He shook his head. "Katie--"
"I should have told you three years ago when you took me to your apartment. I should have told you then instead of just running away. At the very least, I should have told you when you sent the very first flowers--"
"Oh, God. The flowers," he hung his head as if only now realizing how they might have impacted her.
She shook her head slowly, back and forth. "It wasn't your fault. I should have told you."
His eyes lifted and seared into hers. "I don't know if it would have changed anything."
"It would have. You'd have been as understanding then and you're being now."
He lifted his free hand and wrapped it around her jawline. "All I've ever wanted was for you to give us a chance."
"I know that now. I think I've always known it. But I wasn't ready."
His features clenched in lines of pain as his chest lifted with the ragged breath that filled his lungs. "Are you ready now?"
She smiled, an almost bittersweet smile. "I think I am."
Relief, total and all consuming, spread across his countenance. "We're going to play by your rules in all things."
She knew what he was saying and it comforted her. "Okay."
His hand slid from her cheek up to her hair. "I don't want to rush you, but . . . when can we start?"
"I still have a lot of vacation time," she offered.
"And what do you want to do?"
"Can we . . . will you take me back to South Padre?"
He stared at her with such relief and longing that Katie's stomach flipped over. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly, and with a sense of urgency, he said, "Can we leave today?"
Katie smiled. "Yes."
His hand ran up and down her spine and the action soothed her as he smiled into her eyes. "I've got some business to take care of in town. Can you be ready in a few hours?"
"Sure."
He leaned in a kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you soon.
Zach walked toward the Sheriff's Department with one thought in his head. He needed the story his father had told him about Whitaker corroborated. He needed to know that the man was no longer a threat, and he wanted to hear that reassurance from Josh Turner. Instinctively, he knew he could trust Josh's word on this more so than the sheriff's. And the reason for that was because Josh loved Katie, and Zach would be better able to read the truth in his eyes.
Josh was leaving the building and had turned in the opposite direction just as he walked up. Zach recognized him immediately. He'd seen the younger man around town in years past, but the recognition came because Josh looked damn near identical to his father. Abruptly, Zach realized why his entire family had kept Hannah's romance a secret. They had no way of knowing how Zach would react.
"Turner," Zach called out. As Josh turned to face him, Zach was relieved to realize he felt no animosity toward the younger man. He recognized the strength of character in the way Josh held himself, and he saw the scars that littered the man's face. The scars that proved that Chris Turner had indeed been a piece of shit and that the young man standing in front of him wasn't Zach's enemy. If anything, they shared a type of unity from the pain Chris Turner had inflicted on them both.
After a pause, Josh took a couple of steps in Zach's direction and Zach did the same. The look on the younger man's face was hooded, and Zach made the first move and put his hand out.
Josh looked down and then slowly clasped his palm and they shook hands.
They were silent for a moment, and then Zach got down to it. "I'm taking Katie back to Padre this afternoon."
Josh's eyes narrowed and his shoulders stiffened. "Is that what she wants?"
"It was her idea."
Josh nodded his head but remained silent.
Zach tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Family now, huh?"
"Seems so."
Zach felt the determination rise in his blood. "It's going to get more so."
"Yeah?" Josh questioned tersely.
"I'm going to marry your cousin."
Josh didn't look a bit surprised. "I assumed as much. Does Katie know?"
"I haven't told her yet."
"Told her?"
"Asked her. Whatever."
"But you feel confident she's going to agree?"
"I wouldn't say confident . . . I'm hopeful." He watched the younger man for a reaction. "I have to take one step at a time with Katie, you know?"
The younger man crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah," he remarked without giving much away. "That would probably be a good idea."
"Tell me about Jesse Whitaker," Zach said.
"What do you want to know?"
"My father seems to think he's in prison for the full twenty years. No chance of parole."
"Well, there's always a chance." Josh smiled humorlessly. "But trust me, it isn't going to happen."
Zach wanted the man in prison, but he'd never get to pound him with his fists, at least not for twenty years. "I wish I'd known."
"You didn't have a relationship with Katie back then. What could you have done?"
"I would have liked to have beaten the shit out of him, at the least."
Josh's lips lifted in satisfaction. "If it's any consolation, before I became a cop, I beat him black and blue and had the satisfaction of feeling his skin break underneath my knuckles."
Zach raised his eyebrows. "When was this?"
"After he attacked the sheriff's daughter. I caught him at it and made him suffer."
Zach nodded his head and smiled. "All right. If anything changes, you'll keep me posted?"
"Sure. But you'll have to stand in line, because trust me, beating him once wasn't near enough."
"Good to know. Always happy to have someone on my side."
"Are we that?" Josh asked.
"What?" Zach asked, although he already knew the answer.
"On the same side?"
"Yeah. The past is history, man. We're on the same side." Zach paused and then added, "As long as you never hurt Hannah. You hurt Hannah, you better watch your back."
Josh smirked as if the idea was ludicrous. "Duly noted."
Chapter Fourteen
A Promise Fulfilled
The drive back over the causeway was completely different for Katie this time around. Although her nerves still jangled, they mostly jangled in a good way. The only apprehension she felt was from the fear that she wouldn't be able to obtain normalcy in her life, because she pretty much knew that if she couldn't have that with Zach, it probably would never happen.
He loved her.
Did she love him?
It absolutely didn't take long to think about; she was sure she did.
She'd always been fascinated by him, she'd always wanted to call him and tell him, 'Yes! I'll go out with you.'
But she never had. And certainly his gruff exterior and lack of any softness had helped to make her run scared.
But she wasn't running scared anymore.
She had a life to lead, and for once, she was ready and more than willing to embrace it.
Once they arrived at South Padre, without asking her, Zach put her bags into the spare bedroom she'd been using before they'd left. She knew he did it to make her comfortable, and it immediately worked. Katie never doubted that Zach wanted her to take the lead with the pace of their physical relationship, and her bags in the spare bedroom were the first concrete indication of his intention to proceed slowly.
It was still only midday when they reached the island, and a subtle change occurred after they reached the house. Within a matter of a few hours, Zach had clearly relaxed and his easy-going personality rose to the surface. It seemed to Katie, that he felt content just from her presence in his home, and he allowed his focus to shift back to the running of his empire.
Zach handed her a tablet, and she took it from him and settled down into the couch to wile away a few hours as he worked several feet away from her. She never felt neglected in any way, if she so much as rose to her feet, his dark gaze would snap to her until he figured out what move she was making and why. It didn't make her feel uncomfortable; instead, it had the opposite effect and soothed her. He didn't make her feel as if she were being stalked; his goal was a protective one and Katie could feel it.
A couple of relaxing hours passed as Katie read an online magazine. Several times, she felt Zach's gaze and when she glanced up, his penetrating stare was focused on her alone. His eyes softened as her gaze met his and for a few seconds, he looked her over as if to reassure himself that she was still there and content.
She was content.
She pushed all thoughts of sex from her mind and only enjoyed their companionable silence. She had attained a modicum of peace about the future. It would happen when it happened, and although she was nervous about the first time, she mostly just desperately wanted to move on with her life.
With Zach.
She wasn't putting any pressure on herself to actually enjoy the first time, her only goal was to face it with a lack of fear and anxiety. Sex was a closeness she wanted to achieve with Zach, for that reason alone: she wanted to be close to him in every way she could.
But for now, she was content to be with him in the easy silence of the cozy living room.
Zach glanced up from his laptop and for once, Katie was so engrossed with whatever she was reading that she didn't catch him watching her.
He wasn't getting any work done.
He couldn't work; he was scared shitless.
If this didn't work, if they couldn't move away from Katie's past and have a normal, intimate relationship, he knew that Katie wouldn't marry him.