Page 47 of The Last Love Song
His breath caught in his chest. Hard.
“I wasn’t sure how willing you’d be after I messed up with you.” His throat remained dry. Didn’t matter how much he drank.
There was only one thing that was going to quench his thirst tonight.
“You’re right.” Her smile faded. “I felt betrayed. But I don’t believe you set out to deceive me.”
Hope sparked. That sounded like an opening to make things right.
“Never. I had wanted to fix it before things came to a head. I really thought there must be an accounting error or information that I was missing. Or something.” It bugged him that he couldn’t figure out where the money had gone, and it bothered him more that it made Mayor Finley look guilty.
“I understand.”
“Really?” His breath whooshed out of his lungs as if a ton of bricks had eased off his chest.
“I think I do. I’m frustrated that this investigation is going to hurt my family and my father’s reputation, but I know youhadto look into it. I wish you’d told me sooner, but I can see why you didn’t.” She slumped in the booth and studied him. “You really thought you might be able to solve the problem and it would never see the light of day.”
“Exactly. I’ve had my family’s name dragged through the mud and I can tell you, it’s painful. If I could spare you that kind of public scrutiny, I would.”
“Do you always try to fix things by yourself, Zach?”
“The curse of the competent person.” He tucked around the booth table to slide in beside her. “Thank you for trying to understand. Your opinion is important to me.”
He twined a silky red wave around his finger and watched her eyes shift from cornflower blue to a darker shade.
“Your opinion matters to me, too.” She laid her hand along his forearm and squeezed softly, lingering. “Which is why I hope you like the song I’m about to sing.”
It took a minute for the words to sink in. He’d been looking for a kiss, but he would take whatever she offered. Song included.
He cupped her elbow and backed out of the booth, bringing her with him. “Knock ’em dead, Heather Finley.”
“Just for you, Mr. Mayor.” She nodded once and headed for the stage, her hips twitching with just a touch more swagger.
He hoped like hell that only he noticed, but heads turned as she walked by. Whether or not she could sing, she would definitely attract more than a little attention.
Zach hoped that her forgiveness meant they could salvage some time together before she left. Because no matter how much he wanted to finish his app and get it to market, no matter how much he wanted to clear her father’s name and find the missing town funds, his goal for tonight was a whole lot simpler.
Now that there were no more secrets between them, he wanted to kiss Heather again.
“This is crazy.” Megan stood under the bleachers in the dark with Wade long after the power to the overhead lights had been cut and most of the parking lot had cleared out.
The baseball game had finished an hour ago. A few people remained near their cars talking, but most had gone home for the night or met up at a local bar for a celebratory drink. But Megan and Wade remained because J. D. Covington had lingered in the dugout with a friend. When Wade had stalkedcloser to them a few minutes ago, they were still debating the best size for a bat barrel.
“It’s not crazy.” Wade had convinced her to attend the game after they’d finished their shift at the Owl’s Roost. “This is the perfect time to have a little talk with J.D. and find out if he’s the one harassing you.”
“I have homework,” she’d argued, thinking about the undone math problems and how much she didn’t want to face J.D.
The sounds of night were amplified as the parking lot cleared out. Frogs and night bugs turned up the volume, making their own brand of music. She and Wade leaned against the metal framework under the bleachers. Shadows slanted over Wade’s face.
“Don’t rub it in. Obviously, I don’t have any homework,” he grumbled, then pointed to another car still in the parking lot. “Isn’t that Bailey’s mom?”
Megan followed his gaze, regretting that she’d made him feel bad about school again. But those thoughts crumbled to ash when she spotted Mrs. McCord. She stood beside J.D.’s dad. The next throng of townspeople talked and laughed around their cars at least seventy yards away from them.
Mrs. McCord and Mr. Covington stood very, very close together on the darkened perimeter of the lot.
“Yes. But they serve on the town council together, the same as my dad. So they’re probably just—” She paused as J.D.’s dad peered over one shoulder, toward the only other figures in the parking lot. At least, the only other people visible in the dimness of the night. Then, as if satisfied no one could see them, he reached for Mrs. McCord.
And kissed her. Not a friend’s kiss, either. This was an all-out face suck complete with groping. Megan hadn’t particularly cared for either of J.D.’s parents when she’d met them briefly last spring. They paid zero attention to their son. But she stillfelt bad for Mrs. Covington, who headed the girls’ track team at school.
