Veronica

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City Council agreed to postpone the election for three months, which gave the opposing party time to locate a new candidate. It also drew an enormous positive response from the city’s residents, who came out on Election Day to support me in droves. I beat the opposition with a very respectable margin.

Fair and square.

But I still felt like crap. Through the celebrations, the swearing in ceremony, and the first city council meeting, I had to work to muster a smile.

I missed Zach. So much. I didn’t see him, but he was with me all the time—a ball in my throat, an ache in my chest, a cramp in my belly. Then of course, I spent way too much time googling him in my downtime, which was almost never, thank goodness. But the things I discovered made me miss him even more.

Horde, it turned out, was legendary in a Robin Hood way. He’d taken down numerous corrupt politicians, had outed corporate bigwigs who’d cheated their employees and shareholders out of billions of dollars, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Horde—Zach—was a hero.

I’d picked up my phone to call him more times than I could count. But what would say? I forgive you? Keep being you and I’ll pretend it doesn’t exist?

It was a Wednesday, halfway through the school’s summer preschool camp and I was out on the playground with the kids. We were wrapping up afternoon recess when O’Neal turned up on the playground, wearing a visitor’s badge. She called me over with a lift of her chin.

“What are you doing here?”

“Press conference.” She gave me a mysterious look from under her lashes.

“During school hours?”

“Whole school’s invited, I hear.”

The Vice Principal stuck her head out the door. “We’re calling an all-school meeting.”

I glanced at O’Neal. Okay. This was weird.

“What’s up?” I asked the Vice Principal.

“Can you get these guys over to the auditorium?”

“The auditorium?” I frowned at her, no clue what was going on, and then gathered the kids into their single-file line.

“Big announcement,” O’Neal whispered.

“You’re seriously not gonna tell me?”

Her lips tightened into a knowing smirk. “Nope.”

The buzz, when we got there, was huge. Kids shrieking, adults murmuring. Beyond the usual throng of children, I spotted the mayor up on the stage, a few cameras, people in suits, and in the middle of the stage—

“Oh my God.”

“Way hotter than his picture.” O’Neal leaned in to say into my ear.

I nodded, incapable of more. I was frantic. What was he about to do? And, at the same time, I could see he looked good in a suit. Better than good, he looked like home. It made me want to cry and hug him. It made me wish I could take it all back.

By the time the principal quieted everything down, I could barely hear for the pounding heartbeat in my ears.

“We are here with some great news. As part of a larger donation to the city and the entire school system, our school has received a generous gift. This summer, we will be closing down the TJ Elementary School Library in order to perform some much-needed renovations and an expansion. This is only a small part of the donation, which you’ll be hearing more about in an official communication from the school board. All thanks to Mr. Zach Hubler, who has asked to say a few words today.” She stepped away from the podium. “Mr. Hubler.”

Carefully, Zach took the two steps to the podium, where he slid one hand over the wood to the mike. He leaned forward. “Th—” He cleared his throat and started over. He was shaking—I could see it from here—and I wanted him to stop. You don’t have to do this! I wanted to scream. Instead, I waited, breath held.

“Thank you, Principal Walker.”

His voice, oh God I’d missed that voice, a little gravelly and low, but also calming, despite the nerves he must have, being in front of an audience. When he talked, it settled me. I closed my eyes and wished us away from the crowd.

“I won’t take up much of your time.” He swallowed and I could see how nervous he was. I wanted to hold him. “I’m here pr-primarily for the sake of one of your teachers—a woman who happens to be on our city council and who also happens to be the love of my life.”

A wave of sound rose up, whispers swelling into chattering, faces turned to find me in the crowd. I fought an urge to sink to my knees and hide amongst the four-year-olds, but if he was here, daring to come out for me, then I could stay here and take it.

“Veronica Cruz has taught me so much.”

I gulped at the double meaning to those words, glanced around and, thankfully, didn’t see anyone leering. They couldn’t possibly know how we’d spent our nights together.

“She taught me the importance of honesty, the importance of facing your biggest fears, and, above all, the importance of doing what’s right, even when it isn’t easy. Even if it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do.”

It occurred to me that he couldn’t possibly know if I was here. Maybe, if I told him I was, he’d stop and we could talk this out in private. It could turn out okay. I’d forgive him.

“Today, I’m here to dedicate the new library to Ms. Veronica Cruz. I’m well aware that she would hate to have her name on a plaque beside the door, so I’ll let the city or the school board or whomever decide what name to use in the end. Hopefully you’re here, Veronica. If you are, I have something to say: I’ve left the old me behind. At least part of him—the part you had a hard time with. But I can’t seem to move forward without you in my life. I’d ask you to marry me, but I’m pretty sure you’d tell me it’s premature.”

The voices got louder at that and I went from blushing to a cold sweat. What are you doing, Zach?

“I’ll ask you this instead.” He went on and I could do nothing but stare at him, my eyes big, unblinking, my face hot and dry, my chest so tight I couldn’t suck in a breath. “Would you go out with me? On a date? Dinner or a movie or whatever you want.”

He waited, the crowd quieted, except for a couple kids, and they all turned to look at me. Damn it. Was he seriously doing this? Was he really asking me out, here, in front of all these people?

No, Zach. Please don’t do this.

Beside me, O’Neal whispered something and elbowed me in the ribs. How was he doing this? The man who could barely leave his house on his own.

Someone poked my hip on the other side. I looked down to catch Jaime Girón’s face and dipped to hear what he had to say—yeah, and also to hide.

“Yes, Jaime?”

“You like that man, Miss Veronica?”

I couldn’t answer. The words were too big, too strong to fit in my mouth. I nodded instead.

“You gonna say yes?”

I finally managed to whisper. “Should I?”

He nodded earnestly, and leaned into my side and I wanted to hug him hard.

I stood and spoke aloud. “What about the school lunch debt from this year?” If I’d thought people were shocked earlier, now they tittered and pointed and overall had a cow, but frankly, I didn’t care. I had eyes only for that man up there. “Did you cover that, too?”

Zach stood there grinning like a four-year-old. “Yes, ma’am. Set up a yearly lunch scholarship fund moving forward, too.”

I bent my head to catch Jaime’s eye. “You think I should do it?”

At his nod, I lifted my head and answered. “Dinner.” I said, loud and smiling, and, God, stupidly happy. “Friday.”

“You’re on,” he responded as the crowd erupted around us.

---

Zach

---

Maybe a date wasn’t the best idea in the world—especially since word had apparently gotten around town and basically everybody spent the entire time eavesdropping on us.

Then again, who cared? I was pretty sure I’d never been so happy in my life and it would take more than a couple onlookers to destroy that. Hell, I’d have taken her out in front of that whole school and it would have been worth it.

“You didn’t have to do all this, you know.” Veronica was being very formal. I couldn’t tell if it was for the listeners, or because she just felt that way toward me. Please let it be the former.

“Yes, I did.”

“But the illegal activity—”

“I’m done with that. All of it. I’m a philanthropist now.” I pushed out a shaky breath; even after an hour and a cocktail, I was a mess.

“You okay? We can go to your place if you want.”

“No.” I put a hand on the table and slid it across, palm up. “I’ve spent the last three and a half months working toward this night.

“You have?”

“Every day, I went out. Walked farther. Down my drive, then the street.” I tilted my head toward where Daisy sat on the floor. “Got this little lady.”

“She’s a gorgeous dog.”

I leaned in. “Is she?”

I could hear the smile in Veronica’s voice. “Yeah. she’s almost entirely black, with these brown patches that look a little worn and soft…like the velveteen rabbit or something.”

God, I loved this woman. The way she saw things, the way she felt them, her emotions so caught up in her senses that it was like she lived life deeper than everyone else.

When she slid her hand into mine, hope swelled inside me, thick and warm as a blanket.

“We’re doing this date thing.” I gave her a smile and squeezed her hand.

“It can’t be easy for you.”

“I’m not worried about them.” I tilted my head to the side and I could swear the people at the next table shuffled around hurriedly. “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be. You had me at… Well, honestly, you had me. I needed time.”

“You needed to do it yourself. I get that now. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re righteous.” She made a little question of a sound and I went on. “I like that about you. You make me want to be a bigger, better man.”

“You are a good man, Zach.”

“And you’re a good woman.” I drew her hand to my face, breathed in the scent of her skin and kissed her knuckles. Like coming home.

The waiter chose that moment to drop our entrées at the table before walking off, but neither of us ate right away.

“I thought about you all the time,” her whisper came from close by, as if she’d leaned in.

“Yeah?” I smirked. “Me too.”

“I’d have come back eventually.” Her words shocked me. “But I needed time.”

“Didn’t want you to, baby.”

“Why not?”

“You’d never have trusted me. Ever. I needed to show you that you could.” My voice went growly with emotion. I cleared my throat and went on. “I had to become a man you could trust. The man you needed in your life.”

“I trust you.”

I’d never been so damned thankful.

“Thank you, Zach.”

“No, baby. Thank you.” I sucked in a big last breath for this. She needed to understand how important she was. “Remember the honeysuckle, that first night?”

She huffed out a laugh. “If I close my eyes, I can almost smell it.”

“You’ve changed it for me. Forever.”

“How so?”

“You asked me that night how I knew you were beautiful? Well, to you, honeysuckle’s pretty to look at. Smells good and whatever else you like. To me, it’s drenched with scent—like heaven. I can’t see it, but I can hear the bees buzz around it, the birds dipping in for a taste. I can feel its beauty. When I was a kid, I wanted to eat it, to roll in all that sweetness, to soak it in through my pores.” I grinned, remembering the time I’d tried just that and been stung to hell. “I know, from experience, that a light touch is all those flowers can take. For the flower, and for me.”

“I’m not sure I…”

“You’re honeysuckle. You’re beautiful and strong. Everything I want. You fill up my senses and make me happy. I want to dive into you, but I know I’ve got to do it the right way or I’ll crush you.” He chuckled. “You don’t need me to survive, in fact, I need to make sure I don’t get in the way. Cause I want you to come back. Year after year.”

“Are you saying I’m a weed?” Her laugh was the best sound in the world.

I leaned in for an extra little close-up dose and reached out to stroke the side of her face. “What makes a weed a weed, anyway?”

I ran my thumb down her strong little nose to those plump, sweet lips and cupped her cheek. I wanted her to give me all her weight, wanted her to sink into me. I wanted her back at my place, on top of me, under me, around me.

Her whispered “I love you,” sent a shiver through me.

“Sure?” I could barely get that word out, my throat was so hoarse.

“Definitely.”

“Thank God.” I huffed out a breath full of relief, leaned over the table and kissed her like I’d never let her go. There was no better taste in this world than her lips. After probably way too long, I pulled back, squeezed her hand, and smiled. “I was worried I’d have to run for mayor to get you back.”