Jill Shalvis - The Rancher's Surrender

Zoe felt as though she paced for two days. Two days, and not a word from Ty.

While he was gone doing only God knew what in those unforgiving mountains that she stared at a thousand times a day, Triple M received another reservation request for fall. And several for the following spring.

Their modest, hopeful success felt good.

And for Zoe, it also felt empty.

It was amazing that people wanted to come from all over and help run their ranch, and pay for the privilege. It was exciting to share with her sisters, to have a real future for the first time in her life.

But she wanted Ty. Wanted to see him, and tell him she knew she was home. Wanted to laugh with him and race their horses over their land. Wanted to spar with him and then make up.

She wanted to make love with him.

But he didn't come back, and she had no one to blame but herself.

On the third night Zoe went to bed early. There was a package there, lying on her quilt, wrapped in the familiar plain brown paper bag that signified her mysterious gift giver. Her throat tightened as she sank to the bed.

Delia had done so much for her over the years and somehow she always just knew when Zoe needed her the most.

She opened the bag, and a delicate gold bracelet fell into her hand. It was small, dainty, and her heart nearly burst at its beauty. It was the bracelet from town, the one she'd admired so many weeks ago. And now it was hers.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, because Delia hadn't known about the bracelet. No one knew how she'd coveted the beautiful gold chain.

No one but Ty.

Clearly he'd remembered how she'd yearned for it… but it meant so much more than that. It meant that all along it had been Ty leaving her the presents. The gloves, the boots, the adding machine. "Oh, Ty," she whispered, covering her mouth with shaking fingers as memories flashed.

Ty frowning over her cut fingers, and then the gloves mysteriously appearing. Ty pointing at her tennis shoes and demanding she better protect her feet, then the new boots that had shown up only days later. Ty telling her she worked too hard, that she needed help, and then the adding machine had appeared and had been such a welcome addition to her office.

Ty had done all of it.

As Zoe sat there alone on the bed, frightened sick about the man she couldn't stop thinking about, her heart warmed, really warmed, as maybe it never had before.

"Oh, Ty," she whispered, aching. "Where are you?"

She'd chased him away. He would come back eventually, sooner than later, because he'd have to for his horses, but things wouldn't be the same. Not when he'd declared his feelings for her and she'd cruelly pushed them away.

Zoe moaned, dropped her head into her hands. Ty had been through so much in his lifetime, and still he'd managed to recognize love when he felt it. He hadn't been afraid.

And neither should she. She'd been so terrified, so sure that keeping herself blocked off was the only way. She'd hidden behind her past to do it when she should have been looking to the future.

She'd gotten hurt, anyway, and it had been of her own doing. It couldn't be too late. Ty was gone, and she could only hope he came back soon, but there were other ways to express this newfound surging of hope and joy and… yes, love.

It didn't matter how late it was, this couldn't wait. Giddy, she dashed down the hail and flicked on the light in Delia's room.

With a string of impressive swearwords, the now-rudely awoken Delia covered her eyes. "You'd better be male, gorgeous and built to please," she declared in a voice rough with sleep.

Zoe laughed. "Sorry. Female, short and-"

Delia's pillow hit her in the mouth with deadly accuracy, and Zoe happily leaped on the bed to retaliate, but she was quickly pinned beneath her taller, stronger sister.

"You're dead," Delia swore, sitting on her, but before she could meet that threat, there was a gasp at the door.

Maddie stood there in a nightie holding Socks, eyes sleepy… and shocked as she gaped at her two wrestling sisters. "What are you two fighting about?"

"We're not fighting," Zoe managed to say breathlessly, squirming to get free to no avail.

"Zoe, she's on top of you with a pillow raised over your head," Maddie answered dryly. She kissed Socks on the top of his head and set him down. Hands on her hips, she said, "You're fighting. Delia, get off of her."

"She's insane," Delia complained, but got off Zoe, who took a deep, grateful breath.

"I'm not crazy," Zoe told them, and reached down to hug Delia. "I'm just really happy."

Delia froze, then frowned up into Zoe's face, feeling her forehead.

"And I'm not sick, either," Zoe assured her, holding out a hand to Maddie, who came quickly.

"Maybe she's had more laced hot chocolate," Maddie said worriedly to Delia, also feeling Zoe's forehead.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Didn't you two hear me? I said I'm happy ." At their shock, she sighed. "Look, I know I've never come right out and said that before. But it's true." Or it would be, as soon as Ty came back.

Delia scooted over on the bed, making room for them all to sit. She offered everyone covers, which they took, snuggling close like old times, when they'd sneak out of their beds at their foster home to be together. "You don't have to lie, Zoe," Delia said kindly. "We know how much you hurt over finding out about your parents. And we know how much you wanted this place to be yours. How much it meant to you." Delia's eyes filled, a shock because she never cried. "And I promise, hon, if I knew for certain this place was mine, I'd give it to you."

Maddie squeezed Zoe close. "Me, too," she whispered. "We just don't want you to go."

"Go?" Zoe choked, holding on to them so tight they each winced, but she didn't let go, couldn't. How could she have done this to them? "I could never leave you. Never. Ever. I swear. I can't believe you thought I would."

"You've been so unhappy." Maddie's smile was shaky. "We've been so worried."

"I'm just a slow idiot," Zoe said. "But I have it together now. I'm so sorry."

"Then we'll stay here," Delia said tremulously. "Together, forever. Right?"

"Right," Zoe vowed, still clutching them. Socks meowed gently, adding his vote as he came into be part of the snuggle. "Forever."

"No matter whose name shows up on the deed when Cade learns the truth?"

Zoe looked at Maddie, saw the fears she'd been living with, and wanted to cry. Hell, she did cry. "No matter what, I promise. God, you guys."

They hugged tightly, content and soggy. Zoe was surrounded by them, just as she wanted to be. "I wasn't faking before," she said with a sniff. "I am happy. I just never gave it much thought before. We've always been… well, too busy to be happy. You know?"

"Yes," Maddie whispered, gently tucking a strand of Zoe's hair behind her ear. The three of them sat Indian-style under the quilt, holding hands. "But even while being busy, Zoe, you can still be happy."

"I know, but I didn't get it before. Not until now. Not until here. I'm sorry, I know I'm a pain in the ass. I'm a pessimist. I'm selfish. I'm a lot of things, but I'm trying to change here. And I wanted you guys to know something, it's why I woke you up." She swallowed because suddenly there was a lump in her throat the size of which couldn't be believed. "I… love you. I love you both so much."

She could feel their shock and didn't blame them. It had been far too long since they'd talked like this, too long since she'd told them. She laughed, delighted with them and herself, then hugged them again. "I do. I love you both so much."

"We love you, too," Delia cried, which made Zoe tear up again.

"We need stock in Kleenex if we're going to do this often," Zoe joked, swiping at her eyes.