find her for several weeks. You wouldn’t happen to know where she was hiding out, would you?”
Zach shrugged as if the matter didn’t concern him.
“I see.” Winston nodded. “Or I should have seen. Then again, I guess it’s not my business.” He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed the sheet to Zach.
“What’s this?” Zach asked as he read an address in San Francisco.
“Just saving you some time.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand. “I’ve enjoyed working with you, Zach. Stay in touch, okay?”
They shook warmly. “I’ll be around,” Zach promised, and walked out of the office.
As he waited for the elevator, he studied the address. God, he missed her. He’d never lived with a woman before. Hell, he’d never lived with anyone. Not since he was a kid. Somehow she’d woven herself into the fabric of his life. He couldn’t escape her any more than he could escape his own skin.
The elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside. He’d created an impossible situation. Did he go to her and confess all? Did he risk his heart and soul knowing they might never be up to the task? Could he deal with the truth-that he could love her for the rest of his life and it still wouldn’t be enough to make up for what he’d done to her? Would she take him back, knowing he didn’t deserve another chance?
He stood alone in the elevator and realized this was what it would be like for the rest of his life. Empty space. He’d always lived that way-never letting anyone inside. Never having the courage to care. Only with Jamie could he be a part of something.
The elevator doors opened, and he walked out of the building and onto the street. Crowds of people surrounded him. He grasped the paper in his hand. He had nowhere else to go. He was too old and too broken to face the rest of his life alone. No matter what it took, he was going to convince her to give him another chance.
On the morning of the sixteenth day, Jamie awoke with a prickling feeling on the back of her neck. At first she didn’t know what it meant. Then she didn’t dare believe.
She showered, curled her hair and then carefully applied her makeup. She was getting pretty good at it. This time the eyeliner only smudged a little, and she corrected the mistake with a brush of a damp cotton swab.
Outside, the sky was clear, the sun bright. She dressed in shorts and a cropped T-shirt, then pulled out the coffeepot. There would be two for breakfast.
While the coffee perked, she went to her balcony and settled down to wait. The prickling might be completely wrong. There was no reason he would have changed his mind. She didn’t believe in miracles anymore, but what else could it be? She didn’t know how long it would take or why he was coming. She only knew he was on his way.
As she sat in the chair, she automatically slowed her breathing. Her mind was alert, listening to sounds. Her muscles tensed and released so they wouldn’t cramp. She could sit like this for hours if necessary.
She didn’t think it was going to take that long.
Forty minutes later, she heard an odd clicking in the hallway outside her apartment. Then a knock.
Her heart pounded like a jackhammer. Her palms grew damp and when she stood up, her legs trembled. She made her way to the door. Caution dictated that she look out the peephole, but she knew who was standing on the other side. She knew everything about him-how he looked, how he sounded, the taste of his skin, the sight of his pleasure. She even knew his deepest fears. What she didn’t know was why he’d come back to her.
She opened the door. No one was there. Jamie frowned, then a whimper caught her attention. She glanced down. A golden retriever pup stared up piteously. Big brown eyes met her own, and the fuzzy tail started to thump against the floor.
Jamie looked for someone, but the hallway was empty. She stared at the pup. The animal whimpered again.
“What’s the matter?” she asked softly, holding out her hand and letting the dog smell her fingers. She was rewarded with a wet kiss.
“Are you all alone?”
The puppy whined.
“Oh, you’re scared.” She crouched down and gathered the shivering dog in her arms. The puppy wiggled as if trying to get closer. It reached out and licked her chin. Jamie laughed.
“I knew you two would get along.”
She started at the sound of a voice. Her eyes closed briefly as she absorbed the sound of him. A deep breath brought her his scent. He was still the best; she hadn’t heard him approach.
She rose slowly to her feet. Zach stood in front of her in the hallway. He wore jeans and a dark blue T-shirt that emphasized his strength. Hunger filled her. Hunger fueled by love long repressed. She wanted to throw herself at him, but she couldn’t move. She couldn’t do anything but stand there and feel the pleasure of looking at him again.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi, yourself.”
There was an awkward pause as she absorbed the thrilling sight of him. He gave her a quick smile. “You cut your hair. You look great.”
She clutched the puppy closer, grateful she had something to keep her hands busy. She didn’t want Zach to know she was shaking. “Thanks.”
He swallowed. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here.”
In her heart she knew. Maybe she’d always known; maybe it was a miracle. But she needed him to say the words. Her battered heart and soul needed the soothing balm of his confession. “Why don’t you tell me why.”
He shifted his weight from foot to foot, as if he, too, were nervous. She nuzzled the puppy’s soft fur. The animal had relaxed in her arms and was dozing off.
“What was that question you asked, the one about turning back time?”
She remembered the question. She remembered everything about being with him. Her heart tightened as she dared to hope. Surely he wouldn’t have come all this way just to tell her he still wasn’t interested.
They were standing half in, half out of her apartment, but she didn’t dare interrupt him to invite him in. She wanted to hear what he had to say first.
“If you could turn back time,” she said. “If you could go back seven years, what would you do differently?”
His dark eyes brightened with a fire she’d never seen before. “I finally have an answer.”
“Tell me,” she whispered.
“I’d say I don’t know how to be all those things you need me to be, but that I’m willing to learn. I’d say that I’ve never loved anyone before, and it terrifies me. But it’s easier to be scared with you than without you. I’d take you in my arms and never let you go. I’d promise to love you for as long as I have breath, to the best of my ability. I’d promise to love you more and better each day. I can’t live without you, Jamie. You’re my whole world. I’m not the best guy around. You can do a lot better. I may never be normal, but no one can love you more than I do.”
She threw herself at him. The puppy was in the way, and she couldn’t wrap her arms around him, but it didn’t matter. He caught her hard against him and pulled her close. The sleeping dog barely stirred.
“I love you,” she said.
Then he kissed her, and she couldn’t talk at all. Not that it mattered. The sensation of his mouth on hers was more perfect than any words.
His hands roamed her back. She leaned against him, not wanting the moment to end, not caring that she felt tears on her cheeks. It felt so right to be with him.
“Are you sure?” she asked between kisses.
“More sure than I’ve ever been. Are
She smiled. “I don’t mind.”
Zach motioned to the puppy in her arms. “I bought a dog.”
“He’s pretty cute.”
“He’s a she. I’ve had her a couple of days. She doesn’t have a name yet. I thought you could think of a good one.” Zach shrugged. “I figured even if you didn’t want to talk to me, you wouldn’t turn away an innocent puppy.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Stacking the deck in your favor?”
He didn’t return her smile. Instead, his expression became very serious. He brushed the tears from her face. “I
