Maid for Love (A Romantic Comedy) Read online

  Kendra sat back in her chair and folded her hands in lap. “You and Michael aren’t a couple. You’re not dating now. You’ve never dated. Everything that I thought I remembered, I don’t any longer remember.”

  Zoe nodded, although she couldn’t bring herself to smile. “So there’s no point in discussing this further tonight, is there? Not upstairs, and not in front of Michael, isn’t that right?”

  Kendra nodded. “Right. There’s no point. I understand.”

  Feeling a number of conflicting emotions, none of them very positive, Zoe stood. She made sure that her voice was back to normal when she spoke. “Will you help me carry dinner in?”

  Kendra stood and pushed in her chair. “Okay.”

  Zoe handed her a pair of pot holders and the salad bowl. “If you don’t mind taking this in, I’d appreciate it.” She desperately needed a moment alone. “Can you tell the guys I’ll be right in with the roast beef?”

  Kendra nodded. “Right, Zoe, whatever you say.” She took the salad and hurried from the room.

  Zoe stood at the sink and stared out into the dark night. She’d just stooped to an all-time low. She’d always used her gift for good, to help ease sadness or lessen a burden. She’d certainly never before used it for anything other than a noble purpose. Well, except for the time she’d used it to convince Michael that he needed to forget her, but she’d only done that to protect her heart from being broken. Before Michael she’d never dated anyone who had even remotely interested her enough that she’d worried about that possibility. But she should have known at first glance that he was different. That would have been the time to stay clear of him. But no, like a moth to the flame, she'd been unable to stay away. Until he’d mentioned marriage and she’d come completely undone.

  Enough, she chided herself. That was then and this was now. She needed to get the salad on the table and get back to their guests. But no sooner had she placed the roast on a platter than she heard the front slam shut.

  “Zoe.” Michael appeared in the doorway, his face unusually serious.

  Zoe’s heart skipped a beat. Even though she knew the answer, she forced herself to ask. “Did I just hear the front door?”

  Michael came to stand on the opposite side of the island. He braced his hands against the counter top and stared her dead in the eye. “You did. Kendra grabbed the kids, tossed her keys at her husband, and all but ran out of here. Would you happen to have any idea why?”

  She swallowed hard. “Did Kendra say why she was leaving?”

  Michael nodded. “Yes, she most certainly did. She said you were a raving lunatic and that I’d be smart to put a long distance between us.” His voice was deep and low, his gaze intense. “Zoe, I want you to tell me exactly what just happened here.”

  She bit her lip and struggled to come up with a plausible explanation. “I think it’s just a matter of conflicting personalities.” She shrugged, trying for a nonchalant look. “I guess Kendra and I just aren’t compatible.”

  “I'm not buying it. Try again.”

  Zoe’s eyebrows rose. “Try what again?”

  “I want the truth from you, Zoe. And not about you and Kendra either. I want to know right now what’s going on with you.”

  ***

  To her immense relief, Zoe didn’t have to find a way to evade Michael’s point blank question because his niece and nephew burst into the kitchen.

  “What just happened?” Kathryn looked bewildered. “Your friend just snatched her kids and tore out of here.”

  “Technically it’s not considered snatching if they’re her children,” Zoe pointed out. She avoided looking at Michael.

  Josh shoved his hands in his pocket and leaned against the wall. “Yeah, well, she scared her kids by rushing in like that. Not cool.”

  “Zoe, would you like to fill Kathryn and Josh in on what happened?” Michael asked.

  She’d rarely heard him use such an imperious tone of voice before. It didn’t suit him and she wasn’t about to answer his demand. “I really can’t say what Kendra was thinking because I’m not in her head.” Although heaven knew she’d tried. And obviously failed. “Why don’t you three go watch a movie or something while I clean up?”

  Her request was readily accepted by the teens but Michael didn’t budge. Once the kids were out of the room, he questioned her again.

  “I really can’t say, Michael. I’m terribly sorry if I offended Kendra by something I said.” While that was technically true, Zoe was far sorrier that she hadn’t succeeded. But, perhaps in a way she had. If Kendra thought Zoe was certifiable, she’d be far less likely to press Michael for details on their relationship. “Are you hungry?”

  He stared at her as if she’d grown a second nose. “No. I’m not hungry.”

  “Well, the kids might be. Would you be kind enough to go ask them for me? I hate to see the roast go to waste.” She turned her back to him and began to unload the dishwasher. She deliberately kept her attention on the chore at hand even though she could feel Michael watching her. Stay calm, stay focused, she instructed herself, act casual.

  “They can eat later,” Michael finally said. “Leave the dishes, Zoe.”

  She put the last two glasses away and closed the cupboard before turning to face him. “I’m sorry that tonight was ruined. It was not my intention to upset or offend Kendra. I hope this doesn’t make things difficult or awkward at the office between you and Tony.”

  “It’s a non-issue as far as Tony is concerned. He only cares about sports and work. I doubt he ever even listens to his wife. That’s not what I'm worried about.”

  She shouldn’t ask. She shouldn’t go there. But she did. “What are you worried about?”

  He took several steps closer, his eyes not leaving hers. “Zoe, I need to ask you something.”

  Her heart began to race. The last year had done nothing to erase her attraction to him. If anything, it had only intensified her desires. She made a conscious effort to keep her breathing steady, but if he came any closer, all bets were going to be called off. He was the most attractive man that she’d ever known and she was only human. “I really think I should go.”

  Michael reached out and laid his hand over hers. She felt full of longing for more of his touch. It was as if she were being pulled into a force field that she was powerless against. If he was going to try to kiss her, she knew she was going to let him.

  “Zoe, I need-”

  A loud crash from just outside the kitchen caused them both to jump. She followed Michael into the hallway.

  Josh and his sister were busy gathering up toys that were scattered around the hallway. “Sorry, I tripped,” he said. “We didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

  Zoe knew an escape hatch when she saw one. “No problem, I was just leaving.” She tried to sidestep around Michael but he reached out and laid a hand on her arm.

  “Wait, Zoe, we need to talk.”

  “Did you ask her yet, Uncle M?” Kathryn asked.

  Zoe frowned. She shot Michael a questioning glance but he looked away. Not a good sign.

  “Not yet.”

  The teens rolled their eyes at exactly the same moment.

  Not yet what? She wasn’t sure she wanted to stick around and find out. No, she was sure she didn’t want to stick around and find out. “Listen, I’ve got to meet a new client pretty early tomorrow morning so I’m going to cut out of here.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” Michael said. His tone of voice left little doubt that she shouldn’t bother to dissuade him so she didn’t.

  With a quick goodnight to Josh and Kathryn, Zoe grabbed her purse and followed Michael out into the night. The cool air was a welcome change from the warm kitchen. Once they reached her car, she glanced up at the stars. They were sprinkled in the sky like they were a handful of diamonds tossed from heaven. She sighed. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

  Michael’s gaze was focused solely on her. “Incredibly.”

  She tore her attent
ion from the starlit sky and turned it to him. “I am sorry about tonight, Michael. About everything. I hope you know that.” And she meant it. It had been unfair to tamper with his memory the way she did. He had deserved better. At the very least, he’d deserved the truth.

  “Make it up to me.”

  His voice was so low and intimate that she wasn’t sure that she’d heard him properly but his tone sent a small shiver of excitement through her. She needed to go home. And the sooner the better.

  “Zoe, I know you can feel what’s going between us. Obviously, for some reason I can’t figure out, you want to pretend that we aren’t both feeling the same thing. You’re acting like we’re strangers with no connection. It doesn’t make sense.”

  She felt a rush of panic at his word choice. Did he remember? Or was he talking about how he felt after meeting her just a few days ago? She couldn’t tell. In need of some support, she leaned against the car. How on earth had she not thought of this? She’d been so wrapped up in the past, and the fact that Michael used to love her, that she hadn’t considered what would happen if they spent any time together. “Oh, Michael,” her words came out in a soft breath.

  He reached out to caress her face, his movements slow and gentle so as not to startle her. She stood transfixed, and while her mind willed her to move, her heart ordered her to stay right where she was. Her eyes were locked onto his, they were all she could see. It was as if the stars knew they were no longer being admired so they faded away. Unable to stop herself, Zoe lowered her eyes to Michael's lips.

  Seeing that as an invitation, Michael leaned in closer. Zoe lifted her face, unable to stop herself. She’d been in such terrible denial but it was as if her spirit rebelled against her resolve. And won. When Michael brushed his lips gently across hers, an overwhelming desire rose up within her. She leaned into him as he slid an arm around her waist and kissed her again.

  She could have stayed lost in his kiss forever, except that the front door slammed shut and Kathryn’s voice carried through the night. “See, I told you that she’d say yes.”

  Reluctantly, Zoe and Michael stepped apart. She could have sworn she heard him curse softly under his breath. Weren’t teenagers by nature supposed to make themselves scarce? These two, as delightful as they were, seemed to be constantly just a heartbeat away.

  “So we’re set?” Josh asked. “Because that sure looked like a yes to me.”

  Michael frowned at his nephew. “I haven’t asked her yet.”

  Zoe decided that she’d had just about enough of the cryptic conversation. She looked up at Michael. “What are they talking about?”

  “We were wondering if we could…if you would…that is-”

  “Come to Nantucket with us,” Kathryn blurted out.

  Zoe knew she hadn’t just heard that right. “Nantucket?”

  “Yeah, Uncle Michael rented this really epic house on the water. You should see the pics on the website. It’s really cool.”

  “And we want you to come,” Kathryn chimed in after her brother. “Please say yes, Zoe. It will be so much better if you're with us.”

  She looked from brother to sister. “I don’t think I understand. What do you want me to do there?” She turned to Michael. “If you need help with meal planning, I’m sure I can help you line up a catering company.”

  Michael shook his head. “I don't need a cook. We want you to come.”

  “We do,” Kathryn echoed. “Say yes.”

  She glanced at Josh, who nodded and smiled. “It’ll be more fun if you come.” Zoe knew this was high praise from a teenage boy.

  But she couldn’t go with them. The last thing she needed to do, for either her sake or Michael’s, was to spend any more time with him, even if it was exactly what she wanted to do. Her reaction to his kiss had just proven that much.

  The last thing she needed to do was get in any deeper than she already was.

  “Come with us, Zoe.” Michael’s smile was sweet, genuine and charming.

  And dangerous. Being drawn any closer to him spelled heartbreak. She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” She took her keys from her purse and went around to her door before they could respond. She quickly unlocked it, slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Without a backwards glance she pulled away from the curb and headed for her apartment, all the while stubbornly ignoring the tears that escaped from the corner of her eyes.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I’ll be on the next flight out of Miami, darling. You just sit tight and wait until I get there. Mother will fix everything.”

  Zoe suppressed a shudder. Her mother rushing in to ‘fix everything’ was exactly what she was most afraid of. Experience had taught her that when her parent referred to herself in the third person, nothing good could come from it. “No, Mother, please don’t. Stay in Miami.”

  “What kind of a mother abandons her child in need?”

  “You haven’t abandoned me. When you Skype with me, it’s almost the same as being together. And I’m not in need.” But Zoe recognized the words as a lie as soon as they were out of her mouth. She was in need. Of Michael. Of a more honest life, of an open heart, there was a great deal she needed. But one thing she didn’t need was her mother rushing in to take over. “But I appreciate that you want to help. It’s a mess but it’s one I need to straighten out myself. You can’t do it for me.”

  “More’s the shame.” Her mother sighed dramatically. “Dearest, you have two choices here. One, and I know it’s the way you’re leaning, you avoid Michael, don’t listen to your heart, and ignore the fact that you didn’t do a very good job of erasing his memories of you together as a couple. Or, two, you dig deep until you find a buried reserve of courage and confidence and you take another chance on love. I hardly need to add that I think the second choice is your best bet.”

  Zoe frowned. “What makes you say that I didn’t do a proper job erasing Michael’s memory?”

  “Well, from what you told me, you botched it with that woman last night.”

  Zoe couldn’t argue that point. She owed Kendra an apology. “Maybe I should send a note to apologize and offer her a free cleaning service.” And if she got the chance to try to erase Kendra’s memory of the conversation, all the better.

  “Stop digging, Zoe. That hole is deep enough.”

  Zoe resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her laptop screen. Her mother’s gift was that she was able to read her daughter’s mind. To say the least, it complicated their relationship. It amazed her that her mother hadn’t yet latched on to the fact that Michael had kissed her last night, especially considering that Zoe was having a devil of a time not thinking about how incredibly good it had felt to be in Michael’s arms again. She pulled her thoughts back to what her mother had just said. “Okay, I’ll leave well enough alone as far as Kendra is concerned.”

  “Good call. Now, what are you going to do about Michael?”

  “I need to leave him alone as well.”

  Her mother’s groan of protest could be heard all the way from Miami. “No, no, no. That’s it, I’m coming there. Let me just get a cat sitter for Precious and-”

  Zoe cursed the constitution for allowing unrestricted interstate travel. “Wait, Mother, just hold on.” It was obviously time to begin negotiations. “I don’t want you to go the trouble of coming all the way up here. Obviously you don’t think I can handle things on my own.”

  “No offense intended, my love.”

  “None taken.” Well, some, but why go there? “What is it that you think I should do?” There. She’d just opened Pandora’s Box.

  Zoe could almost hear her mother purr with contentment at being asked for advice.

  “It’s obvious that you were unsuccessful in erasing Michael’s memories of you.”

  “Stop right there, Mother. Why do you keep saying that? If Michael remembered me at all, he’d just flat out ask me why I was pretending we’d never met before. He hasn’t so that leads me to believe that he does
n’t remember me.”

  “And what you’ve just said leads me to believe that you were switched at birth.” Her mother leaned in until her face was only an inch from her screen. “How can you know so little about men and still call yourself my daughter?”

  “Mother, please. Can we stay on topic here?”

  “Or course, my dear. Where were we? Ah, yes, you were asking my advice. Now, let’s be honest here. You’ve failed to erase Michael’s memory. It’s okay. Everyone, no matter how gifted, occasionally isn’t able to accomplish what they set out to do. It’s more than likely there is a reason that you weren’t successful. Have you thought about that?”

  Zoe hadn’t. Neither did she want to start thinking about it now. It meant looking backward and that was too painful.

  “Too painful?” her mother’s words echoed Zoe's thoughts. “That’s also very telling, isn’t it?”

  Zoe hugged her pillow close to her chest. She didn’t want to have this conversation. The pain she was experiencing now reminded her of how she’d felt when her father had died suddenly of a heart attack. One minute he’d been there and the next he’d been gone. Just like that. She’d been ten at the time and she’d vowed never to let herself get hurt that way again.

  “Zoe, love, I know you’re thinking of Daddy.”

  She nodded and hugged the pillow tighter. As much as her mother’s gift often annoyed her, sometimes it made life easier when her mother read her thoughts.

  “It isn’t the same, honey. Daddy never would have left you if he’d had a choice. You must know that.”

  Zoe nodded again.

  “But this situation with Michael is different. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean that your heart will get broken.”

  “Yours did.”

  Her mother sighed. “Yes, it did. But it was after many happy years together, and I’d never trade that time for anything.”

  “Even if it meant that you could have avoided all the sadness?”

  “I’d do it all over again for half the time and twice the heartbreak, it was that worth it.”