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Zahara stiffened, waiting for the lecture that she should accept Carter’s proposal and make her life easier. But that was not what she wanted. She wanted his love.
“Let me apologize for the bulldozer of a son of mine. Tact is not his forte. As a young boy, he was always in control of his emotions and his environment, liking everything in its place and working according to his plans. He was a bossy little thing.” His mother smiled as she reminisced, and then a sad expression graced her delicate features.
“I made it worse when I stepped out of my marriage and had a child with another man. I hurt my family when I did that, and it made Carter harder as he witnessed the impact of my betrayal on his father. Carter was now faced with a brother that did not belong to his father; a child I had with a man I betrayed Carter Sr. with. Carter became a solemn, reclusive child when Carter Sr. and I began working through the difficult time in our marriage. That was a dark time for our family. Carter focussed on his studies and tuning out what was going on around him. When the twins were born, he loved them, but I could also see that he was trying to keep them at a distance, as well as his half-brother Leaf. Then me and my husband stepped away from running the business and let Carter handle it because it seemed that was what he wanted. It was our way of giving back after impacting his childhood.”
Zahara sipped her tea, listening but wondering where this was going.
“My son is closed off emotionally, especially after he lost his fiancée Delilah. But with you...I haven’t seen my son so alive in a long time.” Tears began to run down her face, and Zahara reached over to clasp her hand.
“Keep giving him hell, and I look forward to the day that I can call you my daughter-in-law. Carter needs to learn he cannot always get what he wants and that he has to open himself up to love. Because looking at you and talking to you, I think you are the one to do it; the one to make my son believe in love and bring joy into his life.”
“Delilah, God rest her soul, would have made him the perfect wife.”
Zahara stiffened, hurt by what she was hearing.
Elizabeth leaned forward. “Perfect in the sense that she would not push him emotionally. She agreed to everything he said or wanted. It was a bit annoying, to tell you the truth.” She clicked her tongue.
“Delilah did not push him or drive him to distraction. He cared for her and loved her, but not in a way that a man should be in love with a woman. He was settling and wanted someone easy and comfortable. You are anything but that, and I cannot wait to see the fireworks.” She smiled happily, but then she suddenly glanced over her shoulder and scowled.
Zahara stiffened, knowing even before Elizabeth’s expression had given him away that Carter had just walked into the coffee shop. Whenever he was in the room with her, the atmosphere felt different. She could not explain her hypersensitivity to his presence, except that her body was in tune with his.
“Mother.” Zahara heard Carter’s deep baritone behind her and felt his heat as he moved at the back of her chair.
Elizabeth smiled, and Zahara felt him step away from her and over to his mother as she stood up to receive her son’s kiss on her cheek.
He straightened up, and his gaze ran over Zahara as hers soaked him in. She was surprised because Carter was dressed in jeans and a grey peacoat that complemented his dark hair and silver eyes. He wore leather gloves on his hands and a matching black wool scarf. He looked tired, and she wondered if that was because of her or the effort of trying to find a new location for his hotel.
Not taking his eyes off her, he pulled out the remaining empty chair and unbuttoned his coat, shrugging out of it to reveal a sweater that matched the colour of his coat. The sweater was lovingly molded to every muscle and contour of his upper body. Zahara’s eyes had a feast.
“May I join you ladies?” Her eyebrows lifted and she let out a snort.
“Yes, why don’t you join us and pull up a chair?” she quipped. His mother giggled as he scowled and took a seat, waving over a staff member as he did so. Carter could not help being in command and ordered beverages and sandwiches for the table.
Zahara did not say anything because it wasn’t till that moment that she realized she was getting hungry. She looked down at the time to see it was late afternoon. Her class had ended early to allow students to go home and start studying for the upcoming exams before the Christmas holidays.
As soon as everything was delivered to the table, Zahara took a bite out of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich as she listened to the conversation between Carter and his mother. She could see the deep affection he had for her as he brought her up to speed with the business and the hotel. Carter had narrowed the potential location down to three spots, but he would make his final decision when he was able to get his personal life in order.
Zahara continued to eat away at her sandwich, ignoring the last part. Not liking that she was not engaging in conversation, Carter let out a frustrated sound. Then Zahara heard him ask his mother, “What are you doing here Mother, and can I have back my phone now?”
Elizabeth reached into her purse to get it but then raised her head and frowned at her son. “How did you find out where we were Carter?”
He shrugged. “I had a feeling that eventually you would make your way here, just like Michael, Ben, and even Ambra,” he said in exasperation. “So I got my friend to hack your phone after you took off with mine.”
She scowled and opened her mouth to speak when her watch suddenly beeped. She looked down and read the message there. “Carter, we will discuss this later. Zahara, I have to go. I have to meet up with Carter Sr., who was out meeting with an old friend. We did not want to ambush you both, so it was decided I would be the one to come.”
This time it was Carter who let out a snort. Elizabeth continued ignoring her son. “Do you have any plans for Christmas? I would like to invite you to our family winter chalet in the Swiss Alps. We go there every year to ski and enjoy our Christmas. I would love for you to join us and for all of us to continue to get to know each other.”
Zahara made a noncommittal sound around her sandwich. Elizabeth gave her an understanding smile. “Please consider, you will be around our family and friends and will barely have to see Carter if you don’t want to.”
“Mother!” Carter barked.
Zahara grinned as Elizabeth donned her coat and kissed her son’s cheek before making her way over to her. She gave Zahara another one of her warm hugs and a kiss on the cheek. “Remember, give him hell, and do not let him stop you from coming if you don’t have any plans for the winter. I do not want you or my grandbaby to be alone,” she whispered before pulling away and giving her son a warning look, to which he responded with a raised eyebrow. Elizabeth then sauntered away, leaving them both at the table surrounded by sudden silence.
“You know she is right; you should join us at our cabin for the winter. When is your last day of exams? We can fly out together afterwards.” He whipped his phone out and looked at her expectantly.
“Carter, I don—”
“Zahara, I gave you the space you asked of me. Can you not—”
