“Things change,” Mrs. Drake said sagely. Then she shot Zoe a sharp look and said, “It’s easy to use that as an excuse to let go. After all, they can be changed back, of course. If you want to do the work.”
They’d reached the edge of the inn’s property and the gate leading to a small stone cottage. The older woman gave Zoe a smile and said, “It was good to see you again, Zoe. Be sure to visit me while you’re here. I like you.”
Zoe blinked, then watched until Mrs. Drake was safely inside her cottage. Well, at least one person liked her. Somehow, that was as much a talisman as the attitude her riding crop gave her.
Zoe trudged through the heavy growth of still-green weeds and overgrown bushes up a hill. Huffing at the exertion, she frowned at the idea that maybe she’d brought some of this on herself, but she didn’t slow down. She’d had to get out of the hotel, away from the excited squeals and annoying reunion festivities. Far, far away from the sight of Candice and Brad holding court with the popular people.
Fitting in had never been a goal of hers. But then, she’d always had Dex to make her feel safe. Accepted. And now? Now she was lonelier than ever. And it was her own fault. The truth was like a stinging slap. Quick, unexpected and shocking. Zoe pressed her lips together to keep tears from falling.
Was it laziness that had lost her Dex’s friendship? Or fear?
Zoe grimaced, shoving her hands deeper into her coat pockets as she continued up the hill. How fun! She got to revisit her unhappy past and discover she was a hypocrite, all in the same week.
Doing what she always did when faced with dealing with her emotions, Zoe avoided it. Instead, she focused on the Gandalf puzzle. Brad was still the front-runner, but the masked hunk was also a possibility. He’d been dressed in a Lord of the Rings costume, after all. Maybe that was part of his riddle?
And she was positive now that the masked hunk was definitely not Brad. Sure, they were about the same height. And it’d been dark, and the sexy kisser had been disguised. But she was still sure. The masked hunk had been lean muscles. Brad was muscular, but more bulky. The voice was different, too. To say nothing of the attitude. The masked hunk had been interested, but still hesitant. Zoe had the feeling that if Brad had got his hands on her leather-clad body, nothing would have stopped him this time.
So who the hell had she made out with?
Zoe climbed over a fallen log, the rough wood catching the heel of her boot so she almost fell. Righting herself, she glanced up. There it was. Nestled between two large branches in an oak tree that was rapidly shedding its yellowing leaves. The tree house she and Dex had made when she was fifteen.
Bombarded by memories and emotions, Zoe plopped down on the fallen log and stared at the rotting wood of her teenage haven. Right there in the fork of those huge limbs, she and Dex had planned their future. They’d lamented the lame teachers and unchallenging curriculum. They’d brainstormed revenge on everyone who’d ever hurt her feelings. One time, she remembered with a little sniff, Dex had found her there in tears, hiding away from the world after her parents had died. He’d climbed up silently, held her, then wiped her face with the sleeve of his hoodie. She’d even shared her crush on Brad, then her heartbreak over his ugly behavior after their one date gone bad.
What a difference ten years made. Before, she’d been thrilled when one guy paid her any attention.
And now?
Three guys on her hands. One of them had given her the hottest kiss she’d ever had. One she needed for her brother’s business success. The third was off-limits. Not only because he was her friend, but because Dex was the long-term type. His being back here helping his parents, his connection with his grandma, those were proof that Dex wasn’t a do-him-and-run kind of guy.
Of all the problems she’d imagined when she’d agreed to attend the reunion , this wasn’t anywhere on the list. Zoe shook her head in disbelief. Who’d have thought it?
Zoe Gaston, the girl most likely to die a virgin. Chasing after three guys. And it didn’t look like she was going to catch any of them.
She’d come back looking to use her past to do one selfless thing, secure a future for her brother. And what had she found? Failure, at its finest. Figured.
IRRITATION dogging him like a head cold, Dex stomped through the garden adjoining the hotel and his parents’ house. He let himself into his childhood home, glaring at the hotel before he slammed the front door.
What a pain in the ass. First he’d spent the morning over-caffeinating while replaying his talk with Zoe. As much as he couldn’t stop thinking about her, he also couldn’t stop wondering what the hell she wanted with his alter ego. Sure, he wanted her wondering about him. But in an I-want-to-strip-this-guy-naked-and-do-him-eight-ways-from-Sunday kind of way. Not to track him down for a job.But instead of finding her to continue their discussion, he’d had to deal with a half-dozen run-ins with old classmates, all of whom were thrilled to see him. Of course, the greetings were always followed by requests for deals on their rooms, free access for parties and other varied and sundry examples of why they thought he was useful.