Expecting His Secret Heir

скачать книгу бесплатно


“You must be getting some good pictures, then.”

Pulling the camera from around her neck, she clicked on the picture preview and turned the screen so they both could see.

Fifteen minutes of talking cameras and photo composition and lighting fed Sadie’s artistic soul. None of her family were interested in photography. She had few friends because of all her responsibilities, but she had managed to join an artists’ group near home that she tried to go to once a month. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes not. But she tried to get her fix in when she could.

“Would it be possible for me to use a couple of these in the newspaper?” he asked. “We’d compensate you, of course. These are wonderful and my two photographers are busy with the cleanup, which keeps them from snapping away right now.”

Sadie barely had a chance to think before another voice cut in. “Hey, Lance. How’s it going?”

She looked over the newspaper editor’s shoulder to see Zach’s sister, KC, approaching them. Lance smiled as she arrived.

“As good as can be expected, I think.” He gestured to Sadie. “Just trying to convince Sadie here to share a few of her pictures with the community. They would be a great accompaniment to the recovery stories.”

KC studied Sadie for a split second, but then her lashes swept down, shielding the expression in eyes so like Zach’s. “That would be cool. So, Sadie, what do you think?”

That I don’t like being put on the spot... “Yeah, I’ll come by and we can look over them again. Tomorrow?”

“Great,” KC said, as if she’d decided the subject was closed. “Now y’all want some lunch?”

Lance agreed enthusiastically, but Sadie shook her head. “I’m still full from the breakfast spread my landlady puts out, but I’d be happy to volunteer, if you’d like?”

KC’s raised brow and hesitant “Sure” didn’t make Sadie feel better. She knew it didn’t really matter what KC thought of her, whether she approved. Sadie wouldn’t be sticking around Black Hills long enough to make real friends...or sisters-in-law. Somehow that didn’t stop her from wishing differently.

Although KC might be hesitant for completely different reasons. Had Zach told her about Sadie? How much did she really know?

* * *

Zach made his way back across the parking lot to the food tents KC and Christina had installed. He tried to keep an eye out for Sadie along the way, though he desperately wanted to curse himself for caring where she was in the first place. He could tell himself all he wanted to that it was about suppressing her plans, but deep down he was afraid there were far deeper reasons than that lame excuse.

He didn’t see her until he was closer to the tents, and that fiery red hair came into view as she scurried behind the serving line. It wasn’t entirely clear from this distance, but it looked almost as if she were in charge.

“Kind of amazing, isn’t it?”

Zach glanced to the side to see his little sister approach, her arms filled with a box. He automatically reached for her burden, taking it on himself as he nodded his head in Sadie’s direction. “What’s going on here?”

KC didn’t look at the other woman but continued to watch her brother...making him very uneasy. “She volunteered to help after saying she wasn’t hungry. I could tell she wasn’t thrilled with the setup when she joined us, but she didn’t say a word.”

One side of KC’s mouth lifted in a slight smile. “I wondered if she would, but she never did until I started asking for help. It took a few minutes to get her to open up. As soon as she realized she wouldn’t offend me by making suggestions, she took the lead. We were whipped into shape in ten minutes and served hundreds in less than half an hour.” KC shook her head. “She’s good.”

Very good. But Zach didn’t want to think of that in front of his sister.

“She told me before that she made a living as domestic help, but never went into specifics,” he mused as he watched Sadie navigate the chaos with the calm demeanor of a woman who had many pots on the fire but wasn’t worried about losing one. He glanced at his sister, only to find her still studying him.

He was in trouble now.

“So you knew her before, as in before this trip to Black Hills?”

Why hadn’t he just kept his mouth shut? “Hmm...”

But KC wasn’t buying the noncomment. “Did you meet her while you were in the military?”

No, but those days right after he came home had been a blur of nightmares and worry over his mother, his family. He hadn’t known how to tell them he was falling in love. After she disappeared without a trace, he’d been glad he kept Sadie to himself and not made her a thing—that thing he had to explain to friends and family, pretend not to miss, or realize hadn’t been as real as he’d thought. He had happily done most of that without public scrutiny.

Now, though, he could talk about Sadie without having to get into all the ugliness of regret and pain. He’d never been a liar, but he kept it brief, strictly answering the question that was asked. “No, she’s been to town before.”

KC slapped her hands to her hips, making him wish he hadn’t been gentlemanly enough to take the box. “She was here before, long enough for you to talk to her about her job, and you never mentioned her. Was she a customer? Or—”

“What’s for lunch, my lovely?” Jacob’s voice interrupted his fiancée’s, much to Zach’s eternal gratitude.

“Barbecue and fixin’s,” KC said, giving Jacob a big smile.

“What?” her fiancé’s voice boomed over the lot. “Barbecued meat, a pretty lady and a cold beer? All I need is our son and it’ll be heaven.”

“Christina’s got him at the manor,” KC said, giving Jacob a quick kiss on the cheek. “Your mom started running a fever this morning, so she stayed home and offered to keep him, too.”

Zach saw the flash of concern that crossed Jacob’s expression, and knew that even the slightest bug could be very harmful for the Blackstones’ mother, who had been in a coma for many years. But KC gave him a reassuring smile.

Jacob pulled her into his arms. “Well, how long is that gonna last? Forget the barbecue. Let’s go home.”

“Nope, sorry,” she said, laughing as she swatted his chest.

Jacob buried his face in KC’s neck. “Doomed” was all Zach heard before mumbling and giggling took over. He glanced away, grinning at the two lovebirds’ antics. In the sea of chaos under the tent, Sadie stood oddly still. The look on her face, even from this distance, had a hint of sadness and longing before she blinked and it was gone. Actually, all emotion was gone, as if she were afraid for Zach to see too closely inside.

Funny, he felt the same way.

Finally Jacob and KC separated, walking to the food tent hand in hand. Zach fell in step beside them. They talked about the next step in their plan as they joined the dwindling line for food. Sadie certainly had stepped up the efficiency of the process, and now the parking lot was filled with hungry workers eating their fill.

“I’m so glad we could do this,” KC said, surveying the scene.

Jacob kissed the top of her head. “Me, too. Whatever it takes to keep Black Hills alive, that’s what we’re gonna do.”

They reached the steam table set up under the tent and chose their meal. Zach deposited the box in the serving area before taking his food tray. Sadie was at the other end in a cute apron with a pig on it, pouring drinks.

“Wow,” KC said as she reached Sadie’s table. “This was incredible. Thank you so much.”

Sadie shrugged away the thanks. “It was no problem.”

“No problem? I didn’t think so.” KC laughed. “Of course, I’m used to a well-ordered kitchen. Being outdoors and not knowing where everything is throws me off.”

“Organization is key,” Sadie said with a wink.

Jacob reached out to shake Sadie’s hand. “Well, we are extremely grateful for your organizational skills.”

Sadie shifted as if their praise made her uncomfortable. “I’m glad I could help,” she said, handing him a large iced tea.

“Would you be free tomorrow to help some more?” Jacob asked.

Sadie blinked. “I’m sure I can,” she said. “I’ll be out here tomorrow to take more pictures anyway.”

“Did you get any good shots today?” KC asked.

“Sure did.”

Jacob looked over at Zach in a way that made him distinctly uneasy. He kept looking. Zach could see the wheels turning.

“Tomorrow,” Jacob finally said, “we have a truck coming in with lots of supplies for the workers. Decent boots, heavy overalls, protective gloves and such.”

Oh, no. Jacob, please don’t do this to me.

Jacob didn’t even glance in his direction. But his jaw twitched as if he were aware of Zach’s dread...and amused by it.

“We need some help getting everything organized and out to the employees. I don’t want them working cleanup without good-quality gear.”

Zach looked at Sadie in enough time to see her eyes widen. “Isn’t that costing a lot for a company that’s not bringing in any money at the moment?”

Jacob nodded. “But we want them safe. Those that opted to stay on through the temporary closing and rebuilding are being paid wages to help with cleanup and reconstruction.

“We wanted to keep the work local, as much as possible,” Jacob said, his tone firm. “We’ve got some donations, but everything else is at Blackstone expense. Ultimately, this is about the good of the town. The people who live here deserve to be able to stay.”

KC chimed in. “Not be run from their homes by a crazy person.”

“That’s commendable,” Sadie said.

“Not really,” Jacob responded, giving her a puzzled look.

“Trust me.” She met his look without wavering. “I’ve known some businessmen who couldn’t care less about anything but their bottom line. They’d bring in the cheapest labor and not care who lost their livelihoods. Y’all are doing good here.”

Zach could see Sadie mulling all this over, her brain working in overdrive even though she didn’t ask any more questions. She simply picked at the puzzle, trying to unravel the complicated strands.

The fact that he could discern this made him uneasy. He didn’t want to read Sadie’s mind. Didn’t want to feel her curiosity, her disbelief that the Blackstones were good people who cared about their workers. What had happened in her life to lead her to question that?

No, he didn’t want to know.

“Sadie, if your organizing skills make this as easy as serving lunch, we’ll be in business in no time. Zach will be here when the truck arrives in the morning around nine. He can make sure whatever you need is carried out.”

Sure I will. Don’t ask me what I want.

Then Zach wondered if his thoughts were showing on his face, because his sister was watching him—very closely.

Sadie, on the other hand, looked pretty pleased with herself. Considering how he’d treated her since she came back to town, he had to wonder why.

As his sister and Jacob moved on, Sadie smiled over at him. “Looks like it’s you and me together—again.”

Was that a statement...or a threat?

Five (#ulink_9b1df2a4-8188-5918-af84-5079694d4a56)

“It’s the truth, I tell ya.”

Sadie couldn’t help but grin at the man before her. Wearing the traditional farmer uniform of overalls, plaid shirt, ball cap and messy white hair, he was a perfect candidate for sitting on a bench in the town square. So were the other two grandfatherly types with him. But he was the talker.

“I think you’re pulling my leg,” Sadie insisted, knowing it would spur him on.

“No, I would never,” he said with a sincere shake of his head. “But I betcha they’re all in on it. The other cotton industries are pressuring the state to shut us down, because they want the business we’ve always had here. That’s why all of this is happening.”

She knew old men were prime candidates to become conspiracy theorists. They had too much time to sit around and think and talk and spin events into the way they wanted to see them. So she asked, “But Blackstone Mills has been here since the town started, hasn’t it?”

“And still putting out quality product,” one of the other men, Earl, said. “That’s why they have to put us out of business.”

Well, as much as she’d like to brush them off, the fact that a bomb had exploded here couldn’t be denied. That was deliberate malice, so someone definitely had it in for Blackstone Mills. And the police weren’t talking yet.

“I still don’t understand why anyone would want to put you out of business,” she said, hoping to get more gossip. “Wouldn’t someone local have to be in on this? Have access to the plant?”

“Oh, they were,” Mr. Farmer breathed.

“The other textile companies found someone local to do their dirty work, we’re pretty sure,” Earl said.

Farmer interrupted, “We heard about all kinds of things. Can’t keep stuff like that secret. Equipment failure and missing shipments. But it was the cotton that was the kicker.”

Now they were getting somewhere. Sadie forgot about the lines of men behind her, getting loaded up by fellow workers with their safety gear after she’d streamlined the process for them. Zach had introduced her to the lead volunteer then disappeared, which she was grateful for now, because she was pretty sure these old-timers wouldn’t be speaking to her with him around.