“It’s a nice view, isn’t it?” I ask, hoping she’s simply there for the scenery.
“Yeah. It’s beautiful.” She squints, staring into the distance. “I can see my daughter’s company from here.”
I blink repeatedly, doing mental calculations. Kri looks to be near my age.The math ain’t mathing.
“Please tell me your skincare regimen. Be as detailed as possible. I’d like to take notes.”
She catches my meaning and huffs out a two-note chuckle. “Allow me to clarify. Val is myadopteddaughter.”
“Oh, that makes more sense. How old is she?”
“She’s eighteen. My husband and I adopted her two years ago.” Kri’s chin lifts, hoisted with maternal pride. “And she was just installed as the CEO of Franco Financial.”
“Wow. Seriously? Isn’t that some big financial empire? It sounds familiar.”
“Yep. And she’s gonna rule it with an iron fist.” Her head bobbles like she’s hemming and hawing. “In fairness, it’s nepotism at its finest, since her parents passed the company on to her. However, I have no doubt she’d have earned the positionthe old-fashioned way in a few years. That company or one like it. If you think I’m a badass, you’d shit yourself if you met Val.”
Rising from the couch, I lazily inch closer to Kri, despite her proximity to the window of death. “Ah. So she’s tough like you, even if you don’t share blood.”
Must be nice.
“Tough doesn’t even begin to describe her. Especially after all she’s gone through in her short life. Not to get overly personal, but Shep and I were protecting her after her parents were killed. We fell in love with her and pursued adoption.”
“That’s sweet. She’s a lucky girl to have you. I bet she adores you.”
Her expression shifts into a mask of facetious self-deprecation. “She tolerates us.”
“Shep is your husband, I take it?”
Her eyes sparkle at the mention of him. “Yeah. He’s also a bodyguard.”
I ease the rest of the way to the window, daring myself to take a peek from the dizzying height. “Where is your daughter’s company?”
Kri points at one of the skyscrapers. “See it?”
I follow her finger’s path, spotting the building instantly. “Duh. Sorry for asking a dumb question.” I palm my forehead. “Now I know why it sounded so familiar. Kind of hard to miss the giant Franco Financial sign on the top. I’ve driven by it for years.”
While I’m here, I allow my eyes to peruse the skyline.
Interestingly enough, I’m not compelled to slink to the other side of the room to escape the reality of being in a high-rise.
Granted, it’s only the fifth floor, which most people wouldn’t bat an eye at. However, I think we’ve established that I’m an odd bird.
I hope I don’t jinx it with this thought, but I’m quickly getting comfortable being at this height.
Don’t get me wrong. I havenoplans for brunch on the balcony anytime soon. For now, though, I’m content from the safety of the interior.
Reed caught me peeking through the slit in the curtains yesterday morning in his bedroom, watching the sunrise. Since I wasn’t panicking about the height, I told him we could try his exposure therapy technique.
He’s been increasing the width of the opening between the drapes steadily ever since. Today, they’re about a third of the way open, which is enough to brighten the entire living room with mood-boosting natural light.
Lingering at the window, I get lost in the view. Too bad there aren’t many birds visible from here. Downtown isn’t exactly a wildlife refuge.
As I stare aimlessly among the buildings, thoughts about the last few days unfold in the recesses of my mind.
From the moment Reed kissed me at the emotional end of our birding date, my already chaotic life has been flipped on its head.
First, there’s the instant committed relationship I’ve found myself in with Reed. It’s a lone bright spot in an otherwise depressing list of changes.
