The Last Husband (Forever Love #2)(27)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“He has you now.” Sidney looked away from me and I saw him clutching something on his desk. “You know, Lucky, I like you. I like you a lot. From that first time that I saw you, I could tell you have a kind heart and soul.”

“Thank you.” I felt touched by his words. “I really like you a lot as well, Sidney.”

“You’re good for Zane. He needs love. And he needs someone who is patient enough to love him. There are a lot of things that have made him the man that he is.”

“I love him so much.” I bit my lip. “But sometimes it’s hard. Really hard.”

“He loves you a lot.” Sidney smiled. “Noah would be happy. That was his greatest wish for his brother, to find love.”

“But look where love took him,” I continued sadly. “It breaks my heart that he took his own life.”

Sidney cleared his throat. “Life is what we make of it. Everything is not always as it seems. Sometimes we have to make decisions that are for the greater good.”

“Killing yourself isn’t for the greater good!” I cried out.

Sidney’s eyes looked at me sorrowfully. “Lucky, I wish I could tell you that I knew what was right and wrong. What was good and bad. Hell, what makes people happy and what makes people sad? But I don’t have those answers. I can just be the man I was meant to be, and do the job that God wants me to do. I’m just a simple man, but I’m good to those I love and I keep their secrets. It’s the least I can do.” He leaned towards me again. “Lucky, you have a kind heart. I trust you will do what you think is best.”

“Do you think I should continue the search for Zane’s mom?” My brain was churning. “Maybe that would give him the answers he needs. Maybe they can even reconnect?”

“Whatever you decide to do, just be there for him,” Sidney sighed. “I’ve a feeling that there is going to be a couple more rollercoaster rides to come.”

“What do you mean?” I peered at him wonderingly.

“Nothing.” He smiled. “Let’s talk about my movie.”

“Okay,” I sighed. I wanted to ask him more questions but I didn’t want to be rude.

“I don’t have the answers for you, Lucky.” He smiled at me gently. “I can’t tell you what you want to know, but I think you should do what your heart tells you to do. Follow your heart, my dear; it will never guide you in the wrong direction.”

“What will never guide you in the wrong direction?” Zane walked back into the room. “Don’t say a GPS. Those things take me to the wrong destination fifty percent of the time.”

“Those things get me all confused.” Sidney stood up and winked at me. “I swear they are made to confuse the old folks like me.”

“You’re not that old, Sidney.” I laughed.

“Well, you sure do know what words to say to butter me up, dearie. Just don’t let my Betty hear you; she’s a jealous one.” Sidney grinned at me and we burst out laughing with Zane just standing there shaking his head.

I walked over to him and took his hand and squeezed it. I wanted to let him know that we were okay. I was okay. I understood him now. Well, a little better than I had before. And I was going to finish what Noah had started. I was going to find Zane’s mom. I was going to give Zane his happy ending. Maybe once he had his mom back in his life and he understood why she left, he would feel a little better, a little lighter, and a little more trusting and believing in love. I felt like she was the key to fixing the broken piece of his heart.

***

“Hey, that was a really good session.” Zane grinned at me as we drove out of the Johnsons’ driveway. “I think this documentary is going to be awesome.”

“Really?” I hesitated. “I know you did this for me and I don’t want you to be bored by everything.”

“How could I be bored? It’s fascinating.” He looked at me and laughed. “Okay, maybe not fascinating fascinating, but eye-opening.”

“I still can’t believe you took over Noah’s project just to get me to come to Los Angeles with you.”

“I don’t think I was thinking it through properly,” he chortled. “I just needed a chance to get to know you better.”

“Well, it worked.”

“Better than I would have imagined.” He winked at me and I blushed.

“Why didn’t you tell me when I found out about the party?”

“Honestly, I didn’t even think about it.” He looked at me sideways. “Sorry.”

“Is there anything else I should know?” I stared at him seriously. “As much as I love that you tried everything you could to get to know me better, I don’t want to find out a new secret every week.”

Zane swallowed and continued driving. He turned on the radio and a Mumford and Sons song reverberated through the car.

“Zane?” I held my breath and tried to control my nerves. I was slightly angry that Zane wasn’t answering me and I was fed up with always trying to get something out of him. It was frustrating and tiring trying to get him to open up.

“I don’t want to tell you,” he sighed. “I wasn’t going to tell you and I think that you’ll be mad, but …”

“What is it, Zane?” My face grew warm. “Oh my God, what is it?”

“Don’t get upset, okay?” He didn’t look at me and I could barely hear his words over the blaring of the song.

“Can you turn the radio back off please?” I reached over to turn it off without waiting for him to do it.

“Hold on, let’s go somewhere first.” He looked at me quickly. “I promise I’ll tell you, okay? I just want to be able to look into your eyes when I do, so I can explain.”

“You’re scaring me, Zane.” My mind was whirling with possibilities. What was it that he was hiding from me?

“Can we discuss it later?” His voice was pleading.

I sighed. “As long as we get wherever we’re going soon.”

“We will.” He pulled onto the freeway and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. The sound irritated me, so I turned the radio back on. I pulled out my phone to see if I had any messages, and was surprised to see messages from both Leeza and Braydon. I read them quickly and then closed my phone.

“Leeza wants to come to visit us this weekend,” I spoke aloud. “Is that okay?”