ear to another. With one hand on this beautiful woman’s lower back, Zack reaches for my hand with his free one.
“Sammy….this is Nicole. Nicole, this is my little sister Sammy.”
Even quicker than she had moved before, she throws her arms around me pulling me into a giant hug much harder than I would think her tiny body could handle. She releases me after a moment but is still jumping on the balls of her bare feet and clapping her hands excitedly. “I have heard so much about you,” she squeals while still bouncing.
He laughs, still wearing that grin, but simply winks when she runs back outside. “I tried to warn you she was easily excitable.”
“Oh stuff it, Zackie, you know we’ve been dying to meet the girl who’s finally captured your heart.” I look at Sammy, watching her rush out the front patio, wondering where she’s going, when my eyes widen.
“Oh please.” She turns around and smiles at me when she reaches the front door. “Like you didn’t know he was totally in love you with you….MOM…hurry!!” Zack’s description of Sammy being easily excitable is much too tame for what I’m witnessing.
Zack’s hand wraps around my waist from the side. “You know she’s totally right, right?” His warm breath on my neck causes every hair to stand up.
Not wanting to get worked up again, I turn to him and raise an eyebrow giving him a questioning look. “Zackie?”
He groans in disapproval. “Childhood nickname. And only Sammy’s allowed to use it, so don’t get any ideas. But I wasn’t talking about the nickname; I was talking about your being the woman to capture my heart.” He playfully taps one finger on my nose just as Sammy returns, followed by one of the most stunningly attractive woman I have ever laid eyes on. Her light brown hair - pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her neck - and dark green eyes match Zack’s exactly. She’s short and has the same energetic appearance Sammy showed earlier, except with a grace and elegance that instantly attracts me to her.
“Hello, Zack! It’s so good to see you. Sammy hasn’t stopped bouncing all morning.” She leans in and gives her son a warm hug that he responds to immediately.
Leaning back, he holds a hand out to me, “Mom. This is Nicole, Nicole, meet my mom, Melody Walters.”
She reaches for me and gives me the same warm hug she just embraced Zack in. “It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, Nicole. Zack has talked about you for weeks now. I was so thrilled when he called letting me know you’d be joining us today.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you too, Mrs. Walters.”
“Please dear, call me Melody.” I must look nervous because she leans in to whisper, “It was all the most amazingly wonderful things any man has ever said about a woman, I promise.”
I look back and forth between the two, certain my face is so bright it matches Sammy’s dress.
I follow Melody and Zack into the kitchen where I have them sit down while I finish dinner. Sammy is already there opening a bottle of Cabernet for everyone. She passes me a glass of red wine as I begin making a salad. I am amazed by this beautiful young woman before me. Zack was right about everything he’d told me about her. She definitely is excitable; she also has a naïve innocence when she speaks about school, work and her friends that make you want to laugh along with her. Between her definite fashion sense and sense of humor, see totally reminds me of a younger Mia. No wonder why I like her so much within just a few minutes.
I also love how she just hops into the kitchen with me and begins helping. “You know,” she says as she chops vegetables to add to the salad, “I knew you were the girl for him when he told me how you met.”
Zack smiles over at me while she just grins and gives me a playful wink. “But I didn’t even know who he was,” I say and take a sip of my drink.
“Exactly my point.” She eyes me directly as if willing me to understand. “Zack’s known everywhere he goes for what he does. And you have no idea how many times I’ve seen people try to take advantage of his generosity.” Her quick fierce expression shifts back to a bouncing co-ed before I blink and her gaze returns to mine.