Chapter 37

October 30 - Pine Valley, Pennsylvania

Zach filled his glass with scotch, wondering why he was even bothering with the formality. Something held him back from swigging it straight from the bottle. Maybe because that would have been undignified. If he had nothing else, he still had his dignity. He laughed uproariously to himself.

"At least you have a sense of humor." He looked up and saw Myrtle Fargate standing in his doorway. He frowned. She shook her head. "I'm not in the habit of coming into people's homes without permission. I knocked several times and the door swung open."

Zach shrugged. "You're welcome anytime, Mrs. Fargate. You don't have to stand on ceremony with me."

She tottered into the apartment and closed the door. "In that case, call me Myrtle. You and I may not know each other very well, but I have the feeling we might get the chance."

Zach took a large gulp of his scotch. "You mean because I'm staying in Pine Valley for awhile?"

Myrtle sat on the sofa. "That seems to be the understanding of everyone around town. Despite the fact that you do not and never did want to run Cambias, that has become your lot in life."

Zach smiled cynically. "How do you know about what I want?"

She smirked at him. "Young man, I may be old, but I still keep up with the times. I've read articles about you on the internet."

This time the grin was genuine. "So you've been googling me, eh?"

She laughed heartily. "Isn't that what everyone does these days? There's quite a wealth of information about you if one knows where to look."

He shrugged and took another swallow of scotch. "Okay, Myrtle, you got me. I never wanted to be in the position I'm in now. So what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?"

Myrtle's eyebrows shot up. "Everything, since Cambias owns a tea company in China." She gave him a wicked smile, and he laughed. "There, that's better. A man as handsome and charming as you should have no reason to be sitting in the dark, alone and unhappy."

His laugh turned into a rueful smile. "I may be handsome and charming, but I'm also apparently self-destructive."

She shook her head. "No, that's more Kendall's modus operandi. Or at least it was...I'm not so sure anymore. After all, she had the good sense to fall in love with you."

Zach narrowed his eyes. "You aren't as up on the town gossip as I thought. If you were, you'd know that Kendall is still in love with Ryan."

Myrtle scowled. "Hogwash! Whatever would give you that idea?"

Zach thought about Kendall declaring her love for Ryan at the reading of the will, of her throwing herself in Ryan's arms on more than one occasion, of her running out of Greenlee's room crying after she saw Greenlee kissing Ryan. "The evidence of my own eyes and ears, Myrtle."

Myrtle shook her head. "Then you're deaf, blind and dumb. I thought better of you than that."

Zach cocked his head. "You and I have only spoken on one other occasion, and I lied to you at that time. Why do you think you know me at all?"

Myrtle snorted. "Because my eyes and my ears don't deceive me as yours do. Yes, you lied to me. I realize now that you were looking for Bianca and asking me about Michael to find out what your brother did to her. You see, Bianca and I talk alot. She told me that you wanted to know so you could do something drastic to keep Michael away from her. Cozying up to your father was what you were talking about, eh?" Zach didn't say anything. She nodded. "I also visited Lena when she was in the hospital, and I received quite an earful – she's certainly a fan of yours. And I have been in the same room with you many times. I was at the preliminary hearing. I was at the Fusion party. Oh yes, I kick up my heels when I'm feeling up to it. I've watched you, Zach, and I think I have a very good idea what is going on in that head of yours. And I know Kendall very well. Well enough to know that nothing is as it seems, especially when it comes to her marriage to Michael…and his death."

Zach shook his head. "I could have told you that."

Myrtle smiled triumphantly. "See! See, I knew it. You had every reason to despise her as Erica has despised her. Yet you don't - you can't. You love her, and you know her as no one else does. It's because the two of you are very much alike. Stubborn, prideful, and willing to do absolutely anything to protect the people you love. And the two of you are being shredded to bits for your efforts. It breaks my heart. Not only because the two of you are suffering. But also because the two of you feel like you have to suffer alone."

Zach stared down at his drink. He couldn't answer her. He couldn't explain to her his life with a father that was so consumed by his work, that he couldn't be bothered to give a damn about his wife – not even when she was dying of cancer.

Myrtle patted his hand and stood up. "Well, I've lectured you enough for one afternoon. It is your turn, next time, to visit me. I look forward to getting to know you in the years to come."

Zach shook his head and took a gulp of scotch. "Years to come. I never would have thought I'd spend more than a few months in this town. My father had other ideas."

Myrtle chuckled. "Darlin, it wasn't your father that chained you to this little town. It was your heart. Ms. Hart, to be precise." She gave him a wink and made her way to the door.

Kendall felt like she was taking a roller coaster ride. She had just caught Bianca red-handed with a baby book and sonogram. A sonogram of the baby she didn't abort. Kendall's niece. Zach's niece. Bianca had also given her a song and dance about how she was planning to go abroad for the last few stages of her pregnancy, and then come back with a newly "adopted" baby girl. She said it was Kendall's fault, because Kendall had shown her that children of rapists didn't have to be monsters. Kendall wanted to shake her and hug her. Slap her and hug her some more. As if life wasn't complicated enough already.

Kendall supposed she couldn't blame Bianca for wanting to keep her child's parentage a secret – although Kendall had grave doubts that it could remain so. Things had a way of coming out. Kendall's plan to keep Michael's death a secret lasted all of a few weeks. Now she was working overtime to keep the cause of his death a secret.

She stared at the sonogram. "I wonder if she'll have your eyes and your beautiful dark hair. You got that gorgeous raven hair from our mother. I got boring brown."

Bianca shook her head. "Not boring at all! Those curls are fantastic – I'm sick with envy."

Kendall laughed. "Don't be! It's a nightmare to keep tamed."

Bianca gazed at Kendall. "I know what you're thinking, but you don't want to say out loud. You're wondering how much she might look like Zach. Will she have his hazel eyes? His chin dimple?"

Kendall whimpered. "Oh Binks, did you have to bring up the chin? Anyway, it doesn't matter. Zach's not a part of my life anymore."

Bianca put her hand on her abdomen. "But he's a part of her life. Oh god, Kendall, I didn't think of that until just now. If I keep her parentage a secret, Zach will never get to have a relationship with his niece."

Kendall's eyes widened. "Oh my god, Binks! Alexander's will! If the world knew that your baby was Alexander's grandchild, she would inherit everything. As Michael's widow, I would run the company until she was old enough to take over. Zach would be off the hook!"

Bianca shook her head. "I told you I'm not going to reveal who she is. Besides, I don't want my daughter involved in that mess."

Kendall's shoulders slumped. "I'm pretty sure Zach wouldn't either. He took over the reigns of Cambias for the sole reason that he doesn't want me running the company. He'd probably walk over hot coals before saddling his niece with the same responsibility that he tried to escape all those years ago. I'm betting if you went to him and asked his opinion, he would tell you to deny to the world that she's Michael's daughter, even if it meant he would never get to have a relationship with her."

Bianca put her hand on Kendall's hand. "You seem to know Zach pretty well."

Kendall smiled ruefully. "Oh, there's a lot about him that I don't understand at all. But sometimes I feel like I can look right into his soul and know exactly what he's thinking."

Bianca smiled warmly. "I think that's because you're kindred spirits. You love him, don't you?"

Kendall's eyes widened. "No! No, of course not! Bianca, I never got over Ryan. When he came back into town, my feelings for him came rushing back. I had a good time with Zach, and now we're nothing to each other but in-laws."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You accuse me of being a bad liar, and then you try and sell me that load of crap. I hope you're doing a better snow job with everyone else."

Kendall lifted her chin. "I don't know what you mean."

Bianca chuckled. "Well, for starters, if you want people to believe you're ga ga over Ryan, you might want to try bringing him up in conversation. I hear Zach's name coming out of your mouth a lot, but rarely Ryan's. And if someone else brings up Ryan's name, you have to make your eyes sparkle."

Kendall gave her an exasperated look. "What the hell are you talking about? Make my eyes sparkle?"

Bianca grinned. "Yes, like they do when someone says 'Zach Slater.' See! There it is!" Bianca pointed at her eyes.

Kendall batted her sister's hand away. "Okay, just stop it. You're driving me crazy. Sparkling eyes? Come on!"

Bianca laughed. "Okay, I'll stop. I have no idea why you want the world to think you're in love with Ryan when you really love Zach. But considering the whopper I plan to lay on the world, I have no room to judge. I guess we'll just have to keep each other's secrets and work together to fool everyone."

They hugged. Kendall held her sister tight. To herself she thought, I'll fight to keep your secret Bianca, as hard as I can. I'll even keep it from you.

Kendall's cell phone rang. Wiping a tear from her eyes, she checked the screen. It was Aidan. "Hello?"

"Kendall, I thought you might like to know that Ryan is in the hospital. I found him and brought him to the emergency room. The doctors think he's been poisoned."