Page 73 of A Texas Hero

“Yes, but we weren’t so lucky,” Robin said. “Sometimes you can meet someone too soon. We were very young.”

Zoey guessed that was true, but she didn’t like to think that timing was the only reason her mother and father wound up together. It was love, pure and simple.

“Are you sure about the dress? It’s such a big decision. Maybe you should think about it, at least for a day.”

Robin surprised Zoey by reaching for her hands. “Honey, when you get to be as old as I am, you recognize when you’ve found something precious and don’t want to lose it by waiting too long.”

“I would hold it aside for you. What if it’s not the one? What if you change your mind?”

Zoey was referring to much more than the dress. She didn’t want her father hurt in case things didn’t work out between them. He’d already been through losing the love of his life, and honestly, it took him years to recover. There had been months when he wouldn’t even leave the house.

“It’s a dress,” Robin said. “I’m looking forward to the marriage, and while I want to look fly on our day, I have the rest of my life to be with your father.”

“It’s not about the dress or the day,” Mami said. “It’s about the rest of your life together. And it won’t always be easy, Zoey, but it will be worth it for the right man.”

“What did you say?” Zoey said, shaking her head.

“I just said that it’s not about the dress for me. Believe me, I’m going to make this work. I—”

“My mother used to say something similar about love,” Zoey interrupted.

It put things into perspective. While she loved fashion, she’d told Zoey repeatedly that a wedding shouldn’t be about the dress—that the dress was often overpriced. And for the first time Zoey wondered if she’d not meant overpriced so much as overvalued. She wished Mami was here now so she could ask her whether there was a better use of her time than putting designer wedding gowns into the hands of women who couldn’t really afford them, discounted or not.

“Your mother was a great woman,” Robin said, touching her chest. “I am barely qualified to take her place. But honestly? I think we would have been good friends if we’d ever met.”

It was a gift, even if Zoey knew it wasn’t true. Robin had the confidence to know that she was more than qualified to be her father’s new wife. She might not look or behave like her mother, but if she were honest, Zoey thought they might have been friends, too.

When Robin insisted this dress was “the one,” apparently with the same degree of certainty that her father was “the one,” Zoey knew she had no choice but to ring Robin up.

“Thank you, thank you!” Robin gushed as she reached out to hug Zoey tightly to her. “I’m going to look beautiful thanks to you.”

Zoey didn’t exactly hug her back, but she also didn’t pull away. Progress.

She followed her to the door and watched her stride over to her rental car nearby. It wasn’t until a minute later that she noticed Archer standing right behind her. He placed his hand on her back.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

“Yes. I’m okay.” Zoey turned and tried to flash him her best smile. It felt fake and forced. This still hurt. Right or wrong, it was painful to see another woman taking her mother’s place. While it might be the natural order to move forward, it left a pinch in her heart that would not go away. It was a little like having the flu, this feeling of general malaise and discomfort. She would have to get used to this new reality. Given time, she hoped she would be okay with it.

“She’s so different than my mother. It’s interesting how one man could love two such different women.”

Archer didn’t say anything, just studied her with those amber eyes.

“Life goes on, right?” she said.

“It does.”

Then he just took her into his arms. Those strong arms pulled her close, crushing her to his chest. Hands down, the world’s best hug.

* * *

“I’ve got a new assignment for you,” Ian said over the phone later that evening.

Time was up. After a few days off, Archer would head on to his next assignment, one he’d share with a team. He’d have to tell Zoey tonight. They’d arrested the stalker and were able to book him on several other criminal charges having nothing to do with Patch. Either way, a win-win. For everybody else, of course. Not so much for Archer.

After discussing details with Ian, he hung up and joined Zoey in the living room to binge-watch whatever show she’d chosen for them. If it was another episode of Frasier, he wouldn’t complain once.

But he found her wrapped in a yellow blanket, reading.