Hadley placed the utensils in napkins and filled condiment bottles, happy to help Sheila, the hostess, get the front restaurant ready for the night’s business. Since the tasks were mindless, she spent most of her time reliving last night with Zach, trying not to pine away for the years they’d missed. Appreciating the here and now was the smart move, so that’s what she did.
Joe arrived late, sauntering in without a word of apology. Maddox, however, was aware of the time and walked over as his brother sat down, the teen grumbling under his breath. Hadley waited through the well-deserved lecture Maddox gave his sibling. When he finished, Maddox apologized to Hadley and forced his brother to do the same.
With their delayed start, by the time she finished working with Joe, it was after five p.m. “That’s it for today,” she said.
“Yes!” he shot his fist in the air.
She glanced at the teen, his longish brown hair falling over his eyes. “Be on time tomorrow,” she told him firmly. “You’ve got this, Joe. You just need to do the reading each night and study. Show up and we’ll go over themes and other pertinent information for your test.”
“Not only will he study but he’ll be here five minutes early.” Maddox came up behind his brother and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be home each night and make sure of it. Right, Joe?”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Ms. Stevens.”
She smiled. Regardless of Joe’s feelings towards school and studying, he’d obviously been taught manners. “You’re very welcome.”
“I’m thirsty. Soda?” Joe asked.
Maddox nodded. “Ask Cal. He’s behind the bar.”
Joe scrambled to his feet and rushed away, pulling his cell out as he ran.
“Thank you,” Maddox said, running his hand through his hair in obvious frustration. “My parents sent him to me to keep him out of trouble and I’ve managed that much, barely. He just needs to pass his classes.”
Hadley rose to her feet. “He will. Have faith.”
“Hads!”
She turned at the sound of her sister’s voice. Dani, Layla, and Zach’s parents walked towards her.
“Hey!” She’d been texting with her sister and knew Dani was happy staying with the Dares but it was so good to see her.
“Hi,” Michael said. “How’s it going?”
“Quiet.” Hadley didn’t know if that was good or bad. She hadn’t heard back from her father since she’d left a message using the burner phone he’d given her the day she’d arrived.
Though she was antsy, she knew Zach was watching out for her and digging into her father’s background.
Michael nodded in understanding. “Where is Zach?”
“In his office with Remy.”
“I’ll go say hello.” He left the women to talk and headed back.
Aware Dani was not going to accept a big hug in public, Hadley wrapped one arm loosely around her shoulder. “You look great.” And wearing what had to be Layla’s fringed denim shorts and cropped top. Teenagers, Hadley thought, suppressing a grin.
“We sat out by the pool today and tanned.” Dani gestured towards her sunburned belly.
“I hope you wore sunscreen.” The words came out automatically as did her sister’s eyeroll.
Serenity chuckled. “They did. Girls, go ask for sodas,” she said, and they too happily bounced off towards the bar. Serenity met her gaze. “Michael and I thought you’d want to see your sister in person.”
Hadley gave her a grateful smile. “I appreciate it. Being apart hasn’t been easy. I’m so used to living under the same roof.”
“It seems like you’re the one raising her,” Serenity said. “And doing a wonderful job. She’s a lovely girl.”
“And very outspoken,” Hadley mused. “Seriously though, her mother isn’t fit to do the job and obviously neither is our father. I decided not to move out and to be the adult and parent in the house. I don’t regret my choice, either. I love her.”
“I know you do.” Serenity’s soft gaze had always made Hadley feel warm and welcomed. “She’s remarkably resilient.”
Hadley nodded. A little too hardened for her age thanks to her mother’s attitude and behavior but at heart, Dani was a good person.
The girls returned giggling and loudly whispering to each other. “He’s so cute,” Dani said to Layla, so engrossed in conversation, neither was aware anyone was paying attention to them.
“Older and hot.” Layla waved a hand in front of her eyes. “He showed up at school after Christmas. He’s living with his brother, the manager here.”
Hadley felt her eyes open wide and land on Serenity’s. Her thirteen-year-old sister was noticing Joe, a seventeen-year-old? She and Zach had been two years apart, but this was a four-year span.
Serenity put a hand on Hadley’s shoulder and shook her head, which Hadley took to mean, don’t worry. Still oblivious to the adult attention, the girls made their way to a table and sat down.
“Layla’s friends are her age,” Serenity said, continuing to reassure Hadley. “They might be noticing Joe but there is no way he’ll look twice at either one. They’re too young but regardless, I promise to keep an eye on them.”
Relieved, Hadley blew out a long breath. “Thank you. I am not ready for the boy-crazy stage.” Not when she was deep in memories of her own teenage years and the love she’d had for her then-boyfriend.
“Hi, Mom.”
As if Hadley’s thoughts had conjured him, Zach strode over, his father by his side. He gave Serenity a kiss on the cheek.
“Hello, Zach,” Serenity murmured.
He braced a hand on the back of the nearest chair. “What are you two deep in conversation about?”
Hadley shook her head, not wanting to get into her raising Dani now.
“We were just catching up,” Serenity said.
“Where’s Remy?” Hadley asked.
Zach pointed toward the back. “Still in the office but he’ll head to his house in a little while.”
Michael cleared his throat. “Hon, do you want to eat dinner here?”
Serenity nodded, a pleased smile on her face. “No cooking for me? Definitely. Let’s go join the girls.” She tilted her head towards the table where the kids sat.
Before Zach’s parents could head over, the two teens jumped out of their seats and joined the group, both rambling at the same time.
Hadley caught the words music festival, beach, and tonight. Sheila had mentioned the concert on the beach to her earlier and warned Hadley people would start to line up to get boxed meals they’d preordered.
“Can we, Mom please?” Layla asked, bringing her palms together and begging with her gesture and voice.
Dani looked at Hadley with pleading eyes. “I never get to do something that fun at home. Can I go? Please?”
Hadley was at a loss because she knew nothing about safety at night in East Hampton, and the girls were staying with Serenity and Michael. The decision should be theirs. Hadley glanced at Zach, silently asking him what to say.
Zach folded his strong, muscled arms across his chest. “I think it would be fun if we all went,” he said, those sexy lips she’d missed all day turning up in a grin.
The girls groaned, obviously upset the adults would ruin their fun.
Michael glanced at the teens. “Don’t get all bent out of shape. We won’t hang out with you, we’ll just be in the area. Where we can keep an eye out.” He raised an eyebrow, his stern expression letting them know the grownups would attend or the girls wouldn’t go either.
“Fine,” Layla said. “But don’t embarrass me!”
“Ouch!” Michael playfully placed a hand over his heart.
Serenity laughed. “Let’s get dinner, everyone. Do you two want to join us?” she looked to Zach, then Hadley.
He shook his head. “No, thanks. We have plans.”
“We do?” she asked. Nothing had been mentioned earlier.
Zach slid his hand into hers, his palm warm as his fingers curled around hand. “Maddox,” he called out, raising his voice so the manager would hear.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Did you ask Cal to handle things when you leave early?”
Hadley knew he wanted to be home with Joe until his test day. She glanced over in time to see Maddox give Zach a thumbs up.
“Great. We’re out of here.” They said goodbye to the Dares and their sisters, and Hadley let Zach lead her to his surprise.
* * *
Zach left Remy taking a call in his office and stopped by the kitchen to make sure everything was running smoothly. With the concert tonight, the bar would be packed with takeout pickups. But nobody’s meal would come close to what he had planned.
He joined his family and once they’d agreed to be at the festival later, he grasped Hadley’s hand and led her to his car. Before he opened her door, his gaze lingered on her. Though he’d seen Hadley this morning, now he took his time, slowly taking her in. She was so pretty in an understated way.
He doubted she was even aware of how hot she looked in a pink, yellow and white, floral mini dress. The ruffled V-neck collar exposed a delicate hint of cleavage and the flirty hem fluttered mid-thigh. Her tanned legs enticed him and he wanted to feel those long limbs wrapped around his waist as he thrusted deep.
But that would happen later. Right now, he had other plans.
He pulled open the car door. “Hop in,” he said.
“Where are we going?” she asked, as she lifted herself into the SUV.
He grinned. “Patience, grasshopper.”
She rolled her eyes. “You always did like The Karate Kid.”
“And some things don’t change.” Like how he felt about her. He strode around the vehicle and settled into the driver’s seat, turning on the motor.
“Give me a hint?” He glanced over.
She’d pursed her lips, and it was either kiss her senseless or appease her curiosity. If he put his lips on hers, they’d never leave. “We’re going to eat in a secluded spot where we can hear the band, and after we have some alone time, we’ll go help my parents with the girls.”
“Like a picnic?” she asked, hopefully.
He nodded. “Just like it.” On a grander scale.
“I’d love that!” Happiness flickered in her eyes, her dark lashes fringing the light blue orbs. “And thank you. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is hang around with crowds of people but…”
“You want to keep an eye on Dani. I get it.” Though he was certain his parents could handle things without them, he knew Hadley would feel better if she could watch her sister.
“Smart man.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek, his skin tingling where she’d touched. “And I appreciate it.”
He put the car in drive and he headed out, returning to his house. Once they were out of the car, he grasped her hand again and led her through his locked gate. They strode around the grounds and into the back, passing the pool and continuing down to the water.
By the time they walked down the stairs to the dock and beach, her mouth was open as she watched the waves come in, the sun still high in the blue, cloud-dusted sky.
“You have this view every day of the summer?” she asked in awe, her voice breathless. “It’s gorgeous.”
He turned, catching her profile. No, she was gorgeous. “Believe me, I know how fortunate I am.” And he wasn’t talking about the horizon.
“Come on. This way.” He turned right and soon his surprise came into view. He’d called his sister, Jade, who ran parties at their family hotel in Manhattan, and she’d come up with the name of a Hamptons party planner who specialized in small, intimate gatherings, including a party of two.
Money and connections talked and he’d convinced the owner to handle an elaborate same day picnic. At a glance, the woman had outdone herself. An oversized blanket… no, it looked more like a cream-colored rug that wouldn’t have divots thanks to the sand, had been spread out on the beach.
Floral bundles in a variety of pinks lined one blanket edge. Two formal place settings, complete with linen light pink napkins, waited for them along with a champagne bucket, complete with a bottle being chilled in ice. Lanterns lined two other sides of the blanket for when the sun set, and citronella candles would protect them from bugs.
He turned from the spread to Hadley, who stared with wide eyes. “Hads?” He liked her sister’s nickname for her and unless she asked him not to use it, he decided it was time to adopt it, too.
She pivoted to face him, her eyes glassy with tears. “I’m… speechless.”
“But do you like it?” he asked, suddenly worried it was too much. His family’s financial status had always put her off and she’d been keeping a tally of what he’d spent on her and Dani since she’d arrived.
“I do. So much.”
He nodded. “Good.” Honesty was the only way to go and if he gave her something to consider over the next days or weeks, then he’d accomplished more than the goal of making her happy.
“Why did you go to all this effort?” she asked.
He cleared his throat, his own emotions too close to the surface as he raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. “I don’t know how much time we have together, and I want to make the most of it.”
She stepped closer, wrapped her arms around his neck and sealed her lips against his. With a groan, he hooked one arm around her waist and pulled her against him, loving every second of the way she set the pace. Slow and steady, she licked his bottom lip, drawing a moan from deep in his chest and when he parted his mouth, she slid her tongue inside.
The emotional kiss seemed to last forever and when she pulled back, her lips glistening as much as her eyes, he was overcome, too.
“Let’s go eat,” he said gruffly.
They sat side by side on pillows and enjoyed. He finger-fed her egg and tuna salad bite-sized sandwiches, they drank champagne from glass flutes, and for dessert, they dipped fresh strawberries in melted chocolate. All the while, they talked about life.
“You can hear the band music from here?” she asked, licking the chocolate off her fingers.
Somehow he suppressed a groan. “You sure can. But I have a special spot for that, too.”
A few minutes of silence lingered and she seemed to be gearing up to say something. “What’s going on, Hads?”
“I called my father earlier today. He didn’t pick up. Again.”
He grasped her hand. “We’re working on it.” He hadn’t been keeping her in the loop as they found information because he wanted to wait until he had a full picture.
But she seemed to need something now. “So far Remy’s linked him to certain associates and let’s just say they’re more deeply Mob connected than I imagined.”
She shook her head. “I know what you mean. I was hoping he’d learned something from having to run the first time but obviously not. I knew as much when that guy cornered me by my car.”
She shuddered and Zach pulled her against him with one arm. “You’re safe here.”
“As soon as I saw your face in that magazine, I knew you were the only choice.” She drew up straighter and he released her. “Now, can we talk about something else?”
She obviously wanted to forget so he asked her questions about school, teaching, her students, and friends, topics meant to keep the conversation light.
“Tell me about your siblings. What do they do for a living? I assume they all have the same work ethic you do.”
He nodded. “Nick runs the hotels, Jade is the Event Coordinator, Asher founded Dirty Dare Vodka which later became Dirty Dare Spirts as he expanded. He insisted we all invest, and the business took off. And of course, you know about Harrison, the famous actor and producer.” He grinned, proud of them all. “Then there are my half-siblings. You know Layla and the triplets are away at college.”
She shook her head, smiling. “I don’t know how Serenity and Michael corralled you all.”
“I have no clue.” He just knew they were one big, happy family.
“I met Jade and Nick’s girls,” Hadley said of his nieces. “What about Harrison and Asher? Any kids?”
He leaned back on his hands. “Harrison and Winter have a girl, Jules, named after her late mother, Julianna. As for Asher, he and Nikki aren’t ready yet. She’s much younger and they wanted to wait.”
She pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. “So all the Dare men have baby girls. I love it. I can imagine each with a shotgun in hand when they’re old enough date.” Hadley’s grin was infectious, and he laughed.
“You are so right.”
She glanced his way. “Someone’s due for a boy.”
A little boy with Hadley’s silky brown hair with streaks of blonde and her light blue eyes, flashed through his mind. The possibility warmed him, filling empty spaces inside him he hadn’t paid attention to before. Except that was a dream that wouldn’t be coming true. She hadn’t said or done anything to indicate her plans had changed.
“Which siblings are you closest to?” she asked.
“All of them.” Thanks to his contacts and skills, Zach was the brother everyone turned to in times of crisis and he was grateful he could help. Family meant everything to him, something his biological mother’s illness and suicide had reinforced.
“I really envy you that,” she murmured.
He wanted to tell her she could have that too. His family could be hers. Something that couldn’t happen if she went home. But he remained silent. Convincing her by showing her what they could have was one thing. Verbally pushing her was another. She needed to come to her decision to stay or go on her own.
The rest of his meal went down like sawdust until he told himself he had time to show her everything they could share after her father’s issues ended.
If she agreed to stay.
Once they finished eating, he stood, pulling her to her feet.
“Shouldn’t we clean up?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Tonight is for you to enjoy.” The service included set up, décor, food and cleanup later.
He clasped her hand and led her to another blanket a little farther down the beach. There were backrests set up along with lanterns and citronella torches burning behind them.
They settled in, resting beside each other, the conversation still flowing and when pauses happened, they were comfortable and easy, the silence peaceful. This was what he’d never had with another woman. What he’d watched his siblings find and what Zach both needed and had been missing.
Because Hadley had been missing.
Music sounded in the distance, the band tuning up. He resettled them against the cushions and pulled her into his arms.