Too True To Be Good E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

His life was good…

Zach Bennett was content to go to work, hang out with his family and friends, and entertain a woman once in a while. As his family found love all around him, he was content to stay single. Unattached. Happy.

Besides, he had enough to worry about with a new chef breathing down his neck for his job.

She faced the truth every day…

Gianna Brooks always wanted to work with people. She saw enough growing up to know kids need all the help they can get. They deserved to be safe. Loved. Happy.

Which is why she’s determined to get her new client into a forever home.

But the truth isn’t always good…

The last thing Zach needs is a little girl showing up on his doorstep claiming she’s his. Her social worker hot on her heels, and demanding a place to stay, definitely doesn’t make it any better. Especially with Gianna’s curvy body and bedroom eyes, and his daughter’s sad sweetness, making him consider keeping both of them.

Gianna knows she should run. Zach knows he should send them away. But neither of them can resist the pull toward the other.

Leseprobe

TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD

RAISE A GLASS, BOOK FIVE

MARY E THOMPSON

Too True To Be Good

Raise A Glass, book five

Copyright © 2017 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2022 Mary E Thompson

Cover photo (vineyard) from Pixabay and used under Creative Commons CC0

Cover photo (couple) from depositphotos © andriymedvediuk

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944090-42-5

Print ISBN: 978-1-944090-43-2

Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

About the Author

1

Gianna Brooks fell into her overworked wooden office chair with a loud huff of breath. It was days like today she hated her job as a placement counselor working with foster kids. Yeah, she knew the job was valuable, but it wasn't easy. Ever.

She eyed the little girl sitting across the desk from her. Her big brown eyes were looking around Gianna’s office, taking in the old, rusty file cabinet, paperwork covering the top and spilling out of the opened drawer at the bottom. Her desktop was buried under more paperwork that should have been in the overflowing file cabinet. Or the stuffed boxes on the floor.

The girl's brown eyes landed on Gianna, and she pulled her lip between her teeth. Gianna understood the anxiety she was feeling, she'd been there. Seventeen years ago Gianna was sitting on that side of the desk, staring at the counselor who was going to take her to her first foster home.

Summer Masterson looked lost. Her dark, curly hair bounced around her shoulders with every movement of her head. Her eyes darted around the room, probably looking for an escape, but there wasn't one. The freckles that covered the girl’s cheeks were identical to the ones on her mom's cheeks in the picture she held to her chest. The picture the little girl insisted was of her father.

Gianna had done her research though. Summer's mom was eighteen when she had Summer. No father was listed on the birth certificate. Summer said her mother told her about a magical week she'd spent at a vineyard called Amavita Estates someplace in New York. Zach, the girl's supposed father, worked there. Gianna promised she would look into it, but she didn't think there'd be much of a chance at finding him. Twelve years later, the chances of finding a summer worker named Zach at a vineyard in New York wasn't much to go on. Even with the name of the place.

She had to put the girl in a foster home until she found out if the father existed.

Which was the part she was dreading. Gianna wasn't a fool. She knew a lot of people signed up to be foster parents so they could get the checks from the state, checks that would allow them to do as little as possible for the kids but still get the cash. Yes, there were good homes too, people who honestly loved kids and wanted to share that love with kids who needed it.

Gianna wanted desperately to place Summer in one of those good homes, but she couldn't. They were full, like they usually were. All counselors went to the good homes first. When the good homes were full, kids had to go to the homes that were less than perfect. Which was where Summer was going.

Gianna wished she could do more for the girl. Losing her mother the way she had was horrible. Even worse was they had no family and Summer's mom didn’t have any close friends who were willing to take her in. There was no will offering any possibilities for Summer either. So she fell to the system. To Gianna.

"Summer, I have a few more things to finish here then I'll take you to your new home. I promise to look into the man at the vineyard and if I find him we will do a test to see if he is your biological father. If so, hopefully he'll be willing to take you. If not, we'll go from there."

Summer nodded, still not speaking to Gianna. She’d barely said a word since Gianna told her she was going to have to take her to a foster home. She was cradling her arm, the one she broke in the accident that killed her mother. Gianna could only imagine the pain she was in, but Summer hadn't complained. She'd been sitting quietly in the chair in Gianna's office all morning. She was the most well behaved kid Gianna had ever met, and it killed her to know the foster system would likely break her.

"May I have a drink?" Summer asked quietly.

"Yes, of course," Gianna said with a grin. She stood and left the room, searching out a bottle of water. They were going to get lunch soon, but Summer had already been there for hours. Gianna thought about bringing her a snack, but she decided to ask Summer if she wanted something to eat before she grabbed a bag of pretzels or some candy. She took an extra bottle of water for herself and headed back to her office. Elizabeth, one of her friends and coworkers, stopped her.

"Gianna, can you help me for a minute?"

"Of course. What's up?"

Gianna followed Elizabeth into her own equally cluttered office. She eased down into a chair that matched the one Summer was sitting in in Gianna's office. Elizabeth pulled up a file on her computer and spun the monitor to let Gianna see it. "The Hollins kids, Tony and Peter, they're being split up. I know you helped place them together. Mr. Montgomery is sick so they're getting out of the program. Do you know anywhere we can put two teenage boys?"

Gianna couldn't believe that was happening. She'd worked so hard to keep Tony and Peter together. Those boys needed guidance and a strong male role model or she knew they'd end up fighting their way through school and probably finish their foster time in juvenile detention. She didn't want to see that happen to them. But she also didn't know where to put them.

"Shit," Gianna swore under her breath. Most homes didn't like to take teenage boys, but even the homes that willingly took them weren't too good with them. It was easy for teenagers to fall through the cracks. God, she really hated her job sometimes. "I'll have to look into it. Maybe we can shuffle a few kids around so we can keep them together. Can you pull together a list of the homes that can accommodate two boys and the names of who is with them? We can go from there and see what we can do. I hate to move kids that are doing well, but I also hate to split up siblings."

"I know," Elizabeth said softly, well aware of how Gianna felt about the situation.

"I need to get back to Summer, but let me know when you have the list and we can talk through the options."

"Okay. Thanks, Gee."

Gianna smiled on her way out the door. She wasn't sure she would be able to help the boys. Losing a home like the Montgomery's would be a challenge going forward. They were the people everyone wanted to stay with. Kind, caring, affectionate. People who hadn't been able to have their own children, but always wanted to, so they opened their home to foster kids. They'd helped more than their fair share of kids, but they were both approaching 70, and Gianna had known for a while it was only a matter of time before they would stop taking kids in.

Back in her office she found the room empty. Knowing Summer had learned first thing where the bathroom was, Gianna wasn't worried about her. She sipped the bottle of water she brought herself and figured she'd use the few minutes to look for options. For Summer, and for Tony and Peter.

Gianna looked back up at the clock and realized almost 30 minutes had passed since she'd stepped back into her empty office. She worried Summer had gotten sick and went to check on her.

The women's restroom on their floor was dated, but functional. With the only four stalls, you couldn't hide in there. Gianna pushed through the door and called out, "Summer, are you okay sweetie?"

Silence greeted her so she listened closely, waiting to hear the muffled sounds of crying. Too many times she'd found kids in the bathroom crying over the loss of their parent or parents. It was the loneliest time in the world for a child, to go from loved and cared for to completely alone.

Gianna worked her way further into the bathroom. She checked the first stall, but it was empty. So were all the others. Panic started to set in, but Gianna told herself she'd never lost a child. She wasn't going to lose Summer.

She rushed to the kitchen, wondering if she'd taken too long and Summer had gone to get her own water. Her office was still empty also. She started freaking out, wondering where Summer could have gone.

"Elizabeth, have you seen Summer?" she asked, stopping by her friend's office.

"Oh, no, Gee, is she gone?"

Gianna shook her head. "I don’t know. She asked for some water then I stopped to talk to you and she was gone when I got back. I figured she was in the bathroom. What am I going to do?"

"What you do best. Find her and help her. She's only eleven, she can't have gone far."

Renewed by her friend's words, Gianna raced back to her office. She snatched Summer's file from the top of one of the piles on her desk and headed out. She went by Summer’s old apartment first. Then she stopped by her school. She called her mother's friends and they all assured her they would call if Summer showed up.

It started to rain outside and Gianna cursed herself for not taking better care of Summer. An eleven year old girl was running around Boston alone because Gianna hadn't been paying close enough attention.

She pulled over into an empty parking lot and rested her head against the steering wheel in her beat up old Corolla. With the case file in her lap, she flipped through, praying for inspiration. When her eyes fell to the empty slot next to 'Father,’ Gianna had a sinking feeling.

"No," she whispered to the silence around her. There was no way an eleven year old would get on a bus to go to New York and find her father.

Would she?

Gianna knew the truth. If it had been her, she would have done anything to find a place where she belonged. Anything to find someone who could love her. Why would Summer be any different?

Gianna's heart sunk with the realization that it'd been hours since Summer disappeared from her office. She had to face the truth.

Summer was gone.

* * *

Zach Bennett was tired. It'd been a long few days in the restaurant with his new back-up. After years of doing it all on his own, Dillon and Henry, two of his cousins and fellow employees at Amavita Estates, convinced him to hire someone else. He couldn't lie, having help was nice, but training someone new sucked. Especially when that person had her own idea of how things should be done. That wasn't going to fly in Zach's kitchen.

He pulled a bottle of his favorite Syrah out of the wine rack and uncorked it. While the wine breathed, he reached down two glasses, one for him and one for Mandi, or was it Candi? Zach didn't care. He knew it made him an ass, but he wasn't actually getting into a relationship with any of them. They filled a need for him, not anything permanent. And it worked both ways. They knew he wasn't settling down material either.

When a soft knock sounded at the door, Zach grinned. He poured two glasses of wine and took them with him, balancing both in one hand while he turned the knob.

The smile on his face faded when he saw a little girl standing on his porch. She looked up at him with huge brown eyes, adorable freckles covering her cheeks, and curly, dark hair. Her hair was matted on one side like she'd been sleeping on it, and she looked exhausted. In her hand, the one that didn’t have a cast covering half her arm, was what looked like a picture.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't the inn. Did you lose your parents?"

When the girl's lower lip trembled and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, Zach's heart started to pound. She nodded, and her tears spilled down her cheeks, making streaks in the dirt that covered her face.

"Why don't you come inside and I'll call the inn? I'm sure your mommy and daddy are looking for you."

The girl shook her head but followed him in. She glanced around his home, a simple two bedroom that he shared with his cousin Henry until recently. Zach’s favorite was the updated kitchen. He liked to experiment with new recipes and it was set up perfectly for it. The house was comfortable for him. His large living room overlooked the kitchen so he could watch tv while he cooked, not that he watched much besides sports. Two bedrooms were off to the side, each with a private bathroom. They didn’t have an upstairs, like many of the houses on Amavita Estates property, but the house was plenty big enough for Zach. His room had a queen sized bed, dresser, and chair to sit and read, one of Zach's only hobbies.

The girl went to the living room and sat on Zach's navy microfiber couch. Tears snuck down her face, making Zach feel completely helpless. He wished his sister, Kristen, were there. Or his mother. Anyone who could help the little girl better than he could. Zach grabbed a washcloth from the kitchen and ran it under cool water. He brought it back to her and held it up, silently asking if he could clean her face. She nodded and he set to work, gently wiping the dirt off her.

As he uncovered more freckles, Zach couldn't help but think she was adorable. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place her, or her parents. He was sure they'd eaten in the restaurant at some point over the last week. Why else would she look familiar?

When he finished cleaning her face he looked her over more closely. Her clothes looked like she'd been in them for a while. She smelled a little, like it'd been a few days since she'd had a good shower. Her brown eyes were hollow and sad, a sight that made Zach's heart crack even more than the cast on her arm. Something about the girl was getting to him, and he didn't even know her.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Zach asked, dreading her answer as he nodded toward her cast.

She shook her head, indicating she was not hurt, but also not okay.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, knowing food could help solve most things.

She nodded her head enthusiastically which made him smile. "Then how about I make us some dinner? Do you want to help me?"

She nodded again. Zach offered her his hand and they both stood. He gestured to one of the bar stools for her to sit then searched the fridge for something to fix for dinner. "Do you like spaghetti?" Zach asked, hoping she was like his cousin’s twelve year old and loved pasta. When she nodded, he smiled. "What do you like on it? Sauce, butter, cheese?"

She shrugged and Zach figured they'd get to that part later. He grabbed a jar of his homemade sauce from the fridge and set it on the counter. A box of spaghetti was in his pantry, even though he preferred to make his own. The girl seemed really hungry and he didn't want to make her wait. He filled a pot with water and set it on the stove, then heard a knock on the door.

He glanced at the girl and knew he'd have to send his date away for the night. Maybe she'd be willing to come back the next day, but Zach couldn't throw the little girl out. Not when everything in him was saying she girl needed help.

"Hey babe," Zach said as he opened the door.

Mandi/ Candi leaned into him and tried to kiss him, but Zach turned his head so she caught his cheek. "Uh, what the hell was that for?” she asked in a disgusted voice.

"I'm sorry, but something came up. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Something came up? Who the fuck is she?"

"It's not like that. Just... I'll call you tomorrow."

"You know what, Zach, don't bother. Have a nice life."

She stormed off. As he watched her spectacular ass sashay to her car, her bottle blonde hair trailing behind her, he wondered what he ever really saw in her. She was good in bed, but she wasn't a very nice person, and she definitely had a jealous streak. Something Zach didn't put up with. He closed the door as Mandi/ Candi tore away from his house, his thoughts of her disappearing with her car.

Back inside he glanced at the girl. He realized she never told him her name. She was watching him intently, judging him, he was sure. "What's your name? I'm Zach Bennett."

He offered his hand to her and she took it tentatively with her good arm. "Summer," she said quietly.

"It's nice to meet you, Summer," Zach said with a grin. The sound of her name soothed him, making him feel better that he knew what to call her. The water started boiling so Zach brought it over to Summer and handed her the box of spaghetti. "Would you like to put the pasta in?" he asked.

Summer nodded, grinning up at him. She grabbed a handful of spaghetti and dropped it into the pot. Two more handfuls and the box was empty. Zach took it back to the stove and stirred the spaghetti, checking the temperature of the water. Not one to have a meal without vegetables, Zach dug through the fridge for whatever he had.

"How about a salad? Do you like salad, Summer?"

She nodded and her eyes brightened just a bit. Wherever she was running from couldn't have been too bad if she was eating healthy. Zach estimated she looked about ten, but he was a bad judge of ages. She was smaller than Emily, but that didn’t always mean anything.

"Tell me about yourself, Summer. Where are you from?"

"Boston."

Boston, Massachusetts? That was a bit of a trip. Zach hadn't heard anything in the last few days about a missing girl around Bereton, but there was no way she'd travelled from Boston all by herself. Was there?

"When did you get here?"

"Today."

"Did you come with your mom?"

She shook her head and dread filled him as her eyes filled with tears again. "With your dad?" She shook her head again. "Who did you come with?" Summer shook her head. He knew what she was saying. She'd come alone.

Not sure if he wanted the next answer, he forced himself to ask the question. "What are you doing at Amavita Estates by yourself?"

She extended the paper she'd kept tightly in her fist to him. As he reached for it, she said, "I'm here to find my dad."

Zach looked down at the picture in his hand, crumpled and worn. But there was no mistaking who was in the picture.

It was him.

2

Dirt sprayed the car next to hers as Gianna slammed on her brakes and stopped in the parking lot. She couldn’t believe she was in central New York. It was bad enough that she had no idea what happened to Summer, but she made a six hour drive in just over five to check up on a hunch.

What if I’m wrong?

The thought whispered through her mind as it had countless times on the drive. She couldn’t think about that. About the potential that something else had happened to Summer. She had to believe the little girl was there.

Gianna raced up the steps to what looked like a massive house. The sign indicated it was an inn and something called The Drunken Grape was inside. That did not give her much confidence in what she would find.

The front door slapped the wall behind it when she burst inside. Frantically, her eyes scanned for another person, someone who could help her.

A beautiful woman was behind a desk to her right. Long, auburn hair flowed over her shoulders as blue eyes tracked Gianna’s movements.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked, narrowing perfectly plucked eyebrows at her.

She had to look like a crazy person. She definitely felt like it. But she’d lost a child, and she’d driven across two states to find her. She was close, she knew it, and she needed answers.

“Do you know someone named Zach?”

“Zach Bennett?” the woman asked, a wry smile on her pink lips. “What did he do to you?”

Gianna blanched, surprised by the question. She never expected to find Summer’s dad, but the thought of this woman assuming he’d wronged her made it even more urgent that she get to them as soon as possible.

“I need to see him. Where can I find him?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. “I’m sorry, but he’s gone home for the night. If you don’t know where that is, then I’m not going to give out that sort of information.”

“I need to see him. If you don’t tell me where he is, I’ll find out another way.”

She smirked. “You can try.”

“I’ll scream. I’ll yell and tell this whole building that the food is making them sick.”

The woman’s perfectly constructed mask slipped, telling Gianna she was worried about the impression their guests had. They glared at each other, Gianna praying the other woman would blink first. She needed the information. She had to find Summer.

“Why do you need to see him?” the woman asked, her voice softer. She cared about Zach. Why?

“It’s personal.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Listen, you’re not the first scorned woman to come looking for revenge. I’m sorry it happened to you, but my cousin is not known for his ability to commit.”

“Your cousin?”

She nodded. “I’m Andie. I’m not surprised he didn’t mention me. He’s home. Our other chef is working tonight.”

“Chef?”

Her eyes narrowed again. “What’s really going on?”

Gianna wondered how much she needed to tell Zach’s cousin in order to get an address from her. It was obvious he had more than his fair share of women, and she thought Gianna was one of them. If there was a way to use that to her advantage…

“He left something at my place. A belt. I just wanted to return it.”

“You can leave it with me. I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“No! I mean, I’d like the chance to see him again. I thought we had something special.”

Andie covered her snort with a cough, which Gianna thought was considerate, or would have been if she was telling the truth. Gianna put on her best wounded lover look, and Andie sighed.

“Fine. Take the road past the parking lot to where it clears. Go left and the house will be on your right.”

“He lives here? On the vineyard?”

Andie nodded, her eyes narrowing again.

Gianna shook her head, chasing away all the questions that popped into her mind with each new tidbit of information about Zach Bennett. “I’m sure he mentioned it, I just forgot. Thanks!”

“What did you say your name was?” Andie asked, but Gianna was already halfway out the door. She waved but didn’t answer, rushing down the steps and back to her car. She had to find Summer.

The directions Andie gave her were spot on. She found the house easily, a small cottage that overlooked the vines. It was cute with the wooden siding and dark stained door. Lights were on inside and there was a black SUV parked close to the front door.

Gianna took a deep breath and realized how insane she looked. If Summer wasn’t there, not only did she drive to New York for nothing, but she would be standing on the doorstep of a man she didn’t know who had no idea he might be a father.

Maybe she should have called first.

Gianna told herself to toughen up and climbed out of her car, the door creaking with the effort to move. She slammed it, hoping she didn’t alert him to her presence. A quick walk and she was at the door, knocking and waiting for someone to let her in.

The door swept open and a man who couldn’t be described as anything but gorgeous looked down at her. He towered over her, like most men, but he had an inherent strength to him that was obvious in the muscles that bulked up his henley. A narrow waist led straight to a bulge in the crotch of his low slung jeans.

She might have been drooling.

“Can I help you?” he finally asked in a voice that was as smooth and rich as an expensive glass of wine. Not that she had many of those, but still.

Gianna finally looked up and met his rich, brown eyes. A tinge of fear was there, mixed with a smattering of desire. Interesting. She didn’t get that look from men often. He almost looked like he wanted to kiss her if the quick scan he gave of her body was anything to go on.

Not that she noticed or anything.

“This is going to sound crazy, but did a little girl show up here tonight? Eleven years old, her name is Summer?”

“Oh, thank God,” he breathed. “I knew her mother had to be around here somewhere. She told me she was from Boston and that I’m her dad and it sounded like she was here alone. Yeah, she’s here. Come in. We were just making dinner. You can stay if you want, unless you have a reservation at The Drunken Grape with your husband?”

The word vomit threw Gianna off. Summer told him all that? And he thought she was making it up. She had to correct him, but he ushered her inside before she had a chance to get a word in.

“Summer, your mom’s here,” he announced, smiling into the kitchen as Gianna stepped into the house.

She spotted Summer, her eyes brightening and a wide smile breaking her cheeks for a second before she saw Gianna. Gianna shook her head slightly, telling Summer he was wrong, and the poor little girl lost it.

“Uh, what happened?” Zach asked, staring at Gianna like she had all the answers. It wasn’t fair to him that she wanted to laugh, but really, she did. The only reason she didn’t laugh was because of Summer. It would not have been nice to her.

“I’m not her mother,” Gianna hissed. “And she thinks you are her father. Her story was right.”

Gianna moved toward Summer, but Zach stepped into her path. “Then who exactly are you?”

Gianna looked up at him. He was protecting a child he didn’t know. One point in the good dad column. Assuming he actually was her dad.

“I’m the social worker assigned to her case,” Gianna whispered. “She and her mother were in a car accident a couple days ago. Her mom died, and Summer broke her arm. I’m responsible for getting her into a good home.”

“Then how did she end up on my doorstep, hours from Boston?”

Gianna sighed. She didn’t want to tell this stranger the truth, but if he really was Summer’s father, he had a right to know. “She outsmarted me. She asked me for a bottle of water and disappeared. I was going to take her to a foster home, but she kept insisting her father worked here. She has a picture-”

“I know,” he broke in, his jaw clenching tightly. “I saw it.”

“Is it you?”

Zach glanced back at Summer, still hiding on the other side of a large island. He nodded quickly. “Let’s talk about this later. How about we eat dinner first?”

Gianna accepted his gesture and followed him into the kitchen. She went straight to Summer and crouched down next to her. Summer’s lip trembled before she clenched it between her teeth.

“Are you okay?” Gianna asked.

Summer nodded.

“How did you get here?”

“A bus.”

“What about to this place. How did you get to the vineyard and find Zach?”

She shrugged.

Gianna sighed. “We’ll talk about this later, but you know we have to go back to Boston. First thing in the morning we need to drive home. We’ll find a place to stay for the night.”

Summer’s lip quivered again, but she nodded. Gianna hated that she was taking her away from the one relative she might have left, but she had a job to do.

Zach quietly finished dinner, setting plates of spaghetti covered in sauce with a salad on the side in front of Gianna and Summer. He looked around sheepishly before he said, “Uh, we don’t have a table. We usually sit in front of the TV for dinner. You can sit at the island if you want, or in the living room.”

“We?” Gianna asked, unable to stop herself.

Zach shook his head. “Sorry, just me now. My cousin lived with me until a few weeks ago.”

“Andie?” Gianna blurted.

Zach shook his head. “No, Henry. How do you know Andie?”

“I met her at the inn.”

Zach gave her an approving grin and shook his head. “You’re the ex of mine who said she had a belt to give me. I’ll have to warn my cousin not to be so trusting in the future.”

Gianna shrugged. “I had to find you.”

Zach nodded slowly as though he was considering her words. Gianna ate silently next to Summer, who was devouring her dinner like she hadn’t eaten in days.

Gianna’s heart broke all over again. She had to find Summer a place to belong. If it wasn’t with the sexy chef with the milk chocolate eyes, then it would be someone else as caring and protective of a little girl. Someone who would love her and make her feel like she was always meant to be theirs.

* * *

Zach watched the two strangers in his kitchen devouring his spaghetti. He always felt most like himself when he was in the kitchen, but he’d never been so proud of a dish in his life.

Spaghetti and sauce. Something anyone could make. It didn’t take talent, even though Zach knew he had talents in the kitchen, and other rooms of the house.

And damn if his mind didn’t go to what he could do in some of those other rooms when he thought about the stunning social worker standing protectively next to Summer.

Summer. Shit. What was he going to do about that? He knew the picture was of him, but was she his kid? It was possible. He remembered her mom, Val. She visited Amavita with her family one summer. They hit it off and spent the whole week together. But Zach hadn’t given her a second thought since the day she drove away.

Maybe carrying his child inside her.

His stomach rolled with the thought of Summer growing up thinking he didn’t care. If he’d known about her, he would have been there for them. At least sent money and had Summer spend time with him. But he didn’t know.

Did she hate him for that?

Zach finished his dinner and rinsed his plate before setting it in the dishwasher. He grabbed the pot from the stove and washed it. The rest of the sauce went back into the fridge. When he turned to see what the women were up to, they were both watching him.

He forced a smile, hoping he looked innocent enough. He had no idea what the hell he was doing. It was the longest time he’d spent with a woman who wasn’t related to him without getting her naked.

He had no idea how to handle that.

“What else can I get you ladies?”

Gianna shook her head. “How about the name of a place to stay. Is that an inn where Andie was?”

Zach nodded, his gut clenching in an uncomfortable way at the thought of them leaving. “It is, but there aren’t any vacancies right now. The rooms that aren’t in use are being renovated. Andie wants the last of the inn finished by the end of the month.”

“Okay, what else is close? I don’t want to drive too far at night.”

Zach’s mind spun with the thought he had. There would be no taking it back once he offered, but it felt right. His place was quiet, too quiet. Turning on the tv only filled the noise outside his head, inside it was still too quiet.

But with Summer and Gianna, the silence was gone. He could think again, which was a little scary considering he didn’t want either of them staying put forever. But for the night, or a bit longer, would be good.

“Why don’t you stay here?”

“Here where?”

“With me. Not with me, with me. But here. At my house.”

Gianna glanced around like she was thinking about it. Or maybe she was trying to figure out where he was hiding the butcher knives. Zach did his best to appear innocent, since he was. His intentions were slightly selfish, but mostly generous.

“There’s an extra bedroom,” he rushed to explain. “You can both stay in there or one of you can have my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Why do you want us to stay here?”

Zach glanced at Summer. She didn’t look like him, not really, but if there was any chance she could be his, he’d do right by his kid.

Starting with making sure she had a roof over her head.

“If she’s mine, she’ll be living here anyway. Stay and we’ll go to court and find out. Don’t they have tests to determine that kind of thing.”

Gianna smiled reassuringly at Summer and lowered her voice. “Yes, but we have to file paperwork. It’s not like you can just walk in and say you want to be tested as her dad.”

“So file the paperwork,” Zach said like it was the most logical thing. “Stay here until we find out.”

Gianna immediately shook her head. “No. That could take weeks. She needs to go to a foster home. I need to get back to work.”

He lightly grabbed her arm and guided her a little further away from Summer. “That picture is me. I remember her mom. I haven’t heard from her since she left that week. Which would make Summer about to turn twelve. I’m guessing next month sometime. If I’m close, which I’m assuming I am from the look on your face, then there’s a damn good chance she really is my kid. Give me a chance to do right by her.”

Gianna nibbled her lip and sighed. “If you’re not her father, this could be really bad for Summer. She’ll get attached to you. Hell, she already traveled this far on her own because of a picture and a story her mom told her.”

“And it was true. Val came here with her parents and we spent a week together, but we never planned for it to go anywhere beyond that. She never told me about Summer. Give me a chance to do something for her.”

He could tell she was thinking about it. He didn’t want to push too hard, but he wanted them to stay. Both of them if he was honest. Not that he’d tell her that.

“Fine, but we need to go to court first thing tomorrow morning.”

Zach grinned and shook his head. “We can’t. It’s Good Friday tomorrow. Everything will be closed until Tuesday.”

Gianna back up. “No. We can’t wait that long. I could get in trouble for not having her at the foster home. She should have been there hours ago.”

“So call someone. Tell them you found her father and you’re doing your due diligence to make sure I’m a decent guy.”

Gianna sighed again. Shit. Maybe he shouldn’t have kicked Mandi/ Candi out. Just hearing Gianna sigh had him half-hard. Then again, the thought of Gianna warming his bed was a hell of a lot more appealing.

No, he chastised himself. She was there for Summer. She was off limits. She lived in Boston, and she was going to be living with him. If ever a woman had commitment written all over her, it was Gianna. He didn’t need to complicate things with her. She had the power to take Summer away from him. His cock didn’t matter as much as his kid.

“Okay. We’ll stay. I’ll get it all smoothed over. But as soon as the courts open, we’re going in.”

“Deal,” Zach said, finally looking forward to the long weekend.

3

Gianna couldn’t believe she said yes to him. What was she thinking?

You were thinking about Summer.

She sighed. She was. Summer was the most important thing. It was always better to place a kid with a family member when possible. Zach seemed like a good guy at first glance. Hopefully he didn’t do anything to prove her wrong.

Gianna paused at her car, taking her time getting her bag from the back seat. She checked her phone, knowing she needed to call Elizabeth at least. She had three missed text messages and a missed call from Kyle, the guy she’d been seeing for a little over a month.

“Shit,” she whispered to herself.

The first text asked where she was. The second asked if she was going to show up for their date. The third said he didn’t know why she agreed to go out with him if she wasn’t going to be there. And the voicemail said he couldn’t keep trying to see her if she wasn’t at all interested in seeing him. He went on to say he understood her work was important, but he couldn’t wait around for her to decide he might be also.

She deleted the message and the texts. She had a pang of guilt, but no disappointment, which she took to mean it was for the best that Kyle was done. She kind of was, too.

She went back into the house with her bag. Summer was already in the second room, the one he said used to be his cousin’s room. Gianna checked in on her then followed Zach to his room.

The room was dark, a gray color on the walls. His bed was a heavy wooden bed with slats in the headboard. Heat rushed to her core at the thought of holding onto those slats while Zach made her body sing. It had been far too long since she’d gone out with a man who knew how to treat a woman’s body. There was something about Zach that made her think he would be amazing in bed. Most of the men she dated weren’t willing to wait until their seventh date to have sex like she insisted. A part of her wondered if she was being ridiculous, but she knew if they weren’t willing to wait, they weren’t worth it.

She moved further into the room and nearly groaned. It smelled like him. Dark, masculine, and so sexy she grew wet with need. It had been far too long since she’d had a man take care of her, or had taken care of herself. There was no way she was going to get any sleep in there.

“I know it’s not much,” Zach said, running a hand through his short, dark hair. It flopped back onto his forehead, giving him a boyish look, which was funny for someone who was clearly all man.

Gianna shook her head. “No. It’s fine. Trust me, my room is smaller than this. It’s fine. I feel bad putting you out though.”

“Nah, it’s fine. The couch is pretty comfortable. Uh…” He glanced around like he was trying to figure something out. “Both the bathrooms are in the bedrooms. You know what, don’t worry about it. Let me just grab some stuff from in here and I’ll let you have it.”

He rushed around, grabbing clothes and a toothbrush. When he headed for the door, he met her eyes. “You don’t have to go to sleep. I’ll be up for a while. I didn’t want you to feel like I was forcing to into bed. I mean, to go to sleep.”

Gianna grinned. “Thanks. I’m actually pretty exhausted from the drive and the day, so I think I am going to crash soon.”

Zach nodded. “Uh, what about Summer? What time does she go to sleep?”

Gianna shook her head. “I don’t know. I’d guess soon. She looked pretty tired earlier. It’s been a long day for her, too.”

Zach nodded again. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he just smiled and said good night. When the door was closed, Gianna groaned at herself. She did not need to lust after him. It wouldn’t go anywhere. She’d be a fool to let herself fall for him.

She just needed to go to sleep, and try not to go out in the living room to the sexy guy sleeping on the other side of the wall.

* * *

Zach tossed and turned most of the night. He was hard as fuck and couldn’t do a damn thing about it. He took a leak outside, but he wasn’t going to go whack off out there. He finally gave up on sleep after his third dream about Gianna.

He dressed in the dark and left a note for Gianna and Summer to come to The Drunken Grape when they got up. He snuck out of the house and walked to the inn, hoping the cool spring air would get his head out of his pants.

The lights were on in The Drunken Grape when Zach let himself in the back door. He groaned, hating that Michele was there before him. He stomped his way into the kitchen and nodded at Michele. She was mixing dough for the biscuits they served every morning.

“No meat today,” Zach reminded her. “It’s Good Friday.”

Michele nodded, continuing her work. He busied himself with the rest of their morning prep work. He and Michele worked side by side, staying out of each other’s way. By the time the biscuits were done and the fruit salad was ready, the first guests arrived in the dining room.

“I’ll get it,” Michele said, sliding a pad into an apron. She disappeared, probably trying to get the hell away from him.

Smart woman.

Zach sighed to himself. He really needed to get over himself when it came to her. She was a heck of a chef, which was the issue, but that didn’t mean he should be so short with her.

She walked back in and told him the order for the guests in the dining room. Zach was in charge, so he worked on the breakfast while Michele started prep work for lunch. When he was finished cooking breakfast, she carried the plates out and took another order.

When they hit a break in guests, Michele asked, “Is anything special going on for Easter this weekend?”

Zach nodded. “We always get together. It’s usually the last family only event we have. After this we’ll start with the picnics again.”

“Picnics?”

Zach sighed. He had no reason to be annoyed aside from the fact that Michele being there annoyed him. She had the same advanced training as him, which was none, but she was still better. They’d both worked in kitchens since they were teenagers, but she was far more creative and adventurous with her cooking. A skill Zach envied, although he’d never confess that.

“Every Sunday through harvest we host a picnic. Guests of the inn are free, as are employees, but anyone off the street who wants to join us has to pay. They’re huge and crazy and busy. It’ll be good to have an extra set of hands around this summer.”

That was gracious, right?

Hmm, the pissed off look on her face said maybe not.

“I thought Sunday was my day off. You said when I started working here that Sunday and Monday would be my two days completely off.”

Zach sighed and nodded. “They were. But when summer comes, it’s going to make more sense for you to be here on Sundays. The whole family helps.”

“I’m not family.”

Zach glared at her. “I know. If you were, it would be a whole different story right now.”

Her eyes went wide as she pulled in a rough breath. Zach didn’t know what she was thinking he meant, but it was definitely not good. He had to do some damage control, and fast.

“I just meant we’d probably get along better if you were family. We’d have known each other for a long time and gotten past the frustrations we both feel.”

She nodded her head sharply and went back to her work. Zach felt like an ass, but he didn’t know how to handle her. She was emotional and touchy and he felt like he was always on guard with her.

More guests came and went and Zach started to wonder if Gianna and Summer were going to show up at all. He realized he never got a phone number for her, so if they did vanish, he wouldn’t have any way to contact them.

What the hell was he thinking?

* * *

Gianna stretched and nuzzled into the scrumptious pillow. Her dreams mixed with the reality around her and she felt the tingle of awareness between her thighs. Man. Sexy man. Yummy smelling sexy man. She was in his bed. Her thighs ached from clenching them together, but she remembered she didn’t need to. He shared his bed with her. Surely he’d be up for another round to start the day.

And who could resist when he smelled that good.

Gianna reached for him, confused when her hand hit a cold pillow. She looked around and remembered where she actually was.

“Summer,” she breathed.

Gianna rushed from the bedroom, hoping the little girl was safe. She didn’t know anything about Zach, except how amazing he was in bed, at least in her dreams. He could have taken Summer and left.

It’s his house.

She shook her head and eased the bedroom door open. Summer was still sleeping on the big bed in the extra room. She looked tiny, her little frame a minuscule lump in the bed that was designed for two adults to share, her cast on top of the covers.

Gianna closed the door quietly and went out into the living room. She could tell instantly no one was there. The silence pounded in her ears as she strained to hear something to tell her where he could have gone.

The kitchen was as spotless as it had been when she went to bed. No dirty coffee cup in the sink, no dishes left out, not even a crumb on the counter.

But there was a note.

She traced the slanted scrawl of her name with her fingertips, bringing them to her lips as though it could be construed as a kiss from him. She was losing it.

Sorry I ran out. I had to get to work. If you two come to The Drunken Grape for breakfast, I’ll fix you anything you want.

Gianna read the note three times, chewing her lip. She could just pack up their stuff and leave. He’d have no idea. She could get Summer back to Boston and into the foster home she was supposed to be at. She didn’t give Zach her phone number so he would have to wait until she contacted him, or the state did, to ask for a DNA sample.

She sighed. She knew she wasn’t going to do that. She was in the business of putting families together, not tearing them apart. Even if she wasn’t sure that Zach was Summer’s dad, he’d guessed her birthday month without even stumbling. Gianna didn’t know Valerie Masterson, but she wanted to believe the girl wasn’t sleeping with two different guys so close to the same time.

Still, it gave her pause that Valerie never contacted Zach. Was there something she couldn’t see. Some reason he shouldn’t be a dad?

The door to Summer’s room opened and she walked out, rubbing sleepy eyes as she came into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Gianna said cheerfully.

Summer tried to smile, but she was clearly not a morning person. Just as well because neither was Gianna. She usually needed two cups of coffee before anyone was brave enough to talk to her.

“Zach said we can go to his restaurant for breakfast if you want.”

Summer’s eyes brightened and her grin was in full force with the mention of Zach. Gianna admitted it stung a little, only because she hoped Zach really was her dad, not because she wished she had a daughter of her own.

“I’ll go get dressed,” Summer said happily, then looked down at her clothes. Her bottom lip quivered as she realized she didn’t have any clothes with her. She’d packed a bag to take to the foster home, but she left it in Gianna’s office, and Gianna hadn’t thought to grab it.

“Come on,” Gianna said happily. “We’ll figure something out.”

In the end, Gianna dressed Summer in one of her shirts and belted it, her belt looping twice around Summer’s tiny waist. Summer had leggings on, so she wore those, but Gianna knew it wouldn’t be long before she needed a change of clothes. And a good shower.

Summer climbed into Gianna’s car after she promised, pinky swore, and crossed her heart and hoped to die that they were going to see Zach and not going back to Boston.

Smart kid.

Gianna parked near the other cars in the lot and opened the door for Summer. They held hands as they walked into the front door or the inn.

Andie was at the desk again when they walked in. Her flinch told Gianna how surprised she was to see her again.

“Welcome back.” Her eyes went to Summer. “Hi. How are you?”

“Good, thank you. How are you?”

Andie gave Gianna an approving grin before answering, “Very well. Thank you for asking. My name is Andie.”

“I’m Summer.”

Andie lifted expectant eyes to Gianna.

“Gianna. Guess I didn’t say that yesterday. Um, Zach said we should come here for breakfast. Where’s The Drunken Grape?”

Andie recovered from her shock quickly and pointed toward the back of the inn. “Straight back. You won’t miss it. Should I tell Zach you’re here?”

Gianna shook her head. “He’s expecting us. It’ll be fine.”

Andie nodded and smiled as they walked away. Gianna had no doubt Zach would know they were there before they walked in the door, but she didn’t have it in her to care. It was good Zach had cousins who were watching out for him.

Gianna led Summer past a dim gift shop, a brightly lit but empty tasting room, and into a large open space with a wall of windows that looked out onto the vineyard. Tables were spread wide enough to give everyone a good view, but close enough that there were a lot of them in the space. To the left was something delicious smelling.

“Hey,” Zach said. If Gianna wasn’t mistaken, he was almost surprised to see them. “You came.”

Gianna nodded. “You said to.”

He grinned. “Thank you.”

Summer reached up and grabbed his hand, waiting for him to tell her where to sit. He and Gianna shared another moment before he tore his eyes away and gave Summer a genuine smile that made Gianna just a touch jealous.

Of an eleven year old.

She was losing it.

* * *

Michele peeked out the kitchen door at Zach as he greeted the woman and her daughter. He was a man of few words, especially when she was the only one around, but she’d never known him to have a relationship, let alone get involved with a single mom.

But the kid was most definitely infatuated with him. Meaning she wasn’t his usual fling of the night.

Which confused Michele even more.