by Lindsey Hart
“A–alright.”
Zoe nods matter-of-factly. “You were right. We’re not our parents, and we’re not those people. You’re Raiden, and I’m Zoe.”
“I…I realize that.”
“A long time ago, Raiden and Zoe were best friends. We were amazing together. We rocked and kicked some serious butt. We did everything together. And then we weren’t. There was this huge chunk of my life that I did without you, and then suddenly, you were back, and it was kind of like we just fell back into being amazing together because we couldn’t not be, even if it was different because we were now adults.”
“This sounds like a good story, I think.”
“It was a good story, even though I tried to hate it. I tried to make you the bad guy in it. I tried to…god. I don’t know what I was trying to do. Well, it didn’t work, whatever it was. I guess maybe I was trying to hate you and blame you for a lot of things, but that didn’t happen either. It couldn’t happen because you’re Raiden, and I could never hate you.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“You were good enough and patient enough and kind enough to let me go. You gave me the time I needed, and you said you’d be here if I changed my mind. So, I’m saying I changed it. But are you still here?”
“I…I am. Sitting right here.”
“I know you are. But are you really?”
“I think so.”
“I mean, are you still…do you still want to…to give this a shot? Even if it turns out badly? Even if we end up hating each other? Although I don’t think I could ever hate you. Even if I didn’t like you sometimes, I still think that deep down, I’d always know you’re supposed to be it. You’ve wrecked me, and I can’t even hate you for that. I thought I’d be fine. That the rabies or whatever it was would just up and eff off, but it hasn’t. I still feel rabid, and I still can’t hate you for that. I…I don’t know. Maybe this is going to be a mess, and maybe I’ll end up going and getting the tattoo removed for real. Maybe—”
“Or maybe it will be awesome.”
“Yeah,” Zoe whispers after a long pause. “Maybe it will be. If we both try.”
“I’d try. I’d try until…until I’m blue in the balls. Wait, I mean face.”
“Jesus.”
“And the money? You did say some pretty harsh things about me that aren’t true. We’ve both had relationships in the past, been used, hurt, all of it, and we’ve also had things not work out. I think that should teach us and help us realize what we want, how to find it, hold onto it, and fight for it, not how to give up.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was just freaking out and having a meltdown, whatever. All of it. Your past is your business.”
“And what about the money?”
“The money…I…I’m still scared that…that you’ll one day realize I suck. That you could go anywhere or date anyone, and you…you’ll realize…”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“But how do you know?”
“Because I know myself, and I know you. I have hope. I know what it means to work hard, and I know what it means to come from nothing. The money is nice, but it doesn’t change who I am and what I want. I want to be happy, just like everyone else. I want to find the person who loves the hell out of me, and I can love the hell out of them back. I want a family. I want to have a good life. And I want the money to not mean anything at all when the person sees me. It’s been a long time since I had that.”
“Honestly, me too.”
“I’d work hard, and I’d fight for it. I wouldn’t just let it go. I wouldn’t just assume it’s going to be easy and then walk away when it’s not. The thing is, Zoe, we just fit. We mesh in every way, and we already know we can get along. We also already know we’re…um…compatible.”
“Shh!” Zoe glances back at the doorway.
She finds me grinning when she turns back. “I didn’t think you’d cash the cheque.”
“I wasn’t going to. But then I thought if I really wanted to be a vet tech, why not? Why not, if I’m going to work hard to better myself and make the world better for people and animals? I actually got turned down for loans, so I didn’t have any other choice. It was either that or be too proud and not take it and then work aimlessly at jobs I hated, all the while wishing I’d taken the incredible opportunity when it was given to me.”
“Kind of like this. Like us.”
“Yeah.” Zoe’s eyes get a little misty, damn it. I think there might be dust or something floating around in the office because my nose is suddenly burning, and my eyes feel a little bit itchy too. “Like us, but don’t worry. I didn’t need all that money. I actually donated the rest—forty thousand dollars—to an animal shelter here. They really needed it.”
“You’re amazing. You know that? In every way. If you think I could ever get tired of you or just move on, you’re crazy. You have no idea about me, or you, or about how much ass we’re going to kick together. I’ve been waiting for eighteen years for this. Well, kind of, I think. I mean, no one ever felt right until the second I saw you again. Not a single person. I think I was always waiting for you to come back into my life and mess with everything I thought I knew.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s a compliment.”
“Is it?”
I push back my chair. “Absolutely. Now, can I please hug you and kiss you as if you gave me your rabies? Because it’s all that I’ve been thinking about.”
Zoe raises a brow, but she stands up too. When we meet at the edge of the desk, we practically clash together in a frenzied tangle that I’m not entirely sure doesn’t have anything to do with rabies. Kissing Zoe is everything. It’s just…yeah. My past and my future. This very moment. All of it. Everything.
A slow clap breaks us apart. We both stand there, a little shocked, but I’m grinning even though Sharon is standing at the open doorway, studying both of us with a surprised expression. Also, a crowd is starting to gather at the sound of the clapping, but I absolutely don’t care.
I don’t care. I want the whole world to know how I feel about this woman, and Zoe might be a little bit more hesitant, naturally shyer, but she doesn’t pull away when I take her face in my hands and kiss her again. A real, proper kiss. We don’t stop even when the clapping gets louder and louder, and there are actual cheers going on out in the hallway.
If this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life, then I’d say sign me up, but I’m already registered. And I am seriously going to rock the hell out of this—until I’m blue in the balls or face. Or both. Whatever.
EPILOGUE
Zoe
The guy who is dressed in a bear costume in the highest heat and humidity of a summer day while giving our four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter rides on his back amidst an entire gathering of adults, family, friends, and screaming children? Yeah, that’s the man I love.
He’d do anything for our kids, and he always showed up for them. He’s the best dad in the world. He’s also the best husband in the world, and unbelievably enough, he’s mine.
Gavin and Charlotte happen to be born a week apart. I mean, their birthdays are June tenth and June seventeenth, so we celebrate them together every single year. Raiden always goes all out and plans this huge party with blow-up castles, balloons, cake, all of it. The whole deal. This year, because Gavin’s developed a slight obsession with bears after we visited Raiden’s mom in Colorado a few months ago, he dressed up as a bear. It seriously made Gavin’s day, and Charlotte loves it too.
I love them all.
Our friends are here, and our parents too. Both of them. It was a little weird for them at first, getting used to the idea of Raiden and me together, but they came around faster than we both thought they would. Now, they even get along when we’re all together like this. The first few times were tense, but now we’re just like all other families. We have our quirks and our differences, but we love and care about each other.
We still l
ive in Miami, and I’m not sure we’ll ever leave. Raiden and I both love it too much. But we did cave in and buy a cabin near Denver a few years ago. We spend a lot of time there as well, with Raiden’s mom. Oh, and we made sure we cut down all the trees that were sketchy, too tall, kind of broken, half-dead, and anywhere near the cabin. One experience with a fallen tree was enough for us.
And now, for the best part? Right. The best for last.
I finished my vet tech training. I figured out I wanted to work with animals a long time ago when I first got Pudding, my rescue cat who has actually come around to loving Raiden more than she likes me, even though she was always a mama’s girl. So, Raiden being Raiden (I’ll admit he’s kind of a genius), opened an animal sanctuary for me just outside Miami with a ton of land where abused and neglected rescue animals can call home. We take everything from farm animals to cats and dogs, and we have a really amazing team behind us. I never saw myself ending up here, but I’m so freaking glad I did.
Our kids love all the animals. It’s incredible to see how a frightened, scared, and hurting animal will arrive—their past is often not a happy one, and some of them never knew a moment’s love or kindness before they got here—and then slowly start to change, trust, and learn what it means to be free, treasured, cherished, cared for, loved, and happy. We have a few residents who will probably never come around, but that’s alright. They’re living the best life they can on their own terms. If it means they’ll never fully trust humans again, but they know they’re still loved beyond measure, we just have to be okay with that. We’ll always give them the time they need, and even if they never come to us for a pet or come near us, it’s still amazing to see them out and about, basking in the sun, and knowing they’re safe with us for the rest of their days.
Of course, it isn’t all roses—not our life and not our sanctuary—because it’s hard when we lose an animal. They’re like our family, and it’s hard when we see suffering and the worst of humanity. It’s devastating to see the pain and fear and learn of the abuse and horror of the past. We’re fully aware that people turn out at this because it’s just so hard, but we keep going. We really do just take things a day at a time. We’re always open with each other on how we’re doing—all of us—our whole team. If someone’s struggling, we support them, love them, and help them. There are often tears, but there is also a lot of laughter and so much love.
Even the kids get it. They’re young, so we try and protect them and keep them innocent, but they’ve seen some of the pain and suffering, and they’ve had heart hurts too. Regardless, they’ve also seen the love, the trust, the newfound joy, and gentleness.
Gavin already talks about wanting to be a vet, but Charlotte says she doesn’t know what she wants to do. She says she never wants to stop doing this, being a part of this family and loving deeply.
She might only be two, but I get it. And she’s right. She’s so, so right.
I don’t ever want to give this up either. Family. Friends. Love. It changed my life, and it changed my heart. Love has given me the whole world. Yes, it might take a ton of hard work. We sweat, we cry, we vent, we laugh, we break, and we put ourselves back together. But in the end, it’s all so worth it.
So, yes. Watching the man I love giving our kids rides on his back, making wild grizzly noises that don’t sound anything like a grizzly while he’s sweating off his face paint because it’s sweltering and humid, and the costume is absolutely stifling, and our kids laughing and screaming as they bounce up and down on his back, yelling ‘more, grizzly daddy, more, more, more!!!’—I’m so just so happy.
So. Freaking. Happy.
I’m not crying.
Well, okay, I’m crying, but that’s okay. Sad tears, happy tears, all the tears. It’s all fine, and it’s all amazing. It’s all because my heart is so full that it’s constantly overflowing. This really is living our best lives. We’re living it, all of us. Together.
The End
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We are sworn enemies but she's having my baby.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey Hart specializes in sweet to extra hot and dirty romances and strongly believes in happily ever after. If you are looking for a page turner, then you are in for a wild and naughty ride with feisty heroines and alpha male heroes.
