Expecting His Secret Heir by Dani Wade Page A

she said, her voice smooth and in control.
    Which simply reminded him of just what drove her out of control...
    â€œAnd you as well, young lady,” his mother said. “You handled this party like someone in the know.”
    â€œCleanup is an art form,” Sadie said with a slight smile and dismissive wave of her hand. “Just not one normally appreciated by others.”
    Her words left him to wonder just who she was always cleaning up after.
    â€œLet me just get Mother home, then I’ll come by—”
    â€œNonsense,” Sadie said, her eyes overly bright. “The last thing I want to be is trouble. I booked a cab for myself.” She patted his arm. He tried not to notice how her touch lingered for a few seconds longer than normal, because it reminded him of an opportunity missed.
    â€œY’all have a nice night,” she said.
    Uncomfortable would be more like it.
    * * *
    Sadie told herself she’d come to Lola’s because four days was way too long to go without seeing the object of her investigation. Also, a woman had to eat, right?
    The impulse had nothing to do with her body’s mourning over the lost opportunity or lack of a Zach fix. Not at all. Even though she knew it would have been wrong to accept, she couldn’t help but think of his invitation the night of the party with longing. She wished she hadn’t given him—and her—the least complicated way out, when her heart had wanted nothing more than to take him home.
    The last week had been a busy one for him. The Blackstone brothers had been less hands-on at the mill, splitting their time between there and home with their dying mother. At least that’s what gossip around town said: Lily Blackstone’s precarious health was finally failing.
    The woman’s tragic story—of being comatose for many years after a car accident followed by a stroke—left Sadie weepy. She tried not to think about it. Her own sister’s terminal illness made the story hit too close to home.
    The situation had left Zach with a lot of administrative work on his hands, along with directing his own business. She’d watched at a distance, waiting for the moment when he’d invite her back into the inner circle...but he never did. She told herself he was tired, overworked, but a panic had started deep inside. Yes, she needed to get close to him. She seemed to have found all the superficial evidence about Zach’s character she was going to get from the town. Family history, rumors and accusations—none of it would disqualify him from his inheritance. She needed to dig into the parts of his life that no one else could see. In order to find something truly damning, she’d have to find it out from Zach himself.
    But the truth was, as wrong as she knew it to be, she wanted that time with him. His attention. His intensity focused on her...for just the few minutes she had left with him.
    She’d guessed that he’d be here tonight. He couldn’t be spending a lot of time with his family during the day, and family meant a lot to him. That much she’d learned about Zachary Gatlin. So even though he didn’t have to work at Lola’s, she figured he would be here in some capacity to check on his mother and sister.
    The restaurant was full, but not as packed as the last time she’d been here. The scents of grilled meat and some kind of spicy barbecue sauce had her mouth watering in anticipation. She waved to a few friends she’d made as she crossed the floor to nab a small two-top along the wall near the bar, hoping the position would help her see and be seen by one very specific person.
    Her disappointment mounted as a waitress took her order and served her food. She’d shared a smile with Ms. Gatlin, Zach’s mother, as she busied herself behind the bar. But as dinner wore on, there was no sign of Zach, or even his sister, KC.
    As Sadie finished up, the arrival of three women