by Inara Scott
“Decorum doesn’t get you anywhere good,” Clara said.
Leticia held up her hand, looking pained. “Clara’s excellent advice aside, is there anything we can do to help?”
Connor rubbed his head. “I’m not sure there’s any hope. I’m way past flowers and a good apology. The last time I saw her she said something along the lines of ‘next time, you’ll have to earn it.’”
“I knew I liked that girl,” Clara said warmly.
“She was talking about earning her love,” Connor said, rolling his eyes. “Not everything is about sex, Clara.”
“If you say so,” she sniffed.
“You need to make yourself vulnerable,” Minnie said. “Especially if you hurt her.”
“Do you love her?” Leticia asked.
Silence fell over the room. Connor felt all three pairs of eyes train on him, and something unlocked its hold on his heart. “Yes,” he admitted, to them and to himself. “I do. I have for a long time.”
“Then you’ll have to fight for her,” Leticia said. “And we will help.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Zoe stepped out of the car and squinted into the cold, damp wind that batted at her eyes and face. The last time she’d been at the Headlands, she could see the Golden Gate Bridge, but today, all she could see was gray.
Gray sky. Gray water. Gray clouds.
“Today seemed like a great idea for a hike…why, exactly?” she asked, not entirely rhetorically.
“Because every day you’re alive is a good day for a hike,” Minnie said sternly. She took a deep breath and blew it out loudly.
Leticia stepped around the front of the car. Like Zoe, she was bundled in a thick winter coat, a warm hat, and gloves. She had a grimace on her face that Zoe was fairly sure was intended to be a smile. If there was any consolation in this, it was that Leticia didn’t like being out in the cold any more than Zoe did. “Because exercise is a good cure for moping.”
“I haven’t been moping,” Zoe grumbled.
“Leave her alone,” Shirley reproved. She was holding Clara’s arm as they made their way around to the others. “She just needs a little time.”
“There’s really nothing wrong with me,” Zoe said. “I’m fine, I swear. Just tired. I’ve been working a lot, you know.”
On Monday, two days after her blowout with Connor, Aims had emailed and said he wanted her to represent his company. The moment had been strangely anticlimactic. After all the time and effort she’d put into winning the work, it was hard to remember why it had been so important in the first place.
The week had passed in a fog. She heard nothing from Connor. And while she had certainly hoped he might be banging down her door by now, it really hadn’t surprised her that he wasn’t. Connor had his own issues to work out. She had just gotten a head start on him.
When the GPGs called and invited her to go for a hike, she couldn’t find it in her heart to say no. So here she was, wearing her warmest coat and most sensible shoes and wondering how far Shirley would really be able to go, even on the relatively flat, paved path.
She was standing there, gazing with some amusement at the sight of their group—gentle Shirley on Clara’s arm, Leticia standing tall and looking just a little annoyed, Minnie bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet—when a motorcycle appeared in the distance, winding in and out of sight in the sinewy roll of the road. Zoe waited for the roar of an engine, but it never came, even when the bike came into view and then approached from the far end of the parking lot.
Her heart thudded as she realized the silent motorcycle was electric.
The bike pulled up next to their car. The rider, dressed in a black jacket and helmet, swung a leg over the seat and rose to standing.
Zoe gave a helpless laugh. “Is this the part of the story where the hero rides up on a motorcycle?” she asked. “I thought we were a little more enlightened than that.”
Leticia shook her head. “I don’t see why anyone thinks motorcycles are romantic. They’re quite dangerous, you know.”
“Come on, Letty, you know there’s nothing like a man in leather,” Clara teased.
“Leather? In San Francisco?” Minnie sniffed. “Connor’s too practical for that.”
Zoe walked toward him while they bickered. It took him a minute to wrestle off the tight helmet. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, and looked oddly similar to the day she’d first seen him running on Embarcadero. He gave a small wave.
“What a coincidence running into you here,” she said, fighting to keep her breathing even.
“I was hoping you might want to go for a ride.” For a moment, she thought she detected a hint of a wobble in his voice.
“Did you bring me a helmet?”
“Of course.” He unclipped a helmet from the passenger seat and handed it to her, then opened a small black trunk that sat behind the backseat and pulled out a collection of gear. “And a coat. And pants. You need your armor.”
Zoe contemplated the heavy gear as another giggle bubbled up inside her. In the movies, the heroine jumped on the back of the bike as they rode off into the sunset. This ride, on the other hand, would apparently be extremely safe.
And a little bulky.
“You come prepared,” she said.
“I might be a little nervous,” he admitted. “I’ve been practicing with an instructor all week. Riding with a passenger isn’t as easy as they make it look on TV.”
She removed her coat and put on the jacket and pants Connor had brought. They were snug and a bit restricting, but warm. Slightly awkwardly, she jogged over and handed Minnie her coat. “Can you hold on to this for me?”
“Of course,” Minnie said with a grin.
“Be careful,” Leticia said.
Shirley beamed. “Have fun.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Clara waggled her eyebrows.
“I’ll try.” Zoe returned to the bike. “I think I’m ready.”
“You’re sure?” he asked. “It is a little cold.”
Zoe touched the leather seat with a smile. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. A little wind isn’t going to stop me.”
…
They wound through the Headlands and down over the Golden Gate before heading up Nob Hill to Connor’s apartment. The ride only took about thirty minutes, but by the time they made it back, Zoe’s hands were cold, her arms were sore from holding on tightly to Connor’s waist, and her spirits were flying.
As she’d expected, Connor was no speed demon, preferring to take the curves at a gentle lean and accelerating slowly out of intersections. Still, the feeling of freedom and connection to the road was intoxicating. She was already speculating about how her new position with Southcycle might allow her to jump to the front of the line for her own bike.
At the same time, it had been hard to focus on her surroundings while she was so acutely aware of the man whose large body lay between her thighs. God, she’d missed him. Missed the way they connected. Missed how complete she felt when she was with him.
In the garage under his building, they removed their helmets, heavy jackets, and pants. “You can leave those here,” Connor said. “I’ll get them later.”
Zoe folded the jacket and left it on the bike. She shifted from one foot to the other, wondering what might come next.
Connor’s eyes, stormy as the waters of the Bay, gazed intently into hers. “Can you come up?” he asked.
She nodded, unwilling to speculate about what he might have planned, and where it would leave her.
They took the elevator up to his apartment, but instead of opening the door, he paused outside it.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said,” he began, nervously clearing his throat. “And I want you to know you were right. About everything. Which probably isn’t news to you, but I’m pretty thickheaded, so it took a while for me to figure it out.”
Zoe had to stop and force herself to consider his words. “When you say I was ri
ght—what do you mean, exactly? Remind me what I said that I was right about?”
“About me. About how I mess things up on purpose. About how good things could have been between us if I’d just let them.”
Her heart gave a crazy tumble that left her slightly short of breath. “You think?”
“Zoe, I…” He had to stop to take another breath. “The truth is that I’ve been in love with you for a long time. Years, actually. And I didn’t want to admit it to myself because I was pretty sure nothing could ever come of it. But what you said the other day—” He reached out, finally, and touched her chin, then slid his hand to cup the side of her face. “Honestly, it’s hard for me to even think while I look at you.”
“Try,” she said, allowing herself a tiny hint of a smile. Inside her chest, hope was unfurling in long lines, swooping and leaving her breathless.
“You said you loved me.” He paused and gave her a searching look. “And I know I didn’t do much to earn it then, but this week, I kept thinking about going on without you, and it about broke me.”
She didn’t speak, just let his words begin to smooth over the jagged spots he had created in her heart.
“Last time we tried this, I hurt you. I thought by pushing you away I could protect us both, but it didn’t work. I’m head over heels for you, Zoe, and even if it’s selfish or impractical or improbable, I’m not stepping away this time.”
Zoe managed a tight nod. “Good.”
“So I’ve been thinking about how I’d show you that you could count on me. The last time I went out of my way to convince you not to rely on me, so this time, I figured I needed to show you the opposite.”
“The opposite?” She wrinkled her brow. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
He unlocked the door. “Let’s go inside. I’ve got something to show you.”
“What do you—” The words caught in her throat as a high-pitched whimper emerged from the far corner of the kitchen. “What is that?”
The whimper turned into a yip, then a series of yips and barks, culminating in a tiny but determined howl.
“She’s small but fierce,” he said, hurrying in the direction of the noise. “Sort of like someone else I know.”
Zoe stopped in her tracks at the entrance to the kitchen, where fencing had been set up around a wire animal crate. Connor stepped over the fencing and opened the door of the crate. A black and tan creature with fluffy ears and a stubby tail tumbled out and immediately began jumping up on his bent knee. Zoe’s mouth hung open. “You got yourself a puppy?”
“I got us a puppy,” he said. “I know you’ve wanted a pet for a while but you’re worried about traveling. And killing things. Since I realized I’m actually pretty good at taking care of things, I thought maybe I could keep her here.”
She stared, blinking. Connor picked up the puppy, who fit neatly in his two large hands, and she immediately began licking his face. “You got us a puppy?” Zoe repeated, unable to process what she was seeing.
“I never liked traveling anyway, and now I’ve got a built-in excuse to come home early from work, too.” A smile quirked his lips.
Zoe’s knees wobbled. “That’s how you decided to win me back? By getting me a puppy?”
“She’s really cute, don’t you think?” He turned and stepped outside the fencing. When he held the creature out, it immediately stretched forward in an effort to reach Zoe’s face with an outstretched tongue. Tears sprang to Zoe’s eyes.
“You know what’s funny?” she said, touching the animal’s soft ears. “I’ve never had a pet before. Even when I was a little kid.”
“Tess found the litter in a cardboard box next to the dumpster at the vet clinic where she works,” he said. “She says they’re some kind of terrier mix.”
“So that’s how Tess knew,” Zoe murmured, unable to take her eyes off the sweet dark eyes and delicate pink tongue. “She was all over me this week. Kept texting and trying to get me to go out with her.”
Connor sighed. “Mason guessed a while ago. So did Nate.”
“Luke knew, too.”
“We’re not very good at deception,” Connor said. His eyes crinkled at the corners with a hint of a smile. “Maybe that’s a good thing?”
Zoe laughed. “Probably a good thing.”
“I know it’s a little crazy.” Connor set the puppy inside the fenced area and then turned back and touched Zoe’s waist. “But I was pretty desperate. In sports, we call this a Hail Mary pass. A long throw with very little chance of success.”
“Oh, I don’t know. The chances feel pretty good from where I’m standing.”
Connor held her around the waist, and Zoe’s hands settled around his neck. He leaned forward and paused when his lips were a few inches from hers. “Are you willing to give this another go? I can’t promise I’ll be perfect. I’ll probably still forget parties I don’t want to go to, and there’s a decent chance I will work too much and avoid events where I have to make small talk or pretend to like people I don’t know.”
“Will you take me to Temptation and make me cocktails and tell me again how you fell in love with me?” It was almost impossible to say the words out loud—it felt so decadent and wonderful.
“I will,” he said, brushing his lips over hers. “Any time you want. I’m in love with a sexy lawyer who wears high heels everywhere she goes and never backs down from a fight. I’m in love with a woman who is honest and vulnerable—a woman who can’t cook to save her life and does naughty things in bubble baths that I can’t stop thinking about.”
“And I’m in love with a man who can dunk a basketball, cook a scone, and solve an impossible engineering problem all in the same weekend. A man I know will be there when I need him. A man who makes me shiver when I think about getting back into the bathtub with him.”
He kissed her again, lingering this time over her lips. “Any chance you want to take that bath right now?”
She pulled away long enough to slip off her shirt. “It was awfully cold on that bike. I might need to get warmed up. Can you keep me warm, Connor?”
He put one arm around her back and the other behind her legs, then swept her up in his arms. Zoe giggled and held on as he carried her into his bedroom.
“Oh, I’ll keep you warm, sweetheart. You can count on that.”
Epilogue
The cake was made with peanut butter, carrots, applesauce, and oat flour. It had two layers and plenty of frosting. But since it lacked sugar, most of the humans stuck to the elegant lemon cupcakes, topped with rich cream cheese frosting and adorned with tiny diplomas and graduation caps, and left the cake to the dogs.
“This is utterly ridiculous. You know that, right?” Nate grimaced as he watched Connor carefully cut the doggie cake and set down a piece on the ground in front of Lady, the still-tiny terrier mutt who had taken over Connor and Zoe’s lives the moment she walked into them.
Or pranced, really, with twinkle of naughtiness in her eye and an unrepentant wag of her tail.
Zoe paused her adoring contemplation of the puppy long enough to glare at Nate. “We had to do three rounds of puppy preschool. You better believe we’re celebrating.”
“I did warn Connor that terriers can be stubborn,” Tess said, licking a trace of frosting off her fingers. “He just totally fell in love with that little girl.”
Zoe glanced at Connor, who was watching with tangible pride as Lady attacked her cake. In a surprise to exactly no one, over the past five months Connor had become the perfect puppy father. He spent hours walking, training, and cuddling the pup, who had revealed herself to be six pounds of pure mischief. Zoe tried her best to be firm and consistent, but she was no match for sweet puppy eyes. Connor joked the puppy training classes were really for Zoe, not the dog, and she couldn’t entirely disagree.
“How was your trip?” Nate asked. “Weren’t you in the Netherlands?”
Zoe nodded. “We launched in five European cities this month. It’s been crazy.”
It had been a whirlwind five months of long days and growing responsibilities at Southcycle, and long nights of pleasure at Connor’s apartment. Yet for all the upheaval, they’d settled into their relationship with surprising ease. Perhaps it was because they’d known each other for so long, or because they had been through so much to find each other in the first place.
It might have been because they’d been careful not to move too fast, knowing they both had to adjust to the idea of being in a serious relationship. Zoe had kept her apartment, though it was getting harder and harder to find a reason to spend time there, returning just often enough to wipe the dust from her stove and take care of the houseplants Leticia had chosen for her. She hated waking up without Connor beside her and missed seeing Lady’s bright eyes and wagging tail whenever she was away. Though it felt strange to say it, they’d become a family, something Zoe hadn’t had for a very long time.
Connor hadn’t turned social overnight, but he had learned to tell her when he genuinely couldn’t stomach a party rather than conveniently forgetting that it was on his calendar. And now that Zoe had gotten close to Tess and Cece, she was more than happy to have a girls’ night out when Connor wasn’t up for a crowd.
Though it seemed impossible to imagine, Zoe found herself falling deeper in love every day. She didn’t want to push and still wondered sometimes if Connor would wake up one morning and panic that they’d gotten too close, too fast. But his commitment to her and Lady was impossible to deny, and after years of imagining a life alone, she was starting to think about an even scarier thought: a life together. Forever.
“This is quite an event,” Clara observed.
The GPGs had gathered around them to watch the show as Mason brought his and Tess’s dog, Astro, and his sister Alli brought her dog, Wick, into the kitchen to have their own pieces of cake. Luke had left his dog, a blue heeler who had a tendency to nip people in the ankles when he wanted to play, at home, but he watched the scene with delight. Once Connor put his commitment to Zoe on full display, Luke had thrown his support behind the couple, though he’d made it clear that he still expected Connor to earn Zoe’s heart.
