out into the night, grappling with her newfound discovery. Questions crowded into her mind. Why did he have such a rough reputation? One so bad that he had almost been arrested last night without any real proof of wrongdoing. She had heard unkind rumors about him and his family most of her life, but somehow Josh had escaped the talk. Yet, from what she could tell, Zach was more honorable than most any guy she knew. Even her grandfather believed in him.
Unable to hold back her question, inappropriate as it was, Savannah approached it gingerly. She definitely didn’t want to offend him, but there had to be some kind of rational explanation for all the bad talk she’d heard. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
She swallowed past the discomfort of speaking to him about anything so personal. “Why do you have such a bad reputation when you’re not a bad guy at all?”
He was silent for so long, she was sure she had made a mistake and offended him. Just as she was getting ready to issue an apology, he spoke almost absentmindedly, as if he was still thinking about her question. “I think a lot of people are all too willing to believe the worst of someone rather than form an opinion for themselves.”
The look he shot her held a sadness and sorrow she never expected. “Don’t believe everything you hear. Even if all evidence points to one answer, be brave enough to learn the truth for yourself.”
Feeling as though she’d just gotten a philosophy lesson from a very wise man, Savannah turned away, lost in thought. Little did she know that Zach’s advice was more than just wise words; someday it would make all the difference in the world to her.
CHAPTER
FIVE
TWO MONTHS LATER
“Surely you’re not going out tonight?”
In the midst of shining his shoes, Zach stopped briefly to look up. His mother was leaning against the doorjamb, a glass of white wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Her honey-blond hair was pulled on top of her head in an artless, messy style that somehow made her look much younger than her forty-two years.
Francine had always had a fragile, delicate air about her, and Zach knew she worked hard to foster that image. She had often reminded her sons that her beauty was her best asset.
“You going with that Wilde girl again?”
His mother had made it more than clear that she didn’t approve of her son dating one of the wealthiest girls in Midnight. It had been a stupid hope that he could keep the news of his relationship with Savannah a secret from her. Francine rarely socialized with anyone in town, but news could travel like lightning in Midnight, and somehow, even without friends, she found out.
“This is your last night in town for a long time. I would’ve thought you’d want to stay home.”
She left out the additional words “with me,” but they were implied. He hated to admit it, because it was so downright freaky, but every time she brought up Savannah’s name, he could swear she sounded jealous. The thought turned his stomach.
He’d already said goodbye to Josh, who was away at football camp. Leonard was out of town on a business trip. Zach knew that if he stayed home, it would be the way it had been since he was a kid. His mother would drink too much, talk about the days when she was the prettiest girl in Alabama, and lament that life wasn’t fair. Zach had had his fill long ago.
This was his last night … his final night with Savannah, at least for a very long time. No way would he miss spending this time with her. He still hadn’t even figured out how the hell he was going to say goodbye.
“Come on, Zachie. I’ll order a pizza and we’ll spend it together just like old times.”
Zach shook his head. “I can’t, Mom. Besides, Leonard’s coming home tonight, so you won’t be alone for long.”
“That’s not the point. Dammit, this is your last night in town. You’d think you’d want to spend it with your family.”
Straightening to his full height, Zach fought the urge to tell her the truth. That getting away from her was the thing he was looking forward to the most. Knowing that would crush her, he instead went with a safe answer. “I’ll get up early in the morning and fix us a big breakfast before I leave. How’s that sound?”