into his chips, his attention turned back to the television.
Her mom shook her head at him and sent Zoey a soft, sweet smile as she sat on the couch. She had a short bob, the same strawberry-blond color as Zoey’s. But her mother’s eyes were brown. Zoey got the hazel from her grandmother. “Find yourself a guy who is this easy to make happy.” Whatever crossed Zoey’s face, warmed her mother’s smile. “Was Rhys like that?”
Zoey had told her parents all about Rhys. Well, minus the part where he owned a sex club. She kept enough secrets from her parents, and Rhys was too incredible to be a secret. “He never really asked for anything.” But he gave so much back. Zoey’s heart swelled, feeling fuzzy in all the right places. Rhys hadn’t really asked for anything at all. He’d simply been there for her. She understood why now, of course. He couldn’t bear to watch anyone lose themselves like Katherine had lost herself. And yet…and yet…over the last days she’d been without him, she felt lost. “That’s what’s really so great about him,” Zoey added, diving her hand back into the bowl of popcorn. “He’s a very selfless guy.”
Her mom smiled. “He’s a good one, then. Is he planning to come out and visit?”
They had talked every day since she moved. They texted often. “I don’t really know. We haven’t discussed it much.” Rhys, while affectionate and warm, hadn’t spoken about what came next for them.
“Bet he’s got a plan,” her dad said.
Zoey lifted her brows at her father. “What makes you say that?”
He glanced over with his clever smile. “If he hasn’t talked to you about what’s happening next, he’s figuring it out and forming a plan. That’s how men work.”
“What plan could he possibly be forming?” Zoey countered. “I left him in New York City.”
Her dad stuffed his hand in the bag of potato chips and focused back on the television. “I’m no psychic, Zoey. I’m just telling you how men work. They don’t discuss things. They make a plan and execute it.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” her mom said to him. To Zoey, she added, “If it’s meant to be, honey, then it will be. No sense fretting about it.”
Zoey agreed with a nod, falling right back into autopilot. “I do know that Elise and Hazel are planning to come visit soon. You’ll finally get to meet them.”
Her mom’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s wonderful.” She reached for the yarn and her crochet hook in the basket next to her. She made blankets for all the new babies who came to her practice. Zoey had once imagined doing that for the sick animals when she became a vet. The lump in her throat felt impossible to swallow once more, and she took a long sip of her sweet tea, as her mom said, “You’ve had all these people in your life, and it’s been so strange not to know any of them.”
Truth was, Zoey had meant it that way. She’d kept everyone at a safe, comfortable distance. Her home life and her life in New York City had been a world apart, and that’s how she liked it. Blending the two felt dangerous.
“Any luck on the house hunt today?” her dad asked.
Zoey shook her head, nibbling on a popcorn kernel. “Nothing feels quite right.”
“Ah, you’ll find something soon,” he said. “Just needs to be the right house.”
He turned back to the television, and the sound of crunching potato chips had Zoey smiling. He was totally going to eat that whole bag. The only plan she had made was to get into Phoenix, get the money, and come home. But being home wasn’t working. It felt good to stay with her parents; everything was so familiar and warm. But at home, her friends weren’t there. Rhys wasn’t there. Her life wasn’t here. And no matter how many houses she and her mother looked at, none of them were a good fit. Everything felt wrong, and that made no sense.
With a sigh, she shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth, tasting too much salt, and watched the news, grateful for something to distract her thoughts. A breaking-news report caught Zoey’s attention. The female reporter said, “The I80 rapist has been arrested earlier tonight, our sources tell us.”
“Oh, thank goodness they found him.” Her mom turned to Zoey and explained, “You probably didn’t hear about this in New York City, but for the last couple weeks, this