Page 66 of Undone

“I’m amazed. I thought you and Sugar were through after that trail ride incident.”

Zoe shook her head. “We made a truce. Oh, and Shannon gave me a bunch of pointers. She’s probably hiding in the barn watching from a distance and possibly recording everything to show Fiona later.”

“Yeah, I’d put money on it.” I laughed and walked to meet them halfway. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Sugar finally closed the distance between us, and Zoe smiled at me from on top of the old mare. “I am too. I wanted to see your face when we talked about some stuff, and doing it through a computer screen wasn’t going to cut it.”

“Did you hear I was going to fly out to see you?”

She nodded. “I’m glad we didn’t miss each other.”

“Can I help you get down?” I asked, reaching my hand up to her.

“Please.” Zoe laughed. “I think I hit my horse limit for the day. But I did pretty good, right?”

“You’re a certified cowgirl now,” I agreed.

The moment her hand slid into mine, I felt a pulse of excitement. We were doing this. Putting everything out there and being completely open and honest about our feelings. I was excited and petrified at the same time. Zoe swung her leg over Sugar’s back and dropped to the ground beside me.

“I did that for you, by the way.” She pointed to Sugar. “I wanted to find a way to prove that I don’t give up when things get tough and scary. And I’m not giving up on you, Josh Cafferty. Or on us.”

I took her hands in mine. “I can’t believe that you conquered your fears for me. Thank you.”

She smirked. “Well, I wouldn’t say they’re totally conquered, but thanks to all that exposure therapy you gave me, I’m getting there.”

I wanted to sweep her up into a hug, but I refrained, still not quite sure how she would respond. Plus, there were things we needed to discuss first.

“Shannon told you that I backed out of the program at Berkshire and got accepted into the online program, right?”

I nodded. “You didn’t have to do that for me, Zo.”

“It wasn’t only for you. When I got to New York… let’s just say that being surrounded by other students that I once thought of as ‘my people’ wasn’t as magical as I’d hoped it would be. So, in true Zoe fashion, I wallowed in self-pity, had a long soak in the tub, ate too much room service and you know what I figured out?”

“What?”

“I’m happier here. And the reason I’m happier here is because of you.” She looked down and seemed to be gathering her thoughts. “But I need you to know that I’m not comfortable being second place to the ranch. That’s not healthy, Josh. For our relationship or for you. I know it’ll take some time to figure it all out, but I hope it’s something that you’re willing to work on because that’s a deal breaker for me.”

I ran my thumbs over the tops of her hands to try to comfort her. “I understand, and I’m sorry I made you feel that way. Truly.”

Zoe’s bottom lip trembled. “Are you okay with my ultimatum? You think it’s possible for you to change?”

My heart swelled at how nervous she looked. I pulled her into a hug and the way she melted against my chest reminded me that home for me wasn’t any sort of building—it was how she felt in my arms.

“I think I’ve already made a good start on proving it to you, Zo.” I said, my chin resting on top of her head.

She leaned back and looked up at me, confusion scrawled across her face. “What do you mean?”

I finally loosened my grip and took a step away from her. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a key on a piece of twine.

“Remember that little house you photographed? On Deacon Drive? Well, it’s ours.”

Zoe’s eyes went wide. “Josh, how? That’s not… What?”

“Hold on.” I held up my hand to stop her. “Maybe I should clarify. It’ll be ourseventually. I worked out a rent-to-own deal with the current owners. You talked about how much you loved the place and I figured the best way to start stepping back from the ranch was putting physical distance between me and it at the end of every day. So when I finish up here, I’ll be meeting you in our little cottage every night.”

“Josh…” Zoe’s eyes filled with tears. “Really? You did that for me?”

“For us,” I said, aching to take her into my arms again. But there was one more thing I had to tell her before I kissed her. “Zoe Wilson, I’m more in love with you than I’ve ever been. The truth is, I never stopped loving you. And now I want to spend every day proving it to you. Loving you and being loved in return. It’s all I want in the world.”

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