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Chapter twenty

Hazel

“Hey, you okay?” Gage squeezes my hand as I stare at the Veteran’s Center, preparing myself to go in. This building holds so many emotions for me—pride, sadness, honor, grief. And that last one is why I haven’t been here in years.

“Yeah, it’s just hard to walk in here.”

“When’s the last time you were here?”

“When they honored Dad the year he died.”

Gage pulls me into his chest, holding me tight and reminding me I don’t have to face this alone, that I can handle whatever emotions come when we walk through those doors.

“This money is going to help so many people, baby.”

“I know.” I sniffle against his shirt before leaning back to look at him. “I still can’t believe Diane did this, but I’m also so grateful.”

He lifts my hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the top of it. “My aunt knew it would be put to good use. And she obviously cared about you.”

Ste adying myself, I take a deep breath and head inside, only to find my mom and brothers standing next to the front desk. “What are you guys doing here?”

Mom takes a step toward me, pulling me in for a hug. “Gage asked us to be here, sweetie.”

I look back at my husband, standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets, like he didn’t just make me fall even more in love with him.

He wanted my family to be here for this, to share in the legacy that Diane is leaving behind in our dad’s name.

I choke back a sob as my mother pulls me into her again. “It’s okay,” she whispers so only I can hear.

“I wish he were here, Mom.” The heartache that’s always lurking under the surface bubbles over and overwhelms me.

“I know, sweetheart. Me too.”

When she releases me, Gage steps forward, smirking at me knowingly. “You didn’t think I was going to do this without your family present, did you?”

I rise on my toes and press a kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”

Gage’s smile is soft as he looks up at my waiting family.

“Mr. Sheppard obviously had an impact on my aunt, and Hazel did too, so I wanted you all to be a part of this moment. The money being donated today comes from the sale of her house, just as she wanted, and I think it’s safe to say she was honoring Mr. Sheppard in her own way.

” He clears his throat, peering around the space as my family and I share looks of surprise. “Now, I think we’re just waiting on…”

“Ah, the Sheppard family!” First Sergeant Hank Lyle walks over to greet us, offering a warm smile. “And you must be Gage Kingston.” He steps up to my husband, shaking his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“ The pleasure is mine, Mr. Kingston. On behalf of the entire center, we can’t thank you enough for this incredible donation. This will go a long way in supporting our veterans, helping with housing, medical assistance, and transition programs.”

“This was my aunt Diane Kingston’s wish, and I’m honored to carry it out on her behalf," Gage says, his voice steady but thick with emotion.

Hank nods solemnly. "She must have been an incredible woman. And Mr. Sheppard—he left an unforgettable mark on this place. It’s a privilege to honor his memory in this way. We’re incredibly grateful."

Gage squeezes me tighter, and I can only imagine the emotions coursing through him.

Hank clears his throat, glancing around at my family. "Alright, we’ve got everything set up. If you’ll follow me, we’ll get a few photos and make this official." He waves for us to follow him down the hall toward the main room.

But Dallas grabs my hand and pulls me to the side.

“I just wanted to check on you.” He wipes his thumb under my eyes where my mascara is undoubtedly running. “This is a huge, unexpected gesture, and it’s…overwhelming.”

“I know.”

“For some reason, I feel like Diane and Dad were friends.”

“Gage asked me if they were the other night,” I say. “I honestly don’t know, though.”

“Do you think Mom knew about this?”

I shrug. “I could ask her later.”

Dallas nods. “Yeah… I just feel like we’re missing something here.”

Nodding, I begin to walk away, but he pulls me back. “Wait.”“What’s up, Dallas? They’re waiting on us.”

His brows knit together. “Are you happy?”

His question throws me off. “What do you mean?”

“Gage…does he make you happy?”

I can’t deny that the timing of this question is irritating me, but I see genuine concern in my brother’s eyes.

“I am happy…but I’m also terrified.” I sigh and finally admit the thing that’s been weighing on me, aching to get out. “I’m falling for him, Dallas. And he’d been adamant about no feelings, but he has them too. I’m just worried something will happen to make him change his mind.”

Dallas cuts me off. “If he can change how he feels at the drop of a hat, then he’s not the right man for you.”

“I know.”

“Have you talked about the tough stuff yet, though?”

“Like what?”

“Like if you want kids, where you’ll live, his family history, or—”

My pulse picks up. “Whoa, slow down, Dallas. Where is this coming from?”

He shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s just… Sometimes people aren’t honest about everything, you know? I just think you should really get to know him more before you commit to this one hundred percent.”

“I thought you liked him?”

“I do. But I love you, Hazelnut. And I just don’t want to see you get hurt…” He stares right into my eyes when he says, “Again.”

“I hear you, big brother, I do. There’s still a lot we need to figure out, but it feels like too many things lined up for this to just be coincidence. Diane saw something in us we couldn’t even see ourselves. That has to count for something, right?”

“You two coming?” Penn calls from the end of the hallway.

“ Yeah, be right there!” I respond before turning back to Dallas. “I know what I’m getting myself into, okay?”

He sighs, but nods. “Okay. Just know that I’m here for you no matter what, all right?”

“I know.”

Dallas wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me to the room where everyone is gathered.

“Hazel, why don’t you and your mom stand in the middle, and your brothers and Gage can spread out on the sides?” Hank suggests as we get into place.

But when my eyes land on the check, I nearly drop it. “Holy shit! Is that number right?”

Penn grins. “Yeah, sis. Why do you think I got into real estate investment? I can’t believe she did this. Dad would be honored.”

And as we smile and pose for the pictures, I get the feeling he is.

***

“Hazel?”

Gage steps out from the back of the tattoo shop, smiling when he sees me. He steps around the counter and pulls me into his chest, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “What are you doing here?”

Honestly, I didn’t have a reason for stopping by other than just wanting to see him. “I was in the neighborhood, so…”

His brows draw together, but he’s still grinning. “You’re always in the neighborhood. Your studio is just down the boardwalk.”

“If you’re busy, I can leave. I just…”

He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “You just caught me by surprise, Spitfire.” He removes his finger and then kisses me again. “Wanna come back to my station? I’m finishing up a piece.”

“Sure.”

Gage grabs me by the hand and leads me down a hallway to his room, where his client is lying face down on the tattoo table—shirtless. His very female client.

She lifts her head and smiles at me. “Hey there.”

Shit. She’s gorgeous, and her boobs are pressed into the leather bench, doing nothing to conceal their size.

Jealousy flares in my chest.

My husband is touching this beautiful woman.

Oh God. How many women has he tattooed? How many intimate places has he seen?

“Hazel?” Gage’s voice pulls me from my mental spiral.

“Huh?”

“I said you can sit over there.” He points to a chair in the corner as he puts on a fresh pair of latex gloves. “I’ve got about twenty minutes left with Shyanne, and then maybe we can get some lunch?”

I nod, trying not to let words fly that I can’t take back—because jealousy isn’t an emotion I’m very familiar with.

With other men I’ve dated, I either didn’t worry about other women, or I didn’t care enough to worry.

The realization slams into me like a freight train.

I never worried about losing those other guys.

But I am worried about losing Gage.

“Shyanne, this is Hazel, by the way.”

She lifts her head again, grinning. “Ah, the wife.”

Gage has talked about me? Well, that makes me feel a little better .

“ Yeah, the old ball and chain.” Gage winks at me over his shoulder before returning his attention to his work.

“How long have you two been married?” Shyanne asks, putting her head back down.

“A little over three months now,” I say, though the words feel heavier than they should.

Because the closer we get to the end of our six-month agreement, the more unsettled I feel.

“Newlyweds! Well, I was married for ten years and let me tell you—if you don’t talk about the hard stuff early on, you’ll regret it. Take it from me.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” I say, but take note that this tough stuff seems to be a theme with married people giving advice.

“Don’t be. My husband lied to me about all kinds of things. It started small, but before I knew it, I was married to a stranger. I found out he was racking up credit card debt in both our names—had no clue until it was too late.”

Her words strike a chord with me, reminding me that there are things I still don’t know about Gage, and details that I want to ask him about—like who the hell Miranda is and if he actually wants a future with me beyond our six-month arrangement.

But this weekend is Parker and Cashlynn’s wedding, and I just want to make it through that without any drama.

After that, I’m done tiptoeing around my feelings and my questions.

I plan on making Gage talk to me because I can’t keep living in this state of in-between, not knowing what our future holds.

Three months is too damn long to be in the dark about where we stand.

“Is that Hazel Sheppard?” A deep voice booms behind me, making me jump.

“Axel?”

He walks further into Gage’s room. “What’s up, girl? Long time no see.”

“ I’ve been around. You haven’t.”

He laughs. “Fair enough. If I’m not here, I’m at home, counting the days till I can retire.”

“I thought Suzie would have forced your hand by now.”

“She’s trying, but I don’t want to abandon the shop.” He juts his chin toward Gage. “Maybe if you could talk your husband into taking over for me, that might help me win some points with the wife.”

My eyes slide over to Gage, who doesn’t bother to look up. But by the clench in his jaw, I can tell he’s listening.

“He’s always wanted his own shop,” I say carefully, watching for his reaction, but his eyes remain locked on Shyanne.

“Really? How come you never said anything when I brought this up before, Gage?”

“I told you, I’m not interested.”

Axel darts his eyes over to me. “Well, that’s a shame.”

I keep my gaze on my husband, trying to fight my disappointment, but do a piss-poor job of it. “Yeah, it is.”

Finally, Gage’s eyes lift to mine. “Hazel…”

Axel clasps a hand on my shoulder. “Say, while you’re here, I wanted to book a photo shoot for our fortieth wedding anniversary.”

“Oh my gosh, yes! Let’s do it.” Grateful for the distraction, I take my phone out of my back pocket. “Suzie will love that.”

“Such a good husband,” Shyanne interjects from the table. “Gage, you should be taking notes.”

My husband grunts, but he looks over at me and winks again.

That tiny gesture helps ease some of the anxiety building in my chest. Because when Axel brought up Gage taking over CC Ink, for a second, I thought maybe—just maybe—there was one less thing standing between me and Gage choosing each other for real.

But Gage’s response shut that down real fast.

“ I’ll be sure to take more notes once I’m done with this shading,” Gage mutters as he continues to fill in the Harry Potter piece on Shyanne’s back. The detail of Hogwarts castle and the characters surrounding it is astounding.

God, the man is so talented—and not just with a tattoo gun. Watching him hunched over and deep in concentration reminds me of all the other talents he possesses, and suddenly, I wish we were alone so he could spread me out on that table.

Axel and I settle on a date for his photo shoot just as Gage finishes up the final touches.

Before Shyanne jumps off the table, Gage hands her a towel. “You can cover up with this.”

She looks at me over her shoulder. “Such a gentleman.” When she sees the final product in the mirror, she gasps. “Fuck, Gage. It’s perfect.”

“It turned out good,” he says, walking over to her, checking out his work in the light. “You didn’t bleed too much either—should heal fast.”

Axel nods beside me. “You fucking nailed it, Gage.”

Gage cracks a smile, but I can tell the praise makes him uncomfortable. “Thanks.”

“You sure I can’t persuade you to be the next boss of this place? You could mentor so many new artists.”

This time when Gage’s eyes meet mine, the corner of his mouth lifts. “Maybe it’s something we can talk about after the wedding this weekend.”

Oh my God. Does that mean…

Axel’s eyes light up. “Sounds good. I’ll take you out for a proper business dinner.”

“ Appreciate it, Axel.” Gage walks over to me, lifting my chin as he leans down and presses a kiss to my lips.

Shyanne grabs her shirt and bra from the chair in the corner. I watch Gage apply the appropriate cover and lecture Shyanne about the aftercare, to which she rolls her eyes. “This isn’t my first time, Gage. I’m not a tattoo virgin.”

He laughs and finishes bandaging her. “I’ll meet you out front for payment, Shyanne.”

“That tattoo turned out beautifully, Gage,” I say, watching him as he makes his way toward me.

“Thank you. Does that mean you’ll let me draw on you for real one day?”

I reach up and smooth his hair away from his face. “I’m thinking about it.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Will you really consider Axel’s offer?” I ask timidly, almost afraid of his answer.

“I think I might.” My heart rate climbs. He leans down and presses his lips to mine once more. “But let’s save that talk for next week, okay? The only thing I want to focus on this weekend is Parker and Cashlynn’s wedding.”

I swallow roughly, nodding. But inside, hope is unfurling.

Everything in my body is telling me that this man wants the same future that I do, that we really are on the same page.

But you know what I’m beginning to realize about hope?

My life is just a graveyard full of hopes I’ve had to bury, and this could be one of the most painful losses yet.