Page 40

Gage
As a peace offering, I stop at Pop’s favorite bakery and treat him to coffee and donuts. I didn’t forget about our argument after talking to JodiAnne’s nurse, and a Boston crème will go a long way to smoothing out some ruffled feathers.
He eyes me like I have something to say, but I only juggle the box and our coffees. Baby hustles past me to get out of the cold.
I’m late.
After watching Zarah drift off and the long drive back to the city, I didn’t fall into my own bed until well past midnight.
Baby had a blast though, and the sleep I lost was worth it.
I bumped into Stella on my way out the door. She was standing in the yard letting Arya and Sansa do their business before penning them up for the night.
I confessed my questions upset Zarah, and she smiled a smile so sad I’m surprised Zane is still alive and not six feet underground from a shattered heart.
“It’s okay,” she said, holding her coat around her. “We try to get her to talk about it, and her therapist encourages us to pry bits and pieces out of her. She hates to talk about the past, and I can’t blame her. I hate talking about the five years Ash had me under his thumb, too. If she’s willing to talk to you, even just a little, it’s a good start. It’ll be hard, don’t misunderstand me, but it will be good, I think, in the long run, if she can purge those memories to someone she can trust. Someone who won’t get disgusted and toss her aside after he knows the truth. Because that’s what she’s scared of, you know. That she’ll be brave enough to tell someone, and she’ll be shunned for admitting what happened to her.”
“I would never do that,” I said angrily, gripping my keys.
Calmly, she replied, “She doesn’t know that. She hasn’t known you long. Trust is hard to come by in this family, and I’m sure you can understand why. When you hear, ‘Trust is earned,’ that will never be truer than with Zane and Zarah. I’m sorry. You’ll have to prove yourself.”
“I have no problem doing that.”
Stella grinned. “Then buckle up, sweetheart, you’re in for a bumpy ride.”
If I hadn’t liked her then, I would have after our talk. No one values honesty more than a PI. She didn’t bullshit me or question my motives. Simply welcomed me into the family.
“You look like the cat that ate the canary,” Pop says, sitting behind our desk. He’s probably already put in an hour of paperwork before I dragged my ass through the door.
“Took your advice,” I say, passing him the box of donuts and setting the cups of fancy coffee he’ll give me shit for later on the corner of the desk.
“Yeah? Finally let Sierra talk you into bed? Buffed out your edges.”
I piss and moan about it, but I don’t mind talking sex with Pop. He’s had a woman or three since his divorce. Some of them liked me, some of them didn’t, and some didn’t give a damn either way, only cared about getting Pop between the sheets because he looks pretty damned good at sixty-two.
I pry a lid off one of the coffees and sip. There’s a hint of vanilla in it. Yep, Pop’s gonna give me shit. “Nope. The other one.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Zarah Maddox?”
“Yeah. She texted me yesterday and invited Baby out to run their property. I stayed for dinner. Nice people.”
Pop’s no dummy. “You didn’t get up her skirt.”
“No. It’ll be a while before she’s ready for that. I don’t know how Max did it. She’s a scared little rabbit most of the time. There must have been something she trusted about him.” It grates on my nerves, too.
“You’re jealous.” Pop reads me pretty good.
“Yeah, yeah I am, and I’m gonna have to control it. He had her first, but he’s gone. Gotta let it go.”
He opens the box of donuts and whistles. Don’t know if he’s whistling at the fat and sugar content or what I said. “Wow. She crawled under your skin, didn’t she?”
It doesn’t take much to remember the way her lips felt under mine, or the way my cock hardened when she wrapped her arms around my neck. “All it took was a kiss.” I pause. “I’m sorry about our conversation yesterday. I’ve never been ashamed of what we do or where I come from. If I’d wanted that, I could have spent a lot more time with Max, Rourke, and Mom, but I didn’t. I know where I belong and I’m happy here.”
“Didn’t take offense, but I know how hard it is to mix the two together. Oil and vinegar. Add some spice and do your best to make a nice dressing.”
“I wouldn’t have believed a person could until I met Stella Mayfair last night. She grew up in foster care, yet she wears Zane’s billions like she was born into it. If Zarah and I start a thing, I’ll be looking for that balance.”
“No one says you gotta find it tomorrow.”