24.

G ARVEY

“I put the word out with the women around here that if they see you trying to scratch inside either of those casts, they have my permission to stab you with whatever you’re trying to use.”

I looked over at Zoey and sighed, knowing she was right but irritated that she had everyone watching me. She’d already had to sit with me while Spruce figured out how to get the chopstick out that I’d been using to scratch beneath my cast without hurting my incision.

Zoey had joked that it was finally her turn to take care of me, but what she didn’t understand was that I enjoyed taking care of her - or at least what little she allowed me to do since she was a stubborn, bullheaded, and absolutely maddening woman. That wasn’t completely true. She was also obstinate and headstrong.

And absolutely wonderful.

Having Zoey take care of me - doing things that I couldn’t do myself with a cast on both hands - had made us closer than ever. We showered together every morning, and she washed my hair along with my body, usually taking care to pay extra attention to the good parts. I knew that I’d never be able to shower without her now and had told her so every time she put her hands on me.

She’d also taken care of me in the bedroom, making sure that our sex life didn’t get neglected just because I couldn’t use my hands. My Zo was a creative woman and had bought some toys online that I could use on her since I wasn’t able to use my fingers. She had been more than willing to bend herself into all sorts of positions to make sure I didn’t hurt myself while we pleasured each other.

But the fact that she felt like she had to watch my every move and that I wasn’t allowed to help her in the garden while I had these casts made me crazy. She came home so tired every evening that she could barely function, and then she cooked and cleaned like it was nothing at all.

I did everything I could to make her life easier, even in the smallest of ways, including taking charge of the office and the staff she’d hired to run it so that she could focus on what she enjoyed - growing beautiful things and spending time outdoors.

With only one week left before I got the use of my hands back, not that I’d be able to do much until after my physical therapy, I was aching to find a new rhythm in our lives where I was an equal partner to the woman who had done so much for me. Her vision for The Flower Patch was coming to life, and she already had several women living there, taking the first steps in starting new lives for themselves.

There’d been a few bumps along the way, but that was expected in any new endeavor, especially one literally being built from the ground up. Zoey had taken them in stride, something that I knew she was very good at doing, and made some changes to her plans for The Flower Patch that would make the place even better in the long run.

I had been in charge of finding funds for her endeavors, something that I really enjoyed for some reason, and had been successful in implementing a few new programs while still maintaining my original initiative that was helping the women who needed it stay sober and healthy while they adjusted to their new lives.

I watched Zoey flutter around the house as she got ready for her day and knew that she was almost ready to go when she stopped next to the bar and started her sunscreen routine. It was a show I enjoyed watching every single morning over coffee, and she thought it was hilarious that I now found the scent of sunscreen more alluring than any other fragrance.

“I’ve got to join the Queens at the courthouse this morning for what will hopefully be a quick trial. It should be an open and shut case, but the defense attorney the guy is using is long-winded and can draw things out for hours when he puts his mind to it,” Zoey said in exasperation as she worked the sunscreen into her left shoulder and then moved down her arm. “What he doesn’t know is that every time he does one of his dramatic pauses, I start thinking about which flower bed I want to bury him under. I’m thinking I’ll use the ones we’re going to plant with Bella’s flowers. She’d appreciate the irony, I’m sure.”

“You’re starting her flowers soon, aren’t you?”

“I am, for what it’s worth. I’m terrified that things won’t go the way I want them to, but as hard as I’ve tried, I still can’t control nature.”

“I have faith that you’ll figure that out sooner or later,” I said with a grin as she started on the other arm.

“You’ve got so much faith in me.”

“I do because you’re awesome and I love you.”

Zoey smiled at me in that dismissive way that made me crazy, but I knew she wasn’t doing it on purpose. She just had a million tasks on her mind right now.

Suddenly, as if I didn’t have any control over my mouth, which I blamed on way too much time spent around her friends, I blurted, “Marry me, Zoey.”

Her head came up so quickly that she started to sway before she reached out and grabbed the counter. When her eyes were finally able to focus on me, she asked, “What did you say?”

I’d taken the time while she was focused on her vertigo to slide off the barstool and get down on one knee in front of her. I took her hand, not that I could really hold it because of the cast, and pulled it toward my mouth to kiss her knuckles.

“Did you ask me to marry you?”

“Every day, I find something new to love about you, and I just add it to the list of a million reasons I already have. You’re smart, strong, capable, beautiful, willful, and completely maddening. I want to spend the rest of my life watching you make a difference in the world while the people who orbit around you grow and thrive just from being close to you. I want to spend my days working with you and my nights loving you until the day I die, but before then, I want us to make a family and watch them grow strong because they emulate you. Years ago, you were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I lost you because of my own stupidity and addictions. The fact that you’ve given me another chance is the best gift I’ve ever received. I love you more than words can say and want to spend the rest of our lives trying to show you just how much.” I kissed her knuckles again before I asked, “Will you marry me?”

Zoey had tears in her eyes as she bent forward, taking her hand out of mine so she could rest both of hers on my cheeks before she whispered, “I love you too, Gravy, and it would be my honor to become your wife.”

When Zoey kissed me, it was with all the passion and love inside her, and I gave that right back as I stood and pulled her into my arms.

When we had to come up for air, I whispered, “I have a ring.”

“You do?” Zoey asked as she slowly tipped her head back so she could look up at me. When she knew she wasn’t going to get dizzy, she smiled at me and asked, “This wasn’t a spur of the moment thing?”

“It’s not how I planned to do it, but no, it’s not spur of the moment. I already talked to your dad and ran that gauntlet and then your brother took me to the jeweler to get your ring sized. It’s in the box with all of my mosquito shit.”

Zoey burst out laughing and said, “That’s the perfect place to hide it!”

“I know, weirdo,” I grumbled before I gave her another kiss. The second our kiss was finished, she pulled out of my arms and rushed into the laundry room where I kept my bug spray supplies, and I heard her squeal when she opened the box. “Do you recognize it?”

“It’s my mom’s ring,” Zoey whispered as she stopped in the doorway, staring down at the box in her hand. “You got my mom’s ring?”

As I walked toward her, I said, “She thought it would be perfect for us because that’s the ring your dad gave her after she came back, kind of like how I came back to you.”

“Thank you for coming back to me, Gravy,” Zoey whispered through her tears.

I took the ring out of the box, careful not to drop it before I slid it onto her finger. “I promise I’ll never have to come back to you, Zoey, because I’m never going to leave you again.”

“I love you, Garvey Forrester.”

“And I love you, Zoey Duke, soon-to-be Forrester.”

“Oh, God. I’m going to be a Forrester,” Zoey said in horror.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“When we have children, they’re going to be Forrester spawn,” she whispered, still in shock at the realization. “I’m not sure I’m prepared for that.”

“You’re more prepared than anyone has ever been because you’ve been part of the Forrester Clan since the day you were born. If anyone can handle us, it’s you.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

◆◆◆

ZOEY

“Hey, lady,” Bella said as her face appeared on my screen. “What’s up?”

“I called you so you could join me on this momentous occasion.”

“Um, momentous? Where are you?”

“I’m in the greenhouse,” I said as I turned the camera view around to show her the seed starting setup I had prepared before I called her. I turned the camera view around again and said, “Did you see all of that soil?”

“Yes.”

I lifted the small plastic tote that contained the seed packets I’d purchased just for Bella and said, “Today is planting day!”

“You’re planting my flowers?”

“Yes, I am, and I thought I’d let you join me, at least for a few.”

“I’m so excited,” Bella cheered.

I set the phone on the stand I’d purchased so I could watch videos and movies while I worked and then sat down on the stool to get started, making sure Bella could see my hands as I worked. I made a show of displaying each different packet, holding it close to the camera with my left hand to show her the picture on the front before I set it aside and picked up another.

We had gone through six different types of seeds before Bella gasped and asked, “Is that a ring on your finger, Zoey Duke?”

I dropped the seed packet into the tote and squealed, “Yes!’

“Oh my goodness! When did he ask you? How did I not hear about it?”

“He asked me an hour ago before we left the house for the morning, and you’re the first person I have told.”

“Oh,” Bella sighed with tears in her eyes. “You told me first?”

“Well, Mom and Dad already know, and so does Zane, but I haven’t called any of the girls to tell them because I wanted you to be the first one to hear about it.”

“Thank you! Sometimes, I feel so out of touch because I’m so far away. I know Squid’s gone, too, but she gets to visit more often since it’s such a short plane ride.”

“Exactly. I’m going to tell her next, but I wanted to tell you first and ask if you’d be one of my bridesmaids.”

“Yes! I’d love to stand up with you at your wedding! Of course!”

“Good. Garvey and I haven’t had a chance to talk about when it will be exactly, but I’ll let you know as soon as we decide.”

“I’m so happy for you, Zozo. When Garvey first came home, I was so worried, especially since you moved him into your house and jumped right back into a relationship with him, but I trusted that you knew what you were doing.”

“I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember.”

“I know you have, and I hate that he broke your heart the way he did, but . . .”

“Yes, he broke it,” I interrupted. With tears in my eyes, I said, “But he healed it, too, and that’s what I’d rather focus on.”

“I’m so glad you’re doing well, my friend. It makes my heart happy.”

“And you are too.”

“Yes, I am. I’m very happy, and I’m even more happy now because you are too.”

“I can’t wait to see you again! When are you coming home to visit?”

“I’ll be there in a few weeks. I’ve already talked to Lark, and she’s planning a big shindig that Matteo is already dreading because you know how y’all like to tease him.”

“We wouldn’t tease him if he didn’t talk so funny.”

“I’m not the one with the funny accent!” Matteo yelled from somewhere off-screen.

We laughed and joked for a few more minutes, and then I finally got to work and let Bella watch as I planted the first few seeds that would become flowers for her wedding. By the time we disconnected the call, she had already given me a dozen tips on what I’d need to do to start planning my own wedding and assured me that she’d be on top of all the details since she had volunteered to be my wedding planner even though she was living so far away.

Once I finished planting the seeds I had scheduled for the day, I stopped by the office and gave my fiancé a kiss which turned into a quickie in his office, and then I cleaned up and got on my motorcycle for a ride across town.

When I pulled up outside the castle, the mansion Lark owned that she’d turned into the Texas Queens MC center of operations, there were quite a few bikes in the driveway. It made me smile every time I saw a cluster of motorcycles in front of the huge home because I knew how much it irritated the neighbors to have all of us coming and going, which gave Lark immense pleasure too.

I parked in front of Lark’s house, which was set off from the main home, and looked around the property as I dismounted from my trike. A smudge on the rear fender caught my eye, and I was wiping it off with my shirttail when I heard Lark call my name.

I saw her in the doorway and smiled when she asked, “Are you going to stand there and spit shine the thing, or would you like for me to ride over to Dahlia’s with you so you can take care of it?”

“You know what? I think I’d like to do that!”

“It’s about time you started taking care of that baby the way you should.” I grinned as she pulled the door closed behind her and walked toward me. “We were wondering if you’d ever make peace with her.”

“I’ll admit that I miss my old bike, but I understand why this one is better for me.”

“It’s about time,” Lark said as she walked past me toward the garage door. She entered the code, and it started rolling up. Within just a minute, she backed her bike out and used her remote to shut the door again. “I’ll send a text to the others and let them know where we’re going.”

“Sounds good,” I said as I got back onto my motorcycle and settled into my seat.

“Have you named her yet?”

“Yep,” I said with a grin. “I just did.”

“What are you going to call her?”

“Vertigo.”

Lark burst out laughing and shook her head as she started up her motorcycle. I followed her back down the driveway and out onto the street. It didn’t take long to get to Dahlia’s shop, a large building on the edge of town where she rented out bays to people who needed space to work on their own projects while she did custom work on her own motorcycles and taught classes about how to do routine maintenance and care on their vehicles.

I let Lark pull into the wash bay on the side of the building and parked my bike just outside of it so I could bask in the sun while she worked. It wasn’t long before I heard another motorcycle pulling up behind me and then a few more before I even had a chance to sit up and turn around.

Gracy, Janis, and Marla walked up to stand next to my trike, and we made small talk while we each waited on our turn to use the wash bay. Lark had just finished rinsing her motorcycle and had pulled a clean towel down out of the cabinet when Rain pulled up on her motorcycle, a shiny pink and white plaid monstrosity that her brother had custom painted for her.

Rain had just gotten off her bike when I reached up to scratch my nose, and Gracy grabbed my hand.

“What is that? ” Gracy asked in shock.

Even Lark turned and stared at Gracy when she yelled, and before I could even answer her, Rain grabbed my hand.

“Is that an engagement ring?” Rain yelled. When I nodded, she threw her arms around me and gave me a hug. “Oh my God! He proposed?”

“Just this morning.”

Gracy was smiling, but at the same time, she looked like she had smelled something horrible before she asked, “You’re gonna marry a smelly Forrester?”

“I am!”

“Hey! We don’t all smell,” Lark said as she walked toward us. She glanced over at Rain and said, “At least most of us don’t.”

“Bite me! Everyone knows that the Forrester women are paragons of virtue and grace. It’s the boys who are gross and smelly.”

Janis burst out laughing and said, “Yeah. Virtue and grace. Uh-huh.”

“More like psychosis and homicidal tendencies,” Gracy said drily.

“Enough about the many mental illnesses of the Forrester family, ladies! I’m about to be one!”

It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many people who supported me like the women in my life did. I knew without a doubt that they’d be by my side for just as long as Garvey would.

Which meant that we’d be in each other’s lives forever because that’s what Queens did - they straightened each other’s crowns when they needed it and supported each other endlessly.

Just like family should.