Page 104 of Spilling the Tea

More tears fell, and she held tight to his arms as she stared into his eyes. “I remember we were on our way home, singing a happy song—my parents and I—then suddenly a truck appeared out of nowhere. I remember the crash and screaming for my daddy and mommy. Then I recall nothing else until I woke up in the hospital in excruciating pain.”

He held her as she cried. He loved her so much that his heart ached at the sound of her crying. So much that he wasn’t sure how he would let her leave him to return to Baltimore. With her memory returning, there was no reason for her to stay in Texas. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he continued to hold her as she soaked his bare chest with her tears.

“Stop crying, baby. You’re breaking my heart—the one that belongs to you.”

She lifted her face from his chest. “What do you mean?” she asked softly.

He took his fingertips and gently wiped away her tears. “I love you, Zoey, and when you hurt, I hurt.”

She reached out and cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, too, Chance. I believe I fell in love with you that day my car broke down on the side of the road.”

He leaned in and kissed her in a full-contact, passion-driven, head-reeling kiss, hungrily devouring her mouth for what it was worth. As far as he was concerned, it was worth a lot. When he finally dragged his mouth away to drop featherlight kissesover her face, he said, “Do you want to know what I’ve come to realize?”

He heard her moan before she replied, “Tell me what you’ve come to realize, Chance.”

“That letting you leave me at the end of the summer will be hard.”

“You got a reason for me to stay?” she asked, kissing his chin.

“I think I do. Will you marry me?”

She went still. Chance knew why. He was asking something of her he’d sworn never to ask another woman, and she knew it. Holding his gaze, she asked, “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Yes. More than anything, I want you as my wife. Someone I can build a life with. Have babies with. Grow old with. Someone who will wear the Madaris name with honor. After all, you are Waylon Satterfield’s great-granddaughter, and if nothing else, today I learned what an honorable man he was. And just like he loved his Victoria beyond the grave, I will do the same for you. Live with me on Teakwood Ridge, Satterfield land that’s a part of your legacy. Together, we can make it ours the way Waylon and Victoria would have wanted. Will you marry me, Zoey?”

***

Chance’s words had Zoey’s eyes tearing up again. Unable to speak, she reached out and took Chance’s hand in hers. This man. This tall, hot, and handsome man had suffered disappointments in life. She wanted to be the one to bring him happiness.

“Yes, Chance, I will marry you.” The happiness that spread across his features nearly took her breath away. “You’ve given me the one thing I’ve always wanted,” she said.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” he asked, reaching out and softly brushing his knuckles against her cheek.

“A man who truly loves me.”

“And I do, sweetheart,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I truly love you and will do so forever and always.”

Epilogue

“Inow pronounce you husband and wife. Chancellor, you may kiss your bride.”

Chance pulled Zoey into his arms and kissed her, nearly leaving her breathless. Then, he swung her up into his arms and carried her down the aisle. The rest of the wedding party followed. All with huge smiles on their faces.

It was a beautiful day in October on the grounds of Teakwood Ridge. Several people were present, including some of Zoey’s co-workers and college friends. Lucky was her matron of honor, and Sharon stood in for her mother. Lucky’s father, Mr. Andres, gave her away.

Zoey knew she was marrying into a wonderful family and looked forward to living on the ranch with the man she loved. Their marriage was a continuation of the love that had begun with Waylon and Victoria. After their honeymoon in Italy, she would start work at Houston General Hospital.

She and Chance had their first dance as husband and wife, a slow dance, then they had surprised their guests by breakinginto a dance they had choreographed together. It was their own version of a Texas line dance they called the Teakwood Ridge.

Before going inside to dress to leave for their honeymoon, she noticed Mama Laverne sitting by herself and decided to go to her and thank her for everything.

“Mama Laverne, I could never thank you enough for all you’ve done.”

The older woman smiled. “Poppycock. You did it all yourself. You’re a fighter and Chance is lucky to have you. We are lucky to have you in our family. Another Satterfield marries a Madaris.”

Zoey slid into the chair beside her, which wasn’t an easy feat in her wedding gown. “I’m going to love living here.”

The older woman nodded. “You will get to do something Victoria never did. Waylon built the cabin as their home. Now you will have both.”

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