Maid for Love (A Romantic Comedy) (8 page)

Zoe sighed. “Some people would consider that a hint.”

“We both know I’m not 'some people'.”

Truer words had never been spoken. “I can’t talk now.” Zoe glanced around the grassy bluff. “I’m out of the office.”

Her attempt to avoid a flat out lie amused her mother, judging by her laughter. “Yes, dear, I’d say Nantucket definitely qualifies as out of the office.”

Equal parts admiration and annoyance shot through Zoe. “Okay, so you know where I am. Then you also know that I’m determined to spend this one last day with Michael. So that means you also should be able to understand that I want to take advantage of every moment we have together.”

“Oh, Zoe.” Her mother wasn’t laughing any longer. Just the opposite. Her voice reflected a wistful regret. “You’ve got everything so wrong.”

“I’m doing what I have to do,” Zoe protested. From the corner of her eye she saw Kathryn waving to her.  She waved back. “If you’re so sure I’m going to have my heart broken then let me do it and we can spend endless hours talking about it later.”

Her mother didn’t miss a beat. “If I didn’t love you so much, Zoe, then I’d probably just stand back and let you dive head first into abject misery, seeing as you so badly seem to want to. But I’m not going to do that.”

“Mother, please, not now.”

“It's critically important that you let me tell you about a conversation that I had with your Aunt Matilda.”

“No,” Zoe protested. “I mean it. Not now. I’m not hanging up on you but I’m going to lovingly and respectfully disconnect this call. I promise to call when I get back home.” She held the cell phone out and ignored the sound of her mother’s urgent but garbled words. “Goodbye.”

She pushed the end button and then powered down the phone. She slid it into her pocket with equal parts guilt and relief as she headed up to the lighthouse to join Michael.

***

"I think it's romantic."

"I think it's crazy. But cool."

Michael reached out and pulled his niece and nephew in for a quick hug. "It's probably all three," he said. "But it feels so right. I love Zoe and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

He watched as they exchanged a quick but undecipherable glance. "What is it?"

Josh kicked the ground with his toe and avoided looking at him. Not a good sign. He turned to his niece. "Kathryn?"

"Well, it's like this, Uncle M, we like Zoe. We really do."

"But?" Michael prompted her.

"Can you trust her? I mean, really trust her?" Kathryn's expression was earnest, not judgmental. "I see that you love her, and that she loves you, which is good. But this whole pretending not to know you thing was a bit odd."

He nodded. "Yes, it was. I'm not going to argue that point but keep in mind that I know Zoe. We have a history. And she's a really good person. Honest and caring. She just got scared by the way our feelings for each other got so deep so quickly."

"I get that," Josh said. "I think you guys will make a great couple."

Michael looked between them. "So you approve?"

To his immense relief, they both nodded. "Great, then how about helping me plan a romantic proposal?"

"Whoa, you're moving fast." Josh grinned. "Why don't you ask for mom's help when she gets back? She's great at that mushy stuff."

"Wait six weeks to propose?" Michael shook his head emphatically. "No way. I'm proposing this weekend. If I can pull it off."

"What about the ring?" Kathryn asked. "You've got to have one."

"I do, but it's back at the house in Connecticut. I had no idea that Zoe was going to show up here this weekend or else I'd have brought it."

Josh's expression made Michael smile. "Go ahead, say it."

His nephew laughed aloud. "You've got it so bad. Sorry, but it's funny."

Michael's grin was good natured. "Yeah, I'll remind you of that when you're head over heels in love one day."

Kathryn clapped her hands together. "Let's focus, guys. Zoe's probably going to join us soon." She turned to Michael. "Here's what you can do. After we're done here, take us into town and let's do some window shopping. I can scope out a few places that have some decent jewelry. Then we have lunch and while we're having dessert you excuse yourself and go buy a ring for Zoe." Caught up in the romance of the moment, her eyes sparkled. "It's a place holder ring until you give her a proper engagement ring but it will do. Can you handle that?"

"Are you for real?" Michael couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "Of course I can. That's a brilliant plan." He turned to his nephew. "Josh, your part in this is to keep Zoe distracted if Kathryn and I duck into a shop. Can you handle that?"

"Can do."

Michael hugged them both again. "The plan is perfect. You guys seriously rock."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Zoe stared into the closet and surveyed her paltry wardrobe. There wasn't much to choose from, but then she hadn't known that Michael was going to plan a surprise evening out for them. Actually, when she'd thrown caution to the wind and made the spontaneous decision to drive to Nantucket, the last thing on her mind had been clothes. She reached for her red sun dress and pulled it out. She held it up for inspection. Wrinkle free, that was a good start. Modest neckline with spaghetti straps, appropriate for an evening spent with Michael's niece and nephew. Flattering color, which never hurt. The red it would be.

She was half way dressed when her cell phone rang. No doubt it was her mother. Again. She sighed. Throughout the day she'd kept her cell phone off but when she powered it on to check in with her office, Zoe saw that she'd missed sixteen calls from her mother's cell phone. The woman was nothing if not persistent. But a quick glance at the clock told her that there was no time for a protracted conversation right now. Not with Michael, Josh, and Kathryn waiting for her.

Fifteen minutes later she found Michael waiting for her in the living room. Several flickering candles provided just enough light for her to see that Michael had a bottle of chilled wine and two glasses on the table. She stood in the doorway and smiled. "You look handsome."

Michael's grin was appreciative. "Thank you. And I've got to say that you've never looked more amazing. Come here."

But Zoe stayed where she was. "I'm not sure about that, Mr. Archer. There's a little glint in your eye that has me worried for my safety."

He laughed. "That little something you see is a mix of raw desire and pure adoration. But you're safe for the moment so come have a glass of wine." He poured a glass of Chardonnay and held it out for her.

His fingers brushed hers as he handed her the glass, sending a rush of longing through her. "Thank you." She took a small sip. "Oh, this is lovely."

"I'm glad you like it."

Zoe glanced around the candle lit room. "I do. Both the wine and the ambiance, it's a nice surprise." She took another appreciative sip. When her eyes returned to his face, they widened. He looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. "What is it?"

He shook his head wordlessly.

"What?"

Michael closed the space between them with one quick step. He took her wine glass and set it on the table next to his. "Let me kiss you and then I'll tell you about the surprise."

Zoe reached up and linked her hands around his neck. "You drive a hard bargain."

She could have stayed lost in Michael's embrace forever, it felt that good to be in his arms. But the doorbell rang and interrupted her bliss. Reluctantly she pulled back out of his arms.

"That would be your surprise," Michael said. He headed toward the front door but halfway there he turned around and came back for another kiss. "Hold on."

"Wait," Zoe called after him but he didn't answer. Instead, she heard the front door open and the sound of whispered voices. Perhaps it was the kids back from where ever they'd gone. Either way, time would tell. She reached down for her glass and took a sip of wine. And then promptly choked on it when she saw the 'surprise' that Michael ushered into the room.

"Ta da!" A vision in sapphire blue silk and an obscene amount of pearls threw open her arms as if it were opening night on Broadway. "Surprised, darling?"

Zoe gasped for air, grateful she hadn't just spewed wine all over the carpet.

Michael rushed over to her side and slid his arm around her shoulders. "Zoe, sweetheart, are you okay?"

She nodded at the same time she took a few gulps of air to steady her breathing. All the while she kept her eyes fixed on her mother. This was so not happening. Except that it was. "Mother?"

Her mother held up a hand. "Darling, if you'd just answered your cell phone, none of this would have happened."

Zoe cursed her bad judgment. "You mean that if I'd answered any one of those calls, you wouldn't be here?"

Her mother laughed. "No, of course not. I just meant that you wouldn't have been so surprised, that's all. I left Miami before dawn."

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "So you were already on your way up here when we spoke earlier? And you didn't say anything?"

Marlene shrugged. "I daresay I'd have worked it into the conversation if you hadn't been in such an awful hurry to get rid of me." She dropped her gaze to the bottle of wine on the table. "Would I be imposing too terribly if I asked for a drop of Chardonnay?"

Michael looked between them both. "Of course, Marlene. I'm sorry, I should have offered. Have a seat and I'll get another glass."

Once he disappeared into the kitchen Zoe made a beeline for her parent. "Mother, I swear I could just...I could just...I could just...-"

Her mother sank into a cushioned chair. "Let me know when you figure out what you want to do to me. Heaven knows I deserve the punishment for dropping everything to rush up here to save you."

“From Michael?”

“No, darling, from yourself.”

Zoe slid into the chair across from her. "Why are you doing this?" She kept her voice low. "You know I wanted to spend this evening with Michael before-"

"Just stop it, Zoe." Her mother's face was suddenly grave. "If I didn't love you so very much I'd think you deserved to be as miserable as you are trying to make yourself. I haven't yet had the chance to tell you what your Aunt Matilda told me about your gift. You need to hear me out."

Michael's return with a wine glass stopped Zoe from giving her mother an earful. Instead she sat back and struggled to compose herself, which was no easy task. She'd never been so livid with anyone before in her life. Ever. But what could she do short of driving her mother back to the airport and putting her on the next Cape Air flight back to Boston?

She only half listened as Michael and her mother made small talk. How had she tracked them down? And what on earth did her Aunt Matilda have to say that couldn't wait?

An even more pressing question weighed on her mind. How was she going to get rid of her mother?           

***

Michael wasn't surprised when Zoe insisted on driving Marlene to the restaurant in her own car. Judging by her reaction, she'd been caught totally off guard by her mother's arrival. Just why Marlene had turned up out of nowhere, he didn't have time to ask when she'd called to announce her plans but it served his purpose admirably. With Zoe's mother there when he proposed, it would be a true family affair.

"You look pretty calm for a guy's who about to shackle himself to someone for a really long time."

Michael shot a sideways look at his nephew. "I should have let your sister ride shotgun."   "Just kidding." Josh grinned. "I'm actually kind of nervous for you."

Michael followed the GPS provided directions and turned right. "Why?"

"What if Zoe says no?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Michael confessed. He probably should have given how spooked Zoe had been when he'd brought up marriage last year. She'd been unsettled enough at the idea of matrimony that she'd broken up with him. But a lot had changed in a year's time and he knew that Zoe loved him. Marriage seemed the inevitable next step.

"Uncle M? Hello?" Kathryn called from the back seat. "Are you still with us?"

Michael met her gaze in the rear view mirror. He smiled reassuringly. "I was just thinking. Don't tell me you're worried too?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I think Zoe will say yes. I hope she does. I really like her. We both do." She reached forward and poked her brother's shoulder to get his attention. "Did Zoe act suspicious when you guys were getting ice cream?"

"Nope." Josh's smile was smug. "She didn't have a clue that you two were looking for a ring. I was asking her for fashion advice and had her totally distracted."

"Yeah, cause you're such a fashion nightmare," Kathryn teased him.

Michael laughed. "Sorry but you set yourself up for that one."

Josh rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Michael pulled into the restaurant parking lot. He switched off the engine. "Wish me luck."

Kathryn leaned forward and patted his shoulder. "You don't need luck, you've got love on your side."

Josh's smile was reassuring. "You've got this, Uncle Michael. It's totally going to work."

***

"I'm telling you, Zoe, it's not going to work. Not the way you think it will."

Zoe still couldn't believe her mother had come all the way up to Nantucket. But here she was, sitting in the passenger seat, her bracelets making a tinkling sound and her jasmine perfume overwhelming Zoe's senses. All of this was vintage Marlene, except for the doom and gloom predictions that she'd been issuing non-stop since they got in the car.

"Are you not hearing me?" A sigh of epic proportions conveyed the extent of Marlene's frustration. "It's not like you to be so closed off to reason, Zoe. This is not how I raised you."

This comment Zoe couldn't leave unchallenged. "Untrue, mother. If you've said it once, you've said a trillion times that a woman should know her own mind. Not only that, I've heard you decry women who won't live and love with passion. So it's highly hypocritical for you to begrudge me my time with Michael."

"Is that what you think I'm doing here? How ridiculous." Her mother spent the next few moments looking out the window at the passing scenery without saying a word.