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The mere mention of Melanie sent a mix of emotions through me. We’d been close, or at least as close as I could be with someone, and I thought we had a connection. Then there was the break-in at the coffee shop, and it was like she thought I was the one who broke in.
But she did stop by the house to check on me.
Ugh. It was all so confusing, which was why I probably failed at so many relationships. I just couldn’t read them correctly.
Except with Zack. He made things as clear as day.
He picked up my hand and squeezed it. “You might feel overwhelmed, but believe me when I tell you we’re getting to the end of all this. I promise.”
I smiled and brought in a shaky breath. “I thought we weren’t going to make promises we couldn’t keep?”
Zack pressed his mouth against my temple, kissing gently along my hairline. “I will keep that promise to you, Sadie. This will all be all over soon.”
Ian walked into the room and glanced at his brother before his gaze landed on mine.
“You okay? What happened?”
“Good news that Carmella is officially locked away, followed by a call from her with some vague threats, but not to be outdone by my ex letting me know he’d like to visit my parents. Things have been highly productive while you’ve been away.”
“For like fifteen minutes?” Ian shook his head.
“Why are you back?” Zack asked.
“Melanie canceled. She said she had some family stuff to take care of. I thought I could at least make myself useful.”
“Are you still up for dinner out?” Zack eyed me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Not even a little bit.”
Jaxson cleared his throat and stood. “You deserve some levity, Sadie. Your parents will be protected. I already have people watching the house, and my brothers will be there soon. Enjoy the fact that a very nasty woman is behind bars.”
Elena folded her hands in her lap and nodded. “Mom and Dad will be fine.”
I glanced at Zack, who kept his face expressionless. He had a habit of doing that when he didn’t want to persuade me one way or another, which I usually appreciated.
But tonight, I just wanted to be told.
Zack’s lip curled slightly, and he held out his hand. “You look beautiful. Let’s go out tonight and enjoy some wine and steak.”
I looked into Zack’s eyes and saw something that made my heart clench so tightly it almost burst. I saw a love so clear and so pure that my mind felt dizzy. He had the power to break me or let me rise, and he always chose to let me rise.
My hand slipped into his, and he helped me up. Elena clapped and laughed. “It’s about time. I’m going to call Mom and Dad to let them know what’s been going on and to see how they’re doing.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Should I stay? I can wait for that. I don’t want—”
Elena chuckled. “Go. They’ve been worried sick about your staying at the house the whole time.”
“Okay, fine. Tell them I’ll call them after dinner.”
“They’ll be in bed after you get back.” Elena smiled warmly and nodded. “But I’ll let them know.”
I gave my sister a quick hug and followed Zack down the hallway toward the mudroom. He helped me get my coat on, which didn’t match my outfit at all, but it was all I had since I’d shipped everything east.
When he opened the garage, the brisk air woke me up as we made our way to his Jeep.
“We’ll take this one tonight. They’ve been talking about snow flurries all day.”
“Always love a fun Jeep ride.” I climbed into the front seat and shut the door as Zack did the same. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes and couldn’t help but be struck by how good-looking he was, no matter what the situation called for.
