“Oh, don’t Edith me.” The older woman cackled. “I may be old, but I’m not dead. And you, dear girl, look like a woman who’s been thoroughly…kissed.”
That only made the laughter louder. Zoe groaned but couldn’t stop her own smile from breaking through. The heaviness in her chest eased a little, and for the first time that night, she let herself simply enjoy the warmth of being surrounded by women who cared enough to tease her—women who truly wanted her to be happy.
FORTY-TWO
JACKSON
Sunday, April 6th
Jackson woke up before dawn Easter morning with a ball of nerves in his stomach, which didn’t make any sense. He’d fed the animals, checked the fences, even swept his parents’ front porch steps, though they hadn’t really needed it.
The morning was perfect. All the recent rain made the verdant grass bright and welcoming. The sun shone through the maple trees, which were getting fuller by the day.
And yet, Jackson was anxious. Zoe had been over for dinner before. She’d even sat at this same table for Christmas dinner. But Easter felt different. This wasn’t just a meal. It was a holiday steeped in family tradition. And this was the first time he’d ever brought a girlfriend home for one.
For him, it was a big deal.
He wondered if Zoe felt the same. Normally, this might be too much, too fast. They had only just started officially dating. But then, nothing about their relationship had been normal.
At least they weren’t lying anymore. That was a relief. Jackson hated how it had felt to lie to the people he cared about.Now that Zoe was truly his, in every single way, he felt lighter. Honesty was important to him.
Jackson lingered near an upstairs window, trying not to pace, waiting. The fields stretched out behind the house, bare earth greening at the edges, the faint scent of fresh-turned soil drifting in through the screen. Today, though, even that view couldn’t quiet the tightness in his chest.
He heard Zoe’s car, the buzz of the engine, drift through the open window. He waited a beat, not wanting to seem too eager, to head downstairs.
His mom beat him to the door, arms wide. “There you are!” Beth cried, pulling Zoe in for a hug before she even had both feet inside. “And you look like spring itself, don’t you? That dress is just darling.”
Zoe laughed softly. “Thank you. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Come on in, Gertie, I’ve got a spot saved in the kitchen for you,” Beth added, ushering Zoe’s mother toward the adjoining room. But Gertie didn’t move quite yet. Jackson thought she spotted him coming down the stairs.
From the other room, Cassidy’s voice rang out. “Liam, you’re chopping those potatoes too big again. They’ll never cook in time.”
“They’re fine,” Liam shot back. Jackson could hear the good-natured exasperation in his voice.
Jackson descended the rest of the way down the stairs.
“There’s my future son-in-law!” Gertie declared, cupping Jackson’s cheeks in her palms and planting a kiss on one of them. “So handsome too.”
“Mom, we talked about this. We’re just dating,” Zoe said, shooting Jackson an apologetic look.
But Gertie’s words didn’t bother him. Not one bit. He had known Zoe his whole life, and the thought of marrying her—athought he once believed was completely out of the picture—no longer scared him. In fact, it sounded like heaven.
The idea of being committed to her, through and through, for the rest of their days…Jackson found comfort in that.
He wanted Zoe by his side forever.
Not that he would tell her that now. They’d only been together once, and he was already thinking about marriage? She’d just shake her head. This wasn’t the 1800s.
Truth was, Jackson had never thought about marrying any of the other women he’d been with. But then, those had only ever been hookups. Zoe was different.
“You look great,” Jackson said, stepping in front of Zoe and greeting her with a kiss on the cheek, hand at her waist.
“Thanks, thought I might’ve overdone it with the matching hat, but I can’t help it. I love Easter.”
“It’s my favorite holiday, too.”
“How did I not know that?” Zoe asked, following after Jackson into the kitchen.
