Page 28 of Zane

“But we’re not going to move in,” his dad added quickly, as if he thought that his wife might suggest that.

“I know.”

“Is your stuff packed?” Lee asked. “Or do you still need to do that?”

“It’s all packed. The suitcase is at the bottom of the stairs.”

“I’m going to go put it in the car. I told Rori I wouldn’t be gone long.”

Zane was happy that Lee had told Rori that, so there wouldn’t be a big delay leaving his parents’ home.

As soon as his bag was in the car, they all went outside, and Zane carefully made his way down the steps on his crutches. It had taken him some time to get the hang of stairs, but he’d gotten plenty of practice since his room was on the second floor, requiring him to go up and down the steps at least once a day.

His mom wrapped her arms around Zane, squeezing him tightly. “Take care of yourself, and if anything comes up that is concerning, call us.”

“I will, Mom.”

After a hug from his dad, Zane maneuvered his way into the front seat of the van. He let out a long sigh as he pulled the door closed.

“Ready for some freedom, bro?” Lee asked with a laugh as he slid behind the wheel.

Zane groaned. “I love Mom and Dad so much, but their hovering has tested my patience. I’m hoping that you and Rori will just leave me be.”

“That’s the plan,” Lee said as he circled the car around the driveway and headed away from the house. “You know that I don’t hover, and Rori would never do that to you.”

Zane noticed he didn’t mention Kelsey. Of course, he probably didn’t know her well enough to know if she would hover or not. Zane hoped she didn’t. He really just needed a chance to take a breath.

“How did you guys end up with the big house?” Zane asked.

Last he remembered, Charli and Janessa still owned it and lived there with their husbands, and in Charli’s case, her three kids.

“After Janessa had her baby, it got a bit more crowded in the house, then Charli got pregnant. Will and Janessa moved out with their little guy first, then when Rori and I got married, she moved in with me there. Though the house size might have been good for Charli and Blake, they decided to move to a smaller, cheaper place because Charli wanted to be able to stay at home with the kids.”

“Wilder didn’t want to stay with you guys?”

“He might have,” Lee said. “But Lexi didn’t seem to be on board with that, so when they got married, Wilder moved into Lexi’s place.”

“So that left you two?”

“Yep. We bought the house from the girls.”

“Do you plan to fill it with kids or something?”

“Well, I don’t know about filling it, but we do hope to have two or three kids if it’s God’s will. Both of us just felt like we should keep the house in the family. We also are both open to having people stay with us. We want that, actually.”

“Like me?”

Lee gave him a grin. “Yep. Like you.”

However it came about, he was grateful for a place to stay and recover without people hovering over him. Even if it was with a wife he didn’t know.

Lee pulled the vehicle into the driveway of the house, then parked in front of the garage. As Zane angled himself out, Leegot his suitcase out of the back of the car. Zane wished he could offer to help, but he needed both hands on the crutches.

Leading the way up to the front door, Lee moved with ease, leaving Zane in the dust. It was frustrating because Zane was used to being able to move around quickly.

Working in a professional kitchen in a busy restaurant had required high energy. And if there was one thing Zane was lacking in his current situation—aside from his memory—it was definitely his energy.

“Hey!” Rori greeted them with a big smile as she came into the foyer. “Glad you made it, Zane.”

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