Page 121 of The Moment They Can't Forget

He dragged his tired body inside, showered, and crawled into bed with his dogs to fall into a deep dreamless sleep.

JD woke with resolve. Today, he would see Zoe. He’d take her flowers and then talk to her. He’d tell her everything that was in his heart, which was terrifying but needed to be done.

After feeding the dogs and Velma, they headed outside to the barn. He’d missed his animals too. The dogs ran around his legs, playing and happy that he was back, and Velma quacked. This was his life, and leaving it had confirmed that.

Walking into the stables, he stopped when he heard voices.

“Seriously, you long-eared beast. Leave my beard alone!”

JD knew that voice. Moving toward it, he looked into Potato’s stall and found Sawyer with a bucket in his hand and Potato nibbling his beard.

“Problem?” JD asked instead of “Can I hug you because I missed you?”

“This donkey is the absolute worst-behaved animal I’ve ever encountered,” Sawyer snarled. He then dropped the bucket of feed on the floor. JD opened the gate, and his friend walked out. They then just stared at each other.

“You’re not going to make this awkward, are you?” JD said. “And say things like ‘I missed you’ again. ‘You’re the only friend I’ve ever had,’ and stuff like that.”

“Loser,” Sawyer said. He then grabbed JD and hugged him hard, and he returned the gesture.

“I’m sorry, Sawyer,” JD said when they had released each other. “I never meant for you to get hurt. It all just happened and then?—”

“I have talked this to death since you left,” Sawyer said. “Women, bud. They need to share their feelings and work through things. It’s been hell, I’m not gonna lie, so I don’t need to anymore.”

“I can imagine how hard that’s been for you,” JD said solemnly. “And thanks for dressing up today to see me.”

His shorts were ripped around one cuff, making that hem shorter than the other, and his long-sleeved shirt had a stain down one pec.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Sawyer glared at him. “So we good? Because if you want to talk this shit out some more, I’m not lying, bud, I may puke.”

“We’re good. Just one question,” JD said. “I love your sister. Is that going to be a problem for you?”

“No. Now I’m going to your house to make coffee, and you need to feed the rest of the animals. That fucking donkey traumatized me.”

JD laughed as he watched Sawyer stomp away.

“One Duke down,” he muttered, and the most important person to go.

He walked to Roman’s stable next and looked in. What he saw had him freezing.

“Hey, you,” Zoe said. She was brushing the long gray flanks of Roman. Unlike her brother, she was in jean shorts and a sweatshirt that didn’t need repairing or soaking. Her hair was up in a high ponytail on her head, and her pretty face was free of makeup.

“Zoe,” he whispered with all the longing he’d felt in the last six days.

She lowered the brush and came toward JD. He opened the door, and she walked out.

“I’m sorry,” they both said at once.

“I missed you,” JD said. “So much.”

She gave him a sweet smile. “I missed you too.”

He just stared at her then, drinking in the sight of the woman he loved.

“JD, I need to tell you something.”

“Okay.”

“More than one somethings, actually.” She gave him a small smile, and his heart did that thump he got when she was near.

---