Page 33 of Deceit & Desire

Zoe chewed on her bottom lip, a frown line appearing between her eyebrows. “You’re worried about the threat I got last night, aren’t you?”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Among other things, yeah.”

Zoe raised my hand to her mouth, pressing her velvet-soft lips against my scarred, work-roughened knuckles in a lingering kiss that left my heart aching for all the years we could have had together while she was in Miami, running away from her responsibilities here in Montana… running from the pain of Missy’s death, running from the pain of losing her mom before that. I couldn’t remember a time when Zoe wasn’t running. My girl had always been a mustang at heart, and it seemed so strange now, to see her settled and sober instead of bucking and fighting and running like hell for the hills.

“Let’s not let that taint today for us, Rome,” Zoe whispered. “Today’s about you and me and the commitment we’re making to each other. Nothing else.”

“You’re right.” I nodded, spotting a truck about to back out at the corner ahead of us. Putting on my blinker, I pulled into the spot as soon as the other truck vacated it, and put my truck in park. “I just wish your daddy could be here for this. It doesn’t feel right to do this without him.”

“I know, baby, but we need to go ahead and do it, even though he can’t be here. We need to present a united front, especially with people coming at us and the ranch from all sides. Once Daddy is feeling better and this whole mess with David Michaelson and the investigation into Missy’s death being re-opened is behind us, we can have a big, beautiful ceremony at the ranch. And if, God forbid—” Zoe’s voice broke, and she sucked in a deep, shaky breath. “If something were to happen to Daddy or to me… we need to be married because I know you’d never let anything bad happen to the ranch. It’d be in good hands if you had it?—”

“Stop, Zo. I don’t want to think about that on our wedding day.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, not hearing me. She was borderline hyperventilating, her words a runaway train. “No, Rome. Maybe Michael is right. I’ve spent the last ten years feeling like it’s my fault Missy is dead. I might not have been the one who killed her, but if I hadn’t been so hurt and angry and jealous… if I hadn’t said the things I said to her, she might still be alive right now?—”

“Hush, now. Michael Carter is not right about you. Never has been.” I cradled Zoe’s face in my hands, forcing her to meet my gaze as I pulled her to me and kissed her with all the ferocity that clawed its way out of my chest at her implication. I wrapped my arms around her, crushing her to me, and leaned my forehead against hers as I broke the kiss. “I will never let anything bad happen to you, do you understand me? Not ever. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I won’t let anyone send you to jail, and I won’t let David Michaelson get his hands on your father’s ranch. I’ll go to prison in your place if I have to, baby, and I’ll love you every single day for the rest of my life… every damn day until the day I die. Those are my vows to you, Zoe Brandt.”

Zoe flung herself against my chest with a broken sob, winding her arms around my neck and holding on tight. “I don’t deserver you, Roman. I never did.”

“I never asked if you deserved me, Zo. I just asked if you’ll marry me.” I reached up and stroked her hair, quietly shushing her and peppering her face with kisses until her tears subsided.

“Of course I will. I’d have to be a damned fool not to.” Zoe sat back and wiped the tears off her face. “Just give me a second to freshen up before we go inside. We might get some funny looks if I went in there all red-eyed and snot-nosed from a crying fit.”

“Even red-eyed and snot-nosed, you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’m over the moon that we’re finally tying the knot after all these years. But mark my words, woman, we’re going to have a real, big ceremony at the ranch later on, after we’re on the other side of this shitstorm we’re caught in right now. You read me?”

Zoe rolled her eyes and gave me a stiff salute before a laugh burst out of her. I reached over and stroked her cheek. “There’s the smile I like to see. You ready for this, baby?”

Zoe smoothed a hand down the front of the simple ivory eyelet sundress she was wearing and nodded. “Let’s go make it official, Mr. York.”

My heart did a strange little flip-flopping sensation in my chest as she called me Mr. York, and the realization hit me like a freight train that I was finally about to make her Mrs. York... just like I’d wanted to for years now.

My heart kept skipping beats as I walked around the truck and opened Zoe’s door for her. She beamed up at me, shaking her head, her green eyes crinkling at the corners with that warm, familiar glint.

“What was that look for?” I arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth as she looped her arm through mine. Together, we climbed the front steps of the courthouse.

“Nothing…” She shrugged, chewing on her bottom lip. “I just thought it was cute, you opening the door for me and all. After living in Miami for ten years, it’s nice to be reminded that chivalry isn’t dead, after all.”

“Baby… you forget. I visited Miami twice a year to check up on you, make sure you were doing all right. I remember the way you’d present yourself there—don’t try to deny it. I’m pretty sure that if any man had opened a car door for you, you’d have bitten his head off for undermining your badass, ‘I can handle my own shit’ businesswoman image. Including opening your own damn car door, thank you very much.”

Zoe barked out a startled laugh, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink as she cut a sideways glance at me and tried her best to look tough. “I hate that you’re right.”

I chuckled, leaning down to press a quick kiss to her pouty lips. “You’re still a badass businesswoman who can handle her own shit, baby, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be chivalrous and treat you like a lady deserves to be treated. Now come on, or we’ll be late for our appointment with the probate judge.”

She took my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together, and didn’t argue when I opened the courthouse door for her, too. Once we were inside, a quiet nervousness settled over us both as we made our way to the judge’s office. My heart was hammering in my chest, but as soon as we stepped into Judge Milligan’s office and took our places, a kind of calm washed over me.

The judge smiled warmly, nodding for us to begin. I turned to Zoe, the love of my life, and let the words I’d prepared tumble from my heart.

“Zoe, I never thought I’d find someone who understands me like you do. You’re fierce, loyal, and every bit as stubborn as I am. I promise to stand by your side, no matter what storms come our way, to respect you, and to love you fiercely—every single day.”

Zoe’s hand trembled just a little as she took a breath and began her own vows. “Roman, you’ve been my rock, even when I didn’t think I needed one. You’ve been there when it mattered, and you never gave up on me. I promise to trust you, to love you, and to build this life with you. No matter what comes our way, I’m yours, in every way, always.”

Judge Milligan smiled, glancing between us. “By the power vested in me by the State of Montana, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I pulled Zoe into my arms and kissed her, sealing a promise we’d both been waiting too long to make.

* * *

The ride homefrom the courthouse was quiet and serene in a way I couldn’t ever remember feeling before in my life. Zoe sat in the middle of the bench seat, tucked up against my side, and I drove with my arm wrapped around her shoulders, the biggest, most impossible to wipe off smile on my face as we drove out of downtown Blackwell and back toward Twisted Creek.

---