Page 64 of Wild Promise

My throat went tight. “You’re sweet. But deserving it and affording it are two different things.”

I took one last look in the mirror, memorized the way it felt, and took it off. Some things just weren’t meant to be.

“Find something?” Zane asked when I came out, Lucy’s dress draped over his arm.

“Nothing special,” I lied, smoothing my hair with a smile.

At the register, Zane pulled out his wallet before I could reach for my purse. I opened my mouth to argue, and he held up a hand. “This is my thing. I offered, and I want to do it.”

“Zane—”

“Melina.” He fixed me with a look that was equal parts authority and affection. “Let me do something nice for your sister. Please.”

Lucy was watching us with wide eyes and a barely suppressed grin. I sighed and let him pay, because fighting with him in front of my sister about money was not the kind of example I wanted to set. Even if my pride was screaming.

“Thank you,” Lucy said as we walked back to the truck, the dress bag clutched to her chest like treasure. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in a long time.”

“You’re welcome, kid.” Zane ruffled her hair, and she ducked away laughing. “But you’ve got to promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Save me a dance.”

Her cheeks went pink, and she nodded, climbing into the back seat with her dress held carefully on her lap.

The drive home was full of Lucy’s chatter—about the dance, about what shoes she’d wear, about whether Jasper would know how to slow dance or if she’d have to teach him. Zane listened to every word, asked questions, and offered opinions with the kind of easy interest that couldn’t be faked.

And I sat in the passenger seat, watching the snow-covered town pass by my window. Something shifted inside me. Something permanent.

This man, whose reputation said he’d never stick around for anyone, had just proven he was not only interested but invested. Dependable and trustworthy.

I couldn’t deny it anymore. I was falling for Zane Alexander. Hard. And for the first time, it didn’t even feel like a risk. Not because of the sex or the grand gestures. Because of this. The quiet, unremarkable act of showing up for my family like they were his own.

When we pulled into the driveway, Lucy thanked him three more times before running inside to show Olivia the dress. Zane and I sat in the truck for a moment, the engine idling.

I leaned across the console and kissed him. Slow and soft and full of everything I wasn’t ready to say out loud. “Thank you for today.”

“Anytime, firecracker.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I mean that. Anytime. Anywhere. Whatever you need.”

“Anything at all?” I licked my lips. “What if there’s a lot of effort involved?”

His green eyes darkened, his smile turning devious. “Firecracker, the harder the better.”

And from the look on his face, he wasn’t talking about dress shopping.

Which was good. Because neither was I.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Zane

Mrs. Walker’s driveway needed shoveling again, and her porch light had been flickering for almost a week. Since it was one of my rare nights off, Melina and I went over after dinner.

I shoveled the driveway and replaced the bulb while she sat inside with my neighbor, drinking tea and chatting. When I kicked the snow off my boots and came in to collect her, they were both teary-eyed and laughing about something I’d apparently missed.

By the time we made it back to my place, Melina was quiet. She curled into my side on the couch, her legs tucked under her, wearing one of my sweatshirts that swallowed her whole. My arm was around her shoulders and her head rested against my chest as we watched the fire I’d built.

“Fifty-three years,” she murmured.