Brighter Than the Sun

Her hair was pulled up into one of those messy buns Rusty was rarely seen without, and he had to admit, on Zoe it looked damn cute. A few tendrils escaped here and there, giving it that mussed, just-out-of-bed look. He nearly groaned and yanked his focus back to the matter at hand. Taking Zoe out for the day. Oh, and saying hello and complimenting her would be a good start, though he purposely kept his distance, not wanting to spook her even more than she appeared to be.

“Ladies,” he said, dipping his head in acknowledgment. “You both look beautiful today.”

Zoe’s face flushed, her cheeks going a delicate, feminine pink that seemed to make her features shine all the more, while Rusty snorted and rolled her eyes, glancing down at her sweats and T-shirt.

“What?” he asked innocently. “Is it a crime for a brother to tell his sister she looks beautiful?”

Rusty’s eyes softened and she looked meaningfully at him, mouthing thank you from an angle Zoe wouldn’t see. He knew she meant his careful handling of Zoe and not his compliment, but it only spurred his determination to get to the heart of what had hurt Zoe so badly. A woman as beautiful as she was should never be made to doubt her self-worth. No woman should, because at the end of the day, no amount of superficial beauty could make up for lack of a beautiful soul. And beneath Zoe’s soulful eyes was a woman, though cloaked in sadness and fear, who was absolutely beautiful.

It should concern him that he was spending so much time reflecting on a woman who was a complete stranger. It was uncharacteristic of him. But he felt a pull he couldn’t explain and that quite frankly terrified him. At the same time, it just felt . . . right. Was this what it had been like for his brothers? He almost shook his head. He needed to stop before he got in way over his head and remember the objective here. And it wasn’t to find his soul mate and fold like every one of his brothers.

“Zoe?” he asked softly. “You ready to go?”

She sent a nervous look in Rusty’s direction but then seemed to pull herself together and smiled at Joe. “I’m ready.”

All the breath left his lungs in one forceful exhale. God almighty. If she was beautiful before, she was breathtaking when she smiled. Truly smiled. And it was the first time she seemed to lose the reserve she wore like a second skin. It felt like a punch in the stomach and for a moment he stood there like an idiot gawking at her, wishing for her smile to never end.

His mom handed him a large picnic basket, shaking him from his trance. Then he extended his free hand to Zoe, hoping she didn’t reject his overture.

She hesitated a brief moment and then slid her palm over his and he laced their fingers together, pulling her closer into his body.

“I’ll have her back for dinner, Ma, so don’t worry. Just going to play it by ear today and let Zoe call the shots.”

Marlene smiled, her eyes shining in approval. “You two have fun. And that goes especially for you, young lady,” she directed at Zoe. “Relax and enjoy yourself.”

He led Zoe out to his truck and opened the passenger-side door for her before putting the picnic basket in the extra cab. When he walked around and settled into the driver’s seat, he glanced over at her and his heart softened at how nervous and ill at ease she was.

“Zoe.”

He waited for her to peek up at him from beneath her lashes before he said more.

“I’m not going to bite you. Promise. I very much want to be your friend, and you can never have too many friends, right?”

If he thought the smile she’d bestowed on him in the kitchen had knocked the breath out of him, this one was a punch to his gut that nearly left him unable to breathe at all. Her entire face lit up and she looked shyly back at him, her cheeks a soft pink that just begged to be touched and caressed. God, she was beautiful. He couldn’t recall ever meeting a more beautiful woman, and his sisters-in-law were all gorgeous women. But he’d never looked at them the way he was currently looking at Zoe.

He mentally kicked himself for even going there after he’d already lectured himself, convinced himself and tried to convince his mother that this was nothing more than a friendly gesture. The only problem was he wasn’t so convinced, and it was huge.

“Thought we’d hit LBL first and then after that go where the wind blows us,” he said, smiling back at her.

“That sounds so nice,” she said wistfully. “I can’t say I’ve ever just gone where the wind took me. It sounds poetic.”

As if realizing she was divulging information she’d rather not, she clamped her lips shut and averted her gaze as they drove out of the compound.

Anger simmered in his veins because he sensed there was more going on than just a bad relationship. What had her life been like before she’d hooked up with that dickhead? Rusty had given him nothing on her past. Nothing but a relationship from hell. Where was her family and why weren’t they surrounding her and smothering her with love and support like his family was?

It was on the tips of his lips to ask—he was dying to know all about her—but he knew she’d likely shut down and he’d lose the relaxed, sweet and shy Zoe who had greeted him this morning. And if it was as he suspected—bad—then he hardly wanted to bring back painful memories and ruin their day before it even began.

So instead he acted as though he hadn’t noticed and gave her a warm, slow smile. “Well then, darlin’, I’d say it’s about time you did.”

He did a mental fist pump when she relaxed and once more turned her baby blue eyes his way and smiled with more enthusiasm.