“Well, good.” Zoe’s smile became an ear-to-ear grin. “Because even though it’s a day early, I was hoping we could still have that breakfast date with my dad.”
Alex pulled back, but only far enough to give her a quizzical look. “You think he’ll be okay with this? You are his only daughter.”
“Let’s just say I think he’s got both of our backs. And anyway, we’ve got some celebrating to do.”
“I’d hardly call me getting released from the hospital after a scrape or two something to celebrate,” he said with a laugh, but the excitement on Zoe’s face snared his attention.
“I’d beg to differ, but your clean bill of health isn’t the only thing we’re celebrating.”
“What else is there?” Alex asked.
Zoe’s whiskey-colored eyes started to glimmer. “Well, in all the commotion yesterday, I missed a phone call from Emily Collingsworth. In fact, I didn’t even see her message on my cell until this morning.”
Alex said a silent prayer of thanks that he wasn’t still attached to the pulse monitor, because he probably would’ve destroyed the thing from the sheer amount of no way pumping through his veins. “The grant lady?”
“I think she’d get a kick out of being called that, actually. Yes, the grant lady. She and I had a lovely talk this morning. We actually spent about thirty minutes on the phone.”
“Zoe,” he warned, and she lifted her hands in concession.
“Okay, okay. I’ll get to the good stuff. Mrs. Collingsworth is obviously part of the committee that reviews the applications for her foundation’s grant. She called to tell me that while Hope House wasn’t chosen for the money, she was very impressed with the plans we set forth in the application, and the support we rallied within the community to raise awareness of the program. She wants to meet with me next week to talk about some smaller charity projects and other financial assistance Hope House might qualify for. She felt really confident we’d be able to make the changes we proposed in the application if we put our minds to it.”
“That’s amazing,” he said, and his chest filled with happiness at the look of sheer hope on her face. “It’s everything you wanted.”
But Zoe shook her head. “Not everything. I want you, too, Alex, right here next to me. Without you, I never would’ve had the nerve to get reckless.”
Alex leaned down to kiss her, unable to hold back his cocky smile. “Just you wait, Gorgeous. If it’s reckless you want, I’ve got nothing but time to give it to you.”
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2016 by Kimberly Kincaid
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-3773-6
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