it out at the top of his lungs. He bobbed his head, pretending to sing into a microphone with one hand, the other holding the steering wheel. His voice cracked when he sang along with Lady Gaga, making Carly crack up. When he aimed his fake microphone at her and said, “Sing with me,” she belted out the lyrics off-key, too. In their years apart, she’d pretty much convinced herself that she’d romanticized the joy they brought each other, but there was no denying it.
Jillian was right, they were two sides to the same coin.
As the town fell away behind them, the complex where the Real DEAL was being built came into view. Carly thought he’d drive past it, but he turned into the lot and parked beside a Jeep. Construction workers were loading up their trucks at the other side of the lot.
“What are we doing here?”
“You’ll see,” he said coyly.
“Isn’t this owned by your cousins? Treat’s brothers?” The construction of the Real DEAL had been front-page news, and the communities of Weston and Allure had rallied behind Dane Braden and his business partners.
“Yeah, it’s owned by Dane and Hugh, their brother-in-law, Jack, and our cousin Noah. How do you know Treat?”
Treat Braden was gorgeous at six six with black hair and sharp dark eyes. He was hard to miss, and he exuded an air of authority. But even the self-made billionaire didn’t hold a candle to Zev.
“He and Max are two of my favorite customers. I met them when I first came to Colorado and was working for my aunt, before they were married. But everyone around here knows Treat. He’s done a lot for the community. I was surprised he didn’t have his fingers in this pot.”
Zev cut the engine and said, “I was surprised, too. Did you tell him about us?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t even know his first name until he’d been in the shop several times, and I found out he was your cousin weeks later and I was trying to get over you, so…” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but she’d never forget how seeing the love between Treat and Max had sent her thoughts right back to Zev. Their happiness had almost made her want to try to find him, which would have been an impossible task.
Zev squeezed her hand, nodding solemnly. “Young and stupid is no excuse, but I am sorry.”
“You know what? I didn’t realize this before, but now that there has been a little time since our talk at the park, I can see that all the bad feelings I’d been harboring had clouded my vision in another way. I needed the therapy I went through for more than just the breakup and the miscarriage. I needed time to grieve for Tory and time to figure out who I was without her. If you had stayed, I might have thrown myself into us and buried some of the grief and rediscovery that I needed.”
“I think I needed to deal with Tory’s death, too, and Beau’s loss of Tory.”
She sighed, feeling another level of relief that she hadn’t realized she needed. She leaned across the seat, and Bandit licked her arm as she tugged Zev into a kiss and said, “I’m glad you’re here. I thought I’d healed, but I think I needed you for that.”
“That makes two of us.” He stole another kiss before climbing out of the truck.
Bandit leapt out after him, and Carly opened her door as Zev came around to her side of the truck. She took his hand as she stepped out and said, “Are we allowed to be here while it’s under construction?”
“Yes.” He pointed past the main building and said, “We’re going to the third building on the left.” He whistled to Bandit, who was sniffing the grass at the edge of the parking lot. “Come on, boy.”
Bandit trotted happily beside them as they made their way past the main building.
“Bandit seems like he’s been here before.”
“He has. This is where we’ve been spending time when I’m not with you. I’m getting used to having the little thief around. Which reminds me,” he said as they passed the second building. “I have your bikini bottom at the inn.”
“I wondered where it went.”
“Our four-legged thief took it.” He ruffled Bandit’s fur. “I haven’t found your other clothes yet, or my Maroon 5 shirt, but I’ll buy you new ones.”