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“Trees lives here voluntarily?”
“Oh, he chose this place on purpose.” Zy sighed.
Finally, they turned a corner and passed a group of thick shrubs. An imposing gate appeared, and Zy hopped out of the car, waved to the top of a tree, then punched a code into a keypad on the surrounding fence before shoving the gate wide. While Zy slipped behind the wheel again and drove on, Tessa turned to watch the gate shut behind them.
“Wow. He’s serious about security.”
“Absolutely. It doesn’t matter whether he’s hit by an armed robber, civil unrest, or the zombie apocalypse, he’s prepared to survive.”
She’d known his work, mostly via his expense reports, to be fastidious and detailed. She hadn’t imagined he had a crazy streak. “All righty, then. Do you know why he’s so…cautious?”
“Yeah.” And Zy didn’t sound like he wanted to talk about it.
They rounded a few more bends and finally stopped in front of a single-story, ranch-style house with white shutters fashioned like barn doors, a tin roof, and a carport. Outside sat his beat-up truck alongside a flashy red compact that looked out of place.
“Fuck,” Zy muttered as he stopped the car and put it in park.
“What is it?”
“Trees, um…invited someone else.”
He was out of the car and slamming the door before he elaborated. Confused, Tessa stood and retrieved Hallie in her car seat. It was a party. Didn’t Zy expect that Trees would have invited other people?
Zy grabbed the diaper bag from the backseat, locked the sedan, and followed her to the front door, suddenly dragging his feet. “Try not to be mad, huh? Trees means well.”
She had no idea what Zy was talking about as she rang the bell, but as soon as the door opened, the reason for his sour mood became obvious.
A gorgeous brunette with sun-kissed skin, blue eyes, and a pair of pouty lips stepped back with a smile. “Hi, Zy. Good to see you again. And you must be Tessa.”
When the woman held out her hand, she didn’t see any choice but to shake it…even though Tessa had a suspicion who she was.
“Good to see you, too,” Zy said, though his tone suggested the exact opposite. He wrapped his arm around her waist a moment later and gestured to the other woman. “Tessa, this is Madison.”
Yep. That’s what she’d thought. And she was a little hurt. Why would Trees invite Zy’s one-night stand to their holiday party unless he was trying to get them back together?
Maybe she shouldn’t blame him. If Zy ended up with Madison, it would probably be better for everyone. A glance told Tessa that the other woman was earnest and sweet. Zy wouldn’t get fired for having a relationship with her. And he wouldn’t be alone anymore.
All true, but it hurt too much to think about.
Somehow she managed a smile and shook Madison’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Wow, no wonder Zy never called me again. You’re beautiful and your daughter is such a cutie. Her name is Hallie, right? Come in.”
Madison seemed so genuine, Tessa felt like a bitch for every jealous, unkind thought she’d ever had about the woman. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“Hey!” Trees popped around the corner, still managing to tower over everyone while wearing an oven mitt and a smile. “We’re all here, and we’re almost done with dinner. Come on in. Drink?”
“I’ll take a beer,” Zy said, sounding like he expected to need it.
“Got it chilling,” Madison assured, then turned to her. “Wine? Eggnog? Margarita?”
“Whatever you’re drinking is fine.”
“Margarita it is!” She shut the door behind them.
Tessa followed the woman down a narrow foyer and into a wide-open living room/dining room/kitchen. Madison veered to the refrigerator while Trees took a hot casserole out of the oven and set it on the stove to cool.
While the duo was busy, Zy divested himself of the diaper bag in what looked like Trees’s bedroom. Tessa took the opportunity to turn to him with a whisper. “You didn’t know she was going to be here?”
“No.” And he looked uncomfortable.
“Are they a couple?”
“Just friends.”
Zy’s best friend cozying up with his castoff seemed odd. “Why?”
“It’s…Trees. He can’t help being the hero. He wants to save everyone who’s broken.”
Was he intimating that Madison had been broken after Zy left her?
A few minutes later, Tessa had a salt-rimmed margarita in hand, and they were all clustered between the kitchen and Trees’s dining room table, something sturdy made out of salvaged wood with strong edges and clean lines. Madison set the table, refusing Tessa’s help.
Next, Trees set out a collection of Mexican food dishes before tossing the oven mitts aside. “Let’s eat.”
Tessa arranged Hallie in her car seat on the nearby counter, glad to see her little eyes drooping like she might nap. When she turned, Zy stood at the back of her chair, pulling it out for her to sit. Trees did the same thing for Madison.
