Page 58 of Breaking the Ice

“Doesn’t that agency also rep Yolanda?” She sounds worried.

“They do, but they’re going to cut ties.”

“What’s the plan?”

“I don’t know yet. All I know is that he wants me out of Maple Falls when Yolanda tells everyone that her baby is mine.”

“Zach,” Ellie says. “You said that you trust me, right?”

There’s something about Ellie that makes me want to believe everything she says, which is not like me. I’m normally a very cautious man. “I’ve never doubted you.”

“Well, then, I might have a plan, too.”

“What is it?” Even though I trust Ellie, I’m not sure manipulating the press is a talent she possesses.

“Give me a little bit of time,” she says. “Tell your PR guy you have someone working on your behalf here in Maple Falls.”

“And if your plan doesn’t work?” I ask.

“Then we’ll weather the storm together, Zach. Because I believe in you, and I also believe the truth wins out. We won’t let Yolanda have the final say here.”

And while I’m not quite as optimistic as Ellie, I like the idea of her and me against the world. I know the kind of woman she is, and I can’t believe my luck that she’s standing by me. “Okay,” I tell her. “But just so you know, I can’t wait to come back to Maple Falls and kiss you again. For hours.”

As much as I want to get rid of Yolanda, Ellie really has become my biggest focus.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Ellie

I know Zach is hurt that I didn’t believe him—even for a short time, but I’m glad he’s not holding it against me.

After hanging up with him, I call Yolanda. “Can you meet me for a drink tonight?”

“I can’t really drink in my condition.” She sounds annoyed.

“Meet me for milkshakes at the diner on Maple Falls Road,” I tell her. “I have an idea that might just bring Zach to his knees.”

Her excitement becomes obvious. “I’ll be there at seven.”

Looking at the clock, I realize it’s already quarter ’til seven, so I grab my car keys and run out of the house.

Shirley May waves at me as soon as I walk into the diner. “I hope you’re meeting the big tipper.”

“Not tonight, I’m afraid. But I promise to bring him in soon.”

She laughs. “If you do, tell him to tip like a normal person. I nearly had a coronary the other day.”

“I’ll do no such thing,” I tell her. “You work for tips, so why not let someone do it right?”

She tilts her head to the side like she’s seriously considering the option of not taking easy money, when she finally decides, “Fine. I’ll take it. Now, is it just you or are you meeting someone?”

Yolanda walks in, so I point to her. “Just the two of us.”

Shirley May acts like she has no idea who Yolanda is, and honestly, she might not. Maple Falls is not used to the kind of celebrity that has descended upon us in recent days.

Leading us to a table, Shirley May says, “I’ll give you a couple minutes.”

Yolanda looks around with an expression that suggests she just bit into a lemon. “This is quaint.” I translate that to mean she would never eat in a place like this on her own. Which makes me think even less of her than I already do.

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