y heart is beating wildly. I finish dressing and head out to the meeting room. I need to read the report and organize the way back home.
Hewitt and Max are talking to each other and I join them sitting on my brother's lap.
“So what do we do today? A little training wouldn't hurt us, when was the last time we trained ourselves in a military base?”
“Ages for you! Are you sure you’re ready? You should get some rest, Kate,”Max suggests.
“No, I'm fine. Hewitt, ask the General for permission for us to use the base to train in two hours. This way, I will have time to report to Alec and organize the return home.”
“Of course.”Daniel gets up and walks away and I take his chair.
“How's the leg?”I ask Max
He looks at me, his eye peering and I start to feel naked in front of him. Then he smiles.“It’s fine. After your torture, for which I have to thank you, it’s recovering wonderfully,”he moves it, showing it to me.“Do you have to tell me something?”he asks with fake curiosity.
“No, nothing you don't already know. Knowing you, you will have discovered life, death and miracles about him by now. Maybe you even know more about him than I do.”
“No, no investigation. I mean, yes, I did it but only after talking to him.”
“Has it passed your third degree?”
“You know, Kate, he actually came looking for me. He wanted to introduce himself ‘adequately’ he said. He told me many things about him. And I was amazed. Almost too good to be true. But then my investigations confirmed it all.”
“Then?”
“Then nothing. You're mature enough… no, not mature,”he says laughing,“but you're old enough to choose who you want to be with. You said no military, though. It was enough for me to know that you have finally filed for divorce. Hewitt updated me on the situation.”
I throw him a paper ball for the childish joke.“What Hewitt doesn't know is that I had already decided to end my marriage before he told me everything. I had suspected he was cheating on me, but I wasn't sure and I didn't really want to know. The information about the betrayal was one more reason to give me a push.”
“I get it. The important thing is that it didn’t hurt you.”
“No, Max, no tears, cross my heart.”
“He loves you, you know. Lt. Reed, I mean.”He looks at me with his head bent to the side.“When he talks about you, it is as if he worships you. You know, he’s coming back to American soil in December.”
“Logan, and yes, he told me.”
“You will finally move to the United States, I guess. You've been spinning my head for years now about moving there. Here’s your chance.”
“Actually, he is a bonus, Max, I really wanted to talk to you about one thing. I'll explain my idea, I'm sure you'll say it's crazy, but listen to me. Think about it and then let's talk about it.”
“I'm all ears,”he leans against the back of the armchair.
“Do you remember the manor that we went on holiday two years ago for Christmas?! The one in Aspen.”
“That place is my dream.”
“What if I told you that the dream can come true? The owners put it up for sale. The price is obviously a huge one but it’s worth every penny. Let's say that I can cover 90% of the sum and for the rest ask for a loan. The property is immense. I thought of buying it. We can use the apartments above for housekeepers. We can divide the main house in half and renovate it as we want, if you want to make two mega complexes or I don't know. So we will all be close. We can work from home for logistics and leave directly from Aspen. It has a private runway so flights wouldn't be a problem and we’ll have a hangar, too. Healthy air, the whole family around. Maybe one day our children will grow up together, creating a bond like ours.”
I watch him think and I already see his wheels at work.“It's just an idea. I have already made an offer, to see if they come back to meet me. I don't want to burn through all my life’s savings like this even if it is a purchase to be handed down.”
“See, Kate, there are two things that I don’t like in your plan. You know that I love that manor. It has always been our fantasy to live there. And you're telling me there is a chance to make it happen…”I nod continuing to listen to him.“I won't divide the house.”I feel my heart shatter.“Don't misunderstand. The house will remain as it is now. We will live in the separate wings of the house so I won't hear you conceive my nephews and nieces. You are my sister after all,”he makes a disgusted face and I burst out laughing,“and Kate, do you really think I'll let you buy the house yourself? Absolutely not! We will do it in half. As you said, it is an investment for life, for us and for our children.”I can hardly hold back the tears.“Are you in?”
I nod hugging him.“Yes, of course.”
“Do you think he'll be okay with that?”he asks worried.
“I don’t know. I assume. His daughter would love that place. I will tell him about it, but not now, I don't want to scare the hell out of him and make him run away.”
