Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) (6 page)

He finished tying his shoe and got to his feet. "Sure. I'm no expert on the neighborhood either, but I think I can keep us from getting lost. Let's go."

They fell into an easy jog as they ran down the tree-lined street in the crisp autumn morning. Red and gold leaves fluttered to the ground, crunching under their feet as they ran. Dani quietly jogged beside him, her strides matching his. He stole a glance at her.

"Have you been running for a while?"

"About four years. It's the only form of exercise I've found I can stick with."

"I'm mostly a fair weather jogger," he said. "I hate running in the winter. Too cold and icy."

"I go to a gym in the winter." She named a popular downtown Ottawa gym. "I run on their indoor track. It's not as much fun as jogging outside in the summer, but it beats frostbite."

He chuckled. "Maybe I should give it a try this winter. It seems to be doing good things for you. You've got a great shape."

"It's just the two of us here, Zach. You don't have to say stuff like that."

"I wouldn't lie about something as important as your figure."

She slanted him a look, her expression uncertain. "Okay, in that case, thanks."

"You're welcome."

He dropped back a couple of paces. He'd always thought Dani pleasant looking, but these days she was stunning. The tight stretchy material of her jogging pants emphasized every sexy curve of her lush derriere. The view from behind her was truly inspiring.

He caught up with her once more. "Tell me something personal about yourself."

"Something personal?"

"Yeah, in case someone asks me a question about you I should know."

The truth was he really wanted to get to know her, though he couldn't quite explain the reason why.

"Okay, sure. Well, I have six older brothers. I'm the youngest in the family."

"Six older brothers! That's amazing. I always wanted a brother or sister, but since my mother never remarried after my Dad died, it didn't happen."

"That's too bad. Was your mom widowed quite young?"

"She was only thirty-two. Tell me about your parents. Are they still together?"

"Oh yes, for over forty years now. They were both born in Italy and came to Canada as children. They met as teenagers in high school and have been together ever since."

"They sound very close."

"They're inseparable. If I ever get married, that's the kind of marriage I'd like." She looked away. "But they're a hard act to follow. Relationships like that don't come around very often."

"I know what you mean. Look at me. Engaged twice, cheated on and dumped twice by the same woman. Not exactly a great track record."

"I'd say you've had extraordinarily bad luck."

"Yeah."
Or have I just been looking in the wrong direction?

"So now you have to answer a personal question for me," she said. "How did you get into the adventure travel business?"

"Kind of by accident, really. My main business is as a consultant. Businesses come to me to find out what they could be doing better, or what direction the business should take. My friend Mike owned a travel agency. Do you remember Mike? He was a groomsman at my wedding last year."

"Yes, I remember him. He's a nice guy."

"He is. Anyway, the travel agency was losing money and on the verging of going broke. So many people book their own flights and their vacations online these days that they weren't getting enough business. He came to me to try to find a solution. The only way a travel agency can flourish is if they can provide a service the consumer can't get anywhere else. We found the service that worked for my friend Mike was creating made-to-order adventure themed tours like African safaris or cruises to Antarctica. We also arrange volunteer vacations, like working in orphanages in Kenya. A lot of people want a unique experience on their vacation and that's what the company tries to provide."

"It sounds like a lot of fun."

"Mostly I'm a silent partner. I bought into the company as an investment, and Mike and his staff arrange all of the adventures. I've gone on a couple of the trips and had amazing experiences."

"So mostly you're some kind of business guru, riding in on your white horse to save the day."

He chuckled. "Not quite. Sometimes the best decision is to pull the plug and just put that puppy out of her misery. But it's not a decision I make lightly, especially when people's jobs and livelihoods are at stake."

She grinned up at him. "I don't know. You still sound like a white knight to me."

Charmed by her sense of humor, he laughed and shook his head. "Tell me about losing weight. How did you do it?"

"Do you really want to know? It's not very exciting."

"Yeah, I really want to know."

"There's no magic formula, I'm sorry to say. The only thing I can do is eat less and exercise more." He heard her long exhale of breath. "When I started I could barely walk around a block, let alone run. I hate to admit it now, but I was really fat."

"Is that why Chantal's remark last night upset you?"

Her cheeks pinkened with her blush. "My weight's been a problem all my life. I may have lost the pounds, but not the issues. It's still a sensitive subject for me."

"How much weight are we talking about?"

"Over fifty pounds."

"Very impressive."

"I just never want to go back there, you know? I don't want to be fat again. That's why I'm running this morning." She took a deep breath. "Losing weight was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm not sure I could do it again."

He was incredibly proud of her. She faced her problems head on and worked her way through them. She was a fighter, and a fearless one.

"I think you can do anything you set your mind to. You're a remarkable woman, Daniella."

Turning to look at him, she blinked, her surprise evident. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After making a loop through the neighborhood, they headed back to Camp's house. Zach followed Dani up the stairs to the front door.

"Dani, can I share something with you?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"As your friend, I think I should tell you..."

"What?" she said, when he didn't finish.

"You have one of the sweetest asses it has ever been my pleasure to ogle."

She stared at him a minute, her mouth open in surprise. Then she started to laugh. "You are such a jerk." She punched him in the arm. "But thank you."

"My pleasure."

She laughed again and entered the house.

He hoped she realized how remarkable she was, no matter what Chantal said.

* * * *

After a quick shower and change, Dani headed downstairs. When she found the dining room empty, she went to the kitchen where Zach's mother was busy preparing breakfast.

Adele looked up from the batter she was mixing. "Good morning, Dani. You're up early."

"Zach and I have already gone for a run this morning."

"Oh really? That's nice." Adele gave her an enigmatic smile as she set her bowl on the counter. "Would you like some coffee?"

"I'd love some. But please, don't wait on me. I can get it myself."

Adele chuckled. "That's a refreshing attitude. Be my guest. The mugs are in the cupboard over the sink."

Retrieving a mug, she filled it with coffee, and added milk from a carton she found in the fridge. After taking a sip she set her mug on the counter. "Now, what can I do to help you?"

"You don't have to do anything. You're a guest in this house, part of the bridal party. Relax and enjoy yourself."

"If you don't mind, I'd rather help you here in the kitchen. This is the last place Chantal would think to come."

Adele smiled. "If you really want to help, you can cut up the fruit for the salad. But honestly, I don't think you have to worry about running into Chantal until at least noon. From experience, I can tell you she's not exactly an early riser."

"Today may be the exception to that rule. Fiona is treating us to a spa day. We're supposed to be there mid-morning."

"I see. In that case, you're welcome to hide out here as long as you'd like." She poured batter on the hot griddle. "Did she upset you last night? She certainly tried to draw attention to your weight."

Dani rinsed grapes and apples under the faucet. "I'm okay. It was my own fault. I let her get to me."

"Chantal can be...difficult."

Adele's tight expression told her how hard it was for her to be around Chantal. She'd broken Zach's heart, and treated him abominably. If given the chance, she'd go for another kick at the can. Yet she was Camp's granddaughter, and both Adele and Zach were loyal to him.

"How old was Zach when you started working for Camp."

"He was eight. It was a couple of years after his father died. We'd married right out of high school and had Zach a few years later. I didn't have training for anything. The only thing I knew how to do was cook and clean. So when John died, I worked for a cleaning service for a while, but when school let out for the summer I had to quit because I had nowhere to leave Zach. I cleaned houses on my own and took Zach with me to the jobs, but I couldn't get enough work to even pay the rent." Adele flipped bacon on a griddle. "I was pretty scared."

"What did you do?"

"I answered an ad in the paper for the job with Camp. It was minimum wage but it came with an apartment. I wouldn't have to pay rent or utilities and I'd be able to give Zach a decent home in a good neighborhood. It was the answer to my prayers, if only he would hire me. The day of the interview Zach and I dressed in our best clothes, trying to 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 went to the sideboard to pour a glass of orange juice. "Good morning, Zach."

"Good morning, Chantal." Zach's spidey senses were tingling. What was she really up to?

She sat next to him at the table. "Pass me the arts section, would you, Dad?"

He handed over the newspaper and went back to his reading. She laid out her paper on the table in front of her. Zach relaxed. Maybe his spidey senses were off.

And then he felt it. Something was stroking his calf. What the hell?