by Vivian Arend
His dad pushed aside the papers so he could point to the last page. “I’m not sure, but this part seems pretty easy to interpret.”
Still legalese, but part of the sentence was easy to interpret.
—granting divorce proceedings to terminate the marriage—
What? What?
His gaze snapped up to meet his father’s. “These are divorce papers. For me and Julia?”
“That’s how I read it. Umm, apologies for reading your mail, but I didn’t—”
Zach marched away from his father, all but sprinting back to the cabana to grab his phone. Waiting for the call to go through to Alan was painful.
“Good morning. How’s the birthday boy today?”
Zach was all but vibrating, but shouting obscenities at the other man wouldn’t get him answers. “You sent me divorce papers.”
“Oh. You got them already.” Alan clicked his tongue a couple of times. “I suppose you want an explanation.”
“You think?” Zach stepped out onto the small porch, glancing up and down the path to see if he could spot Julia anywhere. “Did Finn talk to you? Does this mean—”
“Finn? No, I haven’t heard from him recently.” It was Alan’s turn to sound confused. “Julia got in touch with me this morning.”
Everything inside Zach went still. “Julia did.”
“Yes. She wanted to double-check again if there was some way that you could be released from the one-year requirement. We worked something out.”
Over the past forty-eight hours, Zach had finally triggered plans that he thought would break the stalemate between them. Finally move him and Julia toward the relationship he’d always wanted.
Inside, hope died. “This is real. We’re not married anymore.”
“It’s real. You and Julia are no longer married.”
He looked down to discover his fingers trembling as he held the papers. “And you haven’t talked to Finn. Or Karen.”
“Just Julia. And now you.” Alan’s voice turned soothing. “Breathe, Zach. Trust me.”
The urge to burst into hysterical laughter was so damn high. Only he spotted Julia’s flame-tinted hair in the distance. “Don’t do me any more favours for a while,” he warned. “I need to go.”
“Talk to Julia,” was the last thing Zach heard as he hung up.
He was out on the path an instant later, marching toward her. Jumbled emotions bounced with every step. He was so angry. So sad. So confused, and frustrated, and furious.
Zach stepped off the path into a small clearing where the more rugged rocks had been levelled to leave a big enough space to place lawn chairs or tripods for viewing the sunsets. That gave him a place to stand as Julia made her way closer.
Her gaze was down, watching her footing, and it gave him time to just stare at her, the long length of her legs and her strong arms kissed golden by the sun over the past days. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, the highlights all but sparkling.
The papers in his hand couldn’t be real.
She glanced up and spotted him. She smiled briefly before her expression faded, and she hurried forward, concern rising. “What’s wrong?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Julia stood before him, gripping his arms and all but shaking him. “Zach. Are you okay?”
He shoved the papers at her. “Alan sent these.”
She froze. “Oh. Already?”
Zach stood there with his hand stretched out. He shook them. “Is this what you wanted? Because I’ve been telling you all along that you needed to do what makes you happy. Is this what you want?”
She peeled the papers from his grasp. “I don’t know what these say. I called Alan this morning—”
“So I heard. And that’s what he sent.”
She lifted them, squinting at the small print. “What—”
His patience was at an end. Truth was, he didn’t care what the papers said.
“I contacted Finn on Christmas Day,” Zach admitted. “Told him the whole thing about us having to be together for a year wasn’t just about me losing the company but him too.”
Julia stiffened, the papers in her hand forgotten. “We agreed we wouldn’t tell them.”
Zach shook his head. “I agreed I wouldn’t tell Karen, but you reminded me that the truth makes a difference. While it’s not fair our actions could impact them, they have the right to know. They have the right to make their own choices and have their thoughts heard.”
He stepped closer, catching hold of her fingers.
Her eyes were wide as her gaze snapped up to his.
“Just like your mom should’ve told you the truth. It would’ve been hard, and it would’ve been messy, but a different kind of relationship would’ve come after you’d dealt the messy. I realized that, even while I kept my promise to you. I told Finn and left it up to him what he wanted to do about telling Karen.”
She wiggled the papers in the air. “Did you lose everything?”
Only the most important thing ever. Her.
Except, Julia wasn’t acting like somebody who had been desperate to get divorced. Zach took a deep breath and decided to lay it all out.
“It’s never been about the money. I want you. I’ve always wanted you, and the money can go to hell. I’d rather work a minimum wage nine-to-five somewhere with you beside me than have all the money in the bank.”
She blinked as if he were speaking a foreign language and she had to translate. “But you had no choice.”
“About what part? The bit where you kissed me and asked for me to be your pretend boyfriend? The part where I refused to let you stay somewhere unsafe? The part where I did yoga every fucking week? Julia, I’ve always had a choice. Even in the have to stay married for one year or else bullshit—if it hadn’t been something I wanted to do, I damn well wouldn’t have done it.”
Her cheeks had grown rosy and her fingers tightened around the papers, clutching them hard enough that they would be impossible to lay out flat.
“Why?” The word came out soft and broken. She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, meeting his gaze straight on, and this time when she spoke, it was a demand. “Why?”
“The reason I let it stand is because I thought it would give me time to convince you to choose me for yourself.”
A hint of a smile curled her lips. “Choose you for what?”
For fuck’s sake. He pretty much shouted the words. “Your husband, dammit. Your partner. Your lover and your forever.”
The furrow between her brows wasn’t the same as usual. This time it looked as if her expression was being contorted between contrasting emotions. Not even the hint of moisture gathering in her eyes was enough to make him stop.
“So, choose, Julia Gigi Blushing, because this is it. What the hell is going to make you happy?”
She jerked her hand from his, and for a split second—
“You.” Julia threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing like an octopus. “I want you.”
Julia’s heart was ready to burst from her chest. The papers he’d passed her had escaped her grip and were now being consumed by the ocean.
She’d spent the past forty-five minutes alternating between despair and hope, and the last five in utter confusion all the way up until Zach had gotten angry.
She held on tight, his grip around her body an ironclad reminder of the words he just demanded. “What just happened?” she whispered.
A soft chuckle escaped him, but he simply adjusted his grip, bouncing her higher so he could look her in the face. “I think we sort of just had our first fight.”
“You’re a shitty fighter,” she said. “And I totally won.”
“Not much of a victory considering I’m a shitty fighter and all,” he teased back. He took a deep breath as he rested their foreheads together. “You scared me. I thought you had asked Alan for a way out.”
She wiggled until he let her go. “I kind of did, to
be honest, but for good reasons.”
They settled on the rocks at the edge of the clearing, fingers still tangled, knees bumping.
Zach caught her chin in his fingers, gazing into her eyes. “First things first. I love you.”
Oh my God. She swallowed hard. “Me too.”
She caught the briefest flash of his grin before he leaned in and kissed her, putting action to the words that only he had actually said—good fumble, Blushing.
When they separated, she fixed her mistake. “I’ve been in love with you for a while, but it sank in clearly yesterday.”
He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “So why did you get in touch with Alan?”
“Why did you get in touch with Finn? Because you needed to tell him the truth. Because you wanted him to make decisions based on the truth. That’s what you just said, right?”
Zach nodded.
“Me too. I want to be with you, and I’m so glad you want to be with me. But, Zach, you didn’t have a choice. I know you say you did, but you didn’t. I called Alan to see if he could help me find a way to set you free to do what would make you happy.”
It had been one of the most awkward conversations of her life, but staring into Zach’s love-filled expression, it had been worth every embarrassing moment.
Zach’s grin got wider. “So, let me get this straight. You phoned Alan and told him that you love me.”
No use in feeling embarrassed about it now. “Pretty much.”
He leaned in. “Good for you.”
She supposed. She glanced over her shoulder to where the papers were now ocean litter. “We’re not married anymore.”
The sweet sound of his laughter rumbled around her. “We could do something about that. And I mean something that doesn’t require tequila or BRIDE and GROOM T-shirts.”
Her heart rate kicked up again. “Do you want to get married for real?”
The smile she received flashed sunlight bright. “I do. Thank you for asking. I am so going to gloat to everyone that you proposed to me.”
“Did I just—?” Oh my God, she had. Julia slapped a hand over her mouth for a second before grabbing hold of his shoulders and going in for a hug. “Okay, fine. We’re going to get married for real.”
But first she was going to savour the sensation. The complete rightness of being in his arms. Of being held tight and knowing that this was exactly where he wanted to be.
Knowing that they belonged with each other not because of some accident or twist of fate. Not because of liquor and circumstance.
Because of choice.
Speaking of which. Julia pushed back. “What do you think about a fall wedding?”
He lost some of his smile. “Um, really? I was kind of thinking beach wedding, this afternoon.”
She shook her head. “We did the fast and oops type of wedding once. Maybe it would be good to take our time this go-round. Have our friends and family involved. Besides, that will give us something to look forward to.”
“Then we can make it the fall. We need a memorable day—since there’s not much about the first time we actually remember,” he teased. His expression brightened. “But I do have one thing to make right now unforgettable.”
He reached into his pocket and to her utter surprise, pulled out a shining blue ring that made her heart sing with happiness.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“Which means it’s perfect for you.” He slipped onto her finger.
She kissed him again, mostly because she could. Falling into his love and his caresses and caring.
A small cough sounded beside them, and they broke apart to discover Rita standing a few inches away. “Excuse me, Uncle Zachary. Grandpa wants to know if you’re okay. I told him I thought you were because you were kissing Julia, and you shouldn’t kiss somebody if you’re not feeling well.” She turned her gaze on Julia and added very earnestly, “Germs.”
“Very true,” Julia whispered back. “Kissing is a dangerous business.”
Rita shrugged then glanced back at her uncle. “If everything’s okay, can you come back to the house? Everybody’s waiting for your birthday breakfast, and Mom says I can’t have whipped cream until you’re there.”
Zach tangled his fingers around Julia’s. Both of them stood as he nodded seriously to his niece. “I’m very sorry we held up breakfast and the whipped cream. Everything is wonderful, so we’d better go get my birthday party started.”
Only two steps down the path, Julia spotted the rest of the family. Their heads poked out of windows and around corners, a sea of worried expressions as they waited for their return.
Rita danced on ahead, leaving them a little privacy. Julia tugged on Zach’s fingers. “Does your whole family know? About the divorce?”
“Just my dad, unless he told everybody.”
Up ahead of them, Zachary Senior had taken a very visible position. He’d climbed on top of the fence and stood like a sentinel. But he had his finger pressed over his lips and offered them a wink.
“I think we’re safe for now,” Julia informed Zach. “Let’s deal with your birthday first. We can let everybody know the rest of the plans in a couple days.”
“Good idea.”
A table full of people who loved him had gathered to sing “Happy Birthday.” There were plates stacked high with pancakes and more than one bowlful of whipped cream and peaches waiting.
This time the bag full of names was left on the counter. Zach remained on his feet as the birthday song concluded.
“Since it’s my birthday, it’s my turn to share.” He glanced down the table, making eye contact with each person there. “This year, I am thankful as always for my family. For how much each one of you means to me and how much you challenge me to be a better brother, son, uncle, and friend.”
His gaze twisted to spotlight Julia. He caught her fingers and pulled her to her feet. “I am happy this year to be able to add another title to that list. We won’t worry about the specific name, but it comes down to this—I am happy to be Julia’s.”
His sisters were awwwing. Petra wiped her eyes.
Not good. Julia felt her own eyes fill with moisture as Zach lifted her hands and kissed her knuckles. “I hope to spend the next fifty years learning what that means and how to do it better.”
Family at the table or not, there was no way to resist. Julia leaned in and kissed him.
Hers. Because he made her happy.
Epilogue
Red Boot ranch, September 5th
Zach took the stairs two at a time, glancing left and right to make sure no one spotted him. Everything went well until he hit the second-floor landing and came face-to-face with Karen.
He jerked to a stop. “Oh, hey.”
Karen raised a brow. “Hey.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Zach rocked on his toes. “Great day, right? Weather is totally cooperating.”
“Zach.” She put so much disappointment into her tone. “Are you trying to pretend you’re here to talk about the weather? Or are you going to admit you’re trying to sneak in to chat with Julia when you know that’s against the rules?”
“Fuck the rules,” Zach murmured before offering a huge grin. “Come on. You just snickered. You don’t care if I bend the rules just a teeny, tiny bit.”
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Karen agreed. Then she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “But if you think I am going against your mother and sisters on this one? Hell no. I might’ve grown up with Lisa and Tamara tormenting me, but those hellions you’re related to scare the bejesus out of me.”
Figures. He was on his own for this one. Zach pressed a hand on Karen’s shoulder and squeezed. “I give up. I’ll wait to see Julia until later.”
He turned and walked slowly down the stairs as if defeated, the heat of Karen’s gaze boring between his shoulder blades.
Okay, he hadn’t really given up. He took the first corner and rushed back out onto the porch, examining the back of the h
ouse.
Waiting nine months to get married had been weird at first, but as time passed, the delay had grown to be kind of special. His family had gotten into it, Julia’s as well, and now that the day had finally arrived, it promised to truly be the celebration they’d hoped for.
Except, dammit, he wanted to see her now before meeting her at the altar to say I do. Only his sisters had decided tormenting him one more time was vital. Julia had vanished from their cabin early that morning. That was nearly five hours ago, and he was tired of waiting.
He examined the roofline of Finn and Karen’s house more closely than he had over the past year.
“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?” Finn laid a hand on his shoulder. He leaned in and peered up at the house as well. “Or were you thinking about cleaning my eaves troughs?”
“Trying to figure out the easiest way to break into the second bedroom,” Zach confessed. “I want to see Julia.”
A snort escaped his best friend. “You just can’t leave it alone, can you?”
“All the girls are set on us not spotting each other until the big moment. A true friend would help me find a way.”
“A true friend would make sure you didn’t break your neck before you officially get hitched.” Only Finn lifted a finger and pointed. “Maintenance hatch to the attic. Access code is 3542. If you follow the ridgeline past the chimney, there’s a ceiling hatch from the attic into the hall bathroom.”
Zach grabbed him by the hand and pumped hard. “You’re the best. I won’t be long,” he promised, already heading for the side of the house where the massive maple tree would give him a climbing base to get to the roof.
“If you’re not in the guest house in thirty minutes, Josiah and I are coming to get you,” Finn warned.
Thirty minutes should be more than enough time. Zach scrambled up the tree and onto the roof, sliding into the dusty attic space with zero hesitation.
Dusty, hot, and dark enough that he fished out his phone and turned on the flashlight. That let him pace the narrow wooden slats covering the length of the roof to where, as promised, the hatch to the second-floor ceiling waited.