“I wouldn’t say that. She’s a driven, assertive woman who expects the best out of her employees.”
Zane turned to McKenna. “You two had the same boss?”
“We sure did,” Erin said, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “McKenna was a wedding planner, then. I was the owner’s assistant, just like she is now.”
Zing. Wow, with a sister like this, McKenna didn’t need enemies. She needed a bulletproof vest.
“That must’ve been so fun, working with your sister,” Cheyenne said as she glanced between the other women.
“It was definitely something else,” McKenna replied.
Zane leaned closer to McKenna, his lips near her ear. “Don’t let Erin get to you and spoil your night.”
“No chance of that. Now that I know her game, I don’t intend to play anymore.” Her face glowing with confidence, McKenna glanced at Cheyenne. “Are you up for another song?”
*
The next morningZane sat at his grandmother’s desk knowing he wanted, no needed, to explore what he felt for McKenna to see if he could have what his friends had. A supportive, healthy, long-term relationship.
The realization hit him between the eyes last night when Erin had asked what was between him and McKenna. He hadn’t felt anything for Erin. Instead, he’d been concerned about how McKenna would react. If she’d be upset her sister was there, and how she’d feel devastated and betrayed if she’d learned she hit on him.
Erin was clueless. She might be prettier, but she wasn’t half as attractive as McKenna.
He’d expected to be bored by now, but instead, McKenna continually challenged him. He swore every day he discovered another fascinating aspect to her. He saw her standing, her hands on her hips, head tilted as she told him she wasn’t buying what he was selling when he tried to pull something on her. And never once had she asked about the future or what would happen when he left.
He’d been clear about his expectations, as had McKenna. How did he ask her to break their agreement because he wanted to explore having a future together? The thought of that conversation left him shaking in his boots. He’d never asked a woman to make a commitment, not even going steady in high school.
He wished his grandad was here to talk to. His advice and wisdom would calm Zane’s fears. Turning in the chair, he sought the shadow box containing his grandfather’s picture, the diamond star pin he’d given Ginny on their wedding day, and the aerial ranch photo. The memento had hung behind Ginny’s desk since she started Lucky Stars Weddings, but instead of finding the box, Zane discovered a blank wall.
Where the hell was it? His hands shook. A weight settled heavy on his chest as he yanked the bookcase aside to check behind it. Nothing. He continued searching. Under Ginny’s desk. Behind every piece of furniture. In drawers and cabinets. As he failed to find the box, his pulsed hammered in his head. The pain in his chest intensified. When the hunt in Ginny’s office proved unsuccessful, he tore apart the outer office.
When his search there turned up empty, too, he seized an empty waste basket and hurled it across the room. It bounced off the armchair, hit the floor, and rolled a few feet before stopping.
Every morning, his grandma traced a finger over his grandfather’s image. Then she whispered how much she missed and loved him. How would he tell his Grandma Ginny the box, her connection to her deceased husband, was gone?
If the shadow box hadn’t fallen or been knocked down, someone must have stolen it.
Zane ran to the front door and examined the lock but found no obvious evidence of tampering. After checking Ginny’s door, he came to the same conclusion. Maybe a picked lock? He thought back to his arrival this morning. He unlocked the doors. For the thief to lock up he’d need keys.
Three people possessed those. Him. His Grandma Ginny. And McKenna.
His heart hammered painfully against his ribs. His throat tightened.
Since her surgery, Ginny hadn’t left the house except for doctor appointments.
That left McKenna.
Chapter Sixteen
Damn. McKenna couldn’thave stolen the shadow box. How could she betray him like this when he’d trusted her? He’d told her secrets he’d never shared. How could he have been so wrong about her?
Your father had been great at hiding who he was and what he was doing.
What did he really know about McKenna’s past? Before Ginny hired her, McKenna worked for a wedding planner in Houston. She graduated from the University of Texas. She’d heard about this job from a friend of a friend. Not much.
And all of it he’d heard from her.
How did he know anything she’d told him was true? Look at his father. He’d lied to him and his mother for years to cover his life with another family. They’d never suspected. Why couldn’t McKenna have created a sad tale about her childhood to get him to lower his guard?
