Page 70 of Trapped for Christmas

“I know you’d never intentionally hurt me,” said Zeb. “It’s just that I don’t know if I’ll always have this self-doubt, and it’s not fair for you to need to give me reassurances all the time. I’d hate for you to resent me.”

Mason had heard enough. He pulled Zeb into his lap, causing him to give a slight squeal, followed by a laugh.

“If I have to show you every day how much I love you, I’ll do it. If there’s anything in the world you want, I will give it to you.”

“I doubt that.”

“Try me.”

“No, it’s silly.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

“I wish we could live here,” he said, burying his face in Mason’s chest.

He gently took hold of Zeb’s chin and tilted his head, so their eyes were locked.

“You want to live in Cherry Falls?” Mason needed to be sure that’s what Zeb had said.

“Like I said, it’s silly.”

“Done. We’ll move here,” he said with absolute certainty.

Zeb’s eyes widened. “You can’t move here. What about Epicure?”

“You’re the most important thing in my life, Zeb. If you want to live here, then we’ll live here. Someone else can run the restaurant, or I can sell it.”

“Sell it?” He looked dumbfounded.

“I don’t need to keep working if I don’t want to. I mean, I’m not Sebastian or Ethan rich, but I’m worth more than Ryder.”

Zeb laughed. “Does Ryder know that?”

“Yes, I tell him all the time.”

Zeb laughed again. Mason loved that sound. He wasn’t surprised Zeb had fallen in love with this small town. There was something about the place that had pulled him here when he’d bought the cabin. He rarely made impulsive decisions, but once he’d seen this place, he’d canceled all other viewings in neighboring towns and put an offer in above the asking price.

“I would never ask you to leave Epicure, Mason.”

“I know that, but I’m offering. If this is where you want to be, then we’ll live here. I can make the cabin bigger, so you’ve got your own space to study, if that’s what you still want to do?”

“Do you think I could do a business degree?”

“You could do anything you wanted.”

“I want to pay for it myself.”

Mason frowned. He wanted to argue with that. Why would Zeb want to go into thousands of dollars of debt when Mason could cover everything with no issues? But he knew why. Zeb didn’t want to feel indebted to him. Mason would never make him feel that way about anything, but nothing would undo years of pain and rejection overnight. It would take time, and the pain would always be there. One day, when he knew Mason would do anything for him with no expectations, he’d pay off the loans.

“But we don’t need to move here,” said Zeb. “Well, not yet anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to be studying for four years. I want to do that in the city. Maybe . . . maybe one day we could plan to come and live here, when I’m . . . when we’re both ready.”

Mason smiled at him. He was ready now if that was what Zeb wanted, but with those few words he’d turned what would be an impulsive decision into a dream they could plan for.

“As long as we don’t leave it too long. I’m not getting any younger,” said Mason.