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He kissed her as she explored him. Her hand smoothing over his neck and shoulders, her fingers stroking through his hair, she accepted his attention as if she’d beenwaitingfor it.
Enduring the stimulation, he forced himself not to grope her. No matter how he ached to touch every inch of her he could reach. Despite wanting nothing more than to carry her through the house, lay her across his bed, and spend hours learning everything about the woman in his arms…he held back.
It was no small feat.
Restraint had never been required with anyone he’d dated. They boldly offered, he routinely accepted, and both parties went their separate ways fairly quickly after a lot of drama.
Zoe was different in every way. It was refreshing that she didn’t fall all over him, didn’t feel inclined to stroke his ego, and didn’t act as though his reaction to her defined who she was.
She might be shy but she wasn’t a woman whoneededa man in her life. In many ways, she was the most confident female he’d ever known outside the women in his family.
Such an observation would probably surprise her.
Hearing his daughter’s footsteps through the kitchen, Nate stood and set Zoe gently on her feet in front of him. He smoothed his hands down her back and hugged her so she’d know Mandy had returned.
He turned, placing himself in front of her so she wouldn’t be embarrassed. Running her hands over her face, she took a deep breath and moved to standbesideNate instead ofbehindhim.
His heart swelled with pride as she faced his daughter with swollen lips and a bright blush.
“You guys kissed, huh? Iknewit.” Mandy paused for a long moment as she looked back and forth between them. Then she grinned. “Cool. It’s about time.”
Zoe released a nervous chuckle and signed, “I like your outfit.”
“I wanted to dress like you.” Her voice was cheerful as she signed, “You’re going to love the property. ATVs or horses?”
Zoe signed, “Horses definitely.” Potential awkwardness averted, they walked through the kitchen and out the back door to the snug barn and stable. “I never would have expected you to have horses.”
Mandy explained, “It was my Aunt No-No. She wanted to take riding lessons when she was a girl but no one would let her because she was deaf.” The young woman rolled her eyes. “They were all worried about theirinsuranceor something.”
“A situation I’ve encountered several times,” Zoe offered.
“It sucks. When Dad bought this place, he searched for a horse breeder who was willing to come out and give all of us lessons. I was pretty small but I’ll never forget how naturally No-No and Grandma took to the saddle.”
Zoe looked at Nate. “You’re very good at figuring out what people need. It’s a wonderful quality.”
Mandy touched her arm. “No-No gets mad sometimes. She accuses Dad of doing things out of guilt because he was born hearing and she wasn’t. That’s not it but she can be really stubborn.”
“What do you think it is?” she asked the girl curiously.
“He wants to make sure his mom and sister never miss out onanything. Not because they’re deaf, not because they’re girls. He wants them to have a chance to experienceeverythinglife has to offer. He does that with me, too.” Smiling, she added, “I’ll run ahead and get the apples for the horses!”
Mandy took off toward the barn and Zoe turned and stopped in front of Nate. “I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone like you.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
She nodded. “It is. When I lost my hearing, the whole world got smaller. Suddenly, no one wanted me to drive. People didn’t want me babysitting their kids anymore. I kept volunteering at the library because no one would hire me.”
The words broke his heart because he’d seen the same thing with his own family all his life.
“I’m sorry, Zoe. People can be ignorant and careless.”
“At first, I was healing from the accident and didn’t really notice. Then I started going out again and got depressed. Eventually, I got mad. My mom and sister, they pretend I can hear. My closest friend used to be best friends with my sister. She knew sign language and didn’t make me feel as if being deaf suddenly made me stupid.”
“Nothing could make you stupid,” he signed honestly.
“Until I met the two of you, I was isolated. I remember the sound of the rain, the noises my horses made, the way my little sister giggled, my dad playing piano. I remember all those things and yet, as quiet as the world has been, I started to realize my own life was even quieter. I can’t hear your voice, Mandy’s laugh, or a patron trying to talk to me at the library. You and Mandy make me forget what I’m missing.”
Blinking against tears, he told her, “I don’t want you to miss anything. Being deaf doesn’t have to exclude you.”
