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“I don’t know. Revenge? Or as close as I’ll ever get to it? It doesn’t really matter now. It all backfired. The story ran, without that bombshell, and Josh Lowell ended up smelling like a rose, he and the reporter fell in love and now he’s getting married. He’s even leaving Black Crescent.”
She sighed heavily.
“I know,” Zane said. “The guy is golden. Everything he does turns out perfectly, and it makes me nuts. I know it shouldn’t, but it does. Just thinking about it is making my shoulders lock up.” He cranked his head from side to side, hoping to loosen the tension.
“You realize that people think the same thing about you. That you’re golden. That you can do no wrong.”
“Youmight say that about me, but other people do not. Plus, that isn’t the point.”
“But itisthe point. It’s not just me who says it, either. Your father thinks the same thing. Your grandparents. Aunts and uncles. Your colleagues and employees. Remember when you invited me to your company Christmas party two years ago? All night long, all I heard about was how great you are and it’s not just because you’re the boss. I heard it from your clients, as well. I’m your mom, and even I got a little sick of it.”
Zane laughed, but he was astonished to be hearing this from her. He’d never seen himself as anything more than the guy who was still striving to get back on top.
“Look at your life,” she continued. “You have an immensely successful business. You own a beautiful home in one of the most exclusive towns in the country. You’re handsome, and people love you. Whatever it is that you think the Lowells stole from us or from you, it doesn’t matter. It hasn’t kept you from having it all, and it never will keep you from it. You need to find a way to move forward.”
“This isn’t just about what they did to me. It’s about what they did to our family. The Lowells are the reason you and dad split up.”
“You know, your dad and I had a drink a few weeks ago. We talked about it.”
“You did?” His parents’ divorce had been as acrimonious as they came. To Zane’s knowledge, his parents had only been in the same place twice since their split fourteen years ago, at Zane’s high school and college graduations, and they’d barely spoken to each other. “You didn’t tell me this.”
“He came to Boston for work, and he called me. It was nice. We had a chance to say a lot of things that should’ve been said a long time ago. The truth is that your dad and I were never going to make it. Of course, losing everything put a massive strain on the marriage, but the underlying problems were already there. We weren’t in love. I’m not sure we ever were. We would have split up eventually.”
Zane was struggling to keep up, but he couldn’t help but notice that it felt as if a weight was being lifted. A burden from his past was evaporating before his eyes. “Wow, Mom. You are kind of blowing my mind right now.”
“Does that help you see that you need to let Joshua Lowell do his own thing and maybe get out there and keep looking for your own happiness? You know, I’d like to have a daughter-in-law, maybe become a grandmother at some point.”
“Mom...”
“No pressure.”
“Oh, right. No pressure.” Zane glanced at the clock on his dashboard. It was seven o’clock and he didn’t want to be late. “Mom, I need to run. Scott invited me over for dinner and I’m sitting outside his house. His sister, Allison, is in town.”
“Oh, how nice. Say hi to them both for me. I’ve always adored those two, especially Allison. She’s always been such a sweetheart to me.”
And just like that, Zane felt like the universe might be telling him to salvage the romance that had started at Rose Cove. It was at least worth trying. “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too.”
Zane grabbed the bottle of Chateau Musar he’d brought, which was Scott’s favorite wine, and hopped out of the car. He strode up the long driveway and couldn’t ignore the way his pulse picked up at the thought of seeing Allison again. Maybe this could actually work. Of course, there was a lot standing in his way. He’d have to find a way to sort things out with Scott. And he’d have to hope that there weren’t other guys in the mix. He’d also have to smooth Allison’s ruffled feathers. He’d been a jerk when they left the island. Allison deserved so much better than that. As to how difficult it would be to convince her to accept his apology, he wasn’t sure. He was prepared to grovel. It was difficult for him to set aside his pride, but he’d overcome worse.
He rang the doorbell, and Scott quickly answered, waving him in. When Zane handed over the wine, Scott unleashed a mile-wide grin. “You’re the best friend a guy can have. Let’s get this decanted.”
Zane followed him inside. He was looking forward to spending an evening with these people he cared about so deeply, but coming to dinner at Scott’s house felt a bit like returning to the scene of the crime, given the kiss with Allison at his birthday party. He wished he could find a way to rewind the clock to that moment when her luscious lips first met his. If only he’d known then that she hadn’t done it on a lark. She’d spent years building up to it.
They wound their way down the wide central entry and into the newly remodeled gourmet kitchen. Scott’s wife, Brittney, was cutting up vegetables at the center island. “Look who’s here,” she said, taking a kiss on the cheek from Zane. “I’m glad you could come over on such short notice. Scott was eager to express his thanks.”
“He keeps saying that, but Allison would’ve been fine without me. Seriously. She’s tough as nails.”
She swept the contents of the cutting board into a large bowl. “I agree. But you know how he is. Super protective. Is there such a thing as a helicopter brother?”
“Hey. I’m standing right here.” Scott sniffed the wine cork, then emptied the bottle into a decanter.
“Well, the kids and I are thankful if nothing else,” Brittney said. “I swear the only thing that kept Scott from freaking out about Allison was knowing that you were down there with her.”
“Did I hear my name?” Allison poked her head into the kitchen.
Zane’s heart did a veritable flip when he saw her. There had been countless moments on the island when he’d been taken aback by her beauty, but right now, with her sun-kissed skin glowing and the stress of their life-and-death situation during the storm no longer showing its effects, she absolutely stole his breath away. “There she is.”
