Two Little Secrets

Ginna turned away to follow the bellman when Zach touched her shoulder and spoke her name.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” he coaxed.

She tipped her head to one side as if considering his invitation.

“Nothing in small trays or plastic cups? I can have a drink with an umbrella in it?” she quipped.

“Anything you want,” he said, meaning it.

“I’ll meet you down here at seven,” she replied with a smile that seemed to shoot right through his heart. She turned away again and followed the bellman.

When Zach turned back to the desk, the clerk looked at him with something akin to awe.

“Have a nice stay, Mr. Stone,” he finally said as he handed the key card to the bellman.

He smiled. “I’m sure I will.”

The minute Zach was alone in his room, he pulled out his cell phone and tapped out a familiar number.

“Donner residence. Come on over and we’ll eat you for dinner!” a voice blasted.

Zach groaned. “Not funny, Nick. Where’s your mom?”

“She’s cooking dinner.” The boy laughed uproariously.

“Let me talk to her.”

“Honestly, Nick, you know your uncle doesn’t have a sense of humor,” he heard his sister saying in the background. Then she was on the phone. “Hey there, big brother. Is it as gorgeous there as they say?”

He walked over to the sliding glass door and pushed it open. The sound of waves crashing on sand and rocks was the first thing he heard.

“More so. How’re the kids?”

“What? You think I locked them in a closet the second you were gone?” She chuckled. “They’re fine. Emma’s helping me make a salad and Trey’s feeding Luther.” Luther was the twenty-five-pound family cat that Zach estimated was older than dirt.

“Just make sure it’s not the other way around.” Zach was all too familiar with the cat’s insatiable appetite.

“Zach! Listen to what you’re saying. You need to relax. Now I know this vacation is the best thing for you.”

“Luce, I can’t just forget I’m a father,” he protested.

“Of course you can’t.” She lowered her voice. “But there’re times when you need to remember you’re also a man. This is your chance, for a short time, to forget you’re Emma and Trey’s dad. Just be Zach Stone, freewheeling single guy. Spend time on the beach, get a boogie board and ride the waves. And if you meet someone in the process, even better.”

“You know what? I never want to know about any of the times you take off for one of your recharging weekends,” he told her.

“I go to a spa,” she said with a virtuous sniff.

“Yeah, that’s what you tell me, but now I wonder if that’s really what you do.” He shifted the phone against his ear. “Can I talk to the kids?”

“Emma! Trey! It’s your dad!” she called out.

“Daddy!” Zach flinched as his daughter’s excited squeal assaulted his eardrum. “Aunt Lucie’s lettin’ me cook. But not on the stove,” she assured him as if she knew his instinctive response to that announcement. “I get to tear up lettuce for our salad. Don’t worry, Aunt Lucie made me wash my hands first.”

“That’s great, sweetheart.” He found himself having to force the enthusiasm. He should be happy she wasn’t pining away for the major man in her life. That she was enjoying herself. He talked to her a few more minutes before Trey had his turn.

“Luther makes really gross smells,” he informed his dad, then went on to describe Nick’s latest escapade.

“Okay, enough,” Lucie interjected, obviously snatching up the phone. “All that happened was that Nick picked up the wrong can of cat food at the grocery store.”

“So they’re doing fine,” Zach said, sounding almost morose.

“Yes, they’re doing fine. You know what you need to do? Shower off the trip, go downstairs and find a beautiful woman to take to dinner.”

Zach opened his mouth with the intention of telling her he was going to do just that, but stopped himself. He knew his sister well enough to know that if he confided in her about Ginna, she’d insist on all the details.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “Luce?” He paused. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, big brother. After all, you’ve always been there for me,” she said softly. “I couldn’t have gotten through it all if it hadn’t been for you.” Her tone suddenly turned brisk. “So get out there and relive those wild times of your youth. And don’t worry about the twins!” She hung up before he could say another word.

“Goodbye to you, too,” he murmured, grinning.

Zach unpacked his clothing, put away his shaving gear and decided he had enough time for a quick swim before he needed to get ready for his dinner date with Ginna.

GINNA DIDN’T WASTE any time unpacking and hanging up her clothing. She made a trip to the vending machine and ice machine and fixed herself a glass of diet soda. With that in one hand and her cell phone and address book in the other, she walked out onto the balcony. She dropped onto one of the chairs and looked out over the ocean.

For several moments, she was content just to sit there and enjoy the serene setting.

“Oh, yes,” she murmured. “Denny, this is the absolute best thing you ever did for me, you scum-sucking bottom feeder.”

She switched on the phone and tapped out a series of numbers.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice answered.

“Hey there, travel agent to the rich and famous,” Ginna said cheerfully.

“I wish!” The woman chuckled. “So how’s it going? Did I do good?”

“You did better than good,” Ginna replied. “You are talking to one very satisfied client, and all I’ve seen so far is the lobby and my room. I braced myself for what I thought would be a flight from hell and, instead, met this great guy who took my mind off my fears. Let me tell you he was better than any over-the-counter medication. And he’s invited me out to dinner tonight. Luce, you are a miracle worker.”

Lucie Donner laughed along with her. She didn’t need to be psychic to know her plan had worked. Both her brother and her friend sounded happy, which meant their meeting had gone well. Now she could only pray the rest of their vacation would be just as rewarding.

“What can I say, Gin? For the past five years, you’ve kept my hair looking great. When you were awarded that money from your lawsuit, you told me you decided it was time to do something for yourself. You wanted an out-of-this-world vacation—I figured the least I could do was make sure you got one.”

Chapter Two

Zach was convinced he’d died and gone to heaven.

He had come downstairs ten minutes early. He spent some time in the gift shop, looking at bright-colored T-shirts and beach towels.