

Eager for something to do, Zach carried the bags up the stairs to the  master suite. Simply furnished in beige suede with accents reminiscent  of the nearby woods, the atmosphere was soothing without being feminine.  He dropped the bags, wondering where he would put Sadie's stuff.

With a self-deprecating shake of his head, he conceded that he hadn't  thought through his plans for this visit very well. He could put her bag  downstairs, but he wasn't about to give even a ghost of an impression  that he wanted her that far away. Upstairs, he had a few drawers built  into the closet, filled with his own clothes.