Page 67 of The Sailor

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Marit exclaimed, sounding embarrassed.

But Zach simply smiled. “No, you don’t understand . . . having you here, your things, it makes me feel less lonely. Even when I was in the Navy, on a ship full of people, working with the other sailors in the galley, I felt alone. Everyone was doing their own thing, in their own world. Having your stuff in my place, mixed with mine, tripping over your boots . . . it reminds me that I’m not alone. That you’re here.”

Marit’s head dropped back to his shoulder. “That’s sweet. But I’m still going to be more careful about where I leave my boots from now on. The last thing I want is you bashing your head into the wall because of my crap.”

“How are you feeling?” Zach asked.

Marit looked up at him again. “Um . . . fine?”

“No, I mean, after spending all day with my crazy family. After our talk. After Linc taking you aside and telling you that he has no problem ‘dealing’ with Pearson if you want him to.”

“Honestly?”

“Of course. Always. My family can be a little intense, and I can tell them to back off if I need to.”

“I told you that I’ve never understood the concept of family. You know how mine was. But being around your brothers, and mom, and even Britt and Kash, it makes me feel incredibly lucky . . . and sad at the same time.”

“Sad?”

“That I missed out on what you have.”

“But you have it now.”

“Yeah, I do,” Marit said in a faraway tone, putting her head back on his chest.

“Look at me, Marit.”

She did as he said.

“I told you this before, and I’ll say it as many times as you need to hear it to make it stick. You’ll always have a place with the Youngs. I don’t care what happens with us, relationship-wise, you’re stuck with us now. If you think my mom will ever let you just quietly slip away, you don’t know her nearly as well as you should. And Linc, Knox, and Chad already see you as the little sister we never had. They’re more than willing to fix this issue with Pearson, but I told them to back off until we need their help. And Britt’s so happy you’re around. Chad said she’s really missed having someone closer to her age to talk to.”

“She’s awesome,” Marit agreed.

“I can see us sitting just like this when we’re old and gray, exhausted after sending our grandkids home with our kids, happy with how our life has turned out.”

“Zach,” Marit whispered, her eyes wide.

“I just want you to know that this, us together, feels right. As if I’ve finally found my person. The other half of my soul. The person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’m going to do everything in my power to not screw it up. To make sure you never regret being with me.”

“I won’t. I . . . I feel the same,” Marit told him almost shyly.

So many feelings welled up inside Zach. Gratitude. Relief. Love.

“I love you, Marit. Some people would probably tell me it’s way too soon to say the words. That I should wait until you say them first. That we haven’t been together long enough for me to know if what I’m feeling is really love or not. But they’re wrong. I know down to my very bones that you’re it for me.

“And I’m not telling you how I feel to pressure you to say the words back, or even to say anything at all. I just wanted you to know that I’m in this for the long haul. That I like being around you. Spending time with you. Hearing about your day when we both get home. Bouncing marketing ideas off of you. Watching you interact with my family. Seeing how happy you get when we’re at Lobster Cove. Sleeping with you in my arms. It’s all stuff I’ve never experienced with anyone else. It feels like I’ve finally come home, literally and figuratively.”

Marit opened her mouth to respond, but Zach quickly covered her lips with his, stopping whatever it was she was going to say.

When he broke the kiss, he ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek tenderly. “I just wanted you to know.”

Marit reached up and took his hand in hers and pressed a kiss to the palm before moving so she was straddling him. She then took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. “You’re braver than I am—”

Zach snorted. He couldn’t help it. This woman, she had no idea how amazing she was. How much he admired her.

“You are!” she insisted. “It scares the shit out of me to say this, but I love you too, Zach Young. I don’t know how it happened. I wasn’t in the market for a boyfriend. I was simply doing my job, keeping my head above water. Trying to stay under everyone’s radar. Trying not to draw any attention to myself. And then you entered my life, asked me out . . . and here we are. Your family intimidates me, but not in a bad way. They all seem so put together. They know what they want, and they don’t take shit from anyone.”

“We’re all a little broken inside, for different reasons. But we’re stronger together than apart. I think that’s what has made our move back to Maine work out so well,” Zach admitted.