29. Zoe

“Giveit up for our brave first responders!”

Applause and cheers filled Joliet Park as the town’s thank-you celebration officially kicked off. Local vendors with tents and stands bordered the outskirts of the park, while a local live band gave the people something to dance to. I hadn’t seen the town this lively and connected in years. Maybe ever!

“You did amazing too, honey.”

I turned and smiled at my dad as we stood off to the side of the crowd in front of the stage.

“Thank you,” I said with pure gratitude in my eyes. “I wanted to make Mom proud.”

“She was proud of you every single day,” my dad promised me before enveloping me in a hug. “And I am too.”

The relief I felt as I leaned into his arms almost brought me to tears. Being able to talk about her with him felt like a proof of healing itself.

“Enjoy yourself, okay? This celebration is for you too,” my dad reminded me once we broke apart. He cupped my cheek, giving me a warm smile that made my eyes sting.

“I’ll see you sometime this week. There are just a few things I need to wrap up first,” I told him.

“You know where to find me, and you’re always welcome there,” my dad replied before we parted ways.

I turned back to the stage to watch the crew drink in all the praise as the crowd continued to shout and clap to show their support for each one of them. My heart fluttered as the crew waved and grinned. It didn’t feel like I was on the outside of the crowd.

It felt like I was one with the community as we all celebrated this grand triumph.

“Zoe!”

I spun around and smiled in surprise at the sight of Ann as she wandered over to me with her arms outstretched. I accepted a warm hug from her.

“It’s good to see you,” I greeted her.

Most people in town truly were here.

“It’s good to see you! I read your story.” Ann gasped as she placed her hands on my upper arms. “Your mom would be so proud. The service that you did this town… it’s amazing. People don’t have to be so afraid anymore!”

My article went live this morning, detailing the terror that the cartel imposed on this town and many others and honoring the bravery of the firefighters who fought with them for years before finally taking them down. It was a long, hard journey, but look at where we were now.

“It feels like a totally different town today,” I observed as I glanced around at everyone as they laughed and celebrated. It was like a dark fog had lifted.

“Everyone will remember this for years to come. You made your mark, Zoe. Just like your mom,” Ann replied, giving me a squeeze before walking off to talk to someone else.

Maybe I had left a mark on this town, but my recent time here had certainly left a mark on me too. I found myself dreading the thought of leaving this place behind after everything that happened. Rockview wasn’t some sad place anymore to me. It was where I met the men who had captured my heart. Where I helped take down the cartel who killed my mom. Where I finished her case and wrote the best story of my career.

An ache gripped my chest as my mind traveled to my mom. She would’ve loved to have been here right now, celebrating justice and victory. As the celebration raged on, there was definitely something missing among all the excitement, and I knew that it was her.

She deserved to share this moment.

I took a deep breath as my eyes started to burn, bittersweet pride blooming in my chest. Without her, none of this would’ve happened. No matter what, I wouldn’t ever let anyone forget her and all she had done for every single person in this town.

As the firefighters filed off stage, I moved in that direction, my heart pounding heavily as their eyes caught mine.

“There she is!” Matty quipped as he circled his arms around me, playfully lifting me and spinning me.

Our laughter mingled as he set me down, my world spinning a little. That was just the effect that they had on me, though.

“You guys were amazing,” I told them as they crowded around me, the warmth of their high spirits and smiles enveloping me in an invisible embrace that I cherished. I wanted to be surrounded by them forever. The world outside of them wasn’t as exciting.

So… why leave?

“No, you’re amazing,” Kit assured me as he held up his phone. “Your article has thousands of hits already. Everyone is reading it!”

I smiled as I took a closer look, pride filling me. That was my story!

“My dad told me he read it. He was really proud,” I said, my heart aching just at the thought. But it was a good ache. My dad actually sounded really happy and lively for the first time in years.

But I also knew that this was all probably still hard for him to digest. The love of his life died, and when I returned to town, I dredged everything back up. It must’ve felt like a punch to the stomach for him when I asked about her and made him remember all over again.

But he didn’t turn his back on me. He accepted me with open arms, and despite the grief that we still felt, he was here today to celebrate her too. It felt like the beginning of something new.

Something promising.

Could I really leave on that note?

“Of course, he was,” Gabe said as he gave my hand a squeeze. “We’re all proud of you.”

I chewed on my bottom lip in thought as my eyes darted back and forth between all of them. My mind generated thought after thought, noise filling my head. I had been thinking about this for a while now, but given everything that happened over the past few days, my mind was becoming clearer.

I just had to get the courage to say the words in my head.

“What is it? Are you okay?” Jae asked as his brow furrowed.

“You have to leave now, don’t you?” Cohen added as his shoulders slumped, leading to everyone else’s smiles plummeting off their faces.

If I wasn’t sure about my decision before, I was extra sure about it. How the hell could I leave this place when I had ten smoking hot, intensely sweet and caring, and astonishingly brave firefighters wanting me to stay? I wasn’t an idiot.

I was happy here again. I never thought I would say that, but I came back to Rockview with pain in my heart and work on my mind. I tried to detach myself as much as I could, but this was my home. My family was here. My memories were here. Good and bad.

And amidst the darkness, I’d found love and pride and truth. I needed those things more than I realized. I wouldn’t find what I needed in North Carolina.

It was all right here.

“Actually… I was thinking of staying,” I revealed, stunned silence greeting my words for a few seconds. My stomach twisted. I didn’t misread the situation, right?

“Really? In Rockview?” Angus replied.

“For good?” Kit added with shocked eyes.

“What about your job?” Jae asked.

Gradually, a smile crossed my face when I felt the anticipation in the air.

“I’m going to resign. I want to live here,” I admitted. “For good.”

I wasn’t prepared for the swarm that came next. I was dragged into a flurry of embraces, lips caressing my cheeks and my forehead as their excited words washed over me.

“This is the best news I could’ve ever heard,” Cohen told me as he cupped my face, joy shining in his eyes. He left a lingering kiss on my forehead before releasing me, only for Matty to take my hands.

“We didn’t want to let you go. Ever,” Matty said. “You mean too much to us.”

Kieran stole me away with an arm around my waist.

“I hope you’re okay with being stuck with us!” he teased me.

All I could do was laugh and go with the flow, accepting every hug, kiss, and sweet word that they gave me.

Oh, yeah. I definitely made the right decision.

“You guys are going to suffocate me!” I laughed before landing in Paolo’s arms. I grabbed his strong biceps and looked up at him, catching my breath.

Paolo smiled down at me, awe filling his eyes.

“You are one amazing woman,” he told me, echoing the thoughts of the others as they gazed at me. “Of course, we want you to stay here, but you want to stay here for yourself too, right? We want you to be happy.”

I could’ve melted in his arms. That was true selflessness. He wanted me to stay so badly, but the decision was up to me. They would’ve accepted anything, even if it made them sad.

That was sheer care.

“I want to stay here. I need to stay here,” I replied. “I liked being a journalist in North Carolina, but I mostly went there as an escape. I couldn’t face my guilt here.”

“And now?” Paolo asked in a gentle voice.

I breathed in deep and nodded.

“Now, I’m happy here. This place isn’t somewhere I want to run away from anymore,” I admitted. “Everyone I love is here, and I just want to live a long, happy life where I truly belong.”

Paolo leaned down and rested his forehead against mine, caressing my upper arms.

“We’re here for you,” he promised. “Now and always.”

“And we mean always,” Gabe added with a chuckle.

I laughed softly and turned to smile at the others.

“That sounds like a pretty good deal to me,” I insisted. I didn’t want to be torn away from them. Our budding feelings were the glue keeping us all together, and I didn’t see that ever going away.

But what should we do about those feelings? Would we label them? What would a relationship even look like, because I didn’t see us all just being friends?

“After the celebration, can you guys come over to my place? I think we should talk… about us,” I asked them, nervousness fluttering in my stomach. I hoped our talk answered all of my questions and eased my lingering anxiety.

Paolo shared a brief look with the others, and I could feel the tension in the air. They were nervous too, which made me wonder if all of them even wanted to be with me. What if only a few of them? What if none of them wanted to share?

Because I didn’t think that I could just be with one of them while still having feelings for the rest of them. I couldn’t just shut off my emotions. How the hell would we even do this?

“Of course,” Paolo said, offering me a light smile. He took a breath and reached out for my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Maybe it was for himself too. “No matter what, we’ll figure out what’s best for everyone.”

I hoped that we could find a middle ground. The thought of losing any of them after all we had been through sounded like hell. Despite my weighted thoughts, I smiled back and nodded in agreement.

I had to break this tension. Tonight was about celebrating our victory over the cartel!

I slowly backed up toward the area where people were dancing.

“So… who is going to dance with me?” I asked.

As the guys nearly climbed over each other to get to me, I laughed and turned on my heel, weaving through the crowd and letting go of my worries for at least another hour. Tonight, we would make the decision that could change everything.

For better or worse.