Out Of The Blue (The Wrong Bed #12)(40)

Love.

Just like that, the blessed numbness deserted her.

She managed to make it to her room before completely falling apart. And since she'd been holding on to so long, it took forever to let it all out.

How did one fall in love so fast? More to the point, how was she supposed to get over it?

A gentle knock sounded at her door, but she ignored it. After her self-pity jag she didn't have the energy to talk.

The knock came again, firmer this time, and then both Tara and Alexi crowded into the room.

"That was locked," she muttered.

"Love conquers all." Tara plopped to the bed. "Even locked doors."

Alexi held up a set of keys and jingled them before sitting down on the bed as well. "These helped. Oh Hannah, don't shut us out." Tears filled her eyes. "We miss him, too."

Which started a mutual tissue-fest, but finally, with a sniff, Hannah knew what she had to do.

Maybe she'd known all along. "I love you guys," she said softly. "You're my two best friends in the entire world, and you're my family."

"But you're leaving." Tara squeezed her hands as a new set of tears filled her eyes. "Aren't you?"

"I have to," Hannah whispered. She looked at Alexi, feeling a little nervous, but oddly calm at the same time. "I love him. I have to tell him."

"He loves you, too."

"I don't know that for sure." But she never would unless she did this. "But if he does, and if he wants me to, I'm going to stay there. I have to."

"We've never been separated, not in all these years," Alexi said shakily, hugging Hannah hard. "But I do understand, because I love him, too. Go be happy. We'll be here for you."

"Take your time," Tara added. "We've got the toilets covered. We'll deal with the business stuff however we need to."

Hannah's heart was racing now that she'd made the decision. "So … how do I tell him?"

Alexi laughed. "That's the easy part! Go find him and … and just blurt it out."

Just tell him. Why hadn't she already done it? Why hadn't he?

He wouldn't, she thought she understood that now. He would never ask her to give up a part of herself for him. "It was much easier when I was only trying to seduce him."

"Well, you could start with that," Alexi suggested. "Wrap yourself up in red ribbon and have yourself delivered to his doorstep."

"Or sneak into his bed and wait there," Tara said.

"Or pop out of a cake at his station."

Hannah had to laugh. "I think I'll come up with something on my own. But thanks."

*

Zach lasted approximately one day. The bust went down without a hitch.

But then, as he knew he would, he got a new assignment, even deeper undercover than the last time, and something inside him said no.

He just couldn't do it.

Instead he researched getting a transfer; anywhere near or in Avila. The jobs available were sorely limited, but with his connections and referrals, he discovered an opening for deputy sheriff.

No undercover, no days at a time being gone from home.

Sounded perfect.

So did the change of pace. Yes, there'd been a time when he'd needed all that adventure and risk, but his needs had changed.

Avila's slower pace would allow him a personal life. A love life. A family life. He couldn't wait. He leased his condo to a new officer. Giving up his place was a risky move, but he knew his heart.

He should have known it sooner. His only excuse was that he'd been living on automatic, just working, working, working, not realizing it until he'd been shot and unable to do his job.

He'd called Norfolk Inn several times, missing Hannah each time, which was really just as well. He hadn't wanted to do this over the phone. He'd needed to see her face when he told her what he'd done.

When he told her that he loved her.

It was possible he was more scared now than he'd ever been in his life, and he'd been in plenty of terrifying positions before.

But only three days after he'd left Avila, he drove back up the coast to face his future.

*

Hannah stared at the young man who'd opened the condo door. She was startled because … well, because he wasn't Zach.

Plus he'd just given her a shocking announcement.

"What do you mean he doesn't live here anymore?" She couldn't have heard right. She had Zach's address in her hand, written in Alexi's own handwriting.

The man lifted a shoulder, looking apologetic. "He left this morning. He's gone."

Gone.

Okay, maybe he meant gone as in grocery shopping, not gone as in gone. "Do you know where he went?"

"Well…" The young man wrinkled his forehead as he strained to remember. "He said he was going back to paradise."

"Paradise? But he lives here in L.A."

"Not anymore. He leased the place to me."

"Oh, I see," she said, but she didn't. He seemed to take pity on her confusion. "Norfolk Inn? Yes, that's it. Norfolk Inn. He said the place was home."

Blood roared in her head now, so that she practically stuttered her thanks.

Only one question remained now—had Zach gone back to Avila because it was home, or had he gone back because of her?