Page 59 of Crossroads of Betrayal
“I trust you will,” Brooke said. “The positive news is you should be good to go before the party next weekend.”
Grace forced a smile. Not even a bullet wound could get her out of the ridiculous celebration Brooke had planned. “Great.”
Brooke gave a hip-high wave while Lincoln dipped his chin then they disappeared into the hall.
Zeke leaned forward. “I didn’t hear any arguments about my plans once we leave here.”
Heat burned her core. She didn’t care how much pain she’d be in once she left, she planned to let Zeke do whatever the hell he wanted with her. “No complaints, just questions.”
He frowned. “Such as?”
Biting into her bottom lip, she forced herself to keep eye contact. The words he shared before they were interrupted were amazing, but she needed to know what they meant for their future. He only had a few days left at the retreat before he was supposed to go home. “What happens when your time here is over?”
“That depends on you.”
She furrowed her brow. “Me?”
“I told you where I stand—how I feel. If you want me in your life, we’ll figure it out. If you need time, that’s fine too.”
His constant ability to say the right thing, be the person she needed, overwhelmed her. “I love you, and I want you with me every day. By my side. Every step. I can’t believe I wasted so much time. I don’t want to waste any more, but I don’t know what that looks like for us. I might miss Texas, and I do want to go back and see everyone, but I like where I am now. I love my job, my home, my friends. I don’t want to give that up, and I don’t want to ask you to give up anything either. No matter how much I love you.”
“Honey, that’s all I needed to hear.”
She frowned. “What?”
The side of his mouth slid up in a half-grin that she’d give anything to kiss. “That you love me. That you want to be with me. I don’t care about anything else. I can get a job anywhere, live anywhere, as long as I’m with you. Besides, I really like the view of the mountains from your deck. And I really like that cat of yours.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and the tears pooling behind her bottom lashes spilled over her cheeks. “You really mean that? You’d move to Pine Valley?”
“Absolutely.”
Ignoring the sting of discomfort, she leaned forward and looped her arms around his neck. “Thank you for finding me. For loving me. For helping me see what I need to do to help myself. I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you, and I’ve never stopped. Not for one minute. And I’m so damn happy.”
He shifted to sit on the edge of the bed and pressed his lips to hers. “Ditto.”
* * *
Staringout at the rugged peaks of the Smoky Mountains, Zeke disconnected his call with Brooke and took the last sip of his coffee. The chill of the morning air cooled his cheeks, and the remaining leaves that clung to their branches swayed with the gentle breeze. He filled his lungs with fresh air then retreated inside.
Annie meowed and darted for his legs. She rubbed against his shins and purred.
He bent and scratched behind the little cat’s ears. “You can’t fool me. You’ve got plenty of food.”
“She doesn’t understand what that means. She always wants more.” Grace swiveled around to face him from her spot on the stool by the island, a bowl of cereal in front of her. “How’d your call go with Brooke?”
Straightening, he placed a kiss on Grace’s forehead. “Good. She’s excited I’m staying in town and is open to the idea of me filling in for you at the retreat while you heal.” Brooke also assured him he should feel free to use any of the amenities the retreat offered, including the therapy options he hadn’t gotten around to attending due to the chaos surrounding him as soon as he arrived at Crossroads Mountain Retreat.
Now he’d have the option of whatever classes he thought could be beneficial while helping both Brooke and Grace. In the meantime, he could figure out his next move. He’d been staying with Grace at her place, but he wasn’t sure if that would be a permanent thing. He hoped to hell it was, and so much more, but he wanted to wait for the perfect time before bringing up their future.
“That’s great, but I don’t think it’s going to take me too long to get back on the job. I’ve been home from the hospital two days and I’m already going stir crazy. Even if I can’t do everything, I can at least help you or do paperwork.”
“You must be really bored if you want to do paperwork,” he said with a small laugh. “Do you have paper and a pen anywhere? I want to jot down a few details from Brooke before I forget.”
“In the top drawer by the fridge.” She spooned a bite of her cereal in her mouth. “Did she mention the party this weekend?”
“Yep.” He rounded the island and found the drawer. Yanking it open, he shuffled through the take-out menus and other clutter for what he needed. “I also talked to her about Penelope. Pen insists on coming with Moose to see you this weekend. She’s leaving the baby home so the two of them can have some adult time together but bringing Smokey. Brooke’s letting them stay in one of the cabins.”
“I’m a little nervous to see her but glad she’ll be here. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her. My sister is coming too. I’m afraid this three-year celebration is turning into a family reunion.”
