Parker stared at the text. He wasn’t surprised. The Sunshine Airport was the only small airport for five hundred miles. It saw a lot of traffic for its size.

Not much scared him, but the Butcher having been so close to Zoe? That scared him to the bone. He told himself that Carver had no way of knowing Parker was here in Sunshine or his relationship with a woman that Carver had paid as a pilot.

Zoe was in no danger from Carver.

But he still hated it.

The next night Zoe stood in her bedroom in her bra and panties staring at her closet, confused. Something was different and it wasn’t the two wild kittens rolling across her floor.

Then she realized what it was. For months, the lightbulb in the closet had been burned out. She’d replaced it twice but it still never worked.

It was working now.

Her throat tightened a little, which was ridiculous. So he’d fixed it for good, so what?

Except . . . she’d known the man just over a week and yet she felt like he knew her better than anyone else ever had.

But there’d be no crying over the spilled milk. He’d made his feelings clear. He wanted her. But only in the moment. Period.

It was true that disappointment had been sitting like a slug in her gut ever since, but she had to move past that right now. Even if when she’d gotten home last night from work they’d talked about Carver and she knew Parker was far more worried about her than he’d let on. She’d promised not to fly the guy again and to let Parker know if she saw him or any of his men at the airport.

But for now, Kel would be here in five minutes and she had other problems. She’d tried on everything she owned. Not because she was worried about pleasing him. Kel was a great guy: smart, kind, funny, good looking . . . But it wasn’t the sheriff she was thinking of while staring into her closet.

Nope. She wanted to pick something to wear so that when she paraded down the stairs and out the front door past Parker, his jaw dropped to the floor.

And not in a she’s off to bingo way.

She pulled on her little black dress. She’d bought it on a whim last year after she’d had the flu and lost five pounds in one weekend. She had some really great high-heeled strappy booties to go with it, too. By the time she’d shoved herself into everything, it took her a moment to recognize the woman in the mirror.

“What do you think?” she asked her audience.

The kitties just kept attacking each other. Oreo, square in the middle of the bed, lifted his head and smiled sleepily at her, his tail thumping on the blankets.

“Nice, but you like everything,” she said, and snapped a selfie, texting it to Darcy with: too much?

Darcy immediately responded with a phone call. When Zoe answered, all she heard was a wolf whistle.

Zoe let out a low laugh. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah. So did you finally decide to jump Parker’s bones?”

Butterflies erupted in Zoe’s stomach. “No,” she said, hopefully more firmly than she felt. “Tonight’s my date with Kel.”

There was a beat of silence.

“What the hell does that mean?” Zoe asked.

“I didn’t say anything,” Darcy said.

“Your silence spoke volumes. You’re the one who suggested this date with Kel.”

“Yes, and don’t get me wrong, Kel’s a hottie, but . . .”

“But what?” Zoe asked.

“Well, my money was on Parker,” Darcy said. “What happened?”

“My closet light is fixed,” Zoe said.

“Huh?”

Zoe shook her head. “Never mind.”

“You two have all that very serious chemistry.”

They did. They had so much chemistry that he melted Zoe’s bones whenever they were in the same room and sometimes even when they weren’t. “He’s not an option for a viable relationship,” she said.

Darcy was silent again. “We’re talking about a date, Zoe, and if you’re very lucky, also some great sex—not a marriage proposal.”

“You don’t understand,” Zoe said.

“What is it I don’t understand? That women have needs? The fact that you’re trying to get yourself a life? That you finally realized you need stuff for your own outside of me and Wyatt? I love that, Zoe. For so long, for too long, you let Wyatt’s and my life come ahead of yours. It’s your time, babe, and you’re looking the part tonight. Just . . .”

“What?”

“Pick the right man, is all.”

Zoe’s butterflies took flight again. “Like you just said, Darce, it’s just a date.”

“Well, that’s how I’d look at it, but you’re not wired like I am. Follow your heart, Zoe.”

The doorbell rang. Zoe stilled. “My heart’s confused,” she whispered.

“No, your heart is never confused. It’s just rusty from lack of use.”

“Dammit,” Zoe said. “When did you become the smarter sister?”

“Always have been,” Darcy said smugly. “But it’s good to finally be recognized.”

Zoe disconnected and ran down the stairs. Or, more accurately, did her best to hustle down the stairs without breaking her ankles in her heels. She crossed the empty living room—so much for the showstopping entrance she’d imagined—and stood there, heart pounding.

She didn’t want to do this, not with Kel . . . “What is wrong with me?” she asked the door.

“You going to open it, or just talk to it?” Parker asked from just behind her.

She froze. Did he like the view? Not sure she wanted to know, she turned and faced him, expecting to see a smug, wry smile on his face.

No smile. And his eyes . . . She swallowed. They were dark, nearly black, and so hot she nearly caught on fire.

Yeah, he liked the view.

He was in a pair of cargo pants and a faded T-shirt that fit him like a second skin.

She liked her view, too.

“You look . . .” He shook his head. “Amazing.”

“So not like I’m going to bingo, right?”

Eyes still flaming, he gave a slow head shake. “Amazing,” he repeated.

She liked that he didn’t sound surprised. She also liked the low, husky quality in his voice, as if he couldn’t help but be bowled over by her. “Thanks,” she whispered.

And then because they were just staring stupidly at each other, she turned back to the door, drew a deep breath, and whispered to the wood, “Iwanttocancel.”

“What?”

She dropped her head to the door and thunked it a few times. She wanted to cancel. She should’ve cancelled—

The bell rang again and she straightened up and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. No. This was what she wanted. And maybe some of that had become cloudy in her mind because of the very hot, very annoying man behind her, but since when did she plan her life around a man? She’d wanted this date. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t going to be the hot, annoying guy. He’d had his chance.

Now this was hers.

Nineteen

Holding her breath, determined to make the best of the evening, Zoe pasted a smile on her face and opened the door to . . .

Kaylie.

The little girl stood there looking up at Zoe with her huge eyes. “Can I play with the kitties?” she asked hopefully. “My mama said if it’s okay with you, I could bring them back to my house for one hour on accounta I cleaned my room real good. So can I?”