The Wives of Beverly Row 6: Lust Has a New Address by Abby Weeks Read Free Book Online

going to buy a stolen Rembrandt. It was just impossible.

VII
    A FTER THE BREAKFAST MEETING, VERONICA and Hank were the first to leave. They had the valet bring their car around. They wasted little time saying their goodbyes and were out on Hollywood Boulevard within minutes. Hank had another meeting across town that he had to get to and he was going to drop Veronica at the restaurant site on his way to it.
    “Thank you for agreeing to get involved,” she said to Hank.
    “I’ve watched that man abuse Zola for far too long,” Hank said. “I’m happy to have a chance to help her. Truth be told, I wish I’d stepped in to do something for her earlier.”
    “But it’s impossible to interfere in other people’s marriages,” she said.
    He looked at her. She knew that he knew that something had happened between her and Matt. They hadn’t spoken of it but somehow words just didn’t seem to be necessary.
    “Sometimes,” he said.
    “Yes,” she agreed, “sometimes.”
    He put his hand on her knee.
    “You know I love you very much,” he said.
    “Yes,” she said. She knew that was true. She also knew that he’d been a good husband to her these past few years. She really had nothing to complain about apart from the fact that she wasn’t in love with him. She wasn’t in love with him and she was in love with Matt Harkness. That was her only issue!
    “I’m so sorry, Hank,” she said. Suddenly saying those words, out of nowhere, brought the emotions that had been buried deep inside her up to the surface. She started to cry. She hadn’t meant to. She couldn’t help it.
    “I know,” Hank said.
    “I should never have done this to you. I care so deeply about you,” she went on.
    “Don’t apologize,” Hank said. “It had to happen. Love finds a way. It always does. For a long time I fooled myself into thinking you loved me.”
    “But I do love you,” Veronica said.
    “I know,” Hank said. He reached up and touched her cheek gently. “But not the way I love you.”
    She was amazed at how understanding he was being. She’d just slept with Matt, somehow Hank had sensed that something had changed, and he wasn’t trying to make things difficult for her at all. All he wanted was for her to be happy. That was real friendship, and friendship had always been the true nature of the relationship they shared.
    “You know,” she said, “I treasure the years we’ve spent together, Hank.”
    “I do too,” he said.
    “No one ever treated me as well as you have.”
    Hank nodded. She looked at him and saw that the emotion was getting to him too. There was a slight quiver of his lip, then she saw a tear fall down his cheek.
    “I’m going to miss you so much,” he said.
    That really got Veronica’s heart going. She started crying openly and she couldn’t stop. Why did life have to be so painful? Why did these matters of the heart always have to be so difficult?
    “I’m so sorry,” she said again.
    “Don’t be sorry,” Hank said. “Follow your heart. Always follow your heart. I’ll make out alright. I’ll just miss you is all.” He was trying to control his emotions as he spoke but Veronica could hear them all there, just beneath the surface, bubbling like lava in a volcano ready to erupt.
    He pulled up outside the restaurant. She put her hand to the door.
    “I wish you only the best,” he said to her as she opened the car door.
    Veronica didn’t know what to say. He was being so kind to her, as he always had. He was a good man and she knew it. She was leaving him only because her heart demanded it. There were so many things she wanted to say to him. She still felt such love for him and she wanted to tell him that. She wanted to tell him that she still loved him, but she knew it wouldn’t sound right. The words would sound hollow and empty and false. How could she love him if she was leaving him for another man? There was nothing she could say.
    She got out of the car and shut the door behind her.