Page 139 of Enthrall Shadows
Reese took unnecessary risks, and she didn’t much care about the consequences. I knew people could change, but they also repeated patterns. It was impossible to separate her work here from what she’d done to me—and to her family, too.
It took a certain ruthlessness.
Her marriage had failed. There was more to that story. I suppose she had a daughter to make up for that failed relationship.
Would we have made it as a couple? Maybe not. We had grown into totally different people. Even now, Reese jeopardized my old-fashioned American values. Everything I did had to be within the law—scandals kept at bay.
I wanted to keep Lotte away from Reese’s potential toxicity.
And goddamn if the chemistry between Lotte and me didn’t create a white-hot passion that was undeniable. She had helped make this experience cathartic, healing old wounds and soothing my pain.
I headed back to the picnic table and sat beside her, giving Michael a respectful nod.
“How are you doing?” I asked Lotte.
“Fine,” she said. “You?”
“I checked in.” I showed her my watch so she could see I’d messaged Shay.
“I texted them, too,” she admitted.
“That’s good.”
Reese came over and sat with us.
“We’re grilling dinner,” she said. “Vegan okay?”
“Of course,” I said.
Michael gave me a lingering look best described as admiration. “Navy SEAL?”
I gave a nod.
“Thank you for your service.”
I offered him a warm smile. “You were worth it.”
His face lit up.
My kind response was borrowed from that time I observed a stoic veteran from World War II interacting with a young stranger.
Michael relaxed a little, unraveling a map on the table. Red markings delineated where the developers had dug in.
Straight to business.
“How have you been?” I addressed that to Reese.
She seemed startled, as though not expecting polite conversation.
“We don’t stop,” she said, glancing at Michael.
“But how are you?” I was making an effort to check in with her, see how her life had gone and how she had coped.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Taking each day as it comes. Doing my best.”
I had a thousand more questions but I went with, “Did you continue your education?”
“I studied anthropology.” She watched my reaction. “At the University of Chile.”
