Lauren reached for Zoe’s hand and squeezed it. “You don’t have to do any of this alone.”
Zoe’s eyes welled with unshed tears. “I can’t believe this is really happening.”
Lauren reached an arm around Zoe’s shoulders as the sniffles continued. Anthony rested a hand on Zoe’s back and gently rubbed.
All the time Lauren had been looking for Anthony, he’d been looking for Zoe. After discovering he had a half-sister who’d gone missing in the foster system, he’d dedicated himself to locating her. He finally found her, but Eric refused to release her and threatened to harm her if Anthony didn’t bow to his every command.
They were all together now, but the circumstances were less than ideal. Anthony had multiple charges to face, Zoe had been Eric’s prisoner for years, and Lauren had her own legal battle to face.
Zoe sniffed and lifted her head from Lauren’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything. You’ll never know how grateful I am.”
Lauren clasped Zoe’s hand and choked back the tears. Anthony wasn’t the only one who’d needed help. All of her efforts to find him had been recovered twofold. That push in her heart had been rewarded with Zoe’s freedom and a newfound cousin too.
“I’m so glad you’re safe. Did you get a chance to go to Blackwater Restoration?”
Zoe clasped her hands in front of her, wringing them nervously. “Yes. Thank you for the money. I was able to get some great clothes and shoes.” She scratched her head. “I didn’t realize getting away from Eric would mean I’d be homeless, jobless, and have nothing.”
“You’re not any of those things. We’re going to get you on your feet in no time,” Lauren assured.
Camille turned and lifted her head, blinking the sleep from her eyes. “Hey. You’re here.”
Zoe’s eyes lit up as Camille sat up and stretched. “Thank you so much for everything. The clothes are amazing, and Bob was so helpful during the questioning.”
Anthony rested his arm around Lauren’s shoulders and jerked his head toward Zoe and Camille. “At least Zoe won’t be short on female role models.”
“She’ll look up to you too if she’s smart,” Lauren said as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He still smelled the same as she remembered, and that was a comfort in the chaos. “You’ve always been my hero.”
Anthony chuckled. “You need to get out more.”
“I have good news. I talked to a friend this morning and got both of you a place to live and jobs if you want them.”
His arm fell from around her, and he stepped back to look at her. “Are you serious? How did you do that?”
Lauren shrugged. “I have good friends. Zach works there too. It’s a cattle ranch, and the owners have been working hard to get things going over the last few years. The workload is finally picking up, and they need all the hands they can get.”
Zach shifted on the bed, and everyone else in the room froze. He tilted his head to one side and opened his eyes.
“Zach.” Lauren was by his side in an instant, grabbing his hand as she sat on the bed next to him.
He blinked a few more times and looked around. “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t help it. A single chuckle escaped, bringing a mirth to the room that was new and welcome. “You had surgery from a gunshot wound, and you’re asking about me.”
He looked around some more, noticing the other people. “What happened?”
Camille rested a hand on Lauren’s shoulder. “We’re going to get some lunch.”
Lauren stood and hugged Camille, not letting go of Zach’s hand. “Thank you for everything. I’ll call you soon.”
Everyone said their quiet goodbyes as they exited, leaving a peace in the room that Lauren could enjoy now that Zach was awake.
When they were alone, she paged the nurse who’d asked to be notified when he woke. “How do you feel? Do you need anything?”
Zach slowly shifted, and his face contorted into astrained expression. “I’m okay. I had surgery?” He tilted his head to look down at his wrapped-up shoulder, chest, and arm.
“Yeah.” The word was choked as emotion clogged her throat. “The surgeon said everything went well, but you sure did take a long time to join us again.”
A small smile lifted his lips. “Was dreaming about you. Were you worried?”
