All or Nothing (8 page)

Zach was thinking that the plate glass in the windows was going to liquefy, just from being in the vicinity of this kiss, and couldn't stand it any more. “Hey, keep it legal, you two.”

To his relief, they parted, but neither looked particularly embarrassed.

James grinned and shrugged into his suit jacket. “Behind closed doors and all that.”

Zach gestured to the front door. “It's open.”

“That's your fault,” Maralys said. “Come in already.”

James paused on the threshold to look at Zach's eye. “That looks new. What happened?”

“Doesn't matter.”

James arched a brow. “It does if you're going to be making another one of those calls for help from the big house.”

Zach felt his mood sour even more. “I came for medical advice not career counseling.”

“Good.” James held his gaze steadily. “Because you know that you can't call me any more.”

Zach straightened. “Or Matt. You two have made it pretty clear that I'm on my own. I'm not so stupid that I didn't get that.” Zach turned to his sister-in-law, who was watching this exchange with interest. “So, Maralys, I was just wondering whether I needed to go to the hospital, or whether you think it's normal for it to swell this much this fast.”

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame to the living room. “Because I know so much about black eyes, street-fighting and otherwise trouble-making dudes?”

Great. She was insulted. “No. Well, yes.” Zach fumbled with the words. “Because you know stuff, all kinds of useful stuff.”

Maralys smiled, proof that he'd found the right words.

“Let me see.” Zach jumped when James touched his eye. James put on his glasses and frowned slightly as he checked it out. “Easy. Just let me look at it.” James lifted the lid gently as Zach stood motionless, then touched the swelling with his fingertips.

James' manner was patient and paternal, which surprised Zach. He hadn't been used to a lot of consideration from his brothers, especially in recent years. But then, James did have two teenage sons of his own. He'd probably checked out a lot of minor injuries in his time.

This certainly had never been their own father's attitude—Robert had shouted a lot and been preoccupied more. Zach couldn't remember his father ever showing interest in an injury. Getting into trouble had gotten him yelled at, but at least it was an acknowledgement of his presence.

James stepped back and peeled off his glasses. “There's no cut, no glass in it. I'll guess you just got popped a good one.”

Zach felt an uncharacteristic need to be straight. He figured that's what kindness did to him—it threw his game. “You don't need to guess. That's what happened.”

“Scary when it swells up so fast, isn't it?” James asked with a sympathetic smile.

Zach felt better. The accord between them wasn't familiar and probably couldn't be relied upon to last, but it felt good to not be completely at odds. “I feel like I'm going blind.”

“Just for a day or two. It'll be better if you get some ice on it.”

“Come on,” Maralys said. “I'll make you an ice pack.” She gave him a teasing smile. “But you've got to promise to show me the fab display when the bruise comes.”

“You're only helping me for the entertainment value,” Zach complained, although he was relieved.

“Well, you haven't offered much entertainment lately,” Maralys replied. “We've got to make do with what's available.”

Zach made to follow his sister-in-law but was stopped by his brother's softly asked question.

“What really happened, Zach?”

Zach paused, then was surprised to find himself answering. “One of my old customers didn't believe I wasn't selling anymore. He thought I was holding out on him.”

“And were you?”

“No.”

James and Maralys exchanged a look.

Zach heaved a sigh. “Is it that hard to believe that I'm on the straight-and-narrow?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

“Especially as this is the first we've heard of it,” Maralys said.

So much for honesty. “Well, then I came to the wrong place.” Zach whistled for his dog, who did not come running, but James put a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry, Zach. You just surprised me. If you've really given it up, that's a good thing.”

“You can't blame anyone for not expecting you to change,” Maralys said softly. “It's been a long time, Zach.”

“Well, I have given it up. You can believe it or not, whatever you like.” Zach couldn't dismiss the sense that James was taking a wait-and-see attitude, but then, his brother had bailed him out of trouble enough to have earned the right to be dubious.

“Don't tell me the justice system finally reformed you.”

To Zach's surprise, James' tone was light. He wasn't used to seeing his brother anything but serious and judgmental.

Pretty much an echo of their father's manner.

Maybe he'd come to the wrong house.

Maybe he'd stepped into a parallel universe.

“No, it wasn't that,” he said cautiously. “I just got done with it.”

“Since when?”

“Since New Orleans.” Zach stifled the urge to squirm because James was watching him very closely, probably seeing a bit too much.

To his surprise, James teased him. “If I'd known it would be that easy for Matt to change your thinking, I would have inflicted you on him years ago.”

Zach couldn't resist the chance to needle his big brother in return. “So, maybe he's just more persuasive.”

“Right.” James smiled. “He just declined to help you out.”

“The power of the word ‘no',” Maralys said with satisfaction.

James was watching Zach so carefully that Zach almost fidgeted. “That was a neat scheme for Mom you came up with this year,” James said softly.

Zach shrugged. “Father's expectation that everything pass immediately to the four of us seemed unfair, especially as a big chunk of the family money came from Mom's side. She could have challenged the will.”

“But you negotiated a neat compromise instead,” James said. “You should have come by yourself to pick it up: I would have liked to have told you what a nice piece of business that contract was.”

Maralys folded her arms across her chest and leaned in the doorway, watching as well.

“It was a sound plan to have the four of us agree to wait until Mom's passing to split the estate,” James continued. “And a logical argument that Father must have assumed he would outlive her.”

“If not one that would have been in character,” Maralys muttered but both men ignored her.

Zach shrugged, uncomfortable with his brother's approval. “I didn't want Mom to worry about money. She's never worked, after all. I just did my best.”

“Beverly knows everything about etiquette,” Maralys said. “She could set up one hell of a consulting business.”

“But the choice should be hers,” Zach said, speaking emphatically. “I didn't think it would matter that much to any of us and I wanted her to be without worries.”

“It didn't matter to me,” James acknowledged. “Or to Philippa. And Matt is okay with the pay out scheme you devised for him buying our shares of Grey Gables. But are you okay with it, Zach?”

“Who cares?” Zach tried to shrug off the question with a grin. “I land on my feet.”

“
I
care,” James said with force. “If you need cash, you come to me first.”

It was an unexpected offer and it surprised Zach. “I don't need much,” he said but got no further.

“I know you're frugal,” James said, interrupting him. “But I don't want you to feel that you have to go back to selling to make ends meet.”

“I'm done with that.”

“Good. But if you need a loan, this branch of the Bank of Coxwell is open. I'm your big brother and I'm running late on taking up that responsibility.”

“Well, I don't know. You've already saved my butt a bunch of times. Thanks for that.”

“New start?” James asked, offering his hand.

Zach smiled, genuinely pleased. “Okay. Thanks. New start.” The two brothers shook hands, sealing this unexpected accord.

For the first time in his life, Zach felt attacked by warm-fuzzies in the presence of his family.

Maybe he should have gotten decked sooner.

Then Maralys shooed James out the door. “You're late, Mr. Coxwell. I promise to tell you all the juicy details tonight, if there are any. Let's have a quick review before you go.”

James paused on the walk and started to tick items off with his fingers. “Okay, official synchronization: Zoë and I are on the road tonight. Soccer for Jimmy at six-thirty; swimming for Johnny at seven; pick them up at eight and eight-fifteen respectively; pick up your father from euchre at the community center at eight-thirty; everyone back here for the bath and tooth brushing routine, then I'll see you at Casa Pickle at nine-thirty.”

“I didn't know you were domesticated,” Zach teased, getting his own back.

James grinned. “You bet.”

“It can be done,” Maralys intoned. “We have the technology to harness the wild Coxwell male...”

The two exchanged another one of those hot looks and Zach cleared his throat lest they go at it on the porch. “What's Casa Pickle?”

“Maralys' studio and office,” James said. “It used to be a pickle factory.”

“No kidding?”

“No kidding. When the humidity is right, you can smell the vinegar.” Maralys grimaced. “But the space is phenomenal.”

“Even with Antonia making art all around you,” James joked.

“I'm getting used to it.” Maralys smiled, then shooed him away. “Synchronization right the first time, counselor. You're clear for takeoff.” Maralys waved at James, then nudged Zach. “There's that incisive Coxwell legal mind at work again.”

James turned and shook a finger at her. “You'd better be ready to leave by nine-thirty, Maralys. Tonight I'll need a glass of wine, with you and no computer code.”

“Ten.”

“Nine-thirty.”

“Definitely by nine-forty-five.”

James heaved a sigh of forbearance. “Well, I'll just have to change your mind.” He winked when she laughed, then strode toward the T.

“Doesn't that sound promising,” Maralys said, her eyes dancing with anticipation. “Funny how you don't find your brother persuasive. I find him irresistible.”

“That's probably a good thing,” Zach said. “I can guess how he persuades you and I'm really not interested.”

“At all, or just with your brother?”

“You figure it out.” He gestured to his departing brother. “Since when has he had a sense of humor?”

Maralys laughed and slipped her hand through Zach's elbow. She ignored his question. “Come on in. I've missed you, Zach. You always liven things up. Let's get some ice on that before you're legally blind.”

“There's a good plan.”

“Where do you think Roxanne's gone?”

“Where's Zoë? Where there's a toddler, there's spilled food...”

Maralys laughed. “And that's where you find a smart dog like Roxanne. Don't you feed that beast?”

“Right. Take a look at her and tell me that she's just wasting away.”

“Hardly. She's bigger every time I see her.”

“You haven't seen her since I dropped off that contract. She was only a puppy then.”

“Note that I wasn't the one to say how infrequently you come by.”

Zach chose to ignore that. “It's the fur. I'm sure that if I had her trimmed, there'd be a third as much dog left.”

“Ah, but then everything you owned wouldn't be garnished with four inch dog hairs.”

“That would be a loss,” Zach agreed solemnly.

* * *

They got to the kitchen and discovered that they had called it right. Zoë was sitting on the kitchen floor, feeding cheddar Goldfish crackers to Roxie, one at a time.

With great concentration, Zoë pinched each cracker between her index finger and thumb. It was apparently of critical importance to present the cracker face-first to the dog and to hold the fish tail. Her hands were a bit gummy, probably from dog spit, which might have added to the challenge. Roxie sat obediently and calmly in front of the little girl. Even though the dog was the half the age of the toddler, she had to outweigh Zoë four pounds to one.

“Scene of the crime,” Maralys said.

“But Zoë is in total control.” Zach refused to be insulted that his dog did what a toddler told her to do and not always what he told her to do.

“Of course, she is. She got that from me.” Maralys cast him a devilish grin, then stepped toward the freezer.

Zach sat down, as he was told, and held the pack of ice over his eye, as he was told, and tried not to speculate as to why the kitchen table looked like it had been cleaned off in a hurry. He also tried to not feel that he had woken up on an alien planet, one that looked a lot like the one he knew but was populated by clones of people he knew who acted unpredictably.

James had been concerned about him. It boggled Zach's mind.

It was kind of a nice feeling. That boggled him even more.

He was distracted by Zoë, who came to stand right in front of him. “Zach fish,” she said, offering him a sticky cracker for his very own.

Roxie stood immediately behind the little girl, avidly watching the cracker in transition. The dog salivated.

Zach accepted the present, to his niece's delight, then surreptitiously passed it to the dog after Zoë turned away. “I haven't been gone that long,” he told Maralys. “Zoë remembers me.”

“She's naturally brilliant,” Maralys said. “Not that I have a biased opinion or anything.”