Page 135 of Sunkissed Colorado

We heard a faint knock at the door frame, and the door pushed open. Zandra’s parents were standing there.

“Oh, Zandra. My poor baby.” Her mom rushed forward.

But I stood up, blocking Eliza’s path. “Z’s been through a lot,” I said evenly. “She needs to rest.”

“You think I don’t know that? She’s my daughter. You can’t keep us from her.”

“Like hell I can’t. You’ll upset her over my dead body.”

Eliza gasped, a hand flying to her mouth, while Javi blanched. Then I felt Zandra tugging at my shirt.

I turned around, and she nodded toward her parents. “I’m okay,” she whispered, coughing.

“Are you sure?”

Another nod. She smiled slightly, and her finger stroked down the side of my hand.

“I’ll be right here. Give the signal, and they’ll be out on their ears.”

Not necessary, Z’s sardonic expression said.

I kissed her on the forehead, made sure she had my phone for writing notes, then backed away toward the door. Javi and Eliza went past me, standing on either side of the hospital bed.

Her mom’s eyes were bloodshot from crying. I had to give her that. “Oh, sweetheart. Look at you. I can’t understand how things went so wrong.”

Should we start with you inviting Ian to Silver Ridge?I wanted to say. But I didn’t. I stayed quiet. Instead, I stood by the door like Zandra’s personal bodyguard, watching as she wrote messages to her parents on my phone and they gave quiet replies.

At least they were here, right? That counted for something.

The nurse reappeared. Her mouth opened, and I knew exactlywhat she was going to say. “My fiancee really needs me here,” I murmured. “Her parents are a stressor. You get it, right?”

I managed to convince her to let me stick around. Some charming smiles may have been thrown in, along with a promise to send over treats from Silver Linings for the nurses’ station as a thank you.

Whatever worked.

Meanwhile, I was pretty sure I’d caught the words “I’m sorry” in there somewhere coming from her mom. Something that Z badly needed to hear. It didn’t make up for everything, but it mattered.

Finally, Eliza clasped her hands in front of her and turned to me. “Callum, we’ve invited Zandra to come stay with us for a few days while she’s recovering. And we’d…” She pursed her lips like she’d bitten into a particularly mealy piece of fruit. “We’d like to invite you to come along with her. She made it clear she wouldn’t come home unless you could join her.”

Damn right, I thought. But what I said was, “Wherever Z wants me, I’m there. But what about Chloe?”

“Chloe?” Eliza repeated.

“Zandra’s cat. Pets are important while people are healing.” I had no idea if that was true, but it sounded right.

Another purse of Eliza’s lips. “But Javi is allergic.”

Z’s dad lifted his hand. “I’ll be alright if you keep the cat in the guest wing.”

“Perfect. We’ll see you there later.” I grinned. Maybe it was a little less charming than my usual, because Eliza flinched, and I found that satisfying.

After they left, I gently sat beside Zandra on the mattress. “What do you think? How’d it go?”

“Okay,” she whispered, then switched to typing again.

Better than I would’ve thought. I told them what Ian did, and they feel awful. Have to wait and see, but I think they might actually be listening to me. Finally.

“You sure about going to stay with them?”