Page 25 of Not Until I Found You

“I’ll be okay,” I promise and force a small smile, though she can’t see it.

“I know you will,” she replies, her voice softening. “I just wish I could be there to make sure of it. Will you call me tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“And answer your phone when I call.”

“Yes, Mom, I will. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” I reply, pressing the phone to my chest for a moment before hanging up. The silence inside the car feels like a small victory.

Chapter Seven

Zane

“How do you stay so…” Wren waves her hand vaguely at me. “You know what, never mind.”

I lean back against the counter and grin at my friend. “No, please. Do keep going. I live for compliments.”

She snorts. “It’s not a compliment.”

“Sure it is. You were about to say something along the lines of ruggedly handsome or effortlessly cool. Maybe both.”

Her eyes narrow, the way they always do when she’s trying not to laugh. “You really believe your own hype, don’t you?”

“Absolutely,” I deadpan. “If I don’t, who will?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “I was about to ask how you live off of beef jerky and candy bars and can still look like you spend six hours a day in the gym.”

I shrug and unwrap my third Twix of the night. “Did you forget that I do manual labor for eight-plus hours a day?”

The corner of my mouth twitches before I return to my task of putting together the ultimate s’mores charcuterie board. On the counter sits rows of Hershey bars, Reese’s Cups, Oreos, and Twix, all lined up in neat rows. Graham crackers, pretzels, and strawberries weave through the chocolate chaos. My love for creating charcuterie boards started earlier this year.

Raine began hosting Thursday dinners, but once she and Ryland started planning their wedding, the meals became a little sparse. We all tried to fill in, but let’s just say our collective cooking skills topped out at delivery pizza. Even Olivia, who’s a baker, opts for quick meals after a long day of baking.

So, one night, I rolled in with not one but two boards—meat and cheese on one, fruit and veggies on the other. And just like that, I gained instant legend status. Now it’s become my thing. Build-your-own taco boards, nacho boards, even breakfast-for-dinner boards.

Wren ignores my comment and narrows her eyes at me. “Are you trying to impress someone, or do calories refuse to stick to you?”

“Neither.”

“Mm-hmm.” Her grin turns mischievous. “Maybe it’s a sign that you’re finally ready to date again.”

I choke on my bite. “Absolutely not.”

Wren gapes at me. “It’s been six years, Zane.”

“And?”

“And your standards are so specific I’m pretty sure nobody qualifies.”

“They’re called boundaries.”

“They’re impossible.” She steals a Reese’s from the charcuterie board. “At this rate, you’ll die alone with the little checklist you keep in your wallet.”

“First of all, how’d you know that was in there?” I level her with a look.

Wren immediately lifts her Reese’s to her mouth and takes an unnecessarily large bite, chewing with the exaggerated innocence of someone who has absolutely been caught.

“Secondly, I’m perfectly content with my life right now.”