But even then, the nightmare of what had happened to her mother was always present. And like then, those memories were still a permanent, horrifying fixture. Their flashes striking her at the most random of times.
Because every memory she shared with her father, no matter how wonderful, or sweet, or loving they may be, were reminders of what had always been missing…and of her mother’s untimely death at the hands of a cold-blooded killer.
Shadow blinked against the stinging in her eyes as she looked away from the pans and started for the fridge. The past was the past, and there wasn’t anything she could do to change it. She would, however, do whatever she could to destroy Stanton’s future.
But for now…
She turned and headed for the oversized refrigerator. With her focus once again on making her and Digger some dinner, she opened the double doors and began perusing the contents, which had been placed inside. Her smile returned when she found it fully stocked, just as her father had promised.
For drinks, there were several bottles of water and chilled cans of her favorite diet soda. Various types of her favorite fresh fruits and veggies filled two of the three drawers while the one in the center held packages of lunch meats and cheeses.
But it was what she found on the middle shelf that piqued her interest most of all.
Shadow reached inside and grabbed the bundle wrapped neatly in brown butcher paper. Her smile grew even more when she read the familiar label.
Yes!
Knowing she didn’t have much time, she went straight to work prepping the food. The first thing she did was to gather up the rest of the ingredients, and after that, she began to peel, slice, chop, and julienne.
With the cabbage prepped and the homemade pico mixed and marinating in the fridge, she made the sauce that put this recipe over the top. Shadow quickly unwrapped the butcher paper to reveal two pounds of freshly bought shrimp. She then peeled and deveined half of the generous portion before seasoning it the way she always did when making this particular dish.
The upstairs shower was turned off, letting her know her dinner guest would be joining her very soon. She hurried to place the seasoned shrimp inside the air fryer tucked away in one corner of the counter, setting the temp and the timer, thankful it would only take seven minutes for the shrimp to cook.
Lucky for her, Digger had taken a longer-than expected shower, and the extra time he’d spent in the bathroom worked greatly in her favor. Shadow moved quickly to finish getting everything ready as she set the table with plates and silverware for two. By the time he came down the stairs to join her, dinner was ready to be served.
“Perfect timing.” Shadow smiled as she stood by the chair she’d chosen for herself, doing everything in her power to school her expression.
Because damn if the man didn’t look even sexier than before.
His short, brown hair appeared slightly darker due to the strands still being wet. The skin covering his cheeks just above his short beard was flush from what she assumed was the shower’s hot steam.
But oddly, it was the black hoodie and gray sweats that turned her on the most.
She wasn’t sure what it was about a man in a hoodie, but damn if she didn’t find it sexy as sin. Especially one who looked as good as Digger, who was still looking at her, rather than the meal waiting to be consumed.
The idea that a man in gray sweats made women all over the globe drop their panties was a familiar and, in her opinion, an oversold cliché. But a cliché’s very existence is depended upon things happening so often theybecomecliches, so…
She watched Digger made his way toward her in those mouthwatering sweats.
Lord, have mercy.
“I made shrimp tacos,” she blurted out the obvious before clearing her throat and trying again. “I hope that’s okay.”
He finally pulled his eyes away from hers to scan the spread she’d carefully arranged. “Looks good,” Digger rumbled low as he pulled out the wooden chair across from where she still stood. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Shadow took a seat before starting to fill her plate.
She put a generous amount of the slaw into three of the available soft taco shells.. This was followed by a drizzle of the savory—and slightly spicy—sauce, some pico, and four perfectly cooked shrimp.
Once Digger was finished filling his plate, Shadow took the very first bite. On reflex, her eyelids fell shut as she moaned, her tastebuds never tiring of what was one of her very favorite shrimp creations.
The man sitting across from her cleared his throat before taking a massive bite. When he was finished chewing, his throat worked to shove it all down before he grabbed the bottle of water she’d provided and taking a giant swig.
“I can’t tell if you’re trying to scarf your food because you don’t like it, and you’re just trying to power through, or?—”
“No, it’s good.” His next bite nearly finished the other half of the taco in his hands. “Really good, actually.”
That last part was added while the food was still in his mouth, making Shadow inwardly giggle. On the outside, however, she decided to razz him just a tad. After all, it wasn’t every day that she got the opportunity to do so face-to-face.
