Zach straightened. Didn’t she have every right to call him by his Christian name in her mind? His eyes narrowed. He looked her up and down.

Although her insides balked at his frank assessment, she didn’t flinch. Only one thought escaped her head. This was not the welcome she expected, nor the one he’d led her to believe. No. He was supposed to laugh—or at least, smile—and say how glad he was to meet her and Poppy in person.

“Ma’am, not only have I not forgotten any arrangement between us, but I don’t recall ever making one. I have no notion of who you are.”

If the floor had opened up right then and swallowed her, she wouldn’t have been any more surprised.