Zoe’s jaw dropped as Ramsey and Mason broke out laughing.
“You’re good,” Mason chimed as he punched Briggs’ arm.
“Yeah, yeah,” Zoe said dryly.
Briggs strode to the garbage can and threw away the paper towels. Zoe’s phone buzzed. She’d placed it on the table when she first sat down. She reached to answer it, but Mason got to it first. In many ways, he was still the same immature, pesky baby brother who craved being the center of attention. A peculiar look came into his eyes. “It’s Carl.”
Tension settled into the room as the three men looked at one another. Zoe could feel their animosity toward Carl. Had he been here, no doubt he would’ve gotten sucker punched by at least one of the Romeo boys. Her gaze settled on Briggs whose jaw had gone razor sharp. Interesting. Was Briggs protective of her too? The idea was intriguing, flattering even.
Zoe held out her hand. “Give it here. He’s probably calling to check on the kids.” It had taken a superhuman effort for Zoe to maintain a cordial relationship with Carl. As far as Zoe was concerned, she never cared to see or speak to Carl Stevens again. She’d spent far too much time trying to turn herself inside out to suit him, and surprise, surprise, he was the problem. Like it or not, however, Carl would forever be part of her life because of the kids, so she needed to keep things civil.
A deviant glimmer flashed in Mason’s eyes. “I’ll get it,” he said as he slid his finger over the screen and put it up to his ear. “Hello,” he said in an over-the-top professional tone, “this is Zoe Romeo’s answering service. How may I help you?”
Zoe grinned a little at Mason’s mention of her last name. Legally, she was still using Stevens so her last name would be the same as the kids. However, she’d begun thinking of herself again as Zoe Romeo. She appreciated Mason saying it to Carl. Her head jumped back into the conversation.
“Oh, hey Carl. This is Mason … I’m afraid you’re out of luck. Milo and Madison aren’t here right now. You want to speak to Zoe? Sorry, she’s occupied right now … with Briggs.”
A soft gasp issued from Zoe’s throat. She looked at Briggs whose eyes had lassoed to big circles. She could feel his shock as it boomeranged back to her.
“I’ll tell her you called,” Mason continued, “but it might be a while before she calls you back—” a conspiratorial chuckle rumbled in his throat “—if ya know what I mean.” He ended the call, sporting a triumphant grin. His eyes narrowed with satisfaction. “Put that in your little book, you weasel.”
A partially amused smile wound over Zoe’s lips. “That was interesting.”
“Yep, never a dull moment with this one around,” Ramsey chortled as he slapped Mason on the back. “Dude, that was beautiful.” He looked at Briggs. “Well, I guess it’s official—you and Zoe. Congratulations, man.”
“About dang time,” Mason added.
Zoe gurgled, feeling like her tongue was trying to choke off her windpipe. Briggs rubbed a hand over his neck, looking sorely uncomfortable. His expression shot a thousand needles through her. She’d been so worried about coming home and seeing Briggs again, questioning how she felt about him. It had never occurred to her that he might not be thrilled about her coming home and opening Pandora’s Box. A hot anger surged as Zoe’s spine went ramrod straight. She threw Briggs a venomous look. “The two of us are not together, nor will we ever be,” she enunciated. “Briggs made sure of that when he dumped me.” She swallowed the acid in her throat.
Briggs flinched like he’d been punched. His voice went harder than flint, eyes burning into Zoe’s. “Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?”
“What’re you talking about?” she demanded, practically coming out of her chair.
“I broke up with you to give you space, to let you spread your wings.”
“Sure, you did,” she sneered, the hurt rushing back like a black tidal wave, threatening to suck her under.
“You’re the one who wrecked everything by getting married a minute later.” He shook his head in disgust. “And we all see how well that worked out.”
The only sound in the room was her strangled breath. Zoe sprang out of her seat. “Get out!” she demanded.
“Take it easy, sis,” Ramsey said as he touched her arm, but Zoe hardly noticed. She and Briggs stood glaring at one other like gladiators facing off in the arena, ready to rip one another’s head off.
“It didn’t have to be like this,” Briggs lamented quietly.
A wall of tears pressed against Zoe’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She squared her jaw, eyes blazing wrath. “You know your way out.”
Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode out.
It was then that Zoe couldn’t stop the wretched tears from falling. Despite everything that had happened between them, she felt a sense of loss that he was leaving this way. Had she learned nothing from the past?
Mason gave her a pleading look. “Go after him, sis.”
She swiped at her tears. “Stop it!” she growled.
“You love him. You’ve always loved him. Life is giving you a second chance here. Don’t throw it away.”
Zoe’s head was burning fire. “Are you out of your mind?” she spouted, getting up into Mason’s face. “That’s absurd!”
Ramsey wedged a hand in between them. “Take it easy.” He looked at Zoe. “Mason’s not the enemy here.”
Her voice rose. “Oh, yeah? Then who is?”
He looked her in the eye. “Time … regret ... Carl.”
Ramsey was right, of course. But she didn’t need to hear all of that right now. She sucked in a breath, trying to get a handle on the fury and resentment that shook every fiber of her body. She balled her fists. Everything was so messed up. Like someone had taken the neat, ordered, charmed life she’d spent over a decade building and placed it in a blender and then spewed out the pieces. And, somehow, she was supposed to make sense of it all. “I don’t know how to fix this,” she croaked, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I know,” Ramsey said as he reached for her and enfolded her in a tight hug.
A sob wrenched her throat as she gave into the grief, her shoulders shaking.
Ramsey rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay,” he soothed.
While Zoe appreciated the sentiment, she knew it was a well-meaning, bald-faced lie.
Her life was a jumbled-up mess, and nothing would ever be okay again.
7
Zoe was the most stubborn, impossible woman on the planet!
Briggs hit the punching bag again and again, sweat pouring down his forehead and stinging his eyes. While it felt good to vent his anger on the punching bag, nothing seemed to loosen the tight ball of tension between his shoulders.
It was obvious that Zoe still hated him for breaking up with her. In some ways, it seemed like it had happened in another life to different people. Then, there were other times when the hurt was so raw that he could taste it. He grabbed the punching bag to readjust it before pounding it again and again in a steady rhythm.
When Briggs first heard that Zoe was getting a divorce, he’d been elated. Then, he felt guilty for being so excited. As much as he wanted another chance with Zoe, he didn’t wish her any ill will or pain. Before Ramsey and Mason had come into the kitchen, things had been going amazingly well between him and Zoe. The sparks between them were alive and well—as strong as ever. He frowned. Too bad Mason had to open his big mouth and ruin everything.
This morning, it had been a shock to see Zoe flying out the house, wearing only a T-shirt. Just as he was trying to wrap his mind around seeing her again, live in the flesh, he realized that she was in trouble. Instinct had taken over as he’d rushed to get her out of the path of the runaway horse. Images flashed through his mind—memories of Zoe looking at him with such love that he thought his heart would melt, them swimming in the silver light of the moon, holding her in his arms, kissing those soft, bewitching lips and feeling the fire that licked through his body, going c
lear down to his toes. Zoe was a woman now, still beautiful, maybe even more so than she’d been before with her sheet of long fluid dark hair that captured sunlight in its lustrous tresses. Those expressive dark eyes that held the mysteries of the universe. Her toned, lithe figure and those never-ending legs. She was enough to make a man lose all reason. How many times over the years had he tried to convince himself that he was over Zoe? He’d dated scores of women, almost at a feverish pace, trying to find someone who even came close to Zoe. The mere thought of Zoe with her over-polished, pretty boy husband had gutted him. Well, ex-husband now. Yeah, it was probably wrong, but he was glad Zoe was no longer with the cream puff, as Knox called him.
Briggs could never understand how Zoe had ended up with Carl Stevens. He was the antithesis of everything Zoe had been brought up to value. Zoe had grown up working hard. Her dad and brothers were God-fearing, down-to-earth people. Even country music superstar Cash Romeo had a healthy dose of humility. Briggs had seen pictures of Carl but had never met the man. From what everyone said, Carl was entitled, haughty, and had no appreciation for Zoe or her sculpting. The whole thing was just so whacked!
Ever since Zoe’s divorce, Knox had been encouraging Briggs to patch things up with Zoe. “So, you made a mistake and broke things off. Big whoop. Y’all were kids. Zoe will forgive you. You just have to go after her, show her how you feel about her.”
If only Knox knew the truth, he’d flip out.
Briggs punched the bag a few more times for good measure, but the fight had gone out of him. His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to repair the rift with Zoe. He wanted her—needed her in his life. Being with her today had made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a very long time.
Maybe it was foolish to think that they could just pick up where they left off all those years ago. Knox’s constant pestering had planted a seed of hope inside of Briggs. And Briggs had nurtured that seed, allowing it to take root and sprout to a tender sapling. However, he could tell that Zoe had no intention of ever forgiving him for what happened between them. Thanks to Carl’s betrayal, Zoe was gun-shy about trusting any man, and Briggs could hardly blame her. Removing his gloves, Briggs went over to a nearby bench and picked up a towel, using it to dry his face. He reached for his water bottle and guzzled down the refreshing liquid as he looked out through the wall of windows to the bubbling creek, surrounded by dense foliage.
When Briggs became a veterinarian, he never intended to go to work for Knox full-time, but Knox doubled his salary and deeded him two of the most pristine acres on the ranch. Briggs’ home was modern, constructed of two shipping containers. When he had it built, Briggs had made sure that there were masses of windows. He wanted it to feel like he was living outdoors. Normally, being out here, surrounded by nature was therapeutic. However, today not even the scenic landscape could bring him peace.
His mind clipped like a pent-up colt trapped in a pin several sizes too small as he tried to figure out a way to fix things with Zoe. There was only one solution. Briggs would have to tell Zoe the truth—the real reason why he’d broken up with her. But that would mean breaking a long-kept promise. His expression was grim as he reached for his phone and punched in a familiar number.
“Hey, it’s Briggs,” he said a minute later. “We need to talk.”
Getting the kids enrolled in school was no small task, but Zoe felt a huge sense of accomplishment and relief when it was finally done. She’d forgotten how much stricter the school system was in the South versus the West. In addition to the kid’s transcripts and shot records, the school administration secretary had insisted on Zoe providing two proofs of verification of her address, one of them being a utility bill. Of course, that wasn’t possible since Zoe was living at the ranch and didn’t have any of the utilities in her name. Zoe and the snippety woman went rounds until finally, Zoe called her daddy. He got on the phone with the woman and worked it out. Of course, it helped that Knox had donated the majority of the money that had funded the new gym a year prior.
It was a little after eleven a.m. The kids were due to be picked up at three. With four hours to kill, Zoe headed to her mama’s boutique to see if she could pull her away for lunch. She drove around the town square and past the iconic statue of the Confederate Soldier standing proud and tall. As Zoe pulled onto the bustling Main Street where Mama’s boutique was located, Zoe felt like she was going back in time to the epitome of Americana. She soaked in the quaint beauty of the historic buildings infused with a Victorian-Era influence.
Zoe pulled into the first empty parking space she saw. As she got out of her SUV and walked toward the boutique, a warm breeze kissed her cheeks. She raised her face to the sun, appreciating its warmth. Notwithstanding the blow-up with Briggs on Saturday morning, the rest of the weekend had gone surprisingly well. Zoe had enjoyed spending time with her kids, as well as Ramsey, Mason, Daddy and Mama. Yesterday, they’d all attended church together before going back to the ranch and having a big lunch, consisting of pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, and all the fixings. The food was expertly prepared by Gina, the housekeeper and cook, who was more of a family friend. Gina and her husband Hank ate with the family. The dinner was like countless others Zoe had experienced growing up—her daddy and Hank exchanging witty jokes, her brothers piping in, teasing her and each other. Zoe was glad her kids were getting to experience the comfort of delicious home-cooked food and the company of family and friends.
Church had gone well. The sermon was about trusting in the Lord’s timing. Zoe felt the preacher’s words were especially for her. A particular scripture had stood out to her.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.
She was certainly trying to trust, but she wasn’t fully there yet. She was like the man who brought his son to Christ and pleaded for him to be healed. The Lord asked him “Dost thou believe?”
“Yea, Lord,” he answered, and then came the powerful, “help thou my unbelief.”
A rush of emotion rose in Zoe’s chest. Help thou my unbelief. Please direct my path. Help me to move forward with my life.
Zoe’s thoughts went to Briggs … always back to Briggs, like water seeking the lowest point. It was uncomfortable seeing Briggs at church, but thankfully, he kept his distance. Also, Zoe got tired of having to explain the details of the divorce to inquisitive friends and neighbors. She’d geared herself up for it, knowing that was just how it was in the South—everybody was in everyone’s business. Zoe could tell that most everyone she spoke to already knew about Carl’s affair. They just wanted to get Zoe’s take on it.
One surprise that came out of church was the overwhelming support from the women parishioners, who looked on Zoe as a poor kindred spirit who’d survived a man’s ultimate betrayal, only to pick up the baton and move forward with her life. The very act of Zoe getting dressed in her Sunday best, putting on make-up, and showing a good face to the world made her a champion for women’s rights, or the southern variety, at least.
Zoe paused, grinning as she looked up at the large sign on the aged brick building, Birdie’s Boutique. Simple and to the point, but it had a nice ring to it. Mama had opened the dress shop right after she and Daddy divorced. If Zoe’s memory served her correctly, she’d been around fourteen or fifteen at the time. All of Zoe’s friends were in awe of the idea of Zoe’s mom owning a clothing shop; however, Zoe had wanted nothing to do with the shop or her mama back then. She was fighting mad at Mama for divorcing Daddy. It wasn’t until shortly after graduating high school that Zoe learned the cause of the divorce—her daddy had an affair. Birdie was a quintessential Southern woman who didn’t want to air her dirty laundry—even to her children—for fear of it bringing shame to the family.
When Zoe learned the full truth, she was remorseful for how poorly she’d treated her mama. However, Mama held no ill will. She told Zoe that it was okay and that she understood. The irony of her current situation wasn’t lost on Zoe. Maybe fate was
punishing her for her past misdeeds. Now, she knew exactly what it was like to walk in Mama’s shoes, and they were more restrictive than a pair of skyscraper stilettos, a half size too small.
The bell over the door chimed as Zoe stepped in, the old wooden planks creaking beneath her steps. The scent of lilac wafted through her nostrils, reminding Zoe of Mama and taking her straight back to her childhood. No surprise, the boutique was impeccable. Zoe trailed a hand over a dress on the rack, feeling the texture of the crinkled fabric beneath her fingers.
She heard Mama before she saw her. “Welcome. I’ll be right with you.”
Zoe stepped up to the counter, peered over, and found Mama sitting, legs folded on the floor, with half a dozen boxes and large shipping envelopes surrounding her. She peered over her candy-apple red frame glasses and flashed a wide smile which gave her a girlish, ageless quality. “Well, hello,” she said cheerfully. “It’s great to see you.”
“Great to see you too.”
Birdie motioned. “I’m trying to get a few shipments ready. The UPS guy normally comes a little before lunch.”
“Would you like some help?”
“Sure.”
Zoe walked around to join Mama. “What would you like for me to do?”
“Make yourself comfortable.”
Zoe sat down on the floor, placing her purse beside her. “I’m glad I didn’t wear white pants today,” she said dryly, a small smile tugging at one side of her mouth.
Birdie laughed as she tucked a lock of honey-blonde hair behind her ear. “Yes, indeed.”
With her glossy shoulder-length hair and dark eyes, Birdie Romeo was a beautiful woman. As a teenager, Zoe had always felt like a gangly stork in comparison to her mama’s petite, curvy figure. Now, however, Zoe was grateful for her height and for the fact that she could pretty much eat whatever she wanted and not put on an ounce of weight.
Birdie handed her a slip of paper. “Can you check the item list in this box to make sure everything is there?”
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