Staying For Good
Page 25

Jo choked on her soda.
Another glance around the room prompted Zoe to take care of the adolescent photographer sooner than later.
She approached the kid with her palm up.
His eyes traveled from her palm to her cleavage, the voyeur. “You want my camera?” he asked.
“Your car keys.”
The braces on his teeth flashed as he smiled. “Excuse me?”
Zoe let her eyes dart to Jo across the room.
Paparazzi followed her gaze.
“I’ve been drinking Miss Gina’s lemonade since you were in diapers. Hand over the keys, kid.”
He turned a little white and dug into his pocket.
She turned away to find Luke grinning at her. “Beat me to it.”
The man made her smile. “Nothing we didn’t do when we were kids.”
The kid’s keys made it into Luke’s hand. “You’re better off holding on to these. I have no idea what he drives.”
“Miss Zoe?” One of the servers came up behind them, asking for help.
Luke dangled the keys. “Go. I have this.”
“Thanks. And let him know he needs to take pictures.”
He winked as she walked away.
For the next fifteen minutes, Zoe kept her clothes from getting soiled by using an apron over her dress and making sure her help didn’t burn what only needed to be warmed up.
When she stepped out of the kitchen for what felt like the hundredth time that day, she heard her sister’s voice. Just like Zoe had thought, Blaze was already in the arms of Mrs. M, who was giving her sister a break. It didn’t take long to realize that Zanya had arrived without their mother. Zoe wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or angry.
“Hey, sis.” Zoe approached her younger sister with open arms. “I was hoping you’d come.”
Zanya had a few more circles under her eyes and still needed to drop a good fifteen pounds of baby weight from her middle. She looked like she’d aged a few years since the last time Zoe had seen her.
They hugged and Zanya whispered, “Mom didn’t come.”
“Do you know why?”
“You know Mom. Didn’t know what to wear.”
Zoe had bought her mother clothes for Christmas and birthdays. She was sure there was something in her closet to carry her through an engagement party. Lack of an outfit was an excuse.
She looked down at her own dress and guilt nibbled at the edges of her thoughts.
“And before you ask, Zane is working. Said he was going to stop by tomorrow to see you before heading into work.”
The two of them walked deeper into the room, Zanya waving to Blaze, who didn’t seem to have any problem letting someone else hold him.
“Jo says he’s keeping his nose clean.”
Zoe waited for her unasked question to be answered.
“He’s not drinking as much, if that’s what you’re getting at. At least not that I know of. Comes home to sleep once in a while.”
“Is he helping with the bills?”
Zanya nodded, grabbed a napkin full of food from one of the passing trays. “Yeah. Not a lot, according to Mom . . . but who knows. She’s been acting odd for the past few months.”
Zoe didn’t like the sound of that. “She wasn’t happy when I came by.” Zoe waited for her sister to bring up Blaze and babysitting.
Zanya held a toothpick in the air. “These are really good. Yours?”
She nodded. “How are things with you and Mylo?”
“Working. He wasn’t ready to be a dad, but he’s trying.”
“Does he watch Blaze when you work?” The question was leading, but it didn’t seem Zanya was going to offer the answers Zoe wanted without provocation.
“Once in a while. His roommates complain.”
Zoe cringed. “Then he should get his own place, don’t you think?”
Zanya stared and said nothing for a good minute. “Let me guess, Mom complained about watching Blaze.”
The last thing Zoe wanted was to cause strife between her sister and mother.
“It can’t be easy on her, Zanya.”
“It’s not easy on me either.”
Not the point!
Instead of saying what she was thinking, Zoe wrapped an arm around her sister. “I know it’s not. I just worry.”
Zanya offered an insincere smile and captured a glass of sparkling wine as one of the servers walked by. Instead of taking one for herself, Zoe made a point of drinking sparkling water instead. Driving Miss Gina’s vintage van to drop off guests was looking like a high probability as the night wore on.
The stress on Zoe’s face didn’t ease until after Zanya had excused herself when Blaze started to fuss.
Luke was aware of nearly every move Zoe made throughout the night, from taking the keys away from Tim, to disappearing into the kitchen only to return with a parade of food behind her, to toasting the future bride and groom with only a sip of champagne. She wasn’t drinking, wasn’t eating a lot, and was playing hostess as if the inn belonged to her and everyone was her personal guest.
He tried to offer his help but found her distracting smile and assurance that she had it all handled warding him off.
Slowly the guests at the inn said their good nights and made their way upstairs, and the ones who lived in town found sober rides back home.
Jo had taken a van full of guests home with a promise to return to retrieve her squad car.
Miss Gina took one look at the remaining mess in the parlor and tossed both hands in the air. “Tomorrow is soon enough to clean up this mess,” she announced. “I’m going to bed.”