by A. K. Evans
“Hi, you must be Mr. and Mrs. James. I’m Zane’s mom, Trisha,” my mom said extending her hand to them.
“Pleased to meet you, Trisha. I’m Valerie and this is my husband, Vince.”
My mom’s eyes went to Emme and she asked, “Emme, honey, how are you feeling?”
“Much better, Trisha. Thanks for asking.”
“Thank you, Trisha,” Vince piped up. “Emme told us that you are a doctor and you came to Zane’s house to check her out so she didn’t have to go to the hospital. We appreciate what you did for her.”
My dad and my brothers walked out before my mom could respond.
“Hey Emme,” Levi said, coming up to give her a hug. “Feeling better?”
She nodded and introduced Levi to her parents.
“Heard you own the company that was responsible for keeping Emme safe after that asshole, pardon my French, resurfaced. Was also told you that it was because of you and your boys that she was found so quickly after he took her,” Vince said. “Thank you for finding my baby.”
“You’re welcome,” Levi acknowledged.
“Also heard you did it pro bono,” Vince continued.
Levi shrugged his shoulders and pointed out, “Emme’s family. That’s what you do.”
My dad approached next and introduced himself to them. He then walked over to Emme, gave her a hug, and said, “It’s good to see you getting around better, darling.”
After, Cruz walked up to Emme, put an arm around her shoulder, kissed the top of her head, and said, “Hey, beautiful. You doing alright?”
“I’m doing really well, Cruz,” she said. “These are my parents, Valerie and Vince. Mom, Dad, this is Zane’s younger brother, Cruz.”
“Cruz?” Vince called, extending his hand.
“Yes, sir. It’s nice to meet you both,” Cruz answered as he shook Vince’s hand.
“You got to her first and you were the one who got her out of there,” Vince reminded Cruz quietly, still holding on to Cruz’s hand. Cruz nodded. Then, Vince surprised them all by pulling Cruz into a hug. “I owe you,” he bit out, his voice hoarse.
When he pulled back, he looked to Cruz, Levi, and me before he added, “I owe all three of you.”
I wasn’t as surprised as everyone else that he had pulled Cruz into a hug. He had done the same thing with me the day before when he asked to speak with me privately. He felt indebted to us for what we did for Emme. I understood it, but he wasn’t realizing that Emme was our family now, too, and that we loved her just as much as he did.
Emme’s eyes came to mine and she mouthed, “I can’t wait; you tell them.”
I nodded at her and said, “Vince, it’s ok. We understand how you feel. I do, especially. Told my brothers that day that I owed them for what they did. They wanted nothing, except for Cruz.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll give it to him. Anything,” Vince said.
“You can’t give it to him,” I started as I looked to Cruz. “It was something he wanted me to give him and I’m happy to say I no longer owe him.”
Cruz’s head jerked back and he asked, “Are you shittin’ me?”
I shook my head.
“Feel like you’re talking in circles here, Zane,” my dad said. “What’s going on? And Cruz, how dare you ask for anything?”
“Relax, Dad. Cruz was the first on the scene. He dealt with Miller and got Emme out of that basement. When Levi and I arrived, Emme was sleeping. She felt safe enough with Cruz to be able to give into the exhaustion she was feeling and sleep. Knowing what he did for her, I felt like I owed him my life. Cruz told me the only thing he wanted was for me to get Emme home, to take care of her, and when I thought she was ready for it he wanted a sister-in-law.”
“Wait, what?!” my mom shrieked.
“Last night I asked Emme to marry me and she said yes.”
“Oh, Zane. I’m going to have a daughter now,” my mom said as tears filled her eyes and she pulled me into a hug. “Congratulations, honey. I’m so happy for you.”
She pulled Emme into a hug next and congratulated her. Emme’s parents and my dad congratulated me. When I turned around I saw Cruz had pulled Emme into a hug and congratulated her. When he pulled back, he put his hands to her shoulders and joked, “Just so you know, when I asked for him to give me a sister-in-law, he said he had already planned on it. Wanted to make sure you knew that he didn’t ask you to marry him just for me.”
Emme laughed and thanked Cruz.
Levi walked up to her next, kissed her on the forehead, and said, “Welcome to the family, Em. Couldn’t be more happy for my brother that he found someone who loves him the way you do. He’s a lucky man. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Levi.”
My dad congratulated Emme as Levi and Cruz both came over to do the same with me. Emme’s mom walked up to her next. Valerie framed her daughter’s face in her hands and said, “Emme, my dear, congratulations. I never thought you’d ever get yourself out of the depression you were in. I’m so grateful to Zane for loving you and making you see the good in the world again. You deserve every bit of happiness the world has to offer and I’m happy you have a good man by your side, with whom you can experience that. I love you.”
Emme’s eyes were filled with unshed tears as she pulled her mom into a hug and said, “I love you, too, mom.”
When they separated, Vince stood in front of his daughter. “Princess…the day you came to your mother and me and told us you were moving away was one of the worst days of my life. I was bitter about it. My little girl was sad and broken and she was moving a thousand miles away. It’s been just under a year since you moved away and the girl I see standing before me now is the Emme we remember before her spirit was shattered. I hated that you left, but it was clearly what you needed to get your life back. Yesterday, when Zane asked me for permission to marry you I didn’t hesitate to tell him he had my blessing. I knew the day he told me on the phone that he made a chocolate cake with you not because he likes baking but because it makes you happy that this man would do absolutely anything for you. It is evident to me that Zane and his entire family love you as if you were their own. It’s going to be another year before I retire and your mother and I can move out here to be closer to you, but I know we can at least go home now confident that you are surrounded by people who will love and care for you no matter what happens. I’m so relieved you found someone like Zane to spend your life with because I have no doubts that he’ll treat you with the love and respect you deserve. Congratulations, princess.”
“Daddy,” Emme barely squeaked out as she wrapped her arms around her father’s waist. He held her for a minute before she pulled back and asked, “Are you and mom really going to move out here?”
“I expect you’re going to give me grand babies one day. I’m not missing out on that,” he shared.
Fuck. I hadn’t thought about it before now, but the moment Vince said those words I realized I couldn’t wait to see Emme carrying my child. My eyes drifted down her body and I tried to picture her with a belly growing a baby. Emme snapped me out of my thoughts when she turned toward me and warned, “Stop looking at me like you are ready to make that happen now. I’m nowhere near ready for a baby, Zane.”
I gave her a grin, pressed a kiss to her lips, wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and turned with her as we followed everyone into the family room. The meet and greet, combined with the engagement announcement, had officially been a success.
As we walked out into the family room all I could do was think to myself how lucky I was to have found this incredible woman with whom to spend the rest of my life. I knew I’d spend the rest of forever proving to her that she didn’t make a mistake when she chose to put her heart in my hands.
Chapter 36
Emme
With my eyes closed I smiled to myself as Zane’s morning voice quietly sang in my ear and served as my wakeup call that morning. This was, by far, the best rendition of a birthday song for many reasons.
First, when you are woken up by someone singing a birthday song to you on your birthday, it tends to put you in a good mood right from the start. Secondly, when that someone who was singing to you was Zane, who had the world’s sexiest voice, that put you in an even better mood. Lastly, and probably most important, when it was Zane delivering that song to you on the morning of your birthday in his sexy voice and he did it while running his fingertips gently over the skin of every part of your body, it took your mood from better to the best ever.
I was pulled against Zane’s body, his front to my back. He was tracing his fingertips over every inch of my skin and I was seriously turned on. I’m not sure if it was the touching or his voice singing in my ear that did it, but either way I was feeling really good. I considered my options at this point and realized morning sex on my birthday was the way to go. I arched my back and pushed my ass into Zane’s lap. He groaned, tightened his grip on my hip, and gently bit the skin between my neck and shoulder. I pushed my body back the slightest bit so that Zane had no choice but to fall back a bit. Parting my thighs, I reached my hand down between them, wrapped my hand around him, and positioned him at my entrance. He pushed himself inside and I moaned as he filled me.
“Drenched,” Zane growled.
“It’s the voice,” I rasped, my voice a breathy whisper.
Zane had one arm underneath my arm and body and wrapped it around the front of me across my chest. He used his other arm and gripped my hip as he thrusted in and out of me. I turned my head to look back at him. His blue eyes were smoldering as he looked back at me. I felt the hand he had at my hip move to rest in the middle of my abdomen.
“Want to help get you there, Em,” he started. “You good with me touching you there?”
I nodded at him.
He slid his hand south and found my clit. As he continued giving me the goods his fingers worked me. I was definitely close to finding my orgasm. I brought one of my hands up to caress my breasts.
“So fucking sexy, Emme,” Zane’s guttural voice said as he picked up his pace.
Hearing his voice again did me in. “Oh fuck, baby, I’m gonna come.”
This motivated Zane who powered his hips harder into me. I shattered, coming apart around him and in that same instant heard and felt Zane find his release.
As I tried to come out of my post orgasm bliss I affirmed, “That was the best birthday present ever.”
I felt Zane laugh behind me. “Love that you enjoyed that, but I’ve got a real present for you.”
I brought my eyes to his and in a shock-filled voice, I asked, “You do?”
He looked at me like I had three heads. “You serious?”
I shrugged my shoulders and bit my lip. “You bought me a dress earlier in the week. You also gave me an engagement ring the next night.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Go get cleaned up and then I’ll give you your present, unless of course, you need more of the first gift…” he said, trailing off.
I was so excited.
“No. No. I’m good for now,” I said as I moved quickly out of the bed and made my way to the bathroom. I heard Zane laughing as I walked out of the bedroom.
I did my business and got myself cleaned up in record time. When I came out of the bathroom, I saw that Zane had set out a pair of sweats, a long-sleeved tee, and a pair of panties for me. I got dressed as fast as I could while Zane stood at the door to the bedroom waiting for me.
When I finished getting dressed I looked to him and I’m sure he felt the excitement rolling off of me. He smiled at me and reached out his hand. We walked downstairs together and when we came to the kitchen I saw a small wrapped box sitting on the island.
“Is that for me?” I asked, overly excited.
Zane chuckled. “You’re so fucking adorable, Em. I can’t take it. Of course, it’s for you.”
He picked up the box and handed it to me. I stared down at the box that easily fit into the palm of my hand and took a moment to appreciate just how great of a man Zane was. Damn, was I one lucky girl. I pressed up on my toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You don't even know what it is. You’re thanking me and you might not like it,” he said.
I stared at him a moment before I explained, “It doesn’t matter what it is, Zane. The fact that you thought it was special enough of an occasion to give me any gift is what matters to me. I would have been happy with a simple card signed by you that wished me a happy birthday.”
Silence a moment. “Gold, sweetheart. Fucking gold.”
I smiled back at him and asked, “Can I open it?”
He nodded.
I tore open the package and I’m sure I looked like a little kid at Christmas. Once I removed the wrapping paper I pulled the lid off the box. Sitting inside the little white box was what looked like a key. It wasn’t a car key, which I had to admit would have been a bit overkill, but I knew for certain it was a key. I looked up at Zane, confused. “What does this go to?”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and said, “Come with me.”
We walked toward the man door to the garage. Zane opened the door and let me step out ahead of him. When I looked up my jaw dropped. Sitting there in the middle of one of the garage bays with a big red bow on it was a snowmobile.
I whirled my head around to him and with the biggest grin on my face I asked, “You bought me a snowmobile?”
“Yeah. I remembered how excited you got when we went to Yellowstone asking if you could drive the one I brought there that day. Told you then that I’d show you how to ride one someday…figured you should have your own.”
I jumped into his arms. Literally. I threw my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. Thankfully, he caught me. With his hands at my ass supporting my weight I kissed him good. Real good. When I finally pulled my mouth from his he looked me in the eyes and said, “If that’s the way you say thank you, I might need to buy you a present every day.”
I nuzzled my face into his neck. “Thank you, Zane. I really love it.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
“When do I get to try it out?” I asked.
“I was kind of hoping I could take you out today if you’re feeling up to it. There’s plenty of land here so we don’t need to go anywhere to ride it. Thought we could ride for a couple hours, or for as long as your body can tolerate since I know you are still not one hundred percent healed, and then we’ll go out for a later lunch with your parents. We can come back here after lunch and get ready for tonight’s festivities at Lou’s.”
My eyes got big and I said, “Ok, put me down. Let me get my sneakers on so we can try this out.”
He laughed.
“What is so funny?”
“You need to change and put your snowboarding gear on, Em. You won’t be warm enough in this.”
“Oh,” I said. “Ok.”
Zane walked me inside, set me down, and then we went upstairs to change into our snowboarding gear. My phone had dinged several times indicating I had received text messages. I checked and saw that there was actually a missed call from Nikki and then texts from her, Charley, and Monroe. Apparently, they must have tried calling when Zane and I were downstairs. They followed up with messages wishing me a happy birthday and that they couldn’t wait to see me tonight to celebrate. I took my phone with me as Zane and I made our way back downstairs. As he opened the garage door and pulled out his snowmobile, I snapped a quick picture of my birthday gift and sent it off to the girls in a group text. I then put the phone back inside and walked back out into the garage.
Zane stood next to the new snowmobile and asked, “Got your key?”
I held it up and shook it.
“Hop on.”
I walked over and got on the snowmobile. Zane gave me a quick lesson on how to start it, where the throttle and brake were, and gave me a few pointers for riding it. I hopped off and Zane moved the snowmobile out of the garage and
into the snow next to his.
“Stay alongside me as we ride. If you need to stop it’s no problem. I’m not going to go anywhere too crazy until you get a bit more experience, ok?”
I nodded.
He bent down, pressed a kiss to my lips, and said, “Be careful.”
“I will.”
Zane and I spent the next few hours riding. I can’t remember ever having so much fun, especially on my birthday. I was seriously disappointed when we had to head back to the house to get ready for lunch. Considering I thoroughly enjoyed food, it was at least a testament to how incredibly enjoyable my morning had been.
After bringing the snowmobiles in and changing out of our snowboard gear, we got ready and took off to meet up with my parents. I was in the mood for Mexican food, so Zane took us to the city’s best Mexican restaurant. Everything looked so good and I was having a hard time deciding. When I told Zane I couldn’t decide between the beef nachos or the chicken tacos he told me we’d order both and could split them. I had to admit…the man knew how to make me happy. Lunch was absolutely delicious. The only snag at lunch occurred when the bill came. Zane insisted on paying for it, but so did my father. After a bit of back and forth, Zane finally gave in and allowed my dad to pay the bill. My parents weren’t going to be leaving to go back to California until tomorrow afternoon. They knew I had plans with my friends tonight, but they said they’d stop by Zane’s house tomorrow before they went to the airport. Zane and I thanked them for lunch and we made our way back home.
Following another love making session, I spent the next two hours getting ready for our night out. Zane was happy to leave me to it and didn’t seem to mind that I had taken over the bathroom. Thinking back to when Zane told me his favorite dress I wore was the one from the Christmas Eve party at Lou’s, I decided on a similar style dress when he took me shopping for one earlier in the week for my birthday. I took a bunch of dresses into the fitting room with me, but he never saw it on me. It was a blush colored form fitting, sleeveless, deep-v plunging neckline dress that showed just a hint of cleavage, and had a sexy open back. The material cinched together at the middle of my booty, which filled out the backside of the dress nicely. I threw on a pair of matching sandals that had a three-and-a-half-inch heel. After putting on a pair of earrings and a bracelet (I refused to take away from the ring on my finger by wearing too much jewelry), I walked out of the bedroom to go in search of my man.
