Page 23 of Embers of Torment

I shot her a pissy look and smiled up at Jace. "What brings you here?"

"I thought I'd pick up lunch on my way to my cousin Ree's house. I told her I'd stop by to visit. She lives over in Chestnut Hill. I come here since their sandwiches are better than most, and this place isn't far from home."

"I wasn't aware you had family here." I was surprised by Jace's comment. Adam had talked about Jace so often that it seemed odd he hadn't mentioned it.

"It's only my cousin and her daughter, Lily. Ree's divorced, and she and I were close when we were kids, spending a substantial amount of time together. Her parents moved from here to Nashville around five years ago when my uncle accepted a position with Vanderbilt University Medical Center."

"That must mean you were already familiar with Boston when you relocated here from Boulder."

"Yes and no. Although I spent a chunk of my early childhood here, that was long ago. The city and surrounding areas have changed since then. Well, I should get going. I told Ree I'd be there about now and don't want to disrupt your lunch. Kendra, it was terrific to meet you."

"The pleasure was mine." Kendra smiled back at Jace, appearing amused by the interruption.

"Della, it was fun running into you. I'm sure I'll see you sometime during the week. And remember to keep the conversations you're not sharing about me to the pleasant stuff. I wouldn't want Kendra to develop a bad opinion of me. Have a wonderful afternoon." Jace nodded slightly and gave me a cheeky smile. Then he swiftly walked away.

"You're a brat," I called after him, trying to act like I took offense to his comment. I had to admit, though, it was the opposite. I enjoyed his attention and playful banter. Of course, he didn't need to know that.

Jace laughed, the sound captivating.

"Oh, Lord. That man is hot. I swear, Della, if you don't make a play for him, I'll never speak to you again."

"Yeah, right. Like you're going to stop talking to me. We're family, remember? Besides, I already told you how I feel about the situation. So…how's my brother, and what's he up to today?"

"Brilliant ploy," Kendra laughed. "Change the subject. That's fine. I'll drop it—for now." She took a bite of her sandwich and another sip of tea. "As far as Spencer goes, he's taking Nathan to a Red Sox game at Fenway this afternoon. He's trying to get in some father-son bonding time, which is challenging with a teenager. It's like Nathan finds hanging out with his parents unappealing nowadays, and Spencer has to rack his brain to find something Nathan's interested in. I'm sure you're familiar with the scenario from when you were a teen."

"Umm…not really. I was always close to my parents."

"Hmm, I can understand that. Your folks are about the best there are. Your mom, especially, with how she supported and bolstered you when you went through all that crap when you were a kid. To this day, Spencer still wishes he had realized what was happening and was able to help. But he'd already moved away to college by then, and the only thing he and I were noticing was each other."

"Yeah, well. That was eons ago, and there's no point in hashing up the past. That's a whole period in my life I prefer to forget. So…umm. Can we please talk about something else?"

"I get it. That's fine." Kendra's face brightened. "Ooh, I have some exciting news to share. One of the local galleries is putting together an exhibit featuring Boston artists. They've invited me to show some of my sculptures. I have to decide which pieces to include by the end of next week."

"That's fantastic. So which ones are you leaning toward?"

"I'm not sure yet."

I finished my sandwich while I listened to Kendra talk about her upcoming exhibit and the various sculptures she was trying to choose between. Even though I gave her my attention, I couldn't shake the anguish her reflections about my childhood had brought, especially since those were the most painful years of my life.

And they were becoming more difficult to forget with each failed date. The ridicule and condescending comments inflicted upon me by the asshats I dated were increasingly reminiscent of those from my elementary school bully.

I shrugged off my spate of failures and buried my pain, unwilling to ruin the afternoon. After another hour of light-hearted chitchat, Kendra said she needed to go. I walked her to her car, and after a quick hug goodbye, I headed toward Seaport Common instead of returning home.

I breathed in the fresh, salty air while I strolled through the park. The sun was bright, and the temperature was comfortably warm. Wanting to take advantage of such a gorgeous day, I sat on a nearby bench to enjoy the view and people-watch.

A young couple chatted as they passed, the man pushing a baby in a stroller. Groups of people sat in the yellow and white chairs underneath the line of trees, and a boisterous group of men and several ladies played a game of cornhole on the lawn. Sighing, I turned to look behind me and spotted a man and woman about my age cuddling on a bench. The man leaned down and kissed the woman's forehead, his gaze filled with love and adoration.

I studied them while I sank into a sea of loneliness, wondering why a relationship like that increasingly seemed out of my grasp. I could feel a growing twinge of sadness and need as I continued watching the pair, the green monster of envy trying to climb to the surface. Then I thought of Jace, envisioning us sitting on the bench in that couple's place.

Dispirited, I got up and turned to leave. I had a blossoming interest in Jace, but my friendship with Adam and disastrous dating history pushed him out of my reach.

Chapter 8

Jace

Ihummed to the radio as I drove west on Beacon Street and rounded the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Two turns later, I was driving down Ree's tree-lined lane. It was a quiet, upscale neighborhood with homes in a price range beyond my budget. But my cousin, Ree, could afford to live here since her ex-husband was a well-paid orthopedic surgeon and one of the best in the Boston metro area.

A year apart, Ree and I grew up together and were close when we were kids, our mothers' sisters. Living only twenty-five minutes away from her and her daughter Lily turned out well, allowing me to visit several times after I'd moved here. I would do it more often, except that Ree was a radiology technologist at a local hospital and worked a rotating weekend shift.

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