Meant for You (2 page)

“And this climb has been something you've been looking forward to for a year.”

“And you haven't?”

Ethan shrugged. “It's going to be great, sure. But I'm just along for the ride. I don't have any illusions of making it to the top. That's all you, buddy. I'll be happy if I make it to the midway point.”

Zach shook his head. “What's the point in that? You should be right there with me! How cool would it be to stand at the summit and look down at the world around us?” He grabbed Ethan by the shoulders. “Can't you just see it? This will be our best adventure yet!” When Ethan didn't respond, Zach removed his hands. “You used to want to do all the same things I did; what's happened to you?”

Taking a step back, Ethan shrugged again. “Nothing's happened to me; I just don't get the rush out of it anymore the way you do. You wanted to do this and I think that's great. I'm going to be there with you just like always. If I make it to the top, great; if not, I'll live.”

“Lame. Totally lame.”

“Now you see why it's better for me to go after Summer; you need to get your head on straight. That's what's important. I'll take the drive, find her, and talk to her and make sure this guy's on the up-and-up, and I'll meet you tomorrow night. I promise.”

Zach took a minute to think. “Just make sure you do, man. She could be anywhere in the damn state. Those resorts are scattered everywhere. I don't want to do this without you.”

Ethan smiled. “I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

* * *

It took every ounce of willpower Ethan possessed to be patient while Zach got his things together and left the office. He didn't let out a complete breath until the elevator doors closed, and even then, it was a full five minutes before he let himself relax. He checked his watch and noted that Gabriella should be back from lunch any minute. He'd always had an easy working relationship with her, so Ethan figured it wouldn't be hard to get the information he needed about where Summer had gone.

And with whom.

Could Zach be right? Could her creepy ex-boyfriend be here, trying to woo her back? Summer hadn't said much about what the guy was like other than how he had devastated her, and that was enough to make Ethan want to kill the bastard. While he wanted to believe Summer was stronger than that—that she wouldn't fall for this guy's excuses and promises—he couldn't be one hundred percent certain. For as long as Ethan had known her, he didn't really know her on that level. He'd hate like hell to have to kick this guy's ass and send him packing and risk Summer being angry with him because of it.

With his fists clenched at his side, he paced. Where the hell was Gabriella? Back and forth, back and forth, until he began to feel like an Edgar Allan Poe character, slowly going insane while listening to the clock ticking on the wall. There were dozens of things Ethan needed to do in order to be ready to head for Denali with Zach the following day; this little detour was certainly not going to help him in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, he was putting Zach's needs first, so his friend could have more time to focus.

Then he heard a desk drawer close and the sounds of Gabriella getting settled back in at her desk. With a fortifying breath, Ethan pasted his most relaxed and charming smile on his face and walked out to the reception area. At Gabriella's anxious expression and quick look around, Ethan knew exactly how to play this. “No worries, I sent him home.”

She visibly relaxed. “Oh, okay.”

Ethan walked over and sat himself down on the corner of her desk. “Between you and me, I couldn't stand him another minute longer. It's bad enough I'll have to travel with him and all. Hopefully he'll take the next twenty-four hours to chill out.”

“One can only hope,” she said coolly, organizing papers on her desk.

“He just has a lot on his mind and, you know Zach; he likes to control everything and everybody. I know he's just concerned about Summer, but he needs to realize how crazy he comes off sometimes.”

“Try all the time.”

Ethan hid a smirk. “Well, believe me, I've known them both for so long, this is nothing new. I don't think Zach can help feeling responsible for Summer. And Summer? She just likes to push his buttons. And she's good at it.” Gabriella barely shrugged. “Still, you can't blame Zach for being upset. I mean, he has so much on his plate right now…the least she could have done is told him where she was going.”

Gabriella sighed wearily. “I know what you're doing, Ethan,” she finally said. “It's one thing for me to step in when you and Zach are snapping at one another; it's really quite different when it's Zach and Summer.”

He was confused. “Why?”

“They're family. The two of you are the top executives here at Montgomerys; it is beneficial and sometimes necessary for me to step in and send you each to your own corners until things cool down. The way I see it, this is a
private
family matter. They need to work it out for themselves. It's none of my business.”

He hated when people threw solid logic at him. “But it's going to affect Zach on this climb. Is that what you want? For him to be so distracted that he makes a stupid mistake and hurts himself or another member of his team? All I'm asking for is the name of the town she went to, Gabriella. That's it. Please. For Zach's safety.”

She glared at him. “Low blow, Ethan.”

Knowing he just about had her, he leaned in closer. “I'm going on the climb too. Zach's the leader. I need to know I've done everything humanly possible to make sure his head is on straight.” He paused and gauged her reaction. “Please, Gabriella. If you won't do it for him, do it for me. I just want to make sure Summer's all right.”

She sighed. “Fine. She's going to Burns. There's a resort there where you camp in a giant tepee not too far from the hot springs. She was supposed to leave today but I'm not sure what time.”

“Thank you!” he said before jumping from her desk and heading to his office. Using the office phone, he tried calling Summer. It went right to voice mail. He did a quick mental checklist and realized he could delegate the rest of his work to the junior execs and be out of here within thirty minutes. First, he'd swing by Summer's place just in case she hadn't left yet. Then, if by chance he missed her, he'd stop by his own place and grab a few things before making the five-hour drive south. Tepee camping? Leave it to Summer to do something so outrageous. Most of her family wouldn't be caught dead in anything less than a five-star hotel.

This family was going to be the death of him.

With any luck he'd catch her before she left, and all of this could be cleared up before he had to meet this mystery guest and fight the urge to strangle him. This was so not what he needed today. Before Ethan could talk himself out of what he had clearly gotten himself into, he called an emergency meeting and did his best to wrap up all the loose ends around the office before packing up and heading over to Summer's.

He wasn't sure what he was hoping to accomplish with all of this. Obviously it was going to put Zach's mind at ease, but in the process Ethan was torturing himself. For the last month, Ethan had done his best to keep his distance from Summer and make sure he was never alone with her. By going after her like this, he was certainly tempting fate.

What would he actually do or say when he found her? What was he going to say to this mystery guest of hers that wasn't going to result in charges being pressed against him and missing the flight to Denali? Summer Montgomery had done nothing but tie him up in knots for the better part of twenty years; he should be used to it by now.

But somehow, the image of a teenage Summer and the woman she had grown into brought to mind two very different kinds of knots. Back then, it had been a fleeting feeling—more of a whimsical wish. Now? He was drawn to her as a man, with all of the feelings that went with it. If it weren't for his friendship with Zach and his closeness to the entire Montgomery family, Ethan would have acted on his feelings for Summer as soon as she became an adult.

He was too loyal.

He was too afraid to rock the boat.

He was totally screwed.

What was she thinking? Sure, Summer was always up for a new adventure, but maybe she should have given this one a little more thought. The fact that it was going to piss off her brother was certainly a perk though. The soothing voice of her GPS informed her she had another sixty miles to go. “I should have just flown,” Summer mumbled to herself. “Road trips are all fine and good, but this is a little more than I was looking for.”

She didn't mind driving; she even found it to be relaxing. Looking over at her sleeping travel companion, she felt a twinge of envy.

“Note to self, get some sleep over the weekend.”

It was one thing to say it and quite another to actually accomplish it. It seemed like months since Summer had gotten a good night's sleep—one of the downsides of having your life turned upside down and being unsure of what to do next.

Her family had always been a blessing though, and when her father and Uncle William had suggested this temporary move to the West Coast, Summer had figured, why not? What did she have to lose?

Nothing.

That was the problem.

For all of the traveling, exciting jobs, and constant stream of activities in her life, Summer Montgomery had nothing to show for it. No permanent home, no career to call her own, and no one to love her. Well, except her family, but they didn't count. Not in the way she meant. She wanted a man in her life. She wanted someone who was hopelessly in love with her and brought out the type of passion you only read about in a good romance novel.

She thought she had at least found part of that with Alex. He had swept her off her feet—literally—while she had been out walking her clients' dogs. He had started walking with her in the park after their initial meeting and had talked about his love of dogs and how he wasn't allowed to have pets in his building. Summer had actually felt bad for him and found it sweet that he had wanted to spend time with her—and the dogs. He was attentive and romantic and said all the right things, but they were all a lie. It had been crushing to find out that he was actually a married man with a wife and two kids living in Chicago. There had never been a question about why he was always traveling; his job dictated it. What she hadn't known was that she was the pit stop, not the other way around.

The thought of being the other woman made her want to retch. That was so not who she was—not who she had ever wanted to be—and yet, here she was. It hadn't taken long to pack up her New York apartment and head home to her family in North Carolina, but after a month there, she had grown restless. It must have been obvious to everyone, because when her father and uncle had sat her down, it seemed like they had everything worked out. They must have been working on it for some time to have had all of the details already in place for her, including a new condo in Portland.

The West Coast was definitely a pleasant change of pace for her, but she had yet to fully make the connection. It was as if she knew that this too would be temporary and so she held herself back. It would have been different if her brother hadn't welcomed her with barely veiled hostility.

Typical Zach.

It wasn't that she was expecting some kind of grand gesture from him or a welcoming committee, but it would have been nice for him to at least smile in her direction once in a while or tell her that he was happy she was there. It wasn't normally Summer's MO to run away from a challenge, but at this particular point in her life, she needed a little more TLC and a lot less…well, of whatever you'd call it that Zach was always spewing in her direction.

All of the employees at Montgomerys had welcomed her with open arms and warm smiles. Even Ethan.

She sighed at the image of how pleased he had looked when she arrived. It was almost as if he had been waiting for her. All of her girly parts melted on sight. And if it weren't for Ethan running interference between her and Zach, she probably would have left by now. Music played softly in the car; maybe the love song channel wasn't the best choice, but it certainly fit her mood. Someday she'd have what all of these songs were talking about: love, passion, and someone who wanted only her.

Not her plus a wife and kids.

Damn Alex.

A soft snore beside her brought a smile to Summer's face. To be able to sleep that soundly, that deeply, was to be envied. Maybe this weekend getaway would help her achieve at least a small amount of peace. While not really a fan of roughing it, the thought of sleeping in a tepee with a private hot tub seemed to be just the sort of thing for her. She knew she could be a bit eccentric and quirky. No one in her family would even consider camping like this. Good. They weren't invited.

She was making good time now that she was out of the city limits and let out a sigh of relief when the GPS stated it was only another thirty miles to go. Either she was going really fast or she had seriously lost track of the time. It didn't matter; she was almost there and it would be a blessed relief to get out of the car and stretch her legs.

One more glance at her companion and she whispered, “Just you, me, hot tubs, hot springs, and the stars in the sky. It sounds perfect.”

A weekend away from everyone and everything was exactly what she needed to perhaps gain a little perspective on her life. Who knew? Maybe by the time she got back to Portland, she'd have a sense of direction and finally be able to put this miserable chapter of her life behind her and move forward.

With a renewed sense of purpose, she pressed down on the gas and smiled. “Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Summer. Hopefully.”

* * *

One of the many perks of working for a multibillion-dollar corporation was having the use of the company plane at your disposal. Ethan didn't know why he hadn't thought of it earlier; he was already pressed for time, so why drive almost five hours each way when he could make it a forty-five-minute flight? He didn't feel bad about using the plane—after all, this was Montgomery business. Personal business, yes, but Montgomery business nonetheless.

He wasn't sure if he was relieved or annoyed when he went around to Summer's place and found her gone. It might have saved him some time and energy if she'd been there, but now he had a little extra time to think about what exactly he was going to say to her. The idea of sounding like one of her brothers didn't sit right with him. For starters, Ethan didn't want Summer to think of him that way. Then there was the fact that he had never been on board with how patronizing Zach, Ryder, and James had always been to Summer. She was the baby of the family and the only girl, but it was like they did their best to keep her out of their little inner circle. For all intents and purposes, Summer was an only child with three siblings. He didn't want to be lumped in with that.

He could present himself purely as her friend, someone who was just looking out for her, but he had a feeling she'd see right through that as well. There was no way to deny that he was there primarily on her brother's behalf. Although Ethan was many things, he wasn't a liar. So maybe it was best to play that particular role to the hilt. It was safe; it was expected. Summer wouldn't question it at all. Meanwhile, he'd get a chance to have some time with her without prying eyes and reassure himself that she was really okay.

Though she didn't talk specifics about why she had left New York, Ethan was shrewd enough to know she hadn't left happily. Maybe it was a job issue, or maybe it was one of those times where Summer had grown restless and just wanted to move on. Neither of those would be a surprise, but he had noticed an underlying sadness in her, making him consider the idea that it was something more. People broke up all the time without having to move to another state to get over it. He would have expected Summer to have a big enough support network of friends who would make her want to stay in New York. If it
were
because of a breakup, just what had this guy done?

The thought filled him with rage. How could any man hurt her? Didn't the jackass realize how fortunate he was to be with a woman who was so full of life and love and laughter? Ethan had dated a lot of women in his life and none of them came close to the level of vivacity Summer had without even trying. Any man who would willingly walk away from her was a fool. Ethan had searched for a woman who was just as amazing as Summer, and it was damn near impossible. If he had been allowed the opportunity even to consider a relationship with her, he would grab it with both hands and most likely never let go.

Whoa…hold on there
, he chided himself as he felt the plane begin its descent to the runway.
Where the hell had that thought come from?
While Ethan knew there would be issues on many, many levels if he had a relationship with Summer, was he even considering it being a permanent one? Well, that would solve any issues with the Montgomery males wanting to castrate him if the relationship ended, but getting married and settling down was something he had never really given thought to.

Haven't you?
a little voice inside asked.
You
never
thought
about
settling
down
because
you
aren't allowed to settle down with the one woman you really want
. “Oh, shut up,” he muttered and then rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of his current predicament. He was flying to the middle of nowhere to chase after a woman he wanted but couldn't have, all in the name of helping out a friend.
Sucker
, the little voice mocked, and unfortunately, Ethan agreed. “And a glutton for punishment, apparently.”

Distracting himself with the view out the window, Ethan did his best to push thoughts of settling down aside and finally try to come up with what he was going to say when he actually found Summer. He had no idea when she had gotten on the road, so for all he knew, he might arrive before she did. Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants? Racing to get there only to end up having to sit around and wait? That would be his luck.

Although Gabriella hadn't divulged the actual name of the resort, Ethan had gone online to research the area and discovered there were only three to choose from. He had arranged for a rental car to be waiting for him at the airport, and the GPS on his phone was loaded up with all of his destination options so he could make the most efficient use of his time. He probably could have pushed a little harder for the information, but he had a feeling he had already done enough to tick Zach's assistant off. If he didn't watch himself, he'd find himself going on his own lunch and coffee runs or ending up with an endless line of inefficient temps to help him on upcoming projects. Gabriella was scary good at her job, and he needed to remember to treat her with respect. Even Zach knew to tread lightly with her most days.

Until today.

Ethan shrugged. Not his problem. Zach would have to work it out with her when he got back from Denali. Right now Ethan had his own problems to deal with. He already had to smooth things out between Zach and his sister; he wasn't going to get sucked into a tussle between Zach and his assistant.

A guy could only do so much.

When the plane finally came to a halt, Ethan collected his few belongings—his phone and wallet, a jacket, and a pair of sunglasses—and made his way to talk to the pilot. “I wish I could give you a more accurate time that I'll be back. Unfortunately, I'm not one hundred percent sure where my final destination is going to be.”

“Not a problem, Mr. Reed. I've actually made arrangements to take care of some maintenance while we're here, so I'm good for several hours.”

With a wave and a word of thanks, Ethan made his way through the airport to the rental car agency. Though he'd called ahead, on such short notice, he was unsure that he'd get a vehicle of his liking, but right now beggars couldn't be choosers. Cursing the slow process, he waited his turn, and when he finally got to the counter, his worst fears were confirmed.

“Seriously?” he snapped at the kid behind the desk as he took a step back to indicate his size. “There is no way I can fit into a compact car!” He was so going to give Zach hell for this.

“I'm sorry, sir; there's nothing else available. If you'd like, I can direct you to one of the other agencies and maybe they…”

Ethan held up a hand and shut him down. “I'm on a serious time crunch here,” he said. “Just give me what you've got.” With any luck, Summer would be at the first stop he went to and his time crammed into the tiny car would be blessedly short. Signing the necessary paperwork and snatching the keys, Ethan stormed out into the parking lot, cursing Zach the entire time.

On some level, he knew he should be equally annoyed with Summer for all of this, but it was far easier to direct his anger toward Zach. He didn't allow himself to show any emotion where she was concerned; he'd had a lot of practice.

Any hopes of the car being larger than what he thought were dashed as he walked up to the tiny, white two-door vehicle. Ethan sent a prayer heavenward and unlocked the door before bending his body in a way that did not feel the least bit natural. Even with the seat back as far as it could go, he felt crammed in. He got himself situated as best as he could, pulled up the GPS, and did his best to remember that he was doing a good thing. He was keeping harmony between a brother and a sister.

Both of whom he loved.

Just in very different ways.

* * *

Everything felt different. Summer had gotten herself settled into her tepee and felt a sense of giddiness at the experience. The furnishings were sparse and she didn't consider it a problem. The weather was unseasonably warm, so once she changed into more comfortable clothes, she opened the large flap to let in the fresh air.

“What to do first?” she said as she stepped outside and looked around the property. “I could go for a swim in the springs or I could just crash right here and relax.” She tapped a finger to her chin while considering the options. It didn't take long for Summer to realize she was far too keyed up to just plop down and relax anywhere. Glancing back into the tepee, she noticed her traveling companion had decided to relax on the padded pallet on the floor. What Summer wouldn't give to be able to do that herself.