Page 39 of One Pucking Surprise
Lainey
“Fifteenminutesuntilthescavenger hunt starts!” a voice calls out, cutting through the hum of laughter and chatter.
I glance down at the folded list Zach handed me earlier. My eyes skim over the ten items, each tied to an increasing dollar amount. My breath catches when I see the top item: $100,000. Seriously? Who even does that?
My fingers tighten slightly around the paper as I look at Zach.
“You ready to lose?” His voice is warm and teasing as he appears beside me, his grin infectious.
I raise an eyebrow, matching his tone. “Big talk for someone who doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Oh, I’ll win,” he says with supreme confidence, leaning in slightly. “And when I do, you’re going to owe me—big time.”
Before I can retort, a shout comes from across the lawn, and we both turn to see oneof his cousins waving him over. Zach sighs, brushing a hand lightly against my arm. “Be right back,” he says before jogging away, leaving me with the list and a swirl of nerves I can’t entirely shake.
I watch him go, his confident stride making it hard to look away. But before I can dwell too much on the sight, the sharp clearing of a throat behind me jolts me back to the present.
I turn to find Mr. Darling standing just a few feet away. His piercing gaze flicks from Zach’s retreating figure to me, and his brow furrows slightly.
“Mr. Darling,” I say, schooling my features into a polite smile.
“Lainey,” he acknowledges with a slight nod, stepping closer. “Do you have a moment?”
“Of course,” I say, though my voice tightens slightly.
For a beat, he says nothing, his sharp eyes assessing me. When he finally speaks, his tone is measured, almost fatherly. “Zach means a great deal to this family. He’s worked hard to get where he is, and we’ve always supported his choices—even when they weren’t the ones we’d hoped for.”
I nod, unsure where this is going but sensing it’s not good.
“But you…” He pauses, his gaze flicking over me briefly before continuing. “You’ve had a difficult past, haven’t you? Losing your mother. Never knowing your father. It’s commendable how you’ve managed, but…”
The words hang heavy in the air, and I feel the sting before he even finishes.
“But it’s also a concern,” he says finally, his tone kind but firm. “Zach needs someone who can support him, someone with stability. I worry…”
“That I’m not enough,” I finish for him, my voice quiet but steady.
His silence is answer enough.
His sharp eyes sweep over me, lingering for a moment before shifting to where Zach has stopped, now deep in conversation with Clarissa. She’s leaning in too close, her hand lightly brushing his arm as she laughs at something he’s said.
“Look at them,” Mr. Darling says, his tone almost wistful. “Don’t they look perfect together?”
My stomach knots, and I grip the list a little tighter, unsure how to respond.
“Clarissa understands Zach,” he continues, his voice calm but deliberate. “She comes from a good family, one with stability. Someone likeher could… complement him, bring him the kind of balance he needs in his life.”
The sting is sharper than I expect, cutting through me even though it shouldn’t. This is all fake. None of it matters. But as my chest tightens, I wonder why it hurts so much.
“You’re protective of him,” I say finally, my voice steady despite the churn of emotions inside me. “I understand that.”
“Exactly,” he says, giving a small nod before excusing himself.
I stand there for a moment, the hum of the reunion fading into the background. The weight of his words presses down on me, and I clutch the scavenger hunt list like a lifeline.
“Lainey!” Blair’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I turn to see her jogging over, her cheerful expression shifting to concern as she gets closer. “What did Dad say to you?”
“Nothing important,” I reply quickly, waving it off. “He’s just protective of Zach. I get it.”
