Sarah chewed her lip trying not to look at the man seated in the passenger seat of her jeep. She wasn’t sure if she should blame the alpaca for distracting her or for allowing herself to be lulled into a false sense of security by Zoe’s obedience throughout the day.
Zoe’s observational skills bordered on clairvoyance as was her ability to always know when her mother’s attention drifted even the slightest. Thankfully Zoe seldom took advantage always staying close and not wanting her mother to worry. Sarah could count on one hand the number of times Zoe truly stepped out of line but this was certainly the most serious. Even worse was the innocent look on Zoe’s face when Sarah saw her in Lucas’s arms.
She even called him Edward and after they had just discussed the importance of keeping Rosemary’s secret. Luckily Lucas didn’t seem to have a clue what they were referring to. But what was she supposed to do now?
The way Lucas held Zoe and carried her to the car it was clear to Sarah he knew she was his. Seeing them together the small characteristics she noticed in Zoe’s appearance were heightened. There really was no doubting their shared connection.
More than once Sarah imagined what it would be like to see them together and the sight actually caused her heart to flutter. Even as the thought occurred to her she felt ashamed. What was wrong with her? How could she even entertain such fantasies? Did she not learn her lesson four years ago?
Clearly she had a lot to talk to Zoe about but how could she with him present? What did he want? Of all the places to have to confront him she hadn’t expected him at the zoo. She always assumed she’d see him at an event much like Madeline the night before, not on the street. Why had he been at the zoo in the first place?
And why did he keep looking at her?
He sat in the passenger seat as she drove back to the hotel. His eyes never left her as if memorizing every inch of her, committing it to memory in case she disappeared again. In fact, she noticed it at the zoo too. He had been so pale like he was seeing a ghost. He seemed terrified and…hopeful? But why? She was certain he would have forgotten all about her after she left. What was he thinking?
Lucas watched her committing every movement no matter how small to memory. For years he had been starved and before him now was a feast. She was even more beautiful close-up than from a distance. He knew he was making her nervous and could practically see the wheels turning but he couldn’t help it. He noted how she anxiously chewed her lip and struggled to ignore him, refusing to glance in his direction. If she looked at him now and smiled he just might praise the heavens but he knew she wouldn’t. He had never once given her a reason to smile.
For her part Zoe remained quiet and content watching the traffic as her parents suffered an awkward car ride. It was perhaps mercifully short for them. As her mother handed the keys to the valet Lucas was already grabbing Zoe from the vehicle. They stood awkwardly facing each other on the sidewalk waiting for the valet’s return. With her keys once again in hand Sarah led the way inside and Lucas followed like an obedient puppy. Alan pulled up behind them tipping the valet again to park the other car as well before catching up.
As they made their way through the lobby Ruth suddenly appeared carrying a large box of promotional material, “Oh Sarah! Let’s have dinner in a couple hours. We can…”
Ruth suddenly fell silent at the sight of Lucas carrying Zoe. His expression seemed grim while Sarah was practically white as a sheet. For her part Zoe looked…happy. How? When? Where? The questions flooded her mind but it certainly wasn’t the time to voice them as she glanced around the rather crowded lobby. There was still about an hour before the Fair was over so there was plenty of foot traffic with visitors rushing to catch it and publishers slowly cleaning up.
“…Okay,” Ruth took a deep breath. “Let’s go up to the room. Yeah?”
The elevator ride was awkward and quiet. Ruth set down her box taking out her phone and shooting off a quick text. Lucas assumed she was telling her staff to carry on without her. Stepping off the elevator Lucas followed quietly as Sarah unlocked the suite.
He paused staring at the exclusive, and expensive, room. It was certainly worthy of Sarah and Zoe but how did she afford this? This was not a hotel that catered to just anyone. As they entered they were immediately greeted by the corgi who bounced around them with happy yaps. Zoe giggled.
“Daisy! Were you a good girl?”
The corgi spun in circles as if chasing her non-existent tail. Zoe wiggled to be put down so Lucas carefully set her on her feet. She ran ahead with the dog bounding along beside her.
“Zoe! Shoes!” Sarah admonished, her motherly instincts momentarily overriding her shock at the situation.
Zoe paused long enough to kick off her shoes before leaping onto the couch with the dog right at her side. Lucas’s lips twitched with a smile watching her and listening to her laughter fill the suite.
Sarah quietly picked up Zoe’s shoes and set them near the door before taking off her own. She refused to look at Lucas ignoring his near six-foot height, an impressive feat in and of itself. Lucas’s gaze peeled away from Zoe to watch Sarah as she quietly moved around the room. His eyes lingered at the round curve of her ass as she picked up the clutter that gathered wherever children spent their time.
Lucas swallowed as his gaze drifted down her supple legs hugged by her jeans. His hands itched to touch her. He was certain his advances would be rejected with a resounding slap and it might actually be worth it. At least then she would have to look at him. She had gone pale since he appeared losing the healthy blush that graced her face all day. He wanted to see it again.
If only she’d yell at him, curse him, slap him, anything to show him the spirited vision he followed all day was still there. It couldn’t be that his presence was enough to destroy it. She was stronger than that. She had to be. If she wasn’t she never would have been able to stand up to Madeline in that crowd of harpies.
“Auntie Ruth! We saw sea lions today!” Zoe happily chatted. “And tigers and monkeys! And we got to ride a camel!”
“Oh really?” Ruth chuckled setting down her box.
“Mommy, can I show her the pictures we took?” Zoe bounced off the sofa.
Wordlessly Sarah handed over her phone. Taking Ruth’s hand Zoe pulled her to the couch and cuddled in her lap as she swiped through the pictures. Despite the tense situation Lucas and Alan smiled at her commentary.
“This is Central Park,” Zoe said. “And this is Big Red. He took mommy and me for a carriage ride. And this is the Balto statue. Have you seen that movie, Auntie Ruth?”
“I haven’t, no,” Ruth shook her head. “We’ll have to have a movie night while you’re here so I can.”
“And these are the sea lions! Aren’t they funny?”
Without a word Alan handed Lucas his phone. Displayed on screen was a movie poster featuring a husky with the title Balto in bold lettering. So it was a movie but he was still confused about the statue. It would take a little more looking into but at least he had a clue.
Lucas looked again at the little girl giggling as if unaware of the awkwardness of the situation. He had been planning to confront Sarah after a little more time to prepare. But now he had been thrown into it and he didn’t have a leg to stand on. How was he supposed to do this? How did one talk to their wife?
“Hey Rosemary Thomas!” Alan exclaimed sitting on a chair and reaching for the stack of books on the coffee table. “You have them all. You must be a fan too. I love her books!”
Zoe snorted as he picked up a book and paged through it. Even Ruth seemed to be fighting a laugh glancing at Sarah who, to Lucas’s surprise, actually blushed. He had no idea why she was embarrassed by the books she liked to read but he was grateful to see color return to her face.
“You like Rosemary?” Zoe asked.
“Of course,” Alan gushed. “She has the most amazing adventures. In this one she goes to a rodeo. See here is the horse she actually rode.”
The back blurb included a photo of Rosemary in a sun dress and hat standing beside a dark bay wearing a red halter with a southwestern design. For the picture the horse also wore novelty sunglasses to mirror the large, round lens Rosemary always wore to hide her own face.
“That’s Applejack!” Zoe exclaimed.
“Hey! You know the horse’s name, huh?” Alan was pleased. “I guess your mom read the books to you.”
“She lets me ride Applejack all the time,” Zoe said. “See!”
She thrust her mother’s phone at him. The image displayed showed both her and her mother in the saddle of a dark bay. Alan blinked studying the image his eyes darting from the book to the phone.
Bay horses certainly weren’t rare; however, the two horses in the pictures he saw now had the same round, apple-shaped star on their foreheads and a teardrop-shaped spot of white on their muzzles that almost looked like a spade.
“Do you want to see mommy’s scuba pictures?” Zoe asked.
“Zoe!” Sarah suddenly exclaimed but fell silent as all eyes turned to her.
Lucas was confused. Since when did Sarah know how to scuba? But Alan’s eyes suddenly lit up in recognition.
“Thomas,” Alan muttered. “Thomas. Oh my god! You’re Rosemary!”
Sarah pressed her lips together growing redder by the second. Lucas’s brow furrowed looking from one to the other not understanding Alan’s excitement or Sarah’s embarrassment. Alan looked at him and seeing his confusion rolled his eyes.
“She’s Rosemary Thomas! She wrote these books!” Alan thrust the book into Lucas’s hands.
To Catch a Cattail by Rosemary Thomas.
Lucas turned it over to see the picture on the back. The horse meant nothing to him. Instead he stared at the woman. Her hair was black, most likely a wig. Her lips were bright red and large sunglasses hid most of her face from view. Yet…The shape of her nose, jaw, her lips stretched into a smile he had been memorizing all day. Lucas’s jaw dropped as he tore his gaze from the book back to Sarah.
She bit her lip, her eyes wide and her face flushed. Was she embarrassed for him to know? Angry? Why would she keep such an important detail to herself? Why wouldn’t she be screaming it to the world? It couldn’t be easy for an author to top the bestseller list.
“But…” Alan hesitated, “Rosemary always claims to write from experience. She’s been to Paris and rock climbed and sky-dived…”
“Mommy’s done all of that,” Zoe said. “She says she’ll take me sky-diving when I’m old enough.”
“You…you sky-dived?” Lucas finally found his voice. How was that even possible?
Sarah glanced at him angered he didn’t believe her. But how was he supposed to know?
“Did you know?” Alan looked at Ruth.
“Well of course I did. I’m her editor,” Ruth snorted. “I’ve read every Rosemary story ever written even the short stories she wrote in high school. Who do you think encouraged her to submit a book to my father? I mean, the entire first book was based on her high school and teaching experience.”
Alan and Lucas stared at her. Put that way it did make sense. In fact it was glaringly obvious.
“Sarah spent five months in Paris with the proceeds from the first book,” Ruth continued. “That’s how it all started. Traveling for experience and writing about it later.”
“But…why the big secret?” Alan asked. “The hair and makeup and glasses…”
“Because she didn’t want her family butting into her business.”
“Ruth!” Sarah snapped.
“Oh…sorry. I know you don’t like to talk about it.”
“Family?” Lucas repeated. “You mean your father and brother?”
“I don’t have a father or a brother as far as I’m concerned,” Sarah glared at him.
Lucas stared at her. Her disgust and anger was hard to miss. It practically radiated off of her. What the hell happened between her and her family for her to turn her back on them? Before he could ask there was a sudden knock on the door. They both jumped at the intrusion unsure who it could be.
“Oh, that’s probably Tailor,” Ruth announced. “I sent him a 9-1-1 text in the elevator. I figured he’d drop everything and hurry over.”
Sarah nodded still checking the peep hole before opening the door to reveal a lanky, middle-aged man Lucas instantly recognized. Taking two steps into the hotel room Tailor immediately embraced Sarah in a comforting hug before evaluating the scene in front of him at a glance.
“Grandpa Tailor!” Zoe exclaimed running up to him.
Smiling he scooped her up and hugged her as she threw her arms around him. Lucas was jealous. Just who was this man who earned his daughter’s adoration and trust after single-handedly ending her parents’ marriage?
“Mommy and I went to the park! And we rode in a carriage! And then we went to the zoo! We got to ride a camel!”
“My, my you’ve had a busy day haven’t you?” Tailor laughed. His gaze settled on Lucas gauging his response.
“Do you want to see pictures?” Zoe asked.
“Maybe later,” Tailor said. “I need to talk to your mommy first. Why don’t you sit with your auntie for a bit, all right?”
“Okay!” Zoe seemed a little disappointed but returned to Ruth.
“Mister Stanton,” Tailor acknowledged after he was sure she was preoccupied.
“Just who the hell are you?” Lucas demanded.
“As I told you before, I’m Sarah’s counselor.”
“My daughter just called you grandpa.”
Though Lucas declaring Zoe his daughter had to be a shock, Tailor gave no outward sign. As a lawyer he was used to hostile confrontations. With a sigh he merely said, “Shall we have a seat?”
Gently guiding Sarah to the table in the kitchenette Tailor helped her sit before taking his own seat. Lucas plopped into one across from them his gaze darting from Sarah to Zoe and back again. He had so many questions but with her lawyer present he wasn’t sure he’d get answers.
“Sarah’s father was my best friend,” Tailor explained. “Sarah and Samuel grew up calling me uncle and I was more than happy to take up the role. I never had children of my own, you see.”
Lucas sighed not really interested in Tailor’s life story.
“That being said I think of Zoe was my granddaughter so I’m quite happy to play the role of her grandfather as she will not know any other.”
“What about…” Lucas hesitated as Sarah flinched. He was certain her father was still alive but judging from her reaction it was not a subject she wanted to discuss. His brow furrowed. Was she estranged from her father? How? When?
Tailor cleared his throat. He looked at Sarah asking, “So how much does he know? Rosemary?”
Sara nodded not speaking.
“I see.” Tailor turned back to Lucas. “What exactly do you want Mister Stanton?”
“I want my family.”
“And what brought this on? You didn’t seem to care four years ago.”
“Don’t…” Lucas was ready to leap to his feet but held back not wanting to draw Zoe’s attention. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself and order his thoughts. “Four years ago was a mistake. I admit that. If I could take it back I would. I—I want to start over…with Sarah.”
His gaze went to her hoping she would see his sincerity but she refused to look at him. Tailor, meanwhile, kept a close eye on him reading every nuance. Four years ago he thought he had read Lucas quite clearly but now Tailor was puzzled by this change of heart. It really did seem like Lucas wanted to patch up their marriage. But why?
“I believe I should have a word with my client in private. Mister Stanton wait here please,” Tailor stood offering a hand to Sarah and directing her to one of the bedrooms. When Lucas moved to follow Tailor bade him to remain seated. “We’ll only be a moment.”