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Order placed, Nate hung up and settled against the back of the couch, his arm around Zoe’s shoulders. He kissed the top of her head and she let herself relax against his chest.
If she was dreaming, she didn’t want to wake up.
ChapterThirteen
Zoe went to get the air mattress she kept for her family and Tiffany when they visited. Stored in the top of her bedroom closet with the extra linens, she was prepared to use the step stool. The man in her house made it unnecessary, reaching past her to get them with a smile.
Remembering she had two of the spare beds, she glanced at Nate. “You could…”
“No,” he interrupted instantly. “One is fine.”
“Alright.” She tried to hide her smile as he took it down along with the linens she needed for Mandy.
They set it up quickly and when Mandy came out of the bathroom wearing one of Zoe’s pajama sets, she immediately climbed under the blankets. Maximus followed without hesitation, curling into her side on top of the quilt.
Zoe knelt beside the bed and scratched her cat behind the ears. “I’m not even jealous. You keep her company in a new place. I’ll leave the door cracked if you need to check things out.”
Mandy giggled. “I love this cat. He’s like a person.”
“A cranky old man, I think. Do you need anything?”
“Nope. You fed me, made a comfy place for me to sleep, and even let me borrow the cutest pajamas with baby goats on them.”
“A gag gift from my sister. She likes to pretend I’m still ten.”
One arm behind her head, the other petting Maximus, Mandy said, “You love her.”
“I do but we’re complete opposites. She’s always been almost supernaturally beautiful and has the confidence that comes with it. I don’t think she’s ever picked up a book she didn’t have to for a class. Drives me nuts because she’s smart. As I get older, I find things about Megan that annoyed me when I was young are kind of amusing now.”
“Like what?”
“Her looks, her enjoyment of playing pranks, and the way she makes sure none of her food touches on her plate.” Mandy grinned. “Some things still make me roll my eyes. I’ve never seenanyoneso crazy about the opposite sex. She chooses outfits based on how they’ll highlight her eyes, her hair, and her figure so that if she passes a male, they’ll see the perfect package. When I was little, she got into barrel racing. She was really good at it but stopped because someone told her guys hate that. She tried out to be a cheerleader instead.”
“What a jerk attitude,” Mandy hissed.
“I agree. She loves ranching. She was better at a lot of it than me. I thought she’d take over when Dad died but Mom started shutting it all down, selling off pieces of the land. Megan didn’t object.”
“Why would your mom do that?”
“She’s old-fashioned. My dad worked hard to give her a certain standard of living. They had very defined roles each of them was supposed to follow.” Zoe shrugged. “She wants Megan to be a wife and mother like she’s always been. Stay in the same town.”
“Sounds boring.”
“Also exhausting.” She crossed her arms on the air mattress. “When I was your age, my sister couldn’t wait to see the world, find love, and experience everything. After the accident, she pulled this persona around herself but…sometimes, I can still see that teenage girl inside her that wanted to hike Kilimanjaro and fall in love with some guy on a motorcycle she saw at a concert.”
“That’s sad, Zoe. I’m sorry.”
“I want her to be happy. My mom loves us and we love her but no one should go through life as a carbon copy of another person. We absorb things from all the influences in our lives but we’re destined to be different from anything that came before. Like the incredible and unique qualities that set you apart from your dad.”
Mandy put her hand on Zoe’s arm. “The same but different.”
“Yes.”
“I hope your sister finds the spark she lost.”
“So do I.” Smiling, she asked, “Can I get you anything?” Mandy shook her head. “Come in my room if you need me.” Leaning forward, she kissed her forehead and said, “Remember your dreams.”
Standing, she turned and smiled at Nate leaning against the kitchen island. With a serious expression on his face, he crossed to the air mattress, crouched beside it, and held his daughter’s hand.
