“I missed you, too,” she whispered. “So much.” And maybe she hadn’t realized how much until now. All those victories when she’d turn to tell somebody, but he was never there. The sad movies and the happy parties, the wins at work and the nights she couldn’t sleep. He was her ghost limb, a memory that never left. And now he was here, in beautiful Technicolor.
“You’re mine,” she whispered, as much to herself as to him. She was full of wonder as she touched him, tracing the line of his nose, the swell of his bottom lip.
“Damn right I am.” He leaned his face into the crook of her neck, kissing her skin. “So now will you let me tell everybody?”
“I already told Zoe.”
He chuckled against her neck. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s good. Because I told Logan,” he said sheepishly.
She grinned at him. “I think Maddie’s guessed as well. We’re such terrible liars, aren’t we?”
“Nah. Some things are just too good not to share. So when are you going to let me parade you through town?”
She shook her head. “Not happening, Hartson. But maybe we can start, I don’t know, being seen together or something? After the opening gala, maybe. Let’s get through that first.”
“The day after the gala.” He nodded seriously.
“Yeah. We can go for brunch or something. Keep it casual.”
He slid his hands beneath her, his fingers cupping her behind as he dropped his lips to hers. “One thing you need to know, babe, is that there’s nothing casual about us.” He kissed her hard. “I’m serious as hell about you. Just so we both understand.”
She leaned forward to kiss him again. “Understood and reciprocated,” she whispered against his soft lips.
For the first time in forever, it felt like her life was sliding into place. Piece by piece, things were getting better. Zoe was happy, her mom was sober, and she was in love with Tanner Hartson, the first boy to ever steal her heart.
Maybe it really was possible to have it all.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Zoe, your friends are here,” Tanner called out, pulling open the office door. As soon as he saw her sitting with Van at the brand new desk they had delivered yesterday he grinned. “And the refreshment booth is officially open. Show time is in twenty minutes.”
Van had been showing Zoe around the drive-in while they waited for her friends to arrive for the dry run. And of course she’d been most excited by the refreshment stand. The construction team had finished the installation three days earlier, and this was the first time they were trying everything out in real time.
“They’re here? Oh boy!” Zoe’s face lit up as she looked up at him. Van was pretty sure he had a fan for life.
She was still choked up that Tanner had been so thoughtful to let Zoe’s friends come to their dry run. Last weekend they’d all gone to Maroon 5 without her, and Tanner had taken Zoe and Van over to Gray’s studio, where he’d played her some of his new songs, and put a photograph of the two of them on his Instagram account. For the past week, Zoe had been like a superstar at school, especially now that her entire class was invited to watch the newest Troll movie with free refreshments.
“A few of the parents are hanging around,” Tanner told Van as Zoe rushed out of the office and down the metal stairs. “I told them I’d give them a backstage tour and grab them refreshments. I figured the kids won’t want them cramping their style.”
Van smiled at him. “You’re pretty good at this, aren’t you?”
“At what?”
She slid her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his. “This almost-uncle thing. You have Zoe wrapped around your little finger.”
He kissed her back, his hands sliding down her hips. “Yeah, well you Butler girls have me pretty much whipped. I live to make you happy.” He slid his lips down her neck, pushing her hair away with his hands. She let out a little gasp as the sensation overtook her.
“Van?”
Tanner pulled back, a horrified expression on his face. Van turned to see Zoe standing at the doorway, the sun spilling in behind her.
Van swallowed hard. “Um… I didn’t know you were there.”
“Obviously.” Zoe wrinkled her nose. “I was just wondering if you guys were watching the movie with us. But now I’m really hoping you’re not because if you do that in front of my friends I’ll die of embarrassment.”