by Virna DePaul
“What do you mean?” Zoe’s eyebrows drew together.
“I mean, from the moment I knew we were moving to Savannah, I did my research on personal trainers. I interviewed a lot more than I told you, Zoe. I must’ve talked to twenty different women. I didn’t even know there were that many female trainers in this city, to be honest.”
“Wait, women? Why did you interview only women?”
Murph sighed. “This is probably going to sound crazy, but I wanted someone good for my brother. Not only did he need the best possible trainer for his situation, but he needed someone else in his life. Someone besides me and our grandparents that he could love and who would love him back.”
“You were playing matchmaker?!”
Murph smiled like the Mona Lisa. “Yes, I was. It’s the reason I’ve stayed away from the house so much, too. Well, partly the reason. And I’m not sorry. I knew you guys would fall in love, and my brother needed someone like you to make him whole again. Someone who was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with him, soft enough to be mindful of his heart, and brave enough to stick when things got hard. I chose you, Zoe, because you’re perfect for him.”
Chapter 22
Snap.
Corner route.
Sprint out fast, turn left…catch.
Go down.
Regroup.
Given how bad yesterday had been, one would think he’d play like shit, but Gabe was on fire during today’s practice. This coming weekend’s game was in Dallas, and it was the first time he’d be traveling without Zoe.
Snap.
Slant route.
Blow past, turn right…catch.
Run it to end zone.
He’d had time to think about everything he said to Zoe, the way he reacted, and he couldn’t summarize it any other way—he’d been an idiot.
Why had his first reaction when finding out about her struggles been to make it about himself? About how he was being betrayed? Okay, so she’d been keeping things from him, and the text had been bad, but if he’d taken more time to think things through, if he’d asked Zoe what was going on instead of the first words out of his mouth being an accusation, no way would things have ended the way they had.
Because he knew Zoe hadn’t been using him. She’d worked hard for the money she’d earned, that she’d used to pay her rent, not once asking Gabe for anything that she wasn’t entitled to. Hell, she’d been a stickler for paying her fair share, not even letting Gabe treat her to sushi the first day she’d moved in.
And as for whatever secret she was keeping? As much as Gabe had wanted Zoe to confide in him about her troubles—he had asked her several times to share about why she was sad sometimes—he hadn’t tried hard enough. Hell, he’d suspected something was going on with her dad, but he’d never asked her directly. And he’d never thought that she might be having problems at work, paying the rent, or anything. But it made sense. The gym looked like shit, light years behind all the modern facilities, even though Iron Maiden contained the one great thing other gyms didn’t have—Zoe.
No, the truth was, he’d been living mostly for himself, trapped inside his own pity party, and maybe he hadn’t really wanted to take on Zoe’s problems. He couldn’t know for sure, but he did know Zoe didn’t deserve the way he’d treated her.
Every interaction they ever had had been nothing but pure of heart. How the fuck could he ever accuse her of such callousness? Comparing her in his mind to the women he’d dated in the past, it was clear she was different. Her only interest, even from the beginning, had been to care about him. First about his shoulder, then about his performance, then about his heart.
No wonder she never told him about the money she owed—she didn’t feel safe sharing with him. And with good reason. He was a dick.
If Gabe could’ve put himself at the bottom of another pileup, he would have.
As soon as practice was over, he was going to her, asking for her forgiveness and hoping she’d give him another chance. The only reason he hadn’t done it earlier was because as soon as he got to a hotel and realized he was a fool, he’d immediately called Zoe only to find she’d blocked his calls. Then he’d gotten a spurt of angry texts from Murph telling him that she’d seen Zoe, Zoe was devastated, and that she’d left the house. She’d also told Gabe to get his head screwed on straight but to give Zoe some space before he went begging for forgiveness because “she had other important stuff that she was dealing with and the world didn’t revolve around your stupid ass.”
It killed Gabe that Murph knew what important things Zoe was dealing with, but he deserved to suffer for what he’d done. So as much as it killed him to do it, he gave Zoe as much space as he could. Just over 24 hours. Now he had to make things right.
After practice, he headed to his house, not because he thought Zoe was there, but because he needed to shower and change and find the box that held the engagement ring he’d bought her—he’d never found it before or after he and Zoe fought.
He braced himself for it, knew Zoe was gone, but he still wasn’t prepared for how devastated he was when he pulled into the driveway and her car wasn’t there. Or for walking in and not being able to smell her soft fragrance lingering or seeing her in the gym working out, or lying on the couch watching a show, or cooking a meal for them to enjoy outside in the garden. This place meant nothing to him if she wasn’t there. She’d been there almost since the first day he moved in.
How he could miss someone he’d managed to live without most of his life, he wasn’t sure.
All he knew was she’d made him whole again, and now he was back to being a fractured man.
It turned out the ring box had rolled underneath the bed. He grabbed it, and not because he was going to propose to Zoe when he saw her—hell, he just wanted her to take him back, and his little stunt meant he had a lot of work to do before he’d even consider himself worthy of having Zoe as his wife. But still, he opened the box and stared at the ring, remembering how excited he’d been to give it to her. How much he loved her and believed in her. And how far he was willing to go to prove that to her.
What had she said when he’d teased her about being a romantic?
I suppose I am a romantic when it comes to the idea that a man would be willing not just to climb mountains but even fight an unbeatable fight to win the woman he loves.
Well, this was his chance to prove to Zoe that he was that man and she was that woman.
He’d already asked Murph, and she never got Zoe’s home address. (According to her, if she had, she wouldn’t give it to him anyway. “Work to find her and fix this,” was what she’d said.) The first place he went looking, then, was Iron Maiden. When he didn’t find her there, he headed for Pete’s.
Yanking open the door, he was hit with the sights and sounds of a place he realized he’d come to love. Pete’s Bar & Grill had turned out to be a home away from home in this new town that was starting to feel familiar to Gabe. But the moment he wove through the crowded tables over to the bar, Pete spotted him, came around the bar fast, and threw a punch. Gabe saw it coming and didn’t even try to avoid it.
His head whipped to the side from the force of Pete’s punch to his jaw. Gabe rubbed it and winced out of one eye through the stars in his vision at Pete.
“I deserved that,” he said. “And you can hit me again if you want. It won’t come close to the pain I’m feeling knowing I hurt Zoe.”
“Hurt Zoe, the money grubbing gold digger, you mean?”
Gabe shook his head. “I know she’s far from that. I made a mistake. Misunderstood something obviously. But I want to talk to her and apologize and she’s blocked my calls.”
“As she should,” Pete said, shaking out his hand. “Nobody has ever been such a dick to her. After everything she’s done for you.”
Guilt sizzled inside Gabe’s chest. “I know. Zoe is the best thing that ever happened to me, and even if she doesn’t take me back, I need her to know that I was the one who fucked up, that she did nothi
ng wrong, and that she’s the most honorable, selfless woman I’ve ever had the fortune to know.”
Pete just stared at him, unrelenting. Fine, Gabe thought, he’d get no help here, so he’d have to find another way. He’d call the Bootleggers administrative office, find the person who had referred Zoe to Murph. He’d convince them to give him Zoe’s information, and if they didn’t, he’d head back to Iron Maiden and camp out there. He’d do whatever he needed to do —
Gabe’s phone buzzed with an incoming text and he paused to look at the screen. It was an address, the text from an unknown number.
“She’s there right now,” Pete said from behind him. “But just so you know, she’s with another man. Still willing to fight for her?”
Gabe felt the blow land just as Pete had intended. Turning, he read the challenge in the other man’s eyes, and he met it head-on. “Damn right I am.”
The address Gabe followed on his phone’s map app led to a place called Savannah Oaks. Before going inside, Gabe did a search on his phone.
Savannah Oaks Memory Care was founded on a simple but innovative vision: to champion quality of life for all seniors. It begins with the patients and their personal needs, and results in customized living and support options, so our residents receive the care that’s just right for them.
He continued reading. The place was a nursing home, specializing in Alzheimer’s patients and those with dementia. The range of prices quoted for services was significant, but it seemed justified given the place got 5 out of 5 stars from hundreds of reviews.
Everything clicked into place instantly. About Zoe’s bouts of sadness. Her reluctance to talk about her father. And Pete’s taunt about Zoe being with another man.
He didn’t even blame Pete for his vindictiveness. He deserved it and more.
This was why she’d been behind on rent payments to the gym. This place had to cost a fortune. Family was a priority for Zoe, same as it was to Gabe. He would’ve done the same. But Zoe didn’t want handouts or a sugar daddy. She worked damn hard for her money, as he’d seen time and again for himself.
And you accused her of using you for your money.
He didn’t deserve her, he thought, maybe he never would but what he’d told Pete was true. Even if she didn’t take him back, he needed to make things right between them.
He entered the facility and headed to the reception desk, where a young woman in a brown sweater greeted him. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m looking for Zoe Reynolds.”
She nodded. “Oh, you mean Mr. Reynolds’s daughter.” She flipped through a sign-in book and nodded. “I’ll let her know you’re here. What’s your name?”
“Gabe. Thanks.”
As he waited, Gabe saw several senior citizens being ushered around, a couple walking on their own with the help of nurses, and a few others being carted down the hallways in wheelchairs. The place looked clean and modern, with plush furniture and crown molding. Everyone looked well cared for and the staff was attentive.
“Oh, Zoe,” he heard from behind him. “I was just coming to see you. You have a visitor.”
Gabe turned and spotted Zoe, standing in a hallway, looking beautiful but pale, her features pinched, shadows underneath her eyes. Her arm was looped around the waist of an elderly man: Kip Reynolds.
Chapter 23
“Bettie, could you stand by Dad for a quick second?” Zoe asked.
“Sure.” Bettie linked her arm through Zoe’s Dad’s.
Turning to her father, Zoe said, “I’ll be right back, sir. I have to talk to this man.”
She took two steps toward Gabe when she heard her father reply, “Do you need me to come with you?”
Zoe stared at her father. For two hours tonight and endless hours before that in the past two years, he hadn’t recognized her at all. But for most of the day yesterday, he had recognized both her and Pete, and tonight, the moment he saw her walking off to talk to a strange man all by herself, some paternal instinct had kicked in.
“It’s okay.” She smiled. “I got this one. Thank you.”
Dad nodded then his eyes immediately disconnected, and he again began looking around the hallways as though it were the first time he’d ever been here, back to wondering where he was and when he’d go home.
“Miss Reynolds, I think I’ll take him back to his room,” Bettie said. “You can meet him back there.”
“Okay, Bettie. Thanks.” Zoe sighed, walked right past Gabe, and breezed outside for a much-needed breath of fresh air. When she felt his presence behind her, she said, “How did you know where to find me?”
“Pete,” he said.
Still without facing him, because it hurt too much to look at him, Zoe laughed bitterly. “Right. Betrayed by my own flesh and blood. But at least he doesn’t think I’m a gold digger.”
“I begged him to tell me where you were and it looked like he wasn’t going to. He did punch me in the face, if that makes you feel better.”
“It doesn’t,” she said flatly.
He moved closer to her because suddenly she could smell him, fresh and manly and all Gabe. “Zoe, before I say anything else, please know that I know what I did was wrong. I was a complete asshole and I should never have accessed your phone messages and I should never have jumped to conclusions. I know you weren’t using me for my money. I know you’re not that kind of person. I just saw that text and I was scared, scared of how powerful my feelings are for you, and what it would mean if you didn’t feel the same way about me.”
At that, Zoe finally turned to face him. “Well, now you know that I did feel the same way. That the reason I was sad sometimes and the reason I was late on my rent at Iron Maiden is that this place is so expensive, but Pete and I do what we need to do to take care of our father. My mom didn’t want anyone knowing, and after she died, I still felt bound by her wishes. And I’ve been struggling with this, my father being here, and losing more and more of him when we didn’t have enough time together to begin with and I—”
Her voice broke and she could see the pain that ravaged Gabe’s face, reflecting her own. “I’m so, so sorry, Zoe. Sorry for what’s happening with your father. Sorry that I added to your distress. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to be with me anymore after what I did. I wanted to come earlier, I was ready to skip practice, but Murph told me you were dealing with things and to give you space. This was all the space I could give. Because I needed you to know. That I know, I know, Zoe, you’re the best woman in the world. I don’t deserve you, but even so, you’re the first real love I’ve ever felt, and if I’m honest? You’ll be the last.”
Zoe tried to hold on to her anger and bitterness, but she saw the true regret and love shining in Gabe’s eyes. And even though he’d hurt her, she still loved him with all her heart. She didn’t have any more time to waste in life, certainly not during a time that would’ve been better spent with the father she was losing. But she also didn’t want to spend another day as miserable as she’d been, crying every day at the drop of a hat and mourning what could have been between them.
“Gabe, I want to give us another chance,” she confessed, tears brimming in her eyes, “but I don’t ever, ever want to feel what I felt yesterday morning again. I felt like I was the one who’d been punched, in the gut, in the heart, then kicked repeatedly.”
He winced, scooped her face into his hands. She held onto them tightly, reveled in the sweet smell of his skin. “You won’t, Zoe. I mean, I can’t promise I won’t mess up, because I will. But I will never doubt who you are, what you mean to me, what we have together again, Zoe. I will trust you, and I will communicate with you, I promise. I will also be by your side to help you with your father. To help you with anything you experience in life, peach, whether it’s a good thing or not so good thing. You will be my priority, and if I have to skip a practice, skip a game, give up football altogether to keep you, I will.”
Zoe sucked in a breath, his words piercing and repairing at the same
time. He meant it, she realized. He truly did love her. Wasn’t that love worth a second chance? “Yes,” she whispered, even though he hadn’t asked a question, but by the relief that washed over his expression, he understood.
Simultaneously, they reached for one another, and Gabe enfolded her in his embrace. He cradled her against him and kissed her hungrily, and she kissed him back, allowing his strength, his goodness, his love for her to wash the last of her anger and pain away.
In the end, Murph had been right – she was the perfect woman for Gabe, and he was the perfect man for her. That didn’t mean they were perfect humans, however. They’d both make mistakes, and they’d be all the better for working through them together rather than apart.
She pulled back and enfolded his hand in hers. “Come on.” She tugged him toward the glass doors that opened automatically.
She smiled at Bettie and tugged Gabe all the way to her father’s room where his nurse was in the open bathroom preparing the sink to help her father brush his teeth.
She realized Gabe had let go of her hand and was still standing at the door.
“You can come in.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” she said, taking his hand and bringing him in next to Dad’s bedside where he sat on the edge, looking lost. “Mr. Reynolds?” she said. “I’d like for you to meet my friend, Gabe Murphy. He’s a big fan of yours.”
Gabe stepped forward and slipped his hand into her father’s. “Sir, I just want to thank you. For all the passes you threw, for all the games you won and didn’t win, too. You’ve been a hero to me my whole life, sir. Not just as a quarterback, but as a family man.” He looked at Zoe. “And for raising a wonderful daughter, thank you.”
Dad looked at Gabe with narrowed eyes. Any moment now, he would proclaim he wasn’t a quarterback, didn’t have a daughter, and was a war hero during the Civil War, not the NFL. “Her,” he said, pointing to Zoe. “That’s my daughter there.”
