Page 100 of Shattered Dreams

“Would you mind?”

“Why would I mind you want to help people? You could be a patient advocate when I reopen Quiet Meadows and make sure that something like what happened to me never happens again, or you could work with Stella. She’s going to start a nonprofit so that women have a place to go if they need help and don’t have to work for men like Ash. You can do whatever you want, and I’ll support you.” She lifts my hand to her lips and kisses my fingers. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

It’s like she cut through all my worries saying two sentences. Thingswillbe okay. As long as we have each other, things will always be okay. “I haven’t been to school since I went to the police academy.”

“We could do homework in bed.”

I pick her up, my heart light. If a career change and the paparazzi following us are the only things we’re going to have to worry about, life will be smooth sailing from here on out. “If I have you in bed, Miss Maddox, we’renotdoing homework.” I nuzzle her neck, and she laughs.

“You mean Mrs. Davenport.”

I meet her gaze, surprised. “You’re going to take my name?”

Her eyes turn a gooey chocolate, and she touches my cheek, the ring I gave her moments ago sparkling in the meagre light. “Ilove you, and I’ll be proud to take your name. Zarah Davenport sounds quite charming, don’t you think?”

I clear my throat, but my voice still sounds raw. “You mean the world to me. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” she says softly. “I finally believe it.”

“Good.” I capture her mouth with mine, slowly, lightly, savoring her kiss. We fought a lot of demons to get to where we are, and I’ll cherish every single second I have with this amazing angel in my arms. “I’ll have to come back and finish up.”

She flicks her fingers. “We have people for that. The only thing you should be thinking about now is making love to me.”

“I’m never going to get used to all your money.”

“Allourmoney.”

I groan. “That’s even worse.”

Rubbing my beard in her way that I adore, Zarah says, giggling, “I love you so much. Let’s get out of here.”

I set her down, pack a bag for me and Baby, and tug on my jacket.

She grips my hand, and I close the door to a life I thought was full, until I met her.

I don’t look back.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Zarah

The sun sparkles over the aquamarine water. My husband is pretending to sleep, but his hand keeps inching down my tummy toward the waistband of my bikini. We’re lying on a wide lounger under a huge umbrella, the private beach stretching as far as we can see.

Zane’s standing in the water, Stella in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist. He can’t keep his lips off her.

Lucille and Linc are down the shore, throwing Baby a Frisbee.

Stella’s mom and dad, Monica and Brad, are lying near us, also dozing in the sun. Douglas and Stella’s sister, brother-in-law, and niece are building sandcastles.

Quinn Sawyer and her wife are poking through the sand collecting seashells.

At the last minute, I arranged for everyone to join us. When I wasn’t well, I was jealous of their ties to Stella. She’s been my lifeline through this whole thing, and I wanted her all to myself.

The feeling was especially difficult to put away after the terrible lies Jerricka made me believe about her death, but Gage and I had a long heart-to-heart and he helped me see trying to keep Stella from her family would only hurt her, and me, in the long run. Now, instead of seeing them as adversaries and competition, I enjoy spending time with them. Brad said he’d teach me how to golf (something I am very much looking forward to), and Monica said she was honored when I asked her to help me plan Stella and Zane’s wedding ceremony. Quinn and I pour over fashion magazines, and Gage and I babysit when the grownups want time alone.

Have I ever told you my husband’s smart? He really is.

The Stella,a huge yacht, bobs on the water in the glimmering horizon. Zane bought it for Stella as a wedding gift and some kind of inside joke they were reluctant to explain. One day I’ll figure out why seeing the enormous boat made her cry.

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