A blast of cold air hit him.He took a couple of deep breaths before he made his way to his car.He would have to walk past the window where he and Tilly had been sitting, but he made sure he kept his gaze averted—no matter how high the temptation to give her one last look was.
Up until the moment she’d mentioned his mother, he’d been enjoying her company.Had been fascinated by the way her face lit up as she talked.The way her brow furrowed when she was lost in thought.The cute way she’d spoken her thoughts out loud.Her passion for the project was evident, and he hoped she would succeed, but he also wished she’d fail in her attempts to get in touch with his mother.
Zach reached his car and got in, but he didn’t turn it on.He just sat there and took a few seconds to get his emotions under control, waiting for his hands to stop shaking.
This visceral reaction to hearing his mom’s name wasn’t healthy.Until the rescue that made the headlines all over the country, he and his mom had a fairly good relationship.
Even though Zach knew part of his mom had wanted him to follow in her footsteps, she hadn’t been too sad when he said he didn’t want to have anything to do with acting.
Kathryn had firsthand experience of how the industry could turn on someone simply for standing up for themselves.Her star had turned black very quickly.Not something she wanted to happen to her son.She’d accepted his desire to stay far, far away from that world, and they’d moved on with life.
He’d been able to follow his own dreams and become who he wanted to be—until the wheels of her life unexpectedly changed direction and her star had risen to platinum levels.Then her thoughts had changed and, given the opportunity, she’d been more than happy to thrust him into the limelight.For her own gain, of course, not for Zach’s.There was so much good she could’ve done by using him, but instead she hadn’t, and that hurt.
He’d made a career out of lying low, doing what he loved, and he liked his life the way it was.Something he’d always thought she’d accepted about him.
Closing his eyes, he blew out a breath.He was far away from his mom and, at the moment, he planned to keep it that way—even if he did miss her and what they’d had.He was sure his mom got a lot of requests to appear in person and she would only accept the ones that would give her the exposure she wanted.Coming to a small town like Marietta wouldn’t be one she’d consider, so even if Tilly did contact her, the chances of his mom accepting it would be slim.
But there was always that one chance she’d say yes, especially if she knew he was living in Marietta.He would do everything to make sure she didn’t find out.He’d been here a month, and small-town Montana would be the last place she’d think he’d go to.
His eyes snapped open when someone tapped on the glass.Tilly stared back at him.“Are you okay?”she yelled through the glass.
Zach started the engine to enable him to put his window down.“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?Because you rushed out of the diner like you were about to toss your cookies.But here you are, sitting in your car with your eyes closed and no barf bag in sight.”
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.“I’m not about to throw up.I just needed—some air.”
“Was it something I said?”
It was something she’d said, but he couldn’t say that because if he did, she’d ask questions.Ones he didn’t want to answer.“No, it wasn’t anything you said.”
“Are you sure?”
Her hand rested on the window frame, and he placed his on top of it.A tingle of awareness shivered up his spine.
What was happening?
“I’m very sure, Tilly.”
Her attention moved to their hands, and he resisted the urge to entwine his fingers with hers.As if she could read his mind, her fingers flexed as though she were about to do just that.Instead, she pulled her hand away.
“Okay.I just wanted to see if you were all right.I’ll let you go.Thanks for spending some of your evening with me.Maybe I’ll see you around again?”
The hopefulness in her voice hit him square in the chest.In any other circumstance, he’d love to spend more time with her.But with what she wanted to do, the way she wanted the spotlight on the town, Zach was going to do his level best to keep his distance from Tilly.
“Maybe you will.”
With a nod, she walked away, and Zach put his window up.He’d been in town for a few weeks and he hadn’t run into Tilly before—he would make sure he kept it that way.
*
Zach rolled hisshoulders as he entered the fire station.He was ready for his next shift.It didn’t matter if it was a quiet one or if they were on the go for his whole shift.The change of scenery was what he needed after staring at the walls of his living room for the past two days.The thought of venturing outside hadn’t appealed, which wasn’t good.Just because he’d had one conversation with Tilly Bloom, and that conversation brought up his mother, it didn’t mean that his secret was out.That the second he walked down the street, he would be faced with multitudes of paparazzi chasing him, shoving cameras in his face and asking him questions he didn’t want to answer.It hadn’t happened when he’d headed to work.The streets had been quiet, and the people walking the sidewalks hadn’t given his car a second glance.He’d wasted two days by living afraid—which wasn’t a good thing for a firefighter to live by.
Fear got people killed.Fear made people make mistakes.Fear was the enemy as much as his secret getting out was.
He nodded to his captain as he went to his locker to check his gear, something he always did before he started his shift.
“Everything okay?You look a little frazzled and the shift hasn’t even started.”
