Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Zara
The minute I told Zane I’d decided to stay, he’d hauled Steven on the next flight to Wyoming. If he had intended to talk me out of it, he must have changed his mind the moment he saw Cormac and me together.
We were standing in front of the guesthouse when they pulled up in their rental, Cormac’s arm around my waist, my head leaning against his chest. For the last week, this was how we’d been. Touching, embracing, as close as we could be. And relaxed. So very relaxed in each other’s presence.
This was it. We were finally getting something we’d both longed for, even if we hadn’t known it. Once we’d decided this was what we were going to do, it had been so simple to settle into it, looking forward instead of back.
And when Zane hopped out of the car, he took one look at us, threw his arms out, and shouted, “Fuck!”
So that was that.
Zane and Steven were taking the guesthouse. I’d spend my days with them, and my nights with Cormac. Zane wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about coming along while I guided, but Steven was all in for new adventures, and where Steven went, so did Zane.
The first day, while Cormac pointed out the family’s houses to Zane, Steven put his arm around me.
“You look good, Z.”
“I’m the best I’ve ever been.” I nudged his side with my elbow. “Don’t let him freak out too much, okay?”
He chuckled, eyeing his husband. “Don’t worry about Zane. He just needs to get used to the idea of you being here for good. And in the meantime, I’ve got him.”
“I know you do.”
“It’s gorgeous here. The resort, the houses…wow.” Sighing, he scanned the horizon. “I expected the ranch to be more rustic.”
I snorted a laugh. “You actually trusted Zane’s description? Come on.”
Crinkles burst from around his eyes. “You’re right. I should have known.”
Later, we took them to dinner with the Kellys. Most of the family showed up, and we found space for Steven and Zane at the table. Silas decided to be best friends with my brother, and Abigail parked herself on Steven.
Zane was confused by Silas’s intense, unwavering attention and boundless questions, but he answered each one with enthusiasm.
Steven was bewitched by Abigail’s sweet little hands all over his face and her tinkling giggles at his deep voice. All he had to do was say her name, and she was set off.
It was adorable.
I loved seeing my family blend with Cormac’s. It made my heart believe this was real. Our life would be this way, and it would be beautiful.
It was late. Cormac and I were in his bed, his head was on my stomach, his arms banded around me as I stroked his hair.
It was nice spending nights with Cormac.
More than nice. I liked sharing the house with his grandparents.
They kept to themselves most of the time, but their presence was peaceful and comforting.
The empty spot in my heart left by the death of my grandfather, who’d lived with my family most of my childhood, was getting filled in just a little bit. It wasn’t the same, nothing ever would be, but some of the ache from his loss had been soothed.
“I heard Steven’s taking to ranch life,” Cormac said.
I snorted a laugh. “He is. Zane is vacillating between being apoplectic at Steven’s betrayal and gaga over how hot he looks throwing bales of hay.”
That afternoon, we’d found Steven out with Caleb in the stables, doing manual labor. Steven had looked right at home, and he and Caleb had bonded through grunts and sweat. It was kind of cute.
I felt his grin against my skin as the tips of his fingers danced over the tattoo on my hip. “Sounds like a tough life your brother leads.”
“Oh yeah. Crazy in love with a hot husband. Real tough.”
He flattened his palm over our words. “I’m sorry for taking you away from them.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” My hand froze on the back of his head. “This was my choice. You are my choice. And did you see how easy it was for Zane and Steven to get their butts here? I have a feeling we’ll see more of them than we even want to.”
Pressing his forehead to my navel, his breath was warm as he exhaled. “I don’t believe they have a shot of ever overstaying their welcome.”
I smiled. “You’re right. I’ll never get enough of seeing my brother. It’ll suck sometimes not living nearby, but we’ll be intentional about staying close. Zane and I are locked in. We’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, you will.” He propped himself up on his elbows so he could look at me. “You know who else is locked in with Zane?”
I snickered. “I heard. Mrs. Keller is his number one fan.”
“That’s right. I had coffee with her this afternoon, and she told me all about the dashing young man she met while on a river hike with you. She said he even looked at a spot on her arm and assured her it was only a bruise, not cancer.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Zane didn’t mean to charm her. He couldn’t help it. Now he’s stuck going on a private trail ride with us tomorrow.”
That got Cormac laughing too. “Oh god. He’s never going to come back to visit us.”
“Not when the Kellers are in town.”
“Knowing Mrs. Keller, she’ll pay someone off to inform her of his arrival and hop on the next plane.”
I traced the bottom of his smile with my thumb. “And Zane will love the attention, even if he pretends not to.”
“Yeah.” He let his head fall back to my stomach and sighed. “I love seeing you happy.”
“I love feeling this way.” My fingers slid through his hair. “You know you have a lot to do with it, right?”
He kissed my hip. “It’s good to hear you say it.”
“Are you happy?”
A choked grunt rumbled up from his chest. “That doesn’t even touch how I feel. But yeah, we’ll go with happy for now, until they come up with a better word.”
We’ll go with happy.
I liked the sound of that.