Seducing Zeb (Tarnished Saints Series) (21 page)

She sat up, looking at the note and her heart fluttered. “Zeb?” she called out, but he didn’t answer. She
reached out with a shaking hand and picked it up, reading the words that no wife ever wants to hear.

“Cat, I had to
leave and didn’t want to wake you since you were sleeping so soundly. But I needed to leave early to stop by my condo for some things. I have to go out of town for a day or two, but I’ll be back by the weekend. Have fun with watching the kids. – Zeb.”

Her heart sank. As if it wasn’t bad enough that he’d left without saying goodbye and didn’t even t
ell her where he was going, he’d signed the note – Zeb. Not
love Zeb
, or
your husband Zeb
, just – Zeb. She crunched up the piece of paper and threw it across the room, then slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. That’s when she realized that she didn’t even have a toothbrush with her. Yesterday had been so busy that she hadn’t had time to go to the condo and bring any of their things back here yet.

She walked into the living room and stared out at the lake, never
having taken the time to close the blinds on the windows last night. The windows were dirty and a big splotch of bird poop left a blue and white streak right across the windows at eye level.

She felt as if this was appropriate in her life right now. And she felt so alone at this very moment.

Just then there was a knock at the door and Cat ran over to open it, hoping it was Zeb coming back and knocking since he didn’t have a key. She pulled open the door anxiously, hoping to see him.

“Zeb?” she cried out, but instead of her handsome husband, his plump old aunt stood there with her carpetbag over her shoulder.

“Do I look like Zeb?” she retorted, then pushed her way past Cat right into the house. “I came right over when I heard from Nate that Zeb packed a bag and left this morning.”

Cat wondered how Cappy got here and looked out
to the driveway to see a red Sebring convertible parked there. It looked like it was in prime condition although it was maybe ten years old.

“Did you get a car?” Cat asked,
then remembered that Aunt Cappy didn’t drive. She closed the door and followed Cappy to the kitchen.

“I only drove from Thomas’s house
after Gus from the gas station dropped off the car I bought. You know, I’m staying with Thomas for now since Nate has decided to let all those noisy band members take over the condo.”

“Zeb said he kicked them out.”

“He did. But I told Nate to stay there. After all, Zeb will be gone for a few days anyway. And when he gets back I’m going to have a talk with him about living in the lake house with you.”

“Thank you for playing match-maker Aunt Cappy
, but I really don’t think you should get involved.”

“Well, someone’s got to do it or these boys will never get married! Why do you think I tried to put you and Ze
b together from the beginning? Because you two belong together, that’s why.” She reached out and patted Cat on the shoulder.

“But – I was supposed to be marrying James, not Zeb, or did you forget?”

“I realize that, Catalina, and I’m only glad I showed up when I did or you’d be married to the wrong brother right now.” She put down her carpetbag on the kitchen counter.

“Are you trying to say that you knew all along I was marrying Zeb and not James
but you didn’t tell me?”

“Why do you think I convinced you to let me go get the marriage license for you?
I didn’t want you to look at his driver’s license and realize he lived in Michigan and not Texas.”

“But that was all my idea
that you go get the marriage license for me,” said Cat, feeling confused.

“So I made you think so, anyway.” Cappy pulled open the fridge and looked inside, then slammed it shut just shaking
her head and making a tsking noise with her mouth. “We’ll need to go to the grocery store too I see.”

“Aunt Cappy,” said Cat wat
ching the old woman rifling through the cabinets next. “Why did you buy a car when you don’t even drive?”

“I didn’t buy it fo
r me,” she said with a laugh, crossing her arms over her bosom. “I bought it for you, Cat.”

“For me?” Cat thought she’d heard her wrong at first. “Why would you buy me a car?
You barely even know me.”

“Because
you told me in Vegas that you didn’t own a car and would love to have one some day. Besides, you’re married to my nephew now and part of the family, so I can buy you gifts if I want. And if you’re going to keep up with Zeb then you’re going to need to be more independent and not have to rely on him for everything you need.” She dug into her carpetbag and then held out a set of keys. “I figured this car matched your personality. Fiery hot yet with a convertible top to cool you off when you lose your temper. Just like Zeb. Besides, your husband can’t have a convertible without you having one. It’s not a new car, but it’ll get by until your husband decides to buy you what you truly deserve.”

“Oh . . . I couldn’t,” she said.

“Take it, and quit your babbling. We have a lot to do before Zeb gets back.” She shoved the keys into her hand and Cat had no choice but to accept them.

“
Why – thank you so much. No one’s ever given me such a nice gift,” she said looking down at the keys that were on a keychain that looked like a little metal flower.

“Well, I don’t know why. You are a beautiful woman and deserve to be treated better than that no-good nephew of mine is treating you.”

“It’s okay, Aunt Cappy. After all . . . we’re not really staying married.”

“You most certainly are,
if I have anything to say about it.”

“What
do you mean?” she looked up, surprised.

“I see the way you look at Zeb. Plus, I know you like being married to him and also being part of the Taylor family, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she admitted, looking down and playing with the car keys. “I do. I feel like I finally have a place where I could call home. But I think I have more feelings for Zeb than he has for me.”

“Nonsense. Men are
just idiots and don’t realize things because they don’t like to get in touch with their feelings. They have some fool idea it’ll make them weak or something.”

“Do you really think that’s it?” she asked hopefully.

“I know it is. But men are also stimulated by the senses. That, they respond to better than talking or trying to actually understand women.”

“That I know,” she said with a smile thinking about Zeb’s strip tee dance and also their passionate, but physical night together.

“What do you want, Cat? Do you want to stay married to Zeb and live here at Thunder Lake? Or do you want to go back to Vegas and forget all about him?”

“No! I don’t ever want to go bac
k to my life in Vegas,” she spat. “I want to stay here at Thunder Lake with Laney and Angel and the kids and everyone.”

“I noticed you didn’t mention Zeb.”

“I was afraid to, Aunt Cappy. I want to stay married to Zeb more than anything but I’m afraid that every time I say what’s good in my life, something happens to take it away.”

“It sounds to me that you need to attend one of Laney’s meditation classes to clear your mind and get your wits about you again. Now get dressed. She’s having a class this morning and we’re going to be there.”

“Meditation class? What’s that?”

Cappy didn’t bother to answer. She just picked up her carpetbag and headed out the door.

* * *

Zeb spent all morning in court on another divorce case, as although he’d tried to postpone it, he couldn’t after all. And although he’d won for his client, he almost hadn’t because of showing up with a black eye. He had Cat to thank for that, but he really couldn’t stay mad at her. Probably because he loved the fact Cat was a fighter and he wouldn’t change that about her for anything.

He liked having someone who cared about him enough to get jealous, or to show him she didn’t like his wild ways with women by punching him in the eye. It was like she left her mark on him saying he was hers and she didn’t want to share with anyone.
He didn’t understand it, but in some odd, twisted way he really liked seeing this side of Cat.

Normally,
being a bachelor, if a woman started acting possessive he dumped her right away. But with Cat, her act of possessiveness made him want to keep her around instead. There was something deeper between them than he’d initially thought. He couldn’t explain it, but the oddest thing was that he just felt this way inside. And he was never one to waste time thinking about feelings.

She was right when she said they were both alike in their ways, and though it caused problems between them, it was also the co
mmon thread that bound them together.

Cat had a hard childhood and he admired her for her courage and everything she’d lived through and survived. After hearing her story,
he started realizing that there is more to a relationship between two people than just sex and whatever money can buy. Maybe that was the definition of marriage.

He’d told Cat to look inside, and lately he’d been looking inside himself as well. And although he wasn’t sure about his insides, hers were just as beautiful as her outer appearance. He saw the way she’d
looked so natural cooking in the cabin. And then she’d held little Matthias and something stirred deep within him. And when he’d held the baby he’d almost felt as if it was theirs. He wondered what it would be like having a baby with Cat and whom their child would look like.

He’d also realized that she was as smart as she was pretty, and he hadn’t been giving her the credit she deserved. Plus she was creative and unique. He
’d seen the way she’d been trying so hard to please him by getting jobs that he didn’t even know she could do. And he also noticed that his family and all the kids were accepting her wonderfully. He had to admit seeing her playing ball with the kids made him feel that she was already part of his family.

He liked having her around
, he realized. She somehow fulfilled a part of him that had been empty for a long time now, but he couldn’t quite explain it. And now that he tried to picture his life as a bachelor and living without her, he was having a hard time doing it. Things and people were changing so quickly that it was making him question every little thing he did.

He walked out to his car with his brother Nate at his side.

“What’s the matter, Zeb?” asked Nate. “You seem upset today.”

“
I guess all these divorce cases are just kind of getting to me.”

“Oh, they’re making you think of your annulment with Cat?”

“Yeah. I was so certain I wanted it, but I guess I’ve been thinking that maybe staying married to Cat wouldn’t be that bad after all.”

“And your divorce cases made you realize this?
I don’t get it.”

“Neither do I. But somehow t
hey made me realize that my relationship with Cat isn’t as bad as I thought. We may not always agree on things, but I’m starting to think it doesn’t really matter. Maybe we’re both meant for each other like Aunt Cappy said. Oh, hell. I don’t know.” He threw his briefcase over the side of his open Mercedes convertible and got into the passenger seat. “Thanks for saying you’d take me to the airport,” he told his brother.

“Not a problem said Nate getting into the driver’s seat of t
he car and holding out his hand for the key.”

Zeb reluctantly dropped the key
into his palm. “No leaving the car with the top down and unlocked when you’re doing a gig at Burley’s,” he told him. “And remember to give a ride to Cat if she needs to go anywhere. And get your friends out of my condo cuz I’ll be living there with Cat when I get back. And don’t forget to pick me up at the airport -”

“All right already, Zeb,” said Nate with a shake of the head. “You’re starting to sound like a par
ent or something now that you’ve gotten married. What’s happening to you? And you never told me where you were going.”

“
I’m going to St. Louis.”

“Business?”

“No. And don’t ask me anything else because I can’t talk about it right now.”

“All right, then let’s go.” Nate
started the car and squealed out into traffic.

“Hey lead foot, remember whose car you’re driving here.”

“How could I forget?”

“Matter of fact, maybe you should let Cat drive the Mercedes while I’m gone and you drive the old rust bucket instead.”

“She won’t need it now that she’s got her own car,” said Nate, changing lanes much too quickly.

“Her own car? Since when?”
This was news to Zeb.

“Since I was over at Thomas’s earlier and Gus dropped it off. It’s a 2004 fire engine red Sebring convertible.”

“What do you mean? Did she have a car in Vegas and have it shipped here? Or did she buy it?”

“I
heard she didn’t have a car and that’s why Aunt Cappy bought it for her. Gee, I wish she’d buy me a car too.”