Chapter Thirty-Eight

“I wish you didn’t have to go.” Olivia’s voice was watery and she held on so tight, Alex had trouble filling his lungs, but he didn’t care.

“Me, too, babe.” Luke and Sawyer had both left soon after the morning show appearance, but he’d stayed an extra week. They made the rounds of interviews on numerous shows and Olivia had finished her special report on the Vigilante case. Jonah was certain it would win awards. Alex was so proud of her and she was amazing at her job. There was no way he could ask her to give it up to move to Indiana with him.

They’d spent much of the week in her bed in the small apartment above Faye’s gym. It was a tight fit with a rambunctious golden retriever, but cozy. Pets weren’t allowed in the building, so they had to sneak Roci—they dropped the Two from his name—in and out for walks. They stopped by to visit with Carl, happy to see that he was recovering nicely. He didn’t want to give up his doorman duties, though Mary was urging him to retire.

It caused him to break into a cold sweat stepping into a hospital, yet he accompanied Olivia to visit her co-workers who’d been injured in the blast. Kip, Queenie and Chuck, the other three members of her team, had all avoided serious injury. Darla’s cousin, who’d been shot in the cemetery, was going to recover, too. They strolled around different neighborhoods and sampled quaint cafes. And at night, they made mad, passionate love.

“Are you sure you don’t mind taking Roci for a while?”

Olivia’s voice pulled him from his recollections and he scrubbed the dog’s head. “Are you kidding? Roci and I are buds. We’ll have a blast together, won’t we boy?” Roci rewarded him with a sloppy swipe of his tongue. Alex laughed. “Plus, many of the other agents have dogs so he’ll have friends to play with.” He opened the door to Roci’s carrier. Ernie had trained him to use it, so he climbed in easily. The carrier had wheels, which was good because Alex didn’t think he could carry the dog and his bags. He wanted to ask Olivia what her plans were, but they’d studiously avoided the topic the past week. Besides, he was afraid of the answer. At least if he had her dog, he’d get to see her one more time when she picked him up.

He loaded his bags in the SUV and hefted Roci onto the back seat. Once Olivia was inside and belted in, he rounded the hood and slid into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and navigated to the airport to return the rental. “I hate leaving you without wheels.”

“I’ve never had a car in the City,” she said. “I get around easily without one.”

After they returned the vehicle, they headed to the counter to check Roci in. Alex had already made a reservation and they’d visited a vet for a check-up. The vet provided them with “Live Animal” stickers to place on the carrier and Olivia had added labels on all sides with Alex’s contact information in case something happened. They’d stopped by a pet store and had a tag engraved with Alex’s phone number for his collar as well.

Alex handed over the vet information and the ticket agent went over a checklist. Once Roci was cleared, both Alex and Olivia spoke reassuringly to him, hugging and kissing him. Olivia had tears in her eyes.

Another attendant arrived to transport Roci to the plane. Alex’s heart hitched. He hated to have to send the dog to the belly of the plane, but they didn’t have any other choice. The ticket agent asked him a question, compelling him to focus on checking in. He disclosed that his weapon was unloaded and secured in his checked baggage. Once he was all set, he forced a smile at Olivia, grabbed her hand, picked up his bag and headed to security. The closer they got, the more he dragged his feet. His body would be walking through the scanning machine, but he’d be leaving his heart right here. With Olivia.

He stopped and pulled her out of the flow of passengers and into his arms. He could tell she was crying and damn if his eyes weren’t welling, too.

“I love you, Alex.”

That caused one of the tears to leak over the edge. Damn. Some badass ninja cop-turned-security specialist he was, standing in the middle of LaGuardia weeping like a baby. “I love you too, babe.” There wasn’t anything he could do for the gravelly voice. It was hard to talk over the boulder-sized lump in his throat.

“Call me every night.”

“I will.”

“Text me, too.”

“I promise.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that Roci was already on the plane, Alex would’ve said forget it and hauled Olivia back to her apartment. But he couldn’t do that. He had commitments, a job he loved. He slid his hands to her cheeks and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I’ll miss you, babe. So much.”

She nodded, more tears flowing. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers. She whimpered and it took a Herculean effort to step back. Offer a smile. Move into line. As soon as he cleared security, he turned and lifted a hand. Olivia’s smile wobbled as she waved back. Inhaling deeply, he turned and headed for the plane. He was surprised to see that his body still worked without his heart.

#

Two weeks after Alex had left New York, Olivia taped up the boxes she hadn’t even bothered unpacking. She’d gone straight from seeing Alex off at the airport to Pierce Prescott’s office and tendered her resignation. The studio was rebuilding and though they’d co-opted the evening news to a sister station in Trenton, they were itching to get back on the air. Jonah was healing and anxious to return. It seemed everyone was looking forward to getting back except her. Pierce had tried everything to cajole her to stay. Her story on the Vigilante was still getting major exposure and she was guaranteed to win awards. Pierce tried doubling her salary, taking his own son off the co-host duties, anything to entice her but she was unmoved. She still enjoyed her job, but it wasn’t enough anymore. She wanted a house and babies and a life. She wanted it with Alex.

Something had shifted inside her during the ordeal. Part of it—a large part—was seeing Alex again, being with him. She didn’t think she could say goodbye to him again. He’d become as important to her as breathing. He had a great job working with wonderful people, but she had no doubt he’d give it up to move to New York to be with her. She didn’t want him to do that.

How could she go on as before, leading a life but not really living it? Alex had shown her what true happiness was. Imagining a life without him was bleak and endless.

Another part of the shift was Ernie’s letter. He lived his life thinking he would spend his golden years with his love and travel the world. Because of one cruel twist of fate, he didn’t get that opportunity. If there was anything she learned from the ordeal, it was that tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. She didn’t want to waste another moment without her love.

She was part owner of a production company along with her best friend Kendall Demarchis, and Taylor Costa. TKO Productions. She didn’t know Taylor but Kendall adored her so she couldn’t wait to get to know the other woman. She would still be working in the television industry and she’d have more control over her career. She was looking forward to it.

It’d been hard to say goodbye to the friends she’d made during her time in the City. Her first stop had been to Carl, Mary and CJ. Tears had been shed. Now that Carl knew how to text, he promised to keep in touch.

Susannah Kramer was the only one excited for Olivia. She joked that Olivia could be her in with COBRA Securities. Susannah really wanted a chance to work for the company, as did her partner Derek Benson. They were both excellent cops so she hoped they got the opportunity. Plus, it would be nice to have her friend close by since she didn’t know many people there.

She would miss Queenie and her off-beat British humor. Chuck and Kip she would miss not at all. The hardest goodbye had been with Jonah. He’d been an awesome producer and she would always treasure his guidance and support. He promised to keep in touch as well.

The movers arrived to carry her possessions to the U-Haul parked at the curb. Faye assigned her manager to be in charge of the gym for a few days and she was driving with Olivia to Indiana. She would return the van and then fly home. Olivia was grateful for the company.

She texted constantly with Alex and they talked for hours each night but he didn’t know she was coming. She wanted to surprise him so she was driving to Kendall’s house first. Once all of her boxes and furniture pieces were secured inside, she climbed inside the cab and buckled up. Faye was driving the first leg of the journey.

As New York City disappeared in the rear view mirror, Olivia smiled, excited to start the next chapter of her life.