Chapter 23
“I need somewhere to store my equipment.” Gina tugged her ponytail, then added, “Like yesterday. Other than that, I’ll need an outlet come January.”
“Do you close after the holidays?” Zack asked, hoping she did so they’d have time to find another space.
Gina sniffed and pressed two fingers to the corner of her eyes. “Yes, that’s when I tie up loose ends and spend time with my family. I’m so glad my parents aren’t here to witness this foolishness.”
“I’m sure they would support you through this rough patch.” Resting his hand on her shoulders, Zack spoke gently. “This is not your fault.”
The door opened, and the policeman walked back inside, throwing a surreptitious glance at Zack.
“It’s fine,” Gina assured him. “Zack can hear whatever you have to say.”
“Miss Wedderburn said you leaving tomorrow works for her.”
“How gracious.” Gina’s voice carried some snark, but Zack understood her position. She sounded more like herself as she continued, “You can thank her for me.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow by noon.”
“Fine.” Gina waved him away. “You can collect the keys at the same time.”
Her eyes swam with tears, and Zack wanted to hug her again. He looked away to allow her to compose herself while Constable Russell moved from one foot to the other.
The officer attempted to speak, but instead walked out of the building.
“Come with me to my office.” Gina led him down the corridor and sank behind her desk.
Silence washed over them, and Gina closed her eyes. He studied her from the seat in front of the desk, picking the words he needed. Zack didn’t know what her response would be to his suggestion, so he simply said, “I can help, if you let me.”
She laid both hands on the desk with a guarded expression in place. “How?”
“I have warehouse space you can use.” He opened both hands. “It’s up to you whether you take up the offer.”
Gina blinked hard and stifled a harsh sound, like a sob.
After making sure she was okay, Zack shifted his attention to the print over her head that read, Life is what you make it.
“What did I ever do, for you to be so good to me?”
Gina’s soft words perplexed him, but he shrugged as he focused on her. That’s when he noticed she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring. A good sign for them.
“In my world,” he said, “you don’t have to do anything to deserve help. If we’re in this together, then your struggles are my struggles. Your pain is my pain. Your triumphs are my triumphs. Your joy is my joy.”
Her eyes went watery again, but she straightened in the seat.
“That’s ... that’s beautiful.”
“It’s my reality. Our reality. Alana taught me so much by doing me a disservice. Like I told you, I’m all in. It’s up to you to decide whether you’re in or out.”
Gina tapped her thumb against the desk in a staccato rhythm. Then she looked directly at him. “It’s funny you should say that because for the past week, you’ve definitely been out.”
As he opened his mouth to speak, Zack checked himself and the snappy remark he’d been about to make. He wanted Gina to understand his intentions. “I was giving you space to decide about us. To decide what you want. If I’m the man you need.”
“If that’s the case, why didn’t you say something yesterday?”
“The time wasn’t right, nor was the place.” He lightened his tone as he teased, “A daycare isn’t the ideal spot to tell someone you love them.”
Gina sucked in a harsh breath and coughed into the inside of her elbow. After clearing her throat, she stared at him with her eyes pulled wide. “What did you say?”
“Your ears work fine. You heard every word I said.”
She sighed and sank lower in the chair. “You came to shatter whatever nerves I have left, didn’t you?”
Zack chuckled, and she laughed with him until he shook his head.
“No, that wasn’t my intention. I came to get my woman. That’s if she’s ready.”
She fixed her gaze past him and was silent so long, he wondered if he’d come on too strong. Then she sighed. “Can you forgive me, Zack?”
Frowning, he asked, “For what?”
“I’m about to have a meltdown because of everything that’s happening, and in the middle of that, here you are, saying you love me when I’ve acted like an idiot.”
A tremor ran through her voice, which told him how much it cost to expose her vulnerability. If it was possible, he loved her more in that moment than he did before. He walked around the desk to urge her out of the seat. “There’s an easy fix for that.”
“And what might that be?” she asked, sliding both arms around his waist. “Although I suspect what you’re going to say.”
“They say great minds think alike.” His grin was wide enough to hurt his cheeks. “Tell me you love me and I’ll forgive everything.”
“I kinda figured that’s what you’d say.” She cupped his cheeks and stared deep into his eyes before trailing soft kisses from his lips, over his beard, and up to his ear. “Zack Winters,” she whispered, “I love you the way little children love Santa Claus.”
He burst out laughing. “I hate to tell you, but that doesn’t count.”
“Of course it does. Ask Luca, if you don’t believe me.”
The joy in her laughter warmed his heart as contentment spread through him. Although it was early days yet, he couldn’t wait for Gina to meet his parents. He also needed to tell her about his residency situation but from what he saw, this Christmas was about to be the best one ever. He kissed her forehead, then whispered, “I definitely will ask him, but all jokes aside ...”
Gina placed a finger over his lips. “I love you, Zack, and I love how you love me.”
“That’s more than enough for me,” he said, covering her lips with his.