She’d learned better. Thurman had been wrong about almost everything, but he’d been especially wrong about how she felt about losing Zach’s baby and about losing Zach himself. Yes, she had her career, and she’d enjoyed national, even international, acclaim. But never once in all those years had she felt this alive.

Zach was special. When she’d been a foolish, naive girl, he’d lived in a shack. He’d been considered beneath her by the kids at school, and she’d still thought he was the one. Until Thurman and his cohorts had twisted and turned their love into something ugly and sordid and had driven them apart.

Now Zach rolled over, took her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. When he looked at her, her blood beat with a mixture of desire and fear. When she kissed him, she realized she was going to take the easy way out…at least for now. They could talk in the morning. The happiness she felt was simply too precious to risk.

That night they made love several more times, but early Saturday morning, when they might have talked, Zach had to go to the site because his contractor had encountered a new challenge. Then he wanted to see Nick. He said they’d had a minor quarrel earlier in the week and he wanted to make things right on his way home.

“I hope you didn’t quarrel about me.”

His eyes narrowed, and she knew that they had.

“I see. Okay, then,” she agreed, feeling a little relief at the reprieve, deciding it was probably best for him to handle Nick as he saw fit. “You’d better stop by. Last week I was terrible in rehearsals, so I really need to go over the script.”

But no sooner was he gone than her whirling emotions centered on her secret and him and she was unable to concentrate. Her need to confess made her as uncertain as a young girl in the throes of first love, and she could do nothing except worry about what Nick might say against her.

Hours passed. Unable to focus, she stared at the daisies and her script.

Her phone rang. When she saw it was Gram, she answered it, glad of the distraction.

“I’ve got some news. I was calling to invite you and Zach over to dinner. I could tell you then.”

“I’ll ask Zach… See what he says.” If they went out to dinner, it would be more difficult to find the perfect moment to confess.

“Tell Zach I’m cooking chicken and Andouille gumbo, crawfish étoufée and a shrimp salad. Oh, and those chocolate-chip cookies he loves so much. Maybe after dinner we could play Hearts.”

When Gram hung up, Summer remained as unfocused as ever, even as she comforted herself that it was all right not to work, that sometimes procrastination was part of any actress’s process.

Finally, Zach’s car roared into the drive out back. Jumping up, breathing hard, she ran to a tall window where she stood until she saw a reporter. Only with the greatest effort did she tiptoe back to the table, pick up a pen and sit down before her script. But when Zach walked through the front door and called to her, she answered with her next breath.

“In here! Working!” She giggled at that last.

He strode inside the kitchen and kissed her. “Sorry it took so long. I hope you got something done.”

“I tried,” she said evasively.

Her frustration must have shown because he ran his knuckles up the curve of her neck. “Sounds like somebody needs a holiday.”

“Right… It’s your fault I couldn’t work. I was thinking about you the whole time you were gone.”

“Ditto.” He swept her into his arms and devoured her mouth in a dizzying kiss.

As eager as he, she tore off her clothes while watching him do the same. They ended up making love on the kitchen table-but only after she’d removed the precious daisies for safekeeping.

“Oh,” she said, while they were dressing afterward. “I almost forgot and Gram would have killed me…”

“What?”

“She said she had something to tell us, and she invited us over for dinner tonight.”

“It must be nice, having family to share things with,” he said.

She realized it was, even if Gram had her own ideas about how Summer’s life should be and never stopped pushing for her own agenda.

“I take it that’s a yes,” she said.


* * *

Zach would never know exactly at what point that night he knew for sure that no matter what she’d done in the past, no matter what the masses believed, Summer was the one woman who was essential to his happiness. Nothing spectacular happened; it was simply a very special evening.

To elude the paparazzi, he had a pair of doubles drive away in his Mercedes so he and Summer could slip out the back to the dock and take his airboat. As they sped along the glassy water, laughing like children, the sun glowed like gold in the cypress trees, turning the bayou into a gilded ribbon of flashing darkness and light.

Summer’s hair whipped back from her pale face, and her heavily lashed blue eyes shone every time she glanced at him as if she were as exhilarated by his nearness as he was by hers. She wore a navy dress with tiny white buttons and held the filmy skirt down with hands pressed against her knees.

Why had he thought he couldn’t get beyond their past and her fame? Despite the betrayals, when they were together, he forgave her everything and felt as comfortable around her as he had as a kid. Upon reaching Viola’s rambling old plantation house, he followed Summer around the yard as she stooped in the tall grasses to pick wild violets for the dinner table while amusing him with tales about her funniest roles. In turn, he talked about all the various disasters that could befall a construction project.

“I can’t believe a giant crane costing millions can actually topple over,” she said, sounding amazed.

“Yes, we were so lucky nobody was killed, we didn’t even care about the money.”

They smiled and laughed together. Holding hands, they carried armfuls of violets into the house, which was redolent with the smell of Cajun spices. Together they looked for a vase and finished setting the table while Tuck followed them around like a lost puppy.

“Tuck’s very good at looking like he’s doing something when he isn’t,” Summer whispered when steaming dishes needed to be carried to the table and her brother chose that moment to say he had to go to the bathroom.

“He’ll grow up. You’ll see.”

“We keep hoping…”

Zach enjoyed the simple dinner party. When Viola started tapping her crystal goblet filled with ruby-red wine, Zach felt Summer tense beside him.

“Careful, Gram. Mama’s crystal,” she chided.

Gram shot her a look. “I’m always careful with dear Anna’s crystal. I was only trying to get your attention, dear.” She took a deep breath. “And now that you’re all listening-I have something to tell you, something I couldn’t be more thrilled about.” Her sharp blue eyes sparkled like a naughty child’s.

“Oh, no, now what have you gone and done?” Summer asked.

In the flattering candlelight and in her soft gray dress with those sharp, mischievous eyes dancing, Viola looked years younger than her age.

“Well, your Gram has bought herself a condo in Plantation Alley.”

“Without even telling me,” Summer said, shocked.

“I told you I was thinking about it, didn’t I? It was such a good deal. I had to snap it up. Besides, you’re never here, dear. If you lived closer, maybe I’d form the habit of confiding in you.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Summer said. “I’ve been here all weekend.”

“I wouldn’t dream of disturbing you, child,” her grandmother replied innocently, slanting a pointed glance at Zach. “And you didn’t drop by…not till I invited you.”

“Zing,” Summer murmured in Zach’s ear.

“Stop whispering, you two! I want to hear everything that’s said at my table.”

He squeezed Summer’s hand.

“Do you want to hear about my new condo or not?” Viola asked peevishly.

“We want to hear,” Summer soothed.

Viola brought them a folder that contained a colorful brochure spelling out the amenities of the complex as well as a contract and a copy of the deposit she’d put down. Then she described the condo she’d bought in detail. Several of her friends already lived in the complex, so she’d have lots of company for playing Hearts. The clincher was that Silas approved. He simply adored the cozy window with the view of the bayou where he could sit and watch birds.

“The girls and I sort of thought that if we lived in the same complex we could look after each other, call one another every day, you know.”

“The girls are her Friday Lunch Bunch,” Summer explained. “They eat together every Friday at a restaurant another friend owns. That’s where they hatch their mischief, which mainly has to do with thinking up schemes to meddle in my and Tuck’s lives.”

“We do not!”

Zach picked up the contract and scratched a few things out, added a sentence or two, explaining why he’d made the changes.

“I’m not sure I understand,” Gram said.

“Just take this to Davis first thing Monday. Tell him I sent you. He’ll take care of you.”

Gram nodded. “It has three bedrooms, so there’ll be room for you and Tuck to stay anytime.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I’m glad you’re not kicking me out,” Tuck said.

“You won’t have to move out on your own, until you’re ready, dear. And, Zach, you’re always welcome. Silas is so fond of playing Hearts with you.”

“Gram! I’m sure Zach’s had enough of Silas’s opinions for one evening,” Summer teased.

“Well, who’s going to speak for him, since dear Silas won’t speak for himself?”

“Exactly,” Summer said.

Tuck hadn’t said much during dinner, but he’d come to the table with his hair combed and had answered all Zach’s questions about his classes. The small changes in him pleased everyone since he was mildly enthusiastic for a change.