“Everything. You coming back to Amber Ridge was the best damn thing that happened to me.”
“It was a pretty good decision, wasn’t it?” She had a great family. A great job. And Zane. She had more than she ever thought possible.
“The best decision.” Then he kissed her.
She hadn’t just gained freedom from her past in coming here. She’d gotten an entire life.
The second Zane’slips touched Bonnie’s, he felt it. The peace that came with knowing the woman he loved was his. The calm of knowing she was safe, and he had the rest of his life to love her.
He wasn’t sure what the hell he’d done to deserve Bonnie, but he wasn’t questioning it. He was accepting all her love for as long as she’d have him.
When she separated from him it was too soon, the yearning to pull her back so strong he had to physically fight it. But then he saw her smile. Wide and so radiant that he couldn’t look away.
“I love you so much, Zane Merrick.”
Air hissed from his throat. “I’minlove with you, Bonnie. Always will be.”
She sighed and leaned her head against his chest.
When they stepped back into the gym, he took in Bonnie’s family. People who had welcomed him with open arms. He’d come to this town with nothing. No family. No one to love. And fuck, he’d gained so much in such a short amount of time.
Bonnie squeezed his hands before returning to Indie and Clara and picking up a paintbrush.
Noah came to stand beside him, but Zane didn’t take his gaze off Bonnie. Because Clara had just said something to make her laugh, and with her head thrown back and that big smile on her face again, his gaze was totally stuck.
“I like it when you look at her like that.”
Zane’s lips twitched at Noah’s words. “Finally ready to admit you were wrong about me?”
Noah scoffed. “I wouldn’t call it wrong. I’d call it being cautious.”
Finally, he dragged his gaze from Bonnie to look at her brother.
“But,” Noah added, “I shouldn’t have thought I knew better. She’s an adult. Even if I remember her as a teenager. She can make her own decisions. And her decision to choose you seems to be a pretty good one so far.”
“I’m glad to have you on my side.”
Noah grinned at him. “You know you’re part of this big, crazy family now, right?”
Zane glanced around the packed gym. At Bonnie’s siblings and cousins and partners and aunt. “I’ve gained more than I thought I would, coming to Amber Ridge.”
Noah chuckled. “I did the same. There’s something about this town that does that.”
Jesse crossed the gym to them, phone to his ear. “Thanks, Claudia.” When he hung up, he looked at Zane. “Good news. Stetson’s out of the hospital.”
The last weight lifted off his chest. He’d been worrying about the kid.
Apparently, the morning Stetson was shot, Damien had shown up at his place, asking to do an early morning session at the gym.
Thank God Stetson was okay. With no reason not to trust his cousin, Stetson opened the building for him and got betrayed for his trouble. Damien was behind bars without bail until his trial. And the prosecutor had agreed not to press charges against Maisie in exchange for her agreement to testify against Damien, because it was deemed that she was acting under duress.
“You guys helping here or what?” Becket called from the far wall, paintbrush in hand.
Noah and Jesse grinned before crossing the gym.
Zane joined Ethan, who was pulling on his jacket at the desk. “Leaving?”
“Yeah. Told Ferris I’d come to his office to talk.”
