Page 49 of My Promise To Keep

‘She thinks it won’t work.’

‘Then she’s as dumb as her brother.’ She tuts again. ‘You show her, baby. You show her just how right y’all can be.’

‘Lucy, I love you, you know that, right?’

‘Well, of course, honey. I’m brilliant.’ I laugh again, and she chuckles. ‘It’ll be okay, Leo, it will. You know who you are and what you’re capable of. I can’t wait to see you happy.’

I stand, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before heading inside and pulling out my cell.

Me:I love you, brother. I do, but you need to have a little more faith in me. I’m ready for this.

Doug:You never gave me a reason to doubt you. Sorry I made it seem like I do!

And just like that, we’re good, and operation ‘make Zoe mine’ is back on.

You’re A Catch, Leo Bennett

Zoe

‘Zoe, you made it.’

Cara’s face lights up, excited, as she greets me at her front door with a hug.

We are all spending the afternoon up at Cara’s place for a barbecue to celebrate her and Doug being together and happy after all the shit they’ve been through — officially, it’s a housewarming, but she’s lived in the house for months now, sounofficially, it’s just acome see how happy and in love we areparty.

I smile softly. I’m ecstatic for my brother and my friend, but I’m exhausted. I’ve hardly slept at all these past couple of days after that weird conversation with Leo.

Where in the hell did that come from? Where does this leave us?

‘Of course, I did. It’s not a party without me. You know that.’

I follow her through the house, passing Mama and Lucy, Buck’s fiancé, in the kitchen and saying a quick hello before heading out back with Cara and meeting my sister and our friend Missy.

‘Hey, twinnie,’ Bree says, holding up her finger. I press the tip of mine to it as I lean in to hug Missy.

‘Sorry I’m a little late,’ I offer as I sit next to them on the blanket on the lawn. ‘Delivery took an age to put away.’

‘That’s okay. I’m just glad you came.’ Cara smiles sweetly, and I can see the happiness and pride pouring out of her.

The moment I met her months ago, I knew she was going to be perfect for Doug, and I was right. I’ve never seen my brother smile so much, and we’re over the moon to have her, too. She immediately became a friend to Bree and me and brought Missy into our lives. I never had so many girls around me, and I love it.

‘Oh, sweet lord, y’all know some fine men,’ Missy says, and my heart immediately starts to race as I follow her line of sight. I exhale with relief when I see she’s looking at Nick, who’s talking to Doug and Buck over by the grill.

‘Are you talking about Buck or Nick?’ Bree smirks.

‘Since I don’t know who either of those people are, I have no idea.’

I laugh, still watching Missy brazenly eyeing Nick over the top of her sunglasses. ‘All I know is Doug is hot, that snack talking to him is hot, thedaddywith them, also hot,’ I shudder ather calling Buck that, but laugh, ‘and damn,’ her line of sight changes, and I follow it, my heart coming up to my throat, ‘Leo is hot too.’

I concur. As I watch him heading toward his dad and his friends, a beaming smile on his ridiculously handsome face, there’s no denying it, Leo is definitely hot, too.

I manage to tear my attention away, even though his laugh raises goosebumps on my skin as it floats across the backyard. Despite my attention wanting to drift to him, laughing with the girls is fun.

Cara and Doug have been talking about setting up a business together flipping properties for profit, so she talks happily about that for a bit, and I’m all ears, so I’m distracted when the familiar scent of him stops my heart, and all eyes fall on the man standing over me.

I turn to look up at him as he smiles and squats down, then hands me a bottle of beer without a word. I reach up and take it.

‘Hey, ladies, how y’all doing?’

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