Part 27 (1/2)
”He's doing all right the way he is. He's here at Willow Glen and he's happy. Any risk of dying is too great, as far as I'm concerned.”
”He's existing here, Carson! That's all he's doing. Dad would want to do this and you know it!”
Carson's jaw tightened. ”I'm his conservator. The decision is mine and I'm not willing to risk his life.”
A flush rose under the bones in Zach's cheeks. ”This is the chance we've been waiting for ever since the accident. There's no way I'm going to let you deny him the right to live a normal life again.”
Dr. Marvin stood up from his chair at the end of the table. ”Gentlemen, please. It looks as if you're going to need some time to discuss this. I've got a patient I need to see. I'll be back in Los Angeles in the morning. Call me if you have any questions I can answer.” The doctor walked out of the conference room and the door swished closed behind him.
Carson stared at Zach, both men still on their feet. ”Like I said, the decision is mine and I won't be responsible for causing my father's death.”
Zach's jaw clenched. ”This is bulls.h.i.+t, Carson. And if you think I'm going to sit by and do nothing, you're dead wrong. I realize you've gotten used to your position as head of Harcourt Farms. I've never contested your appointment as conservator and I've never interfered in any way in how you ran the farm, but this is Dad's life we're talking about. Dad deserves this chance and I'm going to see he gets it.”
Carson planted his hands on the table and leaned toward Zach. ”You do this and you'll wind up killing him.” Carson gave Zach the coldest smile Elizabeth had ever seen. ”Then again, maybe that's exactly what you want. With Dad out of the way, you'd inherit half of Harcourt Farms. You'd be able to sell your interest for a very sizeable fortune. According to the latest appraisal, the land and business are worth more than thirty-five million dollars. Maybe you're willing to kill in order to get your share.”
Carson's expression went from cold to utterly chilling. ”After all, you've done it before.”
Zach started around the table toward his brother, his hand clenched into a fist. Elizabeth shot up from her chair and caught his arm.
”Let it go, Zach. Don't play his game. That's exactly what he wants you to do.” She could feel Zach trembling, knew how hard he was fighting for control.
He took a deep breath and released it slowly. ”This isn't over, Carson. Not by a long shot.” Sliding an arm around her waist, he urged Elizabeth toward the door of the conference room, jerked it open, and guided her out into the hall.
As the door swished closed, she heard Carson curse.
”G.o.d, I wanted to hit him. If you hadn't been there ” Zach shook his head. They were sitting in the living room of her apartment, two chilled gla.s.ses of white wine on the coffee table in front of them. Though Zach rarely drank, the occasion seemed to call for a little soothing of nerves.
”You're an attorney,” Elizabeth said. ”You'll find a way to help your father get the operation.”
”You bet I will. I'm calling my partner. Carson will be served with papers by the end of the week. I'll sue for a change of conservator, either myself or someone appointed by the court who will approve the surgery.”
”It won't be easy. Carson's a powerful man.”
”So was my father. He's still got lots of friends in San Pico. Men in high places. If I'm lucky, some of them will feel the same way I do about Dad having this surgery. Maybe together we can pull this off.”
But not everyone would agree with him, she knew. And Elizabeth was sure Carson would make Zach out to be the bad guy, the way he always had. A man willing to kill his own father to gain half interest in the multimillion dollar farming operation he had no control over now. She prayed Carson wouldn't be able to convince the town that Zach was the black sheep he had been as a youth. She hoped they wouldn't believe that a man like Zach, a man convicted of killing a man before, would do it again.
But Carson was a fierce opponent. Elizabeth worried that he might just succeed.
Twenty-Three.
Elizabeth went back to the office after the meeting while Zach made phone calls from her apartment, including one to his partner, Jon n.o.ble, in Westwood.
”I've got to tell him what's going on,” he said, ”get the wheels turning to put the lawsuit into motion.” Zach was determined his father would get the surgery that could give him back his life.
By seven o'clock she was back in her apartment, work over for the day, at least for her. Though the sun still beat down relentlessly outside the window, Zach was full of restless energy, worried about his father, worried about Maria and her baby.
”Let's get out of here for a while,” he suggested, ”go get something to eat.”
Elizabeth didn't really want to go out in the heat again but she could tell Zach needed a break. They decided on The Ranch House. If Gwen Petersen knew Elizabeth was seeing Zach, then Lisa Doyle had probably made sure the rest of the town knew, as well.
Still, Elizabeth didn't expect to run into the woman as they walked into the restaurant. Lisa was dressed in a tight-fitting red sundress so short it barely covered her very shapely behind, cut so low her bosom nearly exploded out the top.
With a smile fixed on her face, Lisa sauntered up to Zach in that s.e.xy way of hers that made men go a little crazy. She flipped a strand of her long sun-streaked blond hair over one bare shoulder.
”Well, if it isn't the lovebirds. I heard you two were an item.”
”News in San Pico always travels fast,” Zach said.
Lisa looked over at Elizabeth and gave her that same phony smile. ”Interesting combination, you and Zach. But somehow I never thought of you as the bad-boy type.”
”I was the married type until you came along. I thought I'd try something different for a change.”
Lisa laughed, a throaty, provocative sound. She ran a long, manicured nail along Zach's cheek where a five-o'clock shadow was beginning to darken his jaw. ”When you get bored, honey, give me a call. You know how to find me.”
Zach caught her hand and eased it away. ”Don't count on it, Lisa.”
She just laughed, as if she knew he'd be back. As if, after all, she was a far better lover than Elizabeth ever would be and it was only a matter of time.
All of Gwen's warnings rushed back into her head. Elizabeth suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
”Have a good time,” Lisa said, waving at Zach over her shoulder, rejoining the man she had come with.
Elizabeth glanced over at Zach, whose jaw still looked hard. ”I'm sorry. All of a sudden, I'm not feeling very well. Probably the heat, but I'm just not hungry anymore.”
Zach nodded. Resting a hand on her waist, he ushered her back out the door. They didn't speak on the ride back to her apartment. Zach said nothing as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself another gla.s.s of wine.
She took a long, calming sip, but it did nothing to soothe her nerves. Her heart was still pumping, her stomach tied in knots.
Zach came up behind her, settled his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. ”I'm sorry that happened. I shouldn't have taken you there. I know The Ranch House is one of Lisa's favorite hangouts.”
”It doesn't matter. It would have happened sooner or later.” She stepped away from him, out from under his touch. She wished she were anywhere but standing in her apartment just a few feet away from Zach.
”What it is, Liz? I know something's wrong.”
”I told you, it's probably just the heat.”
”That's bulls.h.i.+t. You're upset about running into Lisa, but it isn't just that. You've been acting strange since I got here last night. I could feel the ice field the minute I walked through the door.”
Elizabeth shook her head, moving the shoulder-length dark auburn hair around her face. Something was definitely wrong and apparently Zach had noticed. She thought that he was a man who rarely missed much.
She took a sip of wine, hoping it would help clear her head. ”I don't I don't know, Zach. Things just seem to be spiraling out of control. Too much is happening. I can't handle everything that's going on and try to deal with my personal life as well.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek. ”Life happens. We have to deal with it. Eventually, all of this will pa.s.s and things will return to normal.”
She dragged a shaky hand through her hair, shoving it back from her face. ”I don't know what normal is anymore. Especially not where you're concerned.” She looked up at him, willing him to understand. ”I never should have gotten involved with you, Zach. I can't handle this kind of relations.h.i.+p. It's just not my style.”