Page 21 of Protecting Talia (Loved by the SEAL #3)

21

Z ip was ready to head home when his phone buzzed. All the other guys on his team got the same message. Anger and disappointment twisted together. He wouldn’t make it home tonight. They were headed out of the country.

He stepped outside and called Talia. When he heard her voice, he closed his eyes, taking in the joy as she explained how the police were doing everything they could to keep Dave in custody.

“Hey, sweetie, I got called out on a mission.”

“Wait, what?”

“I know this timing sucks. Please stay at my house. Caroline and Wolf will step in if you need help. Also Kevlar’s team isn’t heading out, so Remi and Wren will be around. There’s a friend, Thario. He’s a good person. We were going to get together with him, but he got a cold. I trust him. I’ll make sure you have their numbers.”

He heard her take a deep breath and let it go. “I’ll be fine. And I’ll be waiting here for you to get home.”

“It could be a week or two. Or maybe a month. I don’t know.” She didn’t say anything for a short moment, and he wondered if he’d lost her. Finally, she spoke.

“That’s okay. I’d rather miss you for a few weeks and have you the rest of the time than never have met you.”

He closed his eyes, drinking in the sound of her voice. “I know I’m not there in front of you, but I wanted to tell you this weekend, or maybe next, but Talia, I’ve fallen in love with you.”

She gasped. “Oh, Zip. I’m falling for you, too.”

“Good. We’ll celebrate together when I get home.”

“Yes, we will.”

He ended that call, glad that he’d called her. She showed him love and kindness. His SEAL brothers were great, but they didn’t match what he felt for Talia. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. They were on the same page, and he couldn’t wait to get back and see her.