Sweet Surrender Read online

  It wasn’t the Saturday morning Willow had imagined, but it was fun. And, more importantly, her former manager hadn’t returned.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Zac hadn’t been on an Easter egg hunt in years. But today, he was turning William and Megan’s house upside down, hunting for the last Easter egg.

  “Is it there?” Nora asked from beside him.

  He knelt on the carpet and stuck his hands under the sofa. “I don’t think so.”

  Nora joined him on the floor. But instead of kneeling, she dropped to her stomach, peering under the sofa as if they were on a military operation in the middle of a war zone. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

  Zac checked the map William had given him. For someone close to forty, the Easter egg hunt should have been a breeze. But whoever had hidden the eggs hadn’t made it easy. So far, they’d found six chocolate eggs, but the last one was proving more difficult.

  He scratched his head. “It’s here somewhere.”

  Nora jumped to her feet. Leaning over his shoulder, she studied the map. “That’s the chair and this is the sofa.”

  As soon as Zac looked from the map to the furniture, he knew where they’d gone wrong. The map was upside down.

  “The Easter egg isn’t under here, silly. It’s over there.”

  Before Zac could scramble to his feet, Nora was already on the other side of the room.

  With a high-pitched squeal, she reached under the chair and pulled out a bright yellow Easter egg. “Found it!”

  William walked into the room. “Here you are. I thought you’d gone missing.”

  “We found the last Easter egg,” Nora said excitedly. “That makes seven in our basket.”

  “I’m impressed,” William said. “Everyone else’s basket is almost empty.”

  Nora grinned. “That’s ’cos Zac and I are amazing.”

  “You definitely are,” William agreed. “Do you want to show Zac how amazing you are at setting the table?”

  “Can I show ’Becca my Easter eggs first?”

  William nodded. “She’d like that.”

  With the basket of foil-wrapped eggs clutched in her hands, Nora rushed out of the room.

  Zac stuck his hands on his hips. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “Do what?” William asked.

  “Keep up with Nora. She never sits still.”

  “Welcome to the world of parenthood. I’m assured by friends who have teenagers that it only gets worse.”

  “Maybe Willow’s idea of getting a kitten isn’t so bad.”

  William’s eyebrows rose. “If you’re talking about children, your relationship must be more serious than I thought.”

  Zac closed the living room door. If anyone overheard their conversation, they could take something the wrong way. And the last thing he wanted was to upset Willow.

  He looked at William and took a deep breath. “I’ve fallen in love with Willow.”

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere?”

  “She’s performed in front of fifty thousand people. Before Willow left Nashville, she was one of the highest-paid female country musicians in the world.”

  “Willow wouldn’t have told you that, so I’m assuming you’ve been reading about her on the Internet.”

  Zac sat on the edge of a chair. “Wouldn’t you?”

  “I work for the FBI. I’d be crazy not to do a little research before jumping headfirst into a relationship. But it’s true what people say—don’t believe everything you read.”

  “What if Willow decides to go back to Nashville?”

  William sat beside him. “I imagine she’s thinking the same thing about you. If she’s looking for stability then, on paper, you’re a risky bet. You haven’t lived in the same country for more than two years. And let’s face it, working for Doctors Without Borders gives you a big tick on the humanitarian aid front, but the salary sucks. You could have earned more money working for Walmart.”

  Zac ran his hands through his hair. “Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”

  “I want you to realize that no one is perfect. We’ve all made decisions that have brought us to where we are today, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change. Has Willow said she wants to go back to Nashville?”

  “No, but her manager gave her a contract from a recording studio. They want her to make another album.”

  “What does she want?”

  “She said she’s happy with her life in Sapphire Bay.”

  “But you don’t believe her?”

  Zac didn’t know what to think. “Who would give up the chance to perform in front of thousands of people and earn huge amounts of money?”

  “You’re asking the wrong person.” William frowned. “You aren’t projecting your insecurities on Willow, are you?”

  “You sound like my counselor,” Zac muttered.

  “Maybe he had a point. Instead of worrying about what Willow is doing, focus on your own life. If this is where you want to live, give Willow lots of reasons to stay with you.”

  “What if it’s not enough?”

  William sighed. “That’s the million-dollar question you have to ask each other. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about.”

  Zac hoped some of William’s confidence rubbed off on him. Because right now, he had a feeling Willow was about to make a life-altering decision that wouldn’t involve him.

  As Willow looked around the dinner table, she felt blessed. She had kind and generous friends who would always be there for each other, no matter what happened.

  And then there was Zac. When she was with him, she knew everything would be all right. He calmed her overactive mind, made her smile at the silliest of things, and filled her life with joy.

  He handed her a bowl of peas. “You look happy.”

  “I was thinking about everyone who’s sitting around the table. We’re more like brothers and sisters than friends.”

  Sam smiled. “We’re better than family. If you had to spend a lot of time with my sisters, you’d go crazy.”

  Megan frowned. “Are they still thinking about moving to Sapphire Bay?”

  Sam groaned. “Don’t remind me. I’ll have to take an extended vacation to get away from them.”

  Levi passed a plate of sliced ham to Brooke. “I’d settle for going on our honeymoon.”

  Brooke smiled. “I’ll second that. We must have worked close to ninety hours last week.”

  Willow had a feeling they’d worked a lot more than that. Easter must have added ten times the amount of work to Brooke’s schedule at Sweet Treats. “When are you flying to Vancouver?”

  “On Tuesday morning,” Brooke replied. “Levi and I wanted to stay for the official opening of the tiny home village.”

  For the last few weeks, the contractors had worked overtime to make sure the first two tiny houses were finished. Yesterday, Willow had dropped off some cushions and couldn’t believe the transformation. “The communal living spaces are finished, too. It will make the tenants lives so much easier having all the facilities available.”

  William raised his glass of wine. “And thanks to Zac, they’ll be able to see a doctor whenever they need one.”

  Megan touched the rim of her glass to her husband’s. “I’ll second that.”

  Zac looked thoughtfully at Megan. “I’m hoping the clinic won’t take too long to get up and running. The hospital provided most of the equipment that’s there now, but I’d like to add a few things.”

  “Call Pastor John if you have trouble finding something. He has contacts all over the place.”

  Brooke placed her knife and fork on either side of her plate. “If you need a good family therapist, Sam’s sister would be perfect.”

  Sam choked. “Don’t tell Zac about Bailey. If she starts working here, Shelley will move heaven and earth to join her. I’ll be doomed.”

  Zac laughed. “Where does Bailey work at
the moment?”

  Sam sent Brooke an evil glare. “At the hospital in Bozeman. Before that, she worked at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “She knows what she’s doing. And even though I said she was crazy, she’s not that bad. It’s Shelley who makes everyone’s life complicated.”

  Willow smiled. She’d heard the stories about what had happened before Sam married Caleb. Between the bachelorette Murder in the Museum night and a runaway groom, it had been an eventful wedding.

  Nora tugged Megan’s arm. “Can I tell everyone what happened to Mr. Socks?”

  Megan’s smile was instant. “Okay.”

  “I got news.” Nora waited until everyone was looking at her. “You know Mr. Socks, my black and white cat? Well, he hasn’t been very happy, so we took him to the vet. And guess what? Mr. Socks is going to have kittens. Isn’t that amazing?”

  “It’s incredible,” Sam said with a grin. “When are Mr. Socks’ babies arriving?”

  “Any day now. It’s like waiting for ’Becca, only we’ll have lots of babies and not just one. Megan and William said I can help look after them for a little while, but they’ll need to find new forever families.”

  Willow grinned at the pointed look Nora sent her. She knew Willow adored cats and that it was only because she was so busy that she didn’t have one. Or two. Or possibly three if she were being really hopeful.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Zac whispered. “Just remember, a puppy is equally cute.”

  “But a kitten is much easier to look after.”

  “You could have both.”

  After their last discussion about pets, Willow had been considering the same thing. “You’re a bad influence on me.”

  Zac gently kissed her lips. “That’s what boyfriends are for.”

  Willow gave a contented sigh.

  The most important things in life weren’t what you owned or what you did. It was the people around you, the friends who laughed and cried with you, and the ones who stayed in your heart long after they were gone.

  And if two kittens and possibly a puppy became part of her future, she wasn’t going to complain.

  Two days later, Pastor John stood in front of the tiny homes the community had completed. With their bright red roofs and wide verandas, they’d make perfect homes for the first two tenants.

  So far, the official opening ceremony had gone incredibly well. John had blessed the site and, with the construction foreman, had planted an oak tree. Children from Nora’s elementary school had sung a beautiful song and a reporter from the local television station had interviewed the people who would be moving into the homes.

  Zac tightened his hold around Willow’s waist. “You should be proud of everything you’ve achieved.”

  “I’m only a small part of the fundraising committee. John did most of the work.”

  “I spoke to Megan yesterday. She said you’ve been a big help. As well as planting trees and decorating the houses, the money you and Ryan raise the will pay for four more homes.”

  Willow looked into Zac’s eyes and smiled. “It feels good to know we’re making a difference. Apart from anything else, the concerts will be a great community event. Did you enjoy Nora’s song?”

  Zac grinned. “I did. She was so proud to be here.”

  “The project means a lot to her, too. She’s spent a lot of time with Megan, helping to make the curtains and cushions for the houses. I thought I’d do something special for her.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something.”

  Zac gently pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head. “Sapphire Bay is lucky to have you living here.”

  “It’s the other way around,” she reminded him. “I don’t know what would have happened if I’d stayed in Nashville.”

  Sam cleared her throat. “I know what would have happened. You would have bought an enormous house, filled the garage with Lamborghinis, and toured the world wearing glittery costumes and false eyelashes.”

  Willow laughed. “I knew there was a reason I wanted to come home. Taking photographs and making jam for my friends sounds so much better.”

  “Since we’re talking about food, can you help Mabel and me in the kitchen? Everything took a little longer to prepare and we’re only halfway through putting it on the tables.”

  Zac looked at Willow. “If you have something else to do, I can give Sam a hand. I want to speak to Mabel anyway.”

  “We’ll both help,” Willow said. “A lot more people have come to the opening than we expected and they’ll all be hungry.”

  As they wound their way through the crowd, Willow smiled at the snippets of conversation she overheard. Everyone who’d looked inside the homes was impressed.

  Sam held open the back door of The Welcome Center. “Quite a few people are visiting the center as well as looking at the tiny homes. Mr. Jessop is showing a group around the community garden at the moment.”

  “He’d like that,” Willow said. “He loves showing people what he’s been doing.”

  Sam glanced at Zac, before speaking to Willow. “Did Mr. Jessop tell you he has the funding to build a greenhouse?”

  Willow’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful. He’s been wanting to grow vegetables year-round for ages. Who’s sponsoring the project?”

  “That’s the thing,” Sam said as they walked down the hallway. “The person or company who donated the money have asked that their name remain anonymous. Even Mabel doesn’t know who gave The Welcome Center the money.”

  Zac followed Willow and Sam into the kitchen. “As long as the center can grow its own vegetables, does it matter who gave them the money?”

  “Not really,” Sam said. “But it’s nice to be able to say thank you.”

  Willow shrugged. “Sometimes people think about you differently if you give away a large amount of money. Most people want to be treated like everyone else, regardless of who they are or what they have done.”

  Sam’s gaze shot to Zac. “Maybe. But I still think Mr. Jessop would like to say thank you.”

  Zac frowned. “I can almost guarantee the person who donated the money knows how he feels.”

  “It’s interesting you should say that,” Sam said. “Because just the other day I thought I saw—”

  “Thank goodness you’re here,” Mabel said as she rushed across the kitchen. “The next lot of pies are ready to come out of the oven. Willow, can you check the teenagers who are taking the sandwiches out to the dining room? Make sure they aren’t eating them before the plates go on the tables.”

  “I’ll check that the coffeepot is hot,” Sam said quickly. “Given the noise coming from the dining room, I’d say our first guests have arrived.”

  As soon as Willow stepped out of the kitchen, she knew Sam was right. By the time everyone else arrived, The Welcome Center would be bursting with people.

  Zac slowed his truck to let a family walk across Main Street. After meeting the couple who would be living in one of the new tiny homes, he was even more certain that this was where he needed to be.

  He glanced across the cab and smiled at Willow. “We were lucky we didn’t run out of food.”

  “Thank goodness the catering students at the church made more sandwiches. I don’t know how much extra money was donated, but the jars we left on the tables had to be emptied a lot of times.”

  Zac was surprised by how generous everyone had been. “The money going into the jars was worth far more than the food or drink people consumed.”

  “That’s Sapphire Bay for you,” Willow said contentedly. “Everyone wants to help and they’re excited about what we’re creating. I hope other communities around the country see what we’re doing and try something similar.”

  “Pastor John might end up touring the country, telling other towns about what you’ve achieved.”

  “He might, but I think that’s the last thing he’d want t
o do. John has a lot of programs he wants to start. If he was away from Sapphire Bay for too long, he’d worry that nothing was happening.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  Willow nodded. “There’s someone else who deserves that title, too. Did you donate the money for Mr. Jessop’s greenhouse?”

  Zac’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Why do you think it was me?”

  “Because it’s the type of thing you would do.”

  He would have preferred not to tell anyone about his donation, but Willow was different. She would understand why he hadn’t said anything to anyone.

  “I talked to Mr. Jessop about the community garden. He gave me a copy of the quotes he received and told me about the greenhouse he liked the best. After I spoke to him, I saw John. Even though the church’s priority is the tiny home village, John could see the advantage of growing vegetables year-round. So, I transferred the money into the church’s trust fund and the greenhouse was ordered. If it all goes to plan, construction should start at the beginning of next month.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Zac sent Willow a rueful grin. “I didn’t want you to see me any differently because of what I’d done.”

  “Where have I heard that before?”

  “I guess we’re more alike than we think.” Zac stopped at the intersection and wondered if the red light was an omen.

  “What’s bothering you?”

  He should have known Willow would realize something was wrong. “Do you think people can be too alike?”

  She tilted her head to the side. “I’m not sure. I’ve never met someone who is exactly the same as me. What about you?”

  Zac thought about the people he’d spent a lot of time with over the last few years. Apart from their shared experience of working in refugee camps, they were his polar opposite. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t met anyone who mattered more than Willow.

  The light turned green and he slowly accelerated. “I see more of myself in you than in anyone else I’ve met.”