Page 68 of Solid Ground

I nod as if this is making sense, but it’s really not—although, that might also be because I’m tired. I’m not sure how Zoe has this much energy when she’s this pregnant.

Maybe it’s because she’ll see her parents soon.

I haven’t seen my parents in years. They never wanted me to be an actor—but I pushed so hard, and when my career took off in my teens, it wasn’t long before that decision was taken out of their hands.

That was one strike. And then I was out of control, and they cut me off. I’m not sure I can salvage that relationship. It’s been so long.

Instead, I’m focusing on Zoe and her parents. It means everything to me that I form a good relationship with them. It won’t be easy—her mother and father are only ten years older than I am.

But then again, if Zoe was younger than her 30 years, I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with our age gap. I was never one to chase much younger women, even thoughthere was never a shortage of them throwing themselves at me.

“You’re quiet,” Zoe says.

“Just thinking about your parents and howthat’sgoing to go.”

She reaches across the centre console and squeezes my hand. “You’ll be fine. You’ll charm my mother, and my dad’s pretty easy-going.”

“And you’re his only daughter.”

She pauses. “I am. But I’ve always been independent. I was out of there at eighteen and never really looked back. We’re close, but they’ve always respected my decisions.”

I nod slowly. “Makes sense. You and your app show you’ve got a good head on you.”

Her smile lights up my heart

“Wait. Does that make you my sugar mamma?” I shrug.

Her laughter echoes through car, and we’re soon through the small town of Tirau and back among the green hills. I could eat out on this feeling forever—making her happy.

I look out the window. We whiz past a sign welcoming us to Taupo, and she slows.

“So. We’re here?”

She nods. “Yes, but we’re going to McDonald’s before we go home. I’m starving.”

I’m not sure if that will help my nerves, but my girl is hungry, and I could do with something to eat. “That sounds good. I could kill a burger right now.”

Thankfully there’s no one waiting at the drive-through, and we have our food within minutes.

“Let’s eat this by the lake,” Zoe says.

She pulls into a park by the waterfront, and we walk the short distance to a bench where we sit.

“It’s so beautiful.” I stare out across the water. In the distance, on the other side of the lake sits three snow-covered peaks. It’s cold, but Zoe prepared me well for the change of seasons.

“There’s a giant volcano under the lake.” Zoe leans her head on my shoulder. “A caldera.”

“Like inYellowstone?”

She nods. “The story goes that if the water in the lake warms up, you get the hell out of town.”

“And the other mountains?”

Zoe points into the distance. “That’s Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro. All volcanoes.”

I turn my head to look at her. “Where have you brought me?”

She laughs. “You’re safe.”

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