I’ll Be There (31 page)

He strode down the hall to the suite, more determined than ever to convince Gabriella to give them another chance. He knew he didn't deserve it. Hell, he knew he shouldn't even ask her to consider it after the way he'd behaved.

But damn if he wasn't going to do it anyway.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how he looked at it, Zach knew his life wasn't worth a thing if he didn't have Gabriella at his side. He stopped in the doorway to the suite and Casey spotted him first. She didn't alert Gabriella to his presence and quickly excused herself. As she walked out the door, she whispered to Zach, “Don't mess this up!”

He chuckled at his family's faith—or lack thereof—in him.

Slowly, he stepped into the room and stopped a few feet away from Gabriella. She had been placing gifts into large bags for transport and she suddenly stopped and straightened before turning—as if sensing his presence.

“Zach? What are you doing up here?”

“I told you I wanted to talk. I left you alone during the reception, but the party's dying down and I didn't want to take a chance on you leaving before I could talk to you.”

“I honestly don't know what you could possibly have to say. I think you said it all back in Portland.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I know. I said a lot of stuff without really thinking and I know I can't take it back, I can't make you un-hear it, but you have to know, it…it didn't have a lot to do with you.”

“It felt like it had to do with me,” she countered.

Zach took a hesitant step forward. “You know me, Gabs. You know me better than anyone. In that moment, I felt completely emasculated. I wanted nothing more than to take that bastard by the throat and pound him into the pavement for the things he said and—”

“Oh really?” she interrupted. “Because I seem to remember you agreeing with him after he left.”

“Only the things he said about me! I couldn't defend you! I couldn't…I couldn't even defend you against that weaselly bastard! Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

Her eyes went wide, flashing fire. “Do you have any idea how that made
me
feel? I mean, honestly, Zach. Your leg gave out. I get it. But you were still recovering. It couldn't be helped! But what you did to me? That completely could have been helped!”

“Gabriella, let me—”

“No. I'm done listening to you explain. I've been listening to it for months…years. And you know what? Your words mean very little to me anymore.” She crossed her arms over her chest, cocked a hip that allowed the high slit in her gown to show a long expanse of leg. “I've listened to you and I believed in you. You told me you loved me and at the moment when I really needed you, you bailed.” She stepped closer and poked a finger into his chest. “I was there when you needed me and you weren't willing to do the same for me. That's not love, Zach. That's selfishness.”

Zach hung his head in defeat. “Gabriella, I've worked so hard my entire life. When I fell off the mountain, I wanted to die. When you came to the house and agreed to work with me again, you gave me something to work toward. You made me want to live again, and not like I had before. I wanted to be better. And for a time, I thought I'd accomplished it. But I had a setback. I made a mistake.”

“A big one.”

“Okay, yes. It was a big one, but…honestly, I didn't want you to be stuck with a man who wasn't…who wasn't a complete man.”

“So you think I'm so shallow I wouldn't want to be with you, I wouldn't love you, because of a limp? Or because you couldn't punch my stupid brother-in-law in the face? Zach, in that moment I would have gladly punched Alan in the face myself, but I don't believe violence solves anything. And if you bothered to think about someone other than yourself, you would know that.”

“I made a mistake. I know that. I've apologized. I swear it won't happen again. Please, Gabriella, please give me another chance,” he pleaded, stepping forward and taking her hands in his.

“They're just words, Zach. I think you've proven you'll say whatever you need to to get your way. I'm done falling for it.” Spinning away, she picked up one of the large bags and strode from the room.

“Gabs, wait! Tell me! Tell me what you want. Anything…and it's yours. Please. I don't want to go home without you. I need you!”

She gave him a bland look. “Really? Do you need me as your assistant or as your girlfriend? Or are they supposed to be one and the same?” She paused. “I can't do it anymore, Zach. I'm tired of having to wear so many hats with you and yet never being enough. It's exhausting and I deserve better.”

“You do. I know you do. You deserve only the best. But I love you and I want to be everything you want. Everything you need. Tell me what you want, Gabs. Please.” He hated groveling, he hated begging, but right now he'd get down on his knees for another chance.

“For years we knew each other's every thought. We finished one another's sentences. I shouldn't have to tell you what I want, Zach. I left you and Portland because I knew what you needed right then and there.” Her expression saddened. “It would be nice to know you paid as much attention to me as I did to you.” She paused. “Good-bye, Zach.”

This time, he couldn't bear to watch her walk away.

Sitting down on one of the plush sofas, he slouched down, his head resting on the back cushions.

“So you blew it?” Casey said as she came back into the room and began cleaning up.

“It looks like it.”

“Hmm…that's a shame. Can you hand me those glasses please?”

Zach sat up and eyed her curiously. “That's it? That's all you're going to say about it? No lecture? No ‘I'm really disappointed in you' speech?”

She shrugged. “What's the point? I figure you're beating yourself up pretty good already. To just jump on the bandwagon would be overkill…and mean.”

“Try telling that to the rest of the family before I go back down there.”

She chuckled. “Sorry, Zach. You're on your own there. I'm on the job here and I don't have time to get involved with family drama.”

“But it's a family wedding,” he said.

Casey stopped bagging up gifts as her hands dropped to her sides. “Well, yes and no. Today, I was Casey Montgomery, wedding coordinator. I didn't ask for special treatment, and if you noticed, I didn't slack off on any of my responsibilities. I ate dinner with the family but as soon as I was done, it was back to work. My role as coordinator didn't hinge on my being married to Ryder. Work and family are separate. They have to be. Lines get blurred far too easily. Summer didn't ask for special favors and I didn't provide any.”

Zach relaxed as Casey started up her task again. Soon he stood and began helping her clean the room. “So you'd never hire Ryder to work with you?” he asked.

Casey burst out laughing. “Hell no! We need the time apart. I love your brother more than I ever thought it was possible to love another person, but I love our time apart too. I like knowing that when he sees me, he sees his wife, his life partner. Not his business partner. I've seen it happen too many times to couples. It rarely is a good thing to work and live together. Eventually somebody's dream gets pushed to the side.” She shook her head. “I definitely wouldn't want to see that happen.”

They worked together in silence until the room was completely cleaned up. Then he carried all of the boxes and bags down the stairs and out to the car that would take everything back to his parents' home where it would all stay until Ethan and Summer got back from their honeymoon.

And then he was alone.

Standing outside looking up at the stars, he thought about all the conversations he'd had today—with his uncle, his brothers, and Gabriella. But it was his conversation with his sister-in-law that finally opened his eyes. Running back inside, he did a quick sweep of the room to say good night to his family. When he got to his sister, she hugged him close and shoved a piece of paper in his hands.

“Go get her,” was all she said before kissing him soundly on the cheek and then shoving him away.

* * *

Gabriella rode the elevator up to her hotel room and sighed wearily. She was so happy for her friends and for the fact she had been able to be a part of their wedding, but it left her feeling even emptier than she had before.

Why did some people get to find their soulmates while others didn't? “It doesn't seem fair,” she murmured as she pulled her key card from her small beaded purse. The elevator doors opened and she walked to the end of the hall. It was an indulgence—this night at such a swanky hotel. Her home was an hour away and she didn't drink so it wouldn't have been a hardship to drive, but it had been a while since she'd pampered herself and this seemed like the perfect way to do it.

Once in her room she lit only one of the small bedside lamps and went out on her balcony. The hotel was right on the beach, the sky was clear, and there was a slight breeze that felt wonderful. Seeing a star off in the distance, she decided to do something she hadn't done since she was a child.

She wished upon it.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in the night air. “I wish for…happiness. I wish to find direction in my life so I can discover what I need to finally be happy.” Opening her eyes, Gabriella wrapped her arms around her middle and let the cool breeze wrap around her.

She had no idea how long she'd been standing out there when she heard a knock on her door. She
had
stopped at the front desk on her way in and asked for more pillows. The king-size bed was fabulous but the pillows were lacking a little so she wanted a few more.

Stepping back into the room, she slid the balcony doors closed and walked to the door. “Who is it?”

“Housekeeping.”

Without looking through the peephole, she opened the door.

And almost fell over.

“Zach,” she whispered. “How…? What…?”

“Can I come in?” he asked quietly and smiled when she stepped aside to let him in. He immediately walked across the room and looked out the balcony doors. “Great view.”

“How did you know I was staying here?”

He turned and looked at her. “Really? Did you think no one was going to point me in the right direction?”

Gabriella couldn't help but chuckle. No, she wasn't surprised but she wasn't sure what else there was for them to say. “What are you doing here, Zach? It's very late and it's been a long day and—”

“I came here to fire you. Officially,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“It occurred to me that I never really fired you. Not formally. And you didn't tender a resignation either. I'm here to clear that up. So…you're fired.”

She stared at him as if he were insane. “Is this some kind of sick joke?” she asked incredulously. “Because if it's not, then it's just mean, Zach. Even for you.”

A slow smile crossed his face as he took first one step and then another toward her until they were standing toe to toe. “It's not a joke and I'm not here to be mean. I'm here to officially terminate your position as my assistant—”

Gabriella stepped away from him with disgust. “You are unbelievable, you know that?”

Zach smiled patiently. “May I finish?”

She glared at him. “If I let you finish, will you leave?”

Rather than answering her, he simply went on with what he wanted to say. “As I was saying, I'm here to terminate your position as my assistant so I can hire your firm to help train the new staff I'm going to be hiring for our expansion.”

Her expression changed from hostile to wary. “I…what do you mean?”

“I understand you're considering starting up an agency that specializes in executive assistants. I'd like for you to take Montgomerys on as a client.”

“A client?”

He nodded, shoving his hands in his pants pockets. “Carolyn's fine as an assistant but she could be better, and now she's going to need her own assistant. Ethan's going to be moving here to North Carolina within the year and chances are his assistant won't stay, so my new VP is also going to require a well-trained assistant. Speaking from personal experience, finding the right assistant is very difficult.”

Her lips began to twitch with the urge to smile. “It can be. Especially if the executive is difficult.”

He took a step toward her. “Oh, I'm very difficult.”

“And close-minded. It's another familiar trait.”

“I'm working on it.” Another step.

“But the worst trait in you executive types is how you take your assistants for granted. I'll need some proof that prospective clients are fully committed to being the type of bosses my trainees deserve.”

“I'd be more than willing to…demonstrate how committed I am to anything you want.” He kept walking forward until Gabriella's back was against the wall. Reaching out, he gently stroked a hand across her cheek.

“Anything?” she whispered breathlessly.

Zach nodded. “Anything.” Their breathing was ragged and Zach knew she was just as aroused as he was. “Gabriella?” he murmured, leaning his head toward hers.

“Kiss me.” It was said so softly, so quietly she wasn't sure he even heard her but suddenly he was kissing her, his hands seemingly everywhere at once. Thanks to the slit in her gown, Gabriella pulled Zach close and wrapped her leg around him.

Zach's hand was on her thigh, holding her to him as he feasted on her. She sighed as his mouth wandered over her bare shoulders, her throat. She sighed his name as she raked her hands through his hair and pulled his lips back to hers.

It was madness and she knew she should be thinking with a little more clarity, but right now she couldn't. She'd been without the man she loved for too long. Zach shifted and lifted her until both of her legs wrapped around his waist. He raised his head and looked at her. “Gabs?”