There were definitely no infant twins needing constant attention and care.
Melissa and Chris had gone to California to be near his family.A family who—just like Melissa—were thrilled to discover he was alive.Melissa had invited Bree to come with them, but she’d said no.
They had a lot of lost time to make up for.A lot of memories they needed to create, just the four of them, as the sweetest nuclear family.
Bree understood that, even if it did feel a little like someone was using her heart as a pincushion.One tiny little pain after another.None of them enough to really wound her, but taken all together...agonizing.
She was free now.The Organization as it had existed was no more.After all the information came out and everyone started turning on everyone else, no one had any doubt that Jeter and all his cronies would be spending the rest of their lives in prison, although at least Ronnie Kitchens had survived.
The future of Communication for All, the actual charity, was uncertain.But maybe under the right leadership it could become great again.
Bree, or Bethany Malone, if she wanted to call herself that, was free.
No one was chasing her.Hell, she could even open a social media account if she wanted to.Make friends.Talk to other people without having to worry about being hunted.
She didn’t know how to do any of those things.
So she was eating cereal at her kitchen table alone.Just like she’d started.Her spoon was halfway up to her mouth when a knock came at her door.
She didn’t run for a bug-out bag this time, although she still was a little uneasy.Nobody here in the city even talked to each other.Why would someone be knocking on her door?
She looked through the peephole then fell back against the door with a thud.
Tanner.
She opened the door.“Hi.”
Oh, dear.He was wearing his cowboy hat.She took in the dark hair and stark jaw that needed a shave even though it was only lunchtime.Those broad shoulders and trim waist.It had only been three weeks since she’d seen him, but she couldn’t stop staring.
Finally, she met his eyes.Those soft brown eyes.“Hey there,” he whispered.
“Hi.”She couldn’t stop her smile.She stepped back so he could come in.“What are you doing here?”
He held up a small cooler.“I brought us both a slice of Mrs.A’s lemon pie.”
She felt her eyes grow big.“Really?”
“Yep.”
She led him into the kitchen, tossing the cereal bowl in the sink and pulling out two plates.This time it was Bree who gobbled the pie down, rather than Tanner.She was already almost finished when she realized he’d barely eaten half.
“What’s wrong?”
“I want to eat it slowly.This might be the last time I get any of Mrs.Andrews’s pie.”
“Why?Are you leaving Risk Peak?”She couldn’t imagine Tanner living anywhere else.
He nodded solemnly.“Maybe.It depends.”
“On what?”
He took another small bite of his pie.“On you.”
“Me?”
“Mr.and Mrs.A said I can’t ever have another slice of their pie unless I talk you into coming back to Risk Peak.”
She smiled and swatted at him.“No, they didn’t.”
