Chilled by Death Read Free

had surprised many. She had retreated within – from everyone and everything. To heal. To adjust to the new reality of her life. It had changed her. When she’d recently picked up her camera again, she’d done so quietly. Privately. Before, she’d have considered herself open and friendly. Now she kept to herself and shared little with those around her.
    Her brother called her secretive and considered it part of her depression. Maybe he was right. But he didn’t know about all the issues in her world.
    Life used to be simple. Then, when she was wide open and enjoying her day, fate took scissors and cut away the very steps she was standing on. As if to say, “Comfortable, are you? Well then…” Snip, snip, snip… “How about now?”
    She wiped those thoughts out of her mind and forced a smile at his hopeful look. She’d dealt with a lot of her issues. Most of them anyway. She just hadn’t shared how far she’d come with him. And that was too bad. He was still worried about her. In many ways, his concern was justified, but it wasn’t any longer. She’d become almost philosophical now.
    Life was a bitch, and then you died. Sometimes you died earlier than planned. She’d seen a lot of death. Sometimes it was comforting. Everyone all came to the same end. Just the routes people took were different.
    It was time to let him know how well she was doing.
    “If I can come and go at my own pace. Do a couple of day trips on nice sunny days, stay home when I want to be alone,” she chuckled at his rolling eyes and bright happy grin, “then I’ll come. I’ll help with the food, but I won’t be responsible for all of it.”
    “No worries. I meant it when I said we’re all pitching in.” He stood up and tossed money on the table to cover their bills. “Besides, Royce is a damn good cook.”
    With that bombshell, George walked to the front door as if to leave.
    “Hey, you can’t just say Royce is a good cook and walk away,” she called out, racing over to stand in front of him. “You didn’t say he was coming.”
    George raised his not-so-innocent gaze in a wide-eyed look of surprise and said, “Oh, didn’t I? Well, he’s part of the group. He always comes. Not to worry. We’re just looking to get away for a week, you know. Just a chance to relax and hang out.”
    She glared at him.
    “Besides, what difference does it make if he does come?” He gave her a knowing grin. “You don’t even like him.”
    For the life of her, she couldn’t hold back the wince or the flood of memories that took over her psyche. She’d known Royce since forever as he was her brother’s best friend. But the hardest part of that history was the carnal knowledge she’d kept to herself. And wow, had that been good. And hot. And so damn addictive she’d walked away, afraid she’d never be able to let him go. He wasn’t long-term material. Certainly not marriageable material, and likely not monogamous – whereas she couldn’t be anything but. But being with him had made her wonder for a little while if she could do it his way…which was not likely given what little they had.
    A wild, crazy, all-out sexual weekend.
    A weekend she’d loved. And hated. Because it had changed her. She’d gone to him hurt, in need. She’d taken everything he’d had to give and had wanted more. So much more that she’d been terrified.
    And he’d been unaffected.
    How fair was that?
    Then she’d been grieving. She’d needed to reaffirm life. She’d needed to reaffirm that she wasn’t alone. She’d needed to reaffirm there was a reason to get up in the morning. A reason that didn’t involve dealing with loss.
    For the duration of that weekend, he’d given her that. That she’d gotten so much more was a shock she hadn’t liked. But she’d been a big girl. And she’d known Royce, a bad boy, would never make a partner for life. He’d done the rounds. Even with Janice and Francine. Then that was hard to blame him for considering the