Midnight Secrets

chapter

FIVE


TWO MONTHS LATER

“Surely you’re not going out tonight?”

In the midst of shining his shoes, Zach stopped briefly to look up. His mother was leaning against the doorjamb, a glass of white wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Her honey-blond hair was pulled on top of her head in an artless, messy style that somehow made her look much younger than her forty-two years.

Francine had always had a fragile, delicate air about her, and Zach knew she worked hard to foster that image. She had often reminded her sons that her beauty was her best asset.

“You going with that Wilde girl again?”

His mother had made it more than clear that she didn’t approve of her son dating one of the wealthiest girls in Midnight. It had been a stupid hope that he could keep the news of his relationship with Savannah a secret from her. Francine rarely socialized with anyone in town, but news could travel like lightning in Midnight, and somehow, even without friends, she found out.

“This is your last night in town for a long time. I would’ve thought you’d want to stay home.”

She left out the additional words “with me,” but they were implied. He hated to admit it, because it was so downright freaky, but every time she brought up Savannah’s name, he could swear she sounded jealous. The thought turned his stomach.

He’d already said goodbye to Josh, who was away at football camp. Leonard was out of town on a business trip. Zach knew that if he stayed home, it would be the way it had been since he was a kid. His mother would drink too much, talk about the days when she was the prettiest girl in Alabama, and lament that life wasn’t fair. Zach had had his fill long ago.

This was his last night … his final night with Savannah, at least for a very long time. No way would he miss spending this time with her. He still hadn’t even figured out how the hell he was going to say goodbye.

“Come on, Zachie. I’ll order a pizza and we’ll spend it together just like old times.”

Zach shook his head. “I can’t, Mom. Besides, Leonard’s coming home tonight, so you won’t be alone for long.”

“That’s not the point. Dammit, this is your last night in town. You’d think you’d want to spend it with your family.”

Straightening to his full height, Zach fought the urge to tell her the truth. That getting away from her was the thing he was looking forward to the most. Knowing that would crush her, he instead went with a safe answer. “I’ll get up early in the morning and fix us a big breakfast before I leave. How’s that sound?”

She took another drag off her cigarette and then pursed her lips in a pout. “You know there’s no future with that girl, don’t you?”

Again he refused to get into an argument that no one would win. Especially since he wasn’t so sure she wasn’t right. He still couldn’t believe he’d let himself get involved with Savannah. She had so many goals and dreams for her future. Would he be holding her back by trying to maintain a relationship that probably had little hope for survival? He would be gone for months; she would soon be leaving for college. They were going to be hundreds, maybe thousands of miles apart. Was there a reason to even hope for a future with her? His heart, which had taken over his thinking when it came to Savannah, whispered a resounding Yes! The last few weeks, being in her life, getting to know her and her family, had been the happiest time of his life.

An argument with his mother wasn’t something he wanted to get into tonight. Especially when Savannah was waiting for him to pick her up. Grabbing his keys from the dresser next to his bed, Zach headed toward the door. He stopped briefly and dropped a kiss on Francine’s forehead. “Don’t drink so much you have a hangover in the morning. Okay?”

“Like anyone really cares what happens to me.”

Any kind of rational conversation was out of the question when she was in one of her self-pitying moods. Without uttering another word, Zach walked out the door.

As he drove across town toward the Wilde mansion, dread, thick and dark, permeated his thoughts. The irony of the situation hadn’t escaped him. He’d worked so hard on being able to get out of Midnight. Leaving his family had been his only worry, but with Leonard to take care of them, he had known they’d be okay. That had been his only concern. But now there was a new one.

Despite his reputation and lack of prospects, Zach had dated more than his share of women. Once he grew taller and started filling out, his monetary shortcomings had been less of a deterrent. But there had never been anyone like Savannah Wilde—unspoiled, without an ounce of pretension or artifice, and unbelievably sweet.

Once they’d gotten over their awkwardness, their relationship had advanced at an unbelievable pace. Learning that she had studied football books in an effort to have something to talk to him about touched him like nothing else. He couldn’t remember anyone ever making the effort to do something like that for him. When he had told her to stop reading and he would teach her all she needed to know, he’d laughed at her obvious relief.

Though he had worked every day, he spent every evening with Savannah and sometimes her family. He still didn’t have a lot of money, so most of the things they did were either cheap or free. Sometimes they would sit for hours and talk about everything or nothing. There were only two topics of conversation they studiously avoided. Savannah didn’t like to talk about her father and what he had done. And Zach avoided talking about his mother. Other than that, nothing was off-limits. She’d told him he’d taught her to appreciate sports. Little did she know that she had taught him to appreciate life.

A few weeks ago, if anyone had told him he’d fall for one of the Wilde sisters, he would’ve laughed his ass off. Now he wasn’t sure if he’d ever laugh again.

“Maybe he’ll ask you to go with him,” Sammie said.

Turning from the mirror where she’d been trying to tame her wild blond locks, Savannah faced her sisters. Sammie sat on the bed, in the midst of the three dresses, two skirts, and three blouses Savannah had tried on and tossed aside for one reason or the other. Bri sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the seven pairs of shoes she had changed her mind about.

Since she had been dating Zach, it had become a ritual that her sisters helped her get ready each evening. But tonight was unlike any others and nerves and panic were close to overwhelming her. This would be her last night with Zach in who knew how long.

“Lots of girls follow their boyfriends to basic training. You could stay in a hotel or maybe get a temporary apartment close by. I’m sure we could get Granddad to go along with it.”

As the romantic in the family, Sammie thought love conquered all. How her sister could believe such a thing after what happened with their parents was anyone’s guess.

Savannah shook her head and turned back to the mirror. “He’s going to be too busy training to have me trailing along after him. Besides, I’ve got to go to Nashville and find an apartment soon. Our plans were in place long before we met.”

“But that was before you fell in love,” Sammie argued.

Her image blurred as Savannah’s eyes misted with tears. That was true. She had made her plans for her future before she knew she would love Zach forever. But he had never said he loved her. The hot looks and heart-stopping kisses they’d shared might mean nothing to him. They hadn’t even gone all the way. They’d gotten close several times but Zach was the one holding back. Maybe that was why they hadn’t had sex: he didn’t love her and just didn’t want her that way.

A derisive snort had her turning around again. Savannah recognized that sound. It was one of Bri’s favorite ways to express her disgust.

“What?” Savannah asked.

“Why wait to see if he’s going to ask you to go with him? Tell him you’re coming with him and that’s that.”

Bri could do that. If she didn’t like something, she either fought like the dickens to get it changed or she pretended she didn’t care.

Not for the first time, Savannah wished she could be a combination of both her sisters. Sammie was optimistic and cheerful, believing all things worked out, no matter what. Bri was a rebel and a fighter. When Savannah compared herself to her sisters, she always came up short. She was the cautious, practical one. Always weighing all of her options and overthinking everything. Maybe if she were more optimistic like Sammie or forceful like Bri, things would be different.

This wasn’t the end. Even though she and Zach were headed in different directions, they had promised to call and email each other daily. When Zach got his first leave, he would come to Nashville to see her. This wasn’t the end … it wasn’t.

Knowing they were eyeing her anxiously, she pasted on a brave smile. “Millions of couples have long-distance relationships. There’s no reason we can’t.”

She pretended she didn’t see the doubtful look they shot each other. She had plenty of doubts herself without adding to them. Her trust issues weren’t Zach’s fault. Other than her grandfather, her sisters, and Aunt Gibby, she had trusted almost no one since that awful summer’s night when her parents died. Until Zach. But she was aware her trust wasn’t unconditional and was somewhat tenuous. She still wasn’t sure of him or his feelings for her.

Pushing aside her worries for the time being, she whirled around. “How do I look?”

“Beautiful,” Sammie answered.

“Your hair looks great, too,” Bri said. “I’m glad you finally started wearing it loose like that.”

Savannah self-consciously touched the unrestrained locks. Though she liked to keep her hair long, she’d always felt self-conscious about its wildness. Not calling attention to herself meant dressing as conservatively as possible, including the way she wore her hair. Long and golden with a natural curl that often had a mind of its own, her hair definitely drew looks. Subduing it with a barrette or ponytail had been her habit. That had changed the first time Zach had seen her hair loose. She’d been running late for their date and hadn’t had time to secure it. When his eyes lit up and he’d remarked how pretty it was, she’d worn it unbound from then on.

Her fingers smoothed down the short peach sundress. “What about this dress … you don’t think it’s too revealing?”

“Absolutely not,” Sammie said.

Frowning, Bri stood in front of her. “Why are you so nervous?” She gasped and added, “You’re going to have sex tonight.”

“What?” both Savannah and Sammie shrieked.

“Where on earth did you get that idea?” She was already nervous but Bri’s question had sent her nerves zooming into panic mode. With this being their last night together for a long while, would Zach have those kinds of expectations? Did she?

“You just seemed so nervous, I thought that might be the reason.” Bri shrugged and added, “Besides, it’s about time one of us did it so we could talk about it.”

A snort and roll of her eyes was Sammie’s response. Savannah didn’t answer, her mind still on the thought. She loved Zach. And despite the uncertainty of the future, she knew he cared deeply for her. Was it time to take their relationship to that level?

Their make-out sessions had gotten steamier and more frustrating. Zach hadn’t pressured her to take it further, though. Was he just waiting for her to give him the green light? She could usually talk to him about almost anything. Should she talk to him about this?

An overloud, explosive sigh drew her attention back to her sisters. She glanced at Bri, who’d issued the disgusted sound. “What’s wrong?”

“There you go overanalyzing and overthinking. If it happens, it happens. There’s no reason to get into a tizzy.”

“Easy for you to say,” Sammie said before Savannah could answer. “You’re not dating anyone right now, so you don’t know how tempting it can be.”

“I may not be dating anyone, but I’ve been tempted. I just made up my mind that until I find a guy who really gets me, he’s not getting me.” Her eyes softened when they settled on Savannah. “Zach gets you, Savvy.”

The hard lump of emotion that had been lurking in her chest all day traveled upward and clogged her throat. Bri was right. She had always felt like the odd one out. Boring, staid, and much too traditional. But instead of that turning Zach off, he seemed to really like her that way. Zach did “get” her.

Unable to speak coherently, she nodded and took one last glance in the mirror. Wide green eyes looked back at her with hope and despair in their depths. And in that instant, she knew she wanted her last night with Zach to be one they’d both remember for the rest of their lives. Did she have the courage to set that into motion?

“You look really pretty tonight.”

A smile lit up her face. “Thanks. Sammie and Bri helped me pick out this dress.”

Standing in line at the Five Star Cinema in downtown Midnight wasn’t exactly the night Zach had planned. He stared unseeingly at the movie marquis as he argued with himself. Yeah, this was the right thing to do, but oh hell, he didn’t want to be here.

What he had planned was dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in town and then some alone time at Dogwood Lake, their favorite make-out spot. The instant Savannah had opened the door, those plans had changed. He should be used to her beauty by now, but tonight there was something more. Something almost luminous about her. Maybe it was because he wouldn’t see her for several months, maybe it was his own imagination torturing him because he couldn’t have what he wanted. Whatever the reason, he had known that making out with her tonight wasn’t a good idea.

With only one theater within fifty miles, the Five Star was usually a happening place. On a Friday night in late July, it was the busiest place in town. They were lucky to have gotten tickets. He knew most everyone in line and had seen several people stare and whisper. Knowing that his and Savannah’s relationship was the subject of gossip bothered him for only one reason. He didn’t want Savannah hurt.

When they had started dating, he had warned her that his reputation would hurt hers. She had been sweetly indignant, saying that if people disapproved, their ignorance and lack of breeding were showing.

While he appreciated the sentiment, he went out of his way to not draw attention to them. Still, he knew the gossips relished the idea of the poor, bad boy of Midnight dating one of the beautiful and wealthy Wilde sisters.

Trying to concentrate on anything other than how beautiful she looked, Zach turned his gaze back to the movie marquis. It didn’t matter; his mind’s eye had a great memory. Smooth delicate skin, the color of summer peaches, glowed as if she had an inner light. Her hair … Zach swallowed and shifted uncomfortably as his body reacted. The first time he saw her hair loose like that, he’d been awestruck. Falling in cascading waves almost to the middle of her back, the color a mixture of dark gold and light blond, her hair had inspired more hot dreams than he’d ever had in his life.

The dress she wore tonight might be modest by most girls’ standards—he’d seen a lot more revealing ones. But there was just something about Savannah. Everything she wore, even if it was just a pair of jeans, hugged the curves of her beautiful body. Sometimes Zach had the hardest time not just staring at her. What he liked most was she had no idea just how appealing she was.

Keeping his hands off her had become increasingly difficult. Savannah had never said, but he knew she was a virgin. She had been bluntly honest that she had dated very little. Their kisses had become more and more intense, and every night he went home aching for her.

“You sure you want to see this movie?”

Jerked out of his lustful thoughts, he glanced down at her. “Why?”

“You keep glaring at the marquis like you’re mad at it.”

“It’s just hard to concentrate with you looking so pretty.”

The delight on her face caused an immediate reaction throughout his body. Hell, what was he doing standing in line for a movie he didn’t want to see when this was their last night together for a long time? They would be in a theater, surrounded by droves of people, where he couldn’t hold her, touch her, kiss her, taste her. Was he crazy or what?

A slender hand touched his arm in a soft caress he felt to his soul. Her smile, still a little shy and incredibly sweet, curved her luscious mouth. “Can I ask you a question? And be completely honest with me, okay?”

Zach nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Would you mind if we didn’t see the movie? I really just wanted to spend the evening with you … alone.”

Needing no other encouragement, Zach grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the line. “Let’s go.”

As they turned to head back to his car, Zach spotted Daryl Yancey and his wife standing in line for tickets. Zach had worked construction with Daryl; he knew the family struggled for every penny. With four kids, it was probably a rarity for the couple to be able to afford a night out.

He left Savannah briefly and handed the tickets to Daryl, with the vague excuse of just remembering they had other plans. Finally feeling the night was going in the right direction, he said, “How about dinner at Mickey’s Steakhouse?”

Sunshine couldn’t be any brighter than the smile she flashed him. “Sounds great. I’m starved.”