Chapter 20
TWENTY
DECLAN
A trip to New Zealand has always been on my bucket list.
But I just never got any offers to work down here.
Now I’m glad I’ll see it for the first time with Zoe.
I moved heaven and earth to get us a flight out as soon as possible. She’s got six weeks to go until her due date—too much later and we would never have been able to get on a plane.
We landed in Auckland a couple of hours ago, and now she’s driving our rental car south to meet her parents. The scenery changes so quickly from the tall buildings of the city to the more famous rural landscape.
We could have flown to Taupo, but she wanted to drive, and we ended up flipping a coin over who would get behind the wheel. She wanted me to be free to enjoy the scenery, and although I would rather my heavily pregnant girl relax a bit more, I have to admit that it’s wonderful to sit back as we pass those rolling hills .
“What the hell is this?” I point at the building made of corrugated iron in the shape of a dog. Next to it is a similar building, except it’s a distinctive sheep shape.
We’ve been driving for two hours. I didn’t think I’d end up hallucinating.
Zoe laughs. “That’s the Tirau Visitor Centre.”
I shoot her the side-eye. “Is it like this everywhere?”
“Well, there is a giant carrot in Ohakune, and then there’s a big bottle of Lemon and Paeroa in Paeroa.”
“What’s a Paeroa?” Now I’m really confused.
“It’s a drink named after the place. That’s where it was originally made and the water in it came from there.”
I nod as if this is making sense, but it’s really not—although, that might also be because I’m tired. I’m not sure how Zoe has this much energy when she’s this pregnant.
Maybe it’s because she’ll see her parents soon.
I haven’t seen my parents in years. They never wanted me to be an actor—but I pushed so hard, and when my career took off in my teens, it wasn’t long before that decision was taken out of their hands.
That was one strike. And then I was out of control, and they cut me off. I’m not sure I can salvage that relationship. It’s been so long.
Instead, I’m focusing on Zoe and her parents. It means everything to me that I form a good relationship with them. It won’t be easy—her mother and father are only ten years older than I am.
But then again, if Zoe was younger than her 30 years, I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with our age gap. I was never one to chase much younger women, even though there was never a shortage of them throwing themselves at me.
“You’re quiet,” Zoe says.
“Just thinking about your parents and how that’s going to go.”
She reaches across the centre console and squeezes my hand. “You’ll be fine. You’ll charm my mother, and my dad’s pretty easy-going.”
“And you’re his only daughter.”
She pauses. “I am. But I’ve always been independent. I was out of there at eighteen and never really looked back. We’re close, but they’ve always respected my decisions.”
I nod slowly. “Makes sense. You and your app show you’ve got a good head on you.”
Her smile lights up my heart
“Wait. Does that make you my sugar mamma?” I shrug.
Her laughter echoes through car, and we’re soon through the small town of Tirau and back among the green hills. I could eat out on this feeling forever—making her happy.
I look out the window. We whiz past a sign welcoming us to Taupo, and she slows.
“So. We’re here?”
She nods. “Yes, but we’re going to McDonald’s before we go home. I’m starving.”
I’m not sure if that will help my nerves, but my girl is hungry, and I could do with something to eat. “That sounds good. I could kill a burger right now.”
Thankfully there’s no one waiting at the drive-through, and we have our food within minutes.
“Let’s eat this by the lake,” Zoe says .
She pulls into a park by the waterfront, and we walk the short distance to a bench where we sit.
“It’s so beautiful.” I stare out across the water. In the distance, on the other side of the lake sits three snow-covered peaks. It’s cold, but Zoe prepared me well for the change of seasons.
“There’s a giant volcano under the lake.” Zoe leans her head on my shoulder. “A caldera.”
“Like in Yellowstone ?”
She nods. “The story goes that if the water in the lake warms up, you get the hell out of town.”
“And the other mountains?”
Zoe points into the distance. “That’s Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro. All volcanoes.”
I turn my head to look at her. “Where have you brought me?”
She laughs. “You’re safe.”
I take a bite of my burger and moan. “I didn’t realise just how much I needed this.”
“Well, I figured we could take a breath before I introduce you to Mum and Dad.” She takes a large bite and fixes her gaze on me while she chews.
“That bad, huh?” I smile.
She finishes chewing and swallows before swiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb. “Everything will be fine. It’s just probably easier to deal with meeting new people on a full stomach.” After reaching for a fry, she sucks it down before continuing. “Thank you for bringing me here. Even sitting by the water makes me feel better.”
“I’d do anything for you. ”
She meets my gaze. I mean it. I would go to the ends of the earth for this woman, and given how far we’ve travelled, maybe I have.
It’s not just that I love her. Being with Zoe settles me in a way that I’ve not known before. She’s so calm and level-headed, and she makes me feel the same.
We eat in silence, the cool breeze coming off the lake waking me up after our long flight and drive.
“We should go and do this,” she says.
“You almost sound like you don’t want to.”
Zoe loops her arm in mine and leans her head on my shoulder. “It’s just so peaceful here. I love that I get to share this with you.”
I plant a kiss on the top of her head. “I do too. I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else in the world.”
“Even if you’re about to meet my father?”
I smile. “Even then.”
She sighs before pushing herself to her feet. I gather our wrappers and put everything in a nearby garbage can.
“Ready?” I ask her, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
“Are you?”
Laughing as we walk toward the car, I nod. “I’m ready for anything.”
“Come on then.”
It’s a short drive to her parents’ house, and we soon pull down a driveway and into a backyard. A large garage sits on the other side of the yard, and a couple—I presume her parents—are out tending the garden. It’s a warm, sunny day, and they have both flowers and vegetables growing along the fence.
This is Zoe’s family home—the one she grew up in. They’ve been here her whole life, even though she wanted to buy them a new home when she sold her business.
I draw in a deep breath as she reaches across and squeezes my arm, and then I get out of the car, round it, and open her door.
She takes my hand and rises from her seat, giving me a reassuring smile.
“Zoe.” Her mother walks toward us, her face lit with excitement.
“Mum.” Zoe’s voice cracks and she walks around the front of the car and straight into her mother’s arms. “Declan, this is my mother, Serena.”
“It’s so good to meet you, Declan.” Serena smiles at me.
Her father’s right behind her.
“So this is him?” he asks.
He grunts and holds out his hand. “Brian Drake.”
I grasp his hand and give it a firm shake. “Declan O’Leary.”
Brian nods. “Heard a lot about you.” We’ve not spoken before—I think Zoe’s kept a distance between us until we could meet in person.
“All good, I hope.” I know I’m baiting him. Her parents have the Internet. He’ll have looked me up.
He tilts his head. “Zoe’s happy and that’s what matters to me.”
She very clearly has a close relationship with her parents—one I can’t relate to.
But I hope I can forge a good relationship with them.
I have to, for Zoe’s sake.