Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
I immediately knew where I wanted to bring Zane, if the house was available on such short notice.
The front door banged open, and someone’s shouted greeting made us both jump. I glared at JK and ground my teeth together to keep from snapping at him.
He approached Zane with a fist bump. “Hey, bro. I told Kenny and them we’d hit up Peaches tonight and maybe you’d play a set with the house band. What do you say?”
Zane tried to fake being chill, but he was definitely not. “Yeah, so… no. We have to go. Duty calls, you know?”
JK frowned. “I thought you were staying till Wednesday? Gran has a whole thing planned for Rinny’s birthday tomorrow.”
Zane’s shoulders fell. I half expected him to shoot me a pleading look before promising to stay. He adored his aunt, and she was the only one besides his grandmother I actually liked enough to feel guilty about ditching.
Instead of agreeing to stay, though, he surprised me. “I hate to miss it, but something’s come up.”
“Aww, man. Okay. I’ll text Kenny and tell him they all need to come here if they want to see you.” He pulled out his phone and wandered away as he began to type.
After texting Lou and Boomer that we might have an influx of JK’s friends showing up again, I went back to booking the place I’d found for us and making sure we’d have access to everything we needed when we got there without having to leave the property.
After a few minutes, I felt Zane’s eyes on me. I glanced up from my phone to see him scraping his top lip with his bottom teeth, looking so uncertain I wanted to take him in my arms.
“What’s up, b—Zane?” I asked. Not my baby. Not my baby. Not my baby. No matter how much I wish he could be.
“Can we leave now? I don’t… I don’t want to talk to a lot of people.”
Thank fuck.
“Of course,” I said softly. “Go pack your stuff and start making your goodbyes. I’ll get Lou and Boomer on board and make sure the driver’s ready to head to the airport.”
Zane hopped up and made his way upstairs while I made the arrangements and packed my own things. Within half an hour, we were on the road, and a half hour after that, we were in the air.
“Why White Plains?” Zane asked when the pilot mentioned our destination.
“I didn’t want anyone in Barlo to know we were changing our plans to go to New York, but I didn’t want to land at Teterboro since that’s where we’re expected.”
“Okay.” Zane accepted this easily, and as it always did, the trust he placed in me soothed something deep in my chest. “Where are we going after that?” he asked, snuggling under the soft blanket he often used on flights.
“Northern Europe.” I showed him a photo of the fjord in Norway where a small luxury home had stunning views of the water. Zane was a sucker for an inspirational view. Hopefully, he could distract himself with songwriting while I worked remotely to make sure the European stops were adequately protected.
His eyes widened, and I felt his body relax. “Gorgeous.”
Within moments, he was asleep in the wide leather chair next to mine. I opened up my laptop and connected to the plane’s Wi-Fi so I could get to work.
Halfway to New York, Zane’s head had slid over to the side. I shifted in my seat so that when his head slid farther, it would land on my shoulder. It took an excruciating several minutes before the warmth of him landed on me, and the faint scent of his hair wafted into my nose.
I let out a breath and felt some of my tension fall away. As long as I was touching Zane Hendley, I could relax a little.
Because Zane was okay…
And finally right where he was supposed to be.
NINE
ZANE
Bears don’t take betrayal lightly. They have an uncanny sense of loyalty, and if you cross them, you’re done. In the wild, respect is a two-way street, honey is earned, not stolen, and a bear will make sure a betrayer doesn’t stick around for long. Mess with the honey and you’ll feel the claws.
—Bear Facts for Insomniacs, Episode 34
The string of flights from Barlo, Georgia, to Ørsta, Norway, was long, but the more distance we put between the site of the stamping incident and myself, the more relaxed I became.
Bear was right. I would have been a nervous wreck if we’d continued on to New York as planned, knowing there was someone out there trying to prove they could get to me.
By the time we pulled through the gates to the secluded property Bear had rented, I was ready to get outside and move my body.
“I’m going for a walk,” I said, inhaling the fresh cold air. “Is that okay? It looks like there’s a fence around the property.”