“Goodnight, Princess.”
“Thank you for an amazing evening. I enjoyed meeting your family.”
“You’re going to be required to make appearances at family dinners going forward,” I warn her.
She nods, and her light, happy laughter does something inside my chest. That dimple is back at the corner of her mouth. The one that I love so much. “Truly a hardship.”
I chuff out a laugh, then adjust Chloe’s dead weight in my arms. “Goodnight, Princess.”
“You already said that,” she teases, backing away toward her porch. “Goodnight, Zach.”
“You already said that,” I echo, backing toward my own porch. She sticks her tongue out at me. “Hey, there’s a fundraiser for the station next weekend. Do you like chili?”
“I love chili,” she calls across the darkened yard, surrounded by the halo of light from her front porch light.
“Wanna go with me?” I call back, taking the steps up to my front door. “I’ll give you a tour.”
“Will you take me for a ride?” she calls over, her tone implying far more than a ride in the firetruck.
“Princess, I’ll let you ride anything you want.”
The smile she sends my way lights up my chest. Goddammit, I’m in trouble.
“It’s a date,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
Maybe she’s in just as much trouble as I am.
Thirty-Two
Louise
The knocking on my door startles me. It’s loud, insistent. The only time I’ve heard someone pound on my door like that was the night Zach had to go to the fire—
I’m off the couch and rushing toward the door. Pulling it open, I nearly run into Zach where he stands on my threshold. “Hey, is it—”
“Not a fire,” he rushes to say, his eyes tracking me as I try to shove my feet into shoes. “But I’m glad you remembered shoes this time.”
Sticking my hands on my hips, I cock one hip out and glare up at him. “Look, the last time was like midnight and I was in bed—”
“I know,” he laughs, but then he turns his head to look at his house again. “Listen. I need your help with something. I’m way out of my depths and I don’t know who to ask. I could call my mom, but… I think it might be… less embarrassing… coming from you?”
Dropping my hands and the fake sass, I track his features. “Is something wrong? I’ll help in any way I can, Zach.”
“Good. Thanks,” he says, lifting one massive hand to rub at the back of his neck awkwardly. He sticks his tongue into his cheek, like he’s chewing on his next words.
“Tell me what’s going on before I have an anxiety attack,” I laugh, stepping forward to place my hands on either side of his face. I scratch my nails through the scruff on his cheeks and jaw. “What’s going on?”
His hands come to my waist, simply holding me there and he takes a deep, steadying breath in. “It’s Abi. She… she started her first period. And I don’t know what to do to help her. I grew up with three boys. I don’t know what I’m doing. The last thing I want to do is get Brittanee involved…”
Sliding my hands up and around to the back of his neck, I pull him down to me for a hug. This man and his heart.
“Come here,” I whisper on a light laugh. He wraps his arms around me, his entire body expanding with another deep breath before he lets it out just as slowly. “Better?”
He nods into my neck. “Thank you.”
“Can I make a suggestion? Feel free to say no, if you’re not comfortable with it,” I say, pulling back enough to allow him to stand up straight. “Do you want me to talk to her alone, or would you like to be involved in the talk?”
“I’ll let you talk to her. Might embarrass her a little less if her gross old dad isn’t listening in,” he admits, scrunching up his nose adorably.
