make a good impression. But I was so worked up, I broke down in tears after Camp's first question. Zach calmly answered the rest of Camp's questions and told him I made the best cookies in the world and kept everyone's house clean. To my surprise, he gave me the job. If Zach hadn't been there, we might have been out on the street."
Zach was special, even back then. "He must have been an amazing little boy."
"He was." Her expression spoke of her pride in her son. "He's still my amazing boy. When you have kids you'll understand."
Adele's comment caught her off guard. A vision of a little boy with Zach's dark curly hair and bright blue eyes popped into her mind's eye. "Yeah, I guess I will."
She went back to dicing assorted fruits while Adele continued to make pancakes.
"So when you go back to Ottawa what are you going to do?"
"I'll go back to work, back to my life, I suppose."
"What about Zach?"
"I guess he'll do the same."
"Will you see each other?"
She kept her gaze on the fruit. "Zach says that after an appropriate time we'll tell everyone we've broken up."
"Is that what you want to do?"
"I..." She stared blankly at Adele. She thought of her run with Zach this morning, and the sweet way he'd teased her. She remembered his kisses and she knew she definitely wanted to experience more of those. But he was out of her league, and hung up on Chantal in a way that was unhealthy for everyone concerned. Did she really want to get in the middle of that?
"I don't know, Adele. I really don't know."
* * * *
After showering, Zach emerged from the small suite in the basement he was sharing with his mother and made his way to the dining room in search of coffee. Foster and Camp were seated at the table reading the paper. He poured himself a cup from the carafe on the sideboard and joined them. "Good morning."
Foster put down his paper. "Good morning, Zach. You're up early this morning."
"Force of habit, I guess. Dani and I have already been for a run."
Camp set his own paper aside. "Oh really. She's a runner too, is she?"
"Yeah, she is. But she's more dedicated than I am."
He smiled when he thought of her blush at his compliment on her derriere. Funny, he'd never thought of himself as an ass man before. He'd always been partial to tall, leggy women. But Dani, with her petite stature and womanly curves might just change his mind.
"Just how serious are you about Ms. DiPietro?" Camp asked.
Trust Camp to come straight to the point. He cleared his throat before answering.
"We enjoy each other's company very much," he said carefully. "I like and respect Daniella. I don't know if our relationship will go any further than that."
"Hrrumph," Camp grumbled. "Damn shame, if you ask me. We all know you and Chantal aren't right for each other. Daniella seems like a very down to earth girl."
Foster took off his reading glasses. "Stay out of it, Dad. Maybe it's too soon for him to get involved with anyone else. He has to find his own way."
"Thanks Foster."
"Even if he doesn't see a good thing when it's right in front of his nose." Foster put his glasses on and went back to his paper.
Camp frowned at Zach one last time and did the same.
Zach shook his head and concentrated on his coffee. What were they seeing that he wasn't?
Chantal entered the dining room on a wave of expensive perfume. "Good morning, everyone. Isn't it a glorious morning?"
Camp stared at her. "Considering it's probably the first morning you've seen in years, I'd say it was damn special."
"What are you doing up so early, sweetheart?" Foster said. "You're not exactly a morning person."
She wrapped her arm around her father's neck and kissed his cheek. "No, not usually. But the rehearsal dinner is tonight and all of us girls are having a spa day. We're going to be pampered and primed and painted until we're all so gorgeous you won't be able to stand it."
Foster chuckled. "And this process is going to take all day, will it?"
"You can't rush beauty, Dad." She
Zach was special, even back then. "He must have been an amazing little boy."
"He was." Her expression spoke of her pride in her son. "He's still my amazing boy. When you have kids you'll understand."
Adele's comment caught her off guard. A vision of a little boy with Zach's dark curly hair and bright blue eyes popped into her mind's eye. "Yeah, I guess I will."
She went back to dicing assorted fruits while Adele continued to make pancakes.
"So when you go back to Ottawa what are you going to do?"
"I'll go back to work, back to my life, I suppose."
"What about Zach?"
"I guess he'll do the same."
"Will you see each other?"
She kept her gaze on the fruit. "Zach says that after an appropriate time we'll tell everyone we've broken up."
"Is that what you want to do?"
"I..." She stared blankly at Adele. She thought of her run with Zach this morning, and the sweet way he'd teased her. She remembered his kisses and she knew she definitely wanted to experience more of those. But he was out of her league, and hung up on Chantal in a way that was unhealthy for everyone concerned. Did she really want to get in the middle of that?
"I don't know, Adele. I really don't know."
* * * *
After showering, Zach emerged from the small suite in the basement he was sharing with his mother and made his way to the dining room in search of coffee. Foster and Camp were seated at the table reading the paper. He poured himself a cup from the carafe on the sideboard and joined them. "Good morning."
Foster put down his paper. "Good morning, Zach. You're up early this morning."
"Force of habit, I guess. Dani and I have already been for a run."
Camp set his own paper aside. "Oh really. She's a runner too, is she?"
"Yeah, she is. But she's more dedicated than I am."
He smiled when he thought of her blush at his compliment on her derriere. Funny, he'd never thought of himself as an ass man before. He'd always been partial to tall, leggy women. But Dani, with her petite stature and womanly curves might just change his mind.
"Just how serious are you about Ms. DiPietro?" Camp asked.
Trust Camp to come straight to the point. He cleared his throat before answering.
"We enjoy each other's company very much," he said carefully. "I like and respect Daniella. I don't know if our relationship will go any further than that."
"Hrrumph," Camp grumbled. "Damn shame, if you ask me. We all know you and Chantal aren't right for each other. Daniella seems like a very down to earth girl."
Foster took off his reading glasses. "Stay out of it, Dad. Maybe it's too soon for him to get involved with anyone else. He has to find his own way."
"Thanks Foster."
"Even if he doesn't see a good thing when it's right in front of his nose." Foster put his glasses on and went back to his paper.
Camp frowned at Zach one last time and did the same.
Zach shook his head and concentrated on his coffee. What were they seeing that he wasn't?
Chantal entered the dining room on a wave of expensive perfume. "Good morning, everyone. Isn't it a glorious morning?"
Camp stared at her. "Considering it's probably the first morning you've seen in years, I'd say it was damn special."
"What are you doing up so early, sweetheart?" Foster said. "You're not exactly a morning person."
She wrapped her arm around her father's neck and kissed his cheek. "No, not usually. But the rehearsal dinner is tonight and all of us girls are having a spa day. We're going to be pampered and primed and painted until we're all so gorgeous you won't be able to stand it."
Foster chuckled. "And this process is going to take all day, will it?"
"You can't rush beauty, Dad." She
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