Distant Obsession Read Free Page A

Allston; a fighter pilot. What was it, an F14 Tomcat? No, an F18 Hornet, that’s it, isn’t it?”
    He grinned and recalled her brother’s room stuffed with model aircraft and framed photographs of modern and vintage planes. “Sorry, Mama Bear. I only flew ASW missions in an S-3 Viking before they were decommissioned in 99.”
    “ASW. What’s that?”
    “Anti-Submarine Warfare. Nothing as glamorous as the fighter jocks. Still, landing on a postage stamp size deck tossing up and down in the ocean at night gets pretty hairy.”
    “Damn, Sticks. I’m impressed. Ever do any night ops in pitch black?”
    Reece straightened his back with an air of pride. “Yes…I have.”
    “Son of a bitch.” Tami propped her chipmunk cheeks on both palms. “I’m not surprised.”
    “What’d ya mean?”
    “You always were my hero.” With an expression of clear residual adornment, she patted his cheek. “True blue to the core. Not a day went by you didn’t make me feel special just holding my hand. All the other guys were assholes to me, but you, the white knight to my rescue, every time.”
    He patted her hand tenderly. “Feeling was always mutual, Tami Sue.”
    “I just don’t get it. How could any woman leave you?”
    He shrugged. “She wanted more.”
    “More than what? She had it all, what the hell was she looking for?”
    Reece paused long enough to wash down a mouth full of dough with a large swig of java. “Got washed out as a Lt. Commander. They call it getting passed over. Then when I returned to the states, she wanted the glamour of a commercial pilot’s wife, one that flew the prestigious big birds. Too much competition for those limited slots so I took a job flying regional hoppers out of the tri city area.”
    He took another large bite before exposing the real thorn in his male ego. “The fatal straw for Julie was status. Her father retired as an Admiral, and she expected the same for me. She wanted the luxury of a bigger car, a 4000 square foot home, none of which I could afford as a prop pilot.”
    Tami rocked her head back and forth. “Foolish foolish girl.”
    Reece paused and considered whether Tami Sue deserved, not just one side of the marital rip, rather the rest of the story. He tugged twice against his chin and decided of all those that touched his life, she’d earned the entire truth. “To be fair, both of us had difficulty with the way things evolved over time.”
    “I see.” Tami Sue issued an understanding visage, one that conveyed interest for more, yet an appreciation to respect another’s privacy.
    Reece canted his head and studied the remnants of his breakfast. “I know it seems trite in today’s world, but I found her success to be – unraveling at times.”
    “How so?”
    “She was a lawyer, and a damn expensive one. I helped fund Julie’s way through law school. In the beginning, she said it was a means to fill her time alone, but once she passed the bar, both her attitude and circle of friends elevated beyond me, at least that was my take.”
    He tapped one finger against the side of his coffee cup then ventured his gaze past Tami Sue to somewhere else, a booth at the far end of the donut store. “I don’t know, maybe it was a flaw in my character, an inability to see beyond the little things.”
     “Like what?” Her eyes sparkled with interest. His old friend was clearly wrapped in a chapter of Reece’s life that had remained out of bounds to all others the last six years.
    He retained his focus elsewhere, as if scanning images from a dark period he’d pushed far down into his secret closest. “Like her detachment from my side the instant we’d enter one of her office parties. Or the fact Julie spent so damn much time with her associates when I was in town.”
    Reece returned his line of sight to Tami Sue for an instant, then disappeared as quickly. “I think the late nights were the worst of all. Always suspecting, never able to determine if she was…” He