Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge (Sweet Colorado Romance #3)

15. CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15

Zac

“I’m sorry, big brother,” Paige apologized as he and Oscar slid into the limo. He gave Oscar a tablet with headphones to watch his favorite cartoon. “I shouldn’t have gone over to Barb’s place without you.”

“It’s okay,” Zac assured her. “Where are Liam and Courtney?”

“Oh, I meant to tell you,” Paige said. “They’ve gone to Montana. Liam said they should find out what happened from him rather than someone else when the press becomes aware of three high-profile people about to be arrested.”

“We should be with them,” Zac said .

“No!” Paige shook her head. “You need to be here, and I’m staying with you.”

“I should be the one to tell Mom and Dad about my family,” Zac pointed out.

“Yeah, they’re going to be mad that you kept that from them,” Paige warned. “But not to worry, they’ll understand why you didn’t.”

“What’s one more person being mad at me?” Zac sighed, his mind flashing to the storm that he saw raging in Barb’s eyes. “I don’t think Barb will ever let me into her life again.”

“Since when have you been a quitter?” Paige poked him in the ribs with her finger. “You just need to keep trying no matter how many times you get knocked back. Barb is just hurt, and with good reason.”

“My name isn’t on Charlotte’s birth certificate.” Zac’s voice lowered.

“What?” Paige said, flabbergasted. “ Why?”

“Barb didn’t think I was interested,” Zac told her. “She left and sent messages throughout her pregnancy and on the day of Charlotte's birth.”

“And you verified this?” Paige asked, sticking up for him. “Cause you know she could just be saying that.”

“Thanks for trying to be on my side,” Zac told her with a smile. “But she did. Herschel got my old phone back. They’re all on there.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d played the messages over and over again when he’d gone to bed the previous night.

“Oh!” Paige said, nodding and pulling an uh-oh face. “That is bad for you, big brother.”

“She’s right, you know,” Zac said, glancing out the window. “I cut her and Oscar out as soon as I heard Liam had been shot. It was the day after Jason Pook was murdered in jail. ”

“You did what you had to do in order to protect Barb and Oscar,” Paige said, her voice also low. “With Liam thinking he was you when he woke up from the trauma, you didn’t have any other choice. It was best that no one knew your connection to Barb and Oscar, or they could’ve hunted them down again.”

“I should’ve tried to get word to Barb,” Zac said. “Barb was right about that. There were ways.”

“No, Zac, there were not!” Paige supported his decision. “The whole reason Barb and Oscar went to Africa was to hide from her criminal family.” She raised her brows. “You made a decision, and she needs to know what a sacrifice you made. Barb’s not the only one who suffered!”

“She went through a nine-month pregnancy and gave birth, all while being a single mother to Oscar and running the Clean Water project,” Zac pointed out. “I should’ve been there to support her or at least have acknowledged the little life we brought into this world.”

“You’ll just have to try and make it up to her,” Paige suggested.

“How do I make up for something like that?” Zac asked, and his eyes rested on Oscar, making him smile. “I missed Oscar so much that I didn’t even think about the consequences of wanting him with me for the day.” He looked at his sister and smiled. “It’s so worth it.”

“I know, but you have to stop antagonizing Barb,” Paige said. “You’re supposed to be winning her back, not pushing her further away.”

“I got to hold my daughter again,” Zac said, his heart filling as he thought about the little princess. “She’s so beautiful.”

“I’m dying to meet her,” Paige said, glancing at Oscar. “I think I should offer to babysit while you take Barb out for dinner to talk .”

“She won’t go for it,” Zac said. “Besides, she has Doctor Charming’s nurse sister as a nanny.”

“Giles Holland hired her,” Paige told her brother. “Her and her brother come from a long line of medical professionals. ”

“How do you know?” Zac frowned.

“I did digging,” Paige said, shrugging. “He is gorgeous and has an impressive resume for someone who’s only thirty-four.”

“Do you have a professional crush?” Zac smiled knowingly at his sister. “I thought you were crushing on Doctor Jerk?”

“No, not crushing on Doctor Jerk,” Paige assured him. “I think that’s more a bit of jealousy as the man has some pretty awesome credentials.” She sighed. “Besides, he’s dating Naomi. You know, my good friend in Hawaii?”

“Vaguely remember her,” Zac admitted and watched Oscar laugh at something on the screen. “I missed them so much.”

“Well, let's make the most of today,” Paige suggested. “I believe there’s ice skating on the pond in the center of town.”

“I don’t know if Oscar can ice-skate,” Zac said.

“Hey, Ozzie.” Paige leaned forward and pulled one ear of the headset of Oscar's ear. “Can you ice-skate?”

“Are we going ice-skating on the pond?” Oscar’s eyes widened. “My new friend Max is going with Jackie today as well.”

“Huh,” Paige said. “Fancy that. Maybe we’ll meet them there. So buddy, can you ice-skate?”

“A bit,” Oscar said, nodding. “But I haven’t skated in two years.”

“Then, it’s settled,” Paige told him. “We’ll go skating before lunch.”

“Awesome,” Oscar said, grinning before his attention went back to the tablet.

“At least he is on your side,” Paige pointed out. “I don’t think Barb will keep you from your kids. But again, you have to let it be on her terms. ”

“I know,” Zac agreed. “It’s just hard keeping my distance. Especially now, there should be nothing standing in our way of being together.”

“Ah, but there is!” Paige reminded him. “You still have a big secret you’ve kept from Barb that you had ample chance to tell her about, as you’ve obviously always known who Oscar’s real father is.”

“I know!” Zac’s jaw clenched. “It’s not easy to bring up in conversation. Hey, Barb, guess what? You know you thought you were continuing Trevor’s legacy…”

“I get it,” Paige told him. “But if you’re going to stand any chance of getting Barb back, you have to.”

Zac nodded. “But not today.” He glanced at his sister. “Today, we’re going to have fun with my son.”

“Agreed,” Paige said, nodding as they pulled into a parking space near the town square.

“This is the best place to park.” Herschel opened the partition.

Zac stepped out of the limo, taking in the sight of Frisco decorated for the holidays. The town square was a winter wonderland, with lights strung across the buildings and the road. He was sure they would cast a warm glow on the snow-covered streets in the evening.

Wreaths adorned with red ribbons hung from every lamppost, and garlands draped over storefronts while festive displays filled the shop windows. The giant Christmas tree in the center of the square was a spectacle in itself, with thousands of multicolored lights, shimmering ornaments, and a sparkling star at the top. Snowflakes, glowing in soft blue hues, gently swayed above the streets, adding a magical touch to the scene.

Zac couldn't help but smile at the charm of it all. “This place is incredible,” he said, glancing at Paige and Oscar, who was wide-eyed with wonder. “We need to come back here in the evening to see the lights when it’s all lit up. It’ll be even more magical.”

Paige nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the square. “You know, this could be a perfect place to take Barb out for dinner,” she suggested, her voice thoughtful. “You could use the cozy atmosphere to talk about the kids—and maybe even explain yourself. It’s a good setting to tell her the truth, especially about Oscar.”

Zac considered her words, his eyes lingering on the twinkling lights. “I’ll see.”

“No! Do it !” Paige replied, a hint of optimism in her voice. “Barb loves the kids, and this place feels so magical. I’m sure it’s just the place to bring out the best in people. Plus, it’s neutral ground. You’re not at the lodge or her place. Just two parents out having dinner and talking.”

Zac sighed, the weight of his secrets pressing down on him. “I know I need to tell her about Oscar. It’s just… I’ve kept it from her for so long, and now it feels impossible to bring it up.”

“You’ll find the right moment,” Paige assured him. “But for now, cocoa and ice skating.” She pointed to where lines of booths littered a road that had been closed off. “Then shopping and lunch.”

“Always thinking about your stomach.” Zac shook his head, taking Oscar’s hand in his, and they made their way to the pond.

“Are we getting hot chocolate?” Oscar asked hopefully. “You know, the nice one like Emily makes with the marshmallows, candy cane, and bits of chocolate and caramel.”

“I don’t know if we’ll find something like that,” Zac told him. “But we can find something like it, maybe.”

“That’s good, too,” Oscar said. “Oh, look, that must be the pond.”

There weren’t too many people on the rink, but they got their skates, and Zac left Paige to help Oscar with his while he went to get them some hot chocolate. He was walking back to them when he spotted Barb, Heather, and Avery walking out of a hardware store across from the pond.

He got such a fright when he saw her that he nearly dropped the beverages. Zac stood transfixed as he noted how relaxed and happy Barb looked as she laughed at something Heather was saying .

His heart was beating so hard in his chest that he was sure they could hear it from across the road, and then, to his horror, Avery spotted him.

“Zac!” Avery called, waving.

He waved back and saw Barb’s smile slide from her face as her head shot around and saw him across the street. Zac stood dead still as he watched the three women cross the road to join him.

“Hi,” Heather and Avery greeted him with a smile.

“Barb mentioned you’d brought Oscar to Frisco,” Avery said and looked to where Zac had left Oscar and Paige. “I see you’re ice-skating.”

“Yes,” Zac said, nodding, his eyes meeting Barb’s narrowed ones for a few seconds before he turned to see Paige and Oscar walk onto the ice. To his surprise, Oscar was pretty good. “Oh, so he can skate.”

“Of course, he can ice-skate,” Heather said a little indignantly, glancing at Barb, whose eyes widened warningly, but Heather grinned. “Barb used to ice-skate as a sport when she was at school.”

Barb shook her head at her friend. “She told us she taught Oscar as he was interested in playing ice hockey one day.”

“You’re all welcome to join us if you’d like?” Zac found himself saying.

“No, we can’t,” Barb’s words were sharp. “You enjoy your day with Oscar. We have a lot to do at the lodge to get ready for the festival.”

“Yeah, Barb’s right,” Avery said with a sigh. “Although I’d love to join you as I haven’t ice-skated in a while.”

“Maybe we can make a night of it sometime this week,” Heather suggested. “I’ll ask Jackie when she looks after the kids and eight of us if you would join us,” She looked at Zac. “We could have dinner, do a bit of night browsing, and some ice-skating. ”

“That sounds like a plan,” Avery agreed and looked at Barb. “What do you say, Barb?”

“I’m not sure,” Barb said hesitantly, her eyes meeting Zac’s once again. “It depends on what night it is.”

“We’ll let you know if you’re interested, Zac,” Heather said, and he nodded.

“It sounds good,” Zac said, nodding and holding up the drinks. “I have to take this to Oscar and Paige before it gets too cold.”

“See you later,” Avery said as the three women turned and walked away, leaving Zac to watch them go.

He felt it was becoming symbolic watching Barb walk away from him, and each time she left, it felt like she was getting further away from him. Zac heard a squeal of laughter and turned to witness his sister hit the ice after trying to do a spin, and Oscar found it funny.

Zac pushed thoughts of Barb from his mind and went to the rink. “Are you okay?” he asked his sister as he leaned over the railing.

“She broke her butt!” Oscar laughed.

“Sorry, that was me,” Paige admitted getting up. “As I fell, I yelled, ouch, I think I broke my butt.”

“Nice!” Zac shook his head. “You’re lucky Zac’s the only young person here right now, or you might’ve gotten us kicked off the ice.”

“Are you coming to skate with us, Dad?” Oscar looked hopefully at him. “I’ll hold you up if you can’t skate.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Zac said, smiling. “I might take you up on that. But I think for now, I’ll sit here and keep our drinks safe.”

“Okay.” Oscar nodded as Paige took his hand, and they skated off, laughing.

It was so lovely seeing his son and sister together. This is how it should be—Zac, Barb, and the kids with his family and their friends—doing things together. The next few hours flew past way too quickly, and all too soon, they were headed back to Mistletoe Lodge. It was four in the afternoon as they drove through the gates.

People had started putting booths together for the festival, and the car park was fuller than usual.

“Looks like the preparations for the festival are in full swing,” Paige commented. “Pricilla told me that they were opening the festival a week earlier to give it three weeks instead of just two.”

“That makes good business sense, as Heather told me how popular it’s become in the two years it’s been reopened,” Zac answered.

“Rose, Max, and I are going to help with the hayrides,” Zac told him proudly. “We are going to make the kids not be frightened.”

“That’s a really important job,” Zac stated. “And you get free hayrides.” He smiled as Oscar’s grin widened.

“Yup!” He nodded. “The hayrides are our favorite thing to do at the festival.”

“Have you been to one?” Paige asked, trying to figure out when .

“They were here when the first festival was held,” Zac explained as the limo drew to a stop. “I think I’ll get changed and go find out where I can help.”

“I’ll come with you,” Oscar offered.

“Let’s ask your mom first,” Zac suggested. “She may have something she needs you to do.”

“Okay!” Oscar nodded as they climbed out of the limo.

“I’ll take Oscar back to Barb,” Zac said.

“Okay, I’ll help Herschel get our purchases to the chalet.” Paige left them as Zac and Oscar went to find where Barb was.

“Oscar!” Rose saw them and rushed toward them. “Hello.”

“Hi, Rose,” Oscar greeted his friend. “What are you doing?”

“Going back to the lodge,” Rose told him, “Chef’s making cookies, and I’m going to help. Wanna come?”

Oscar looked at Zac. “Can I go, please, Dad?”

“Let’s ask your mother first,” Zac said.

“I’ll meet you at the kitchen,” Rose told them, sprinting off with her dog Rory in tow.

“Mom’s going to say yes,” Oscar assured Zac as they made their way through the people busy at work.

“Maybe,” Zac agreed. “But it’s best we ask her first, or she’ll be mad at me.”

Oscar nodded in understanding and spotted her. Barb was helping Emily, Heather, and Avery paint a booth with red and white stripes.

“There’s Mom.” Oscar pointed, his eyes widening in delight. “She’s at the candy cane booth. They’re going to have a giant candy cane that Chef’s making as a prize for a raffle draw. ”

“That sounds awesome,” Zac said, biting back his comments on diabetes and tooth decay. “Let’s go speak to her.”

As they approached, Zac bit back a smile, seeing Barb with a pair of coveralls with red paint splattered on her hands. She looked up as they approached her, and again, Zac was struck by how flushed her cheeks looked.

“Mom!” Oscar yelled, breaking free of Zac’s grasp to rush toward Barb, who smiled, put down her paintbrush, and held her arms out to him.

“Hey, sweetheart, you’re back.” Barb’s arms wrapped around Oscar, and she kissed his hair. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yes, we did,” Oscar told her, quickly rattling off a few things they had done. “Can I go help Rose and Chef make cookies at the lodge?”

“Sure,” Barb said, nodding. “As long as Chef doesn’t mind. ”

“She won’t,” Emily assured her. “I have to go check on Daisy.”

“I’ll come with you,” Heather said. “I need to check on Phoenix as well and get some more paint.” She looked at Barb. “Are you okay with continuing here for a bit on your own?”

“I can help,” Zac offered.

“I’m fine on my own,” Barb assured them, but Emily and Heather had already started walking away with an eager Oscar. “Great! I’m talking to thin air.”

“I heard you,” Zac told her. “But I’m ignoring you and helping.” He pulled his coat off, hung it on a tree branch, and rolled up his sleeves. “I see the festival preparations are well underway, which is impressive as they only started today.”

Barb dipped her brush in more red paint before glancing around. “This is the third year the festival has been back on. Emily told me the first year was chaotic, then last year they were more prepared, and this year it seems to be running even more smoothly.”

“What can I paint?” Zac asked with a paintbrush ready.

“Grab some coveralls over by that booth.” Barb pointed to a booth a few feet to his left. “Then you can start painting the white stripes on that side between the red ones I’ve just done.”

Zac picked out a pair of bright blue coveralls and put them on. The woman handed him some plastic booties to cover his shoes. When he wandered back to Barb, he looked like a surgeon. All he needed was the hat, mask, and latex gloves.

Zac started painting and was about to ask Barb if they could talk. He wanted them to clear the air and give him a chance to explain everything to her, but before he could, she started talking.

“Thank you for taking Oscar out for the day,” Barb surprised him by saying. “He is so happy.” Her eyes met Zacs. “What I said about Charlotte’s birth certificate—”

Zac cut her off. “It’s alright, Barb, you don’t have to explain.”

“I do.” Barb dipped the brush into the red paint once again. “I never put your name on Charlotte’s birth certificate for the same reason I never put a father’s name on Oscar’s.”

Zac felt his heart lurch. “You never put Trevor's name on Oscar’s birth certificate.” He saw something flash in her eyes that looked a lot like guilt.

“No, I didn’t,” Barb admitted. “For a few reasons, but the main one being that if I needed to move around again, I needed to do so without being hindered by having to get a father’s consent to take my child out of the country or get him a passport.”

Zac’s eyes widened with realization. “That makes sense,” he agreed, nodding.

“I had to get Charlotte a passport to bring her home, and if your name had been on the birth certificate… ”

“You would’ve still been in Africa because you weren’t able to get hold of me,” Zac guessed.

“Yes,” Barb confirmed, nodding. “It’s not that I didn’t want to.” Her eyes met his, and his heart skidded and flipped as he saw the truth in them. “Of course, I wanted her father’s name on it. I was going to change it when I got home to the States. I just haven’t had time to do it.”

“I can help you with that,” Zac told her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like it if we did it together.”

“We might have to,” Barb told him. “I’m not even sure how we do it.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Zac assured her, a glimmer of hope for his future with his family starting to break through the dark pain in his heart. He swallowed as he saw her give him the first genuine smile since they’d met again. “Barb, while we’re speaking about birth certificates, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Barb looked at him questioningly. “About? ”

“Trevor,” Zac said, taking in a breath to bolster his courage. “I know I should’ve told you a long time ago, but…” He ran a hand through his hair as nerves gripped him. He knew this wasn’t going to end well, and he was probably going to watch her walk away from him again . “Before you and Trevor got married…” He cleared his throat, not quite knowing what to say.

“Wait!” Barb held up her hands. “I need to tell you the second reason why I never put Trevor’s name on Oscar’s birth certificate.”

Zac frowned as his eyes searched hers. “Okay.”

“When I went to have the procedure done after Trevor's death, the clinic had a note for me from him,” Barb swallowed and rubbed her temple. “In the note, he told me that you had helped him when he needed it the most. It was up to me if I wanted to go through with the procedure after knowing the truth, but no matter who the donor was, the child was ours.”

Zac’s eyes widened as he gaped at Barb. “You knew?” His heart jumped into his throat, and his skin felt like it was vibrating from the waves of shocked disbelief coursing through him.

“I never thought I’d ever love anyone as much as I loved Trevor ever again,” Barb told Zac, her voice dropping and wobbling with emotion. “The thought of not having Trevor in my life had left a big hole in it. One that Oscar healed.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “My last name had already been changed because I had to change my identity, so I was already a Gardener. So when Oscar was born, I left the father blank in honor of the brave thing you did for your best friend.”

“Barb, I…” Zac swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He stared at Barb, and his heart swelled. He didn’t think he could love her more than he already did, but Zac was wrong. “I’ve grappled with how to tell you for so long. Then I thought about Trevor, and I didn’t want to dishonor his memory.”

“I was wondering if you would like to have your name on both of your children’s birth certificates.” Barb cleared her throat and rubbed her throat .

Zac had to fight back the burning lump trying to suffocate him with emotion. “I’d love that.”

Barb sniffed and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, smearing red paint on it. “When you left earlier with Oscar, I realized that while things between us are not right, it was unfair of me to punish my children,” she stated. “They deserve to know and spend time with their father. I have no right to keep you from your kids.”

Zac couldn’t find the words as he stared at Barb in amazement. His spirits lifted a little more. Maybe they could find their way back to each other. “Thank you, Barb. I appreciate that.”

“But there have to be rules, Zac,” Barb told him.

“Would you allow me to take you to dinner to discuss them?” Zac asked, holding up his hands. “Not a date. Two parents are discussing how to share parental duties.”

She stared at him for a few moments. “Okay.” She nodded. “I can do tomorrow night when Jackie’s back.”

“That’s great.” Zac’s heart picked up even more speed as excitement coursed through him. “I thought we could go into Frisco.”

“I’d like that,” Barb told him, rubbing her temples again, and Zac’s brows creased as he noticed her cheeks were now not just flushed but really red.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and started to sway.

“Barb, are you okay?” Zac looked at her worriedly.

“Just a headache,” Barb assured him right before her eyes rolled back in her head, and she started to sink to the ground before Zac reached out and caught her.