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"Chloe, don’t make me do this Let me stay a couple etting over you and today is as good a day as any Just pro"

"What?"

"Promise me you won’t read the article until you’re on the island"

His body felt strange All tight and hurting He wanted to beg her to come with him He wanted… That was the problem, he realized He didn’t knohat he wanted

"You’re just afraid I’ his voice sounded at least close to norive you my word I won’t read it until I’ the day, ith there being no electricity and all"

She led sob than a laugh, but he let it go

"I’ to miss you," he said

"Me, too So much You’ve been wonderful All of it"

He cleared his throat "Maybe I could come back You know, at the end of the summer Just to say hi and see how you are"

"I don’t think that’s a good idea I won’t be over you enough by then"

"Chloe?"

She exhaled sharply "Don’t ask me what that means, okay? Just accept it as the truth I can’t proht now It’s j-just--" Her voice cracked "I guess this is harder than I thought"

"Chloe, I want to see you before I leave"

"You can’t I have to go to work Jerry’s going to read the article thisit all afternoon Your plane leaves around one, right? So there’s no tiht" He wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly had a sense of urgency about seeing her That if he didn’t, he would lose so very precious and ie You’re still going to be leaving and I’ to stay here It would hurt, too et back fros have settled down and you still want to see me, maybe we can work that out Okay? But you don’t have to I mean, if you’veto be anyone else You’re the one--" He stumbled verbally "I really care about you"

"Thank you for saying that Look, Arizona, I have to go Have a safe trip"

She hung up

He stared at the phone a long ti He could feel it This wasn’t right Usually he was itching to leave, but this time he wanted to stay What did that mean?

He would call her back, he decided Then the voice in his head asked, "And say what?"

He didn’t have an answer to that What would he say? That he cared about her? He did But that wasn’t enough He knew that now Chloe wanted and deserved more than the temporary relationship he could offer her She deserved a colanced around the hotel room, which was exactly like a hundred others he’d called home over the years What did he know about commitment? His entire life had been devoted to wanderlust The only thing he’d ever corees and those had been acquired at an assortment of universities around the world Stay in one place? Be with one wo to kid?

Deterot up, pulled his suitcase froan to pack

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHLOE WAITED NERVOUSLY while Jerry finished up his phone call He’d kept her waiting nearly tenexcept her nerves were shot She’d had nearly no sleep the previous night and she didn’t kno she was going to get through the day…let alone the rest of her life She’d let Arizona go She glanced at the clock and realized he would already be in San Francisco to catch his flight It was too late to change her o with hiht have est mistake of her life

Her editor put down the phone and looked at her His gaze narrowed "It’s too long and too e to start the conversation "You got too close to your subject Didn’t they teach you anything at college?"

Chloe willed herself to stay cal She’d tried so hard to be impersonal as she’d written the piece Obviously, she’d failed

Jerry leaned back in his seat and tucked his hands behind his head "It’s also about the best daes you invoke and in the story itself I’m impressed as hell"

She felt heat on her cheeks, but she no longer cared "Really?"

"Yeah, really You’re a decent writer Of course, I knew that all along That’s why I wanted you for this assign This was not the time to remind Jerry that he hadn’t chosen her at all She’d been handed the job after Nancy had turned it down because of her pregnancy

"You know," he continued "You could write a book on this guy Not that I’ you any ideas I don’t want you to think you can parlay this article into a different career And don’t even think about leaving Bradley and heading off for New York"

"Actually, I have no intention of leaving," she told him "My home is here"

Noas Jerry’s turn to look surprised He straightened and slapped his hands on his desk "Who would have thought? I figured a s off to the Big Apple at the first chance she got" He tapped the pages in front of him "This is your ticket in You know that don’t you?"

"I know, and there was a ti here"

"Great" He handed her the article "I’ve es back to et yourself a professional publicity photo We’ll need it for the byline"