Page 14 of Give Me a Reason

“She is awesome, isn’t she?” Pete sighed, making moon eyes at his wife.

“You guys are pretty disgusting, you know that?” Frederick smirked. “You’ve been married for… what? Five years? Isn’t the honeymoon supposed to be over by now?”

“Not yet, but soon,” his friend said enigmatically.

“I have something to tell you guys.” Joe joined them at the kitchen island before Frederick could grill Pete about what he meant. His lieutenant inhaled a Hawaiian roll before he continued. “I didn’t tell you earlier because she’s family, and I didn’t want to gossip about my family. But I also don’t want you guys acting weird around her. So…”

“Come out with it already,” Pete groused.

“Remember I told you Coraline is bringing her cousin tonight? One of her bridesmaids?” Joe pulled them away from the island and herded them to a relatively quiet corner of the kitchen. “Well, she’s kind of famous. In fact, Pete’s a big fan of hers. She’s… Anne Lee.”

Frederick casually leaned a shoulder against the wall, becausehis ears were ringing and his head spun like he was riding one of those death-trap carnival rides. He closed his eyes against the rising nausea, then he opened them again because it didn’t help. Nothing helped.

Pete’s high-pitched squeak definitely did not help. His friend clapped a hand over his mouth, and the piercing sound thankfully ceased. After a moment, he removed his hand and revealed a giant, toothy grin. “Shut the front door.”

“No, I’m serious.” Joe chuckled. “She is so down-to-earth and chill. You would never guess she’s someone famous.”

This couldnotbe happening. Anne was Coraline’s cousin. She was one of the bridesmaids. They—she and he—were going to be in a wedding together. She would be his lieutenant’s cousin soon.Holy shit.

He swallowed with great difficulty. Then he panicked for a second, thinking he’d swallowed his tongue. But it was still there, sitting thick and clumsy in his dry mouth.So much for never seeing her again.He coughed to cover the hysterical laughter bubbling up his throat.

“Oh. My.God.” Pete theatrically clutched at his chest, oblivious to Frederick’s near meltdown. “Do you know what she’s doing in the States?”

“I don’t know the details, but as far as I know, she’s back for good. Her family certainly seems happy to have her back. Well, at least, Coraline and her family…” Joe gave his head a sharp shake, then pointed a finger in Pete’s face. “Anyway, Anne’s actually a little shy, so don’t make a big fuss and make her feel uncomfortable. I told the rest of the team before you guys came, but most of them don’t watch K-drama anyway.”

“Me? Make a fuss?” Pete blew a raspberry. “I’m Mr. Cool.”

“Anyone who calls himselfMr. Coolis as far from cool as humanly possible,” Joe muttered. “You guys will be spending alot of time with her, being in the wedding party together, so we thought it would be nice for you to get to know each other.”

“Uh-huh.” Frederick nodded so Joe would think he was listening. “Uh-huh.”

“Hey, you okay?” Pete whispered, finally remembering the news would hit Frederick differently.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” he rasped, scowling at him even as his head spun.

He didn’t want Joe to know about his history with Anne. There was nothing his lieutenant could do about it, and Frederick didn’t want him to feel bad. It wasn’t Joe’s fault that fate was a sadistic asshole.

“Uh… yeah. Why wouldn’t you be? I’m the one who is fanboying here.” Pete’s eyes suddenly widened in panic. “Oh no. I… I need to let Katie know.”

Frederick watched his friend rush off with a perplexed frown until he remembered Katie’s promise to give his ex a piece of her mind. From the bloodthirsty light in her eyes earlier, he had a feeling thata piece of her mindwas a euphemism foran ass kicking. He pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against, his hands fisting at his sides.

If Katie so much as laid a finger on Anne—if she so much as made one tear fall from her beautiful eyes—he would… he would what? He would fight his best friend’s wife, a good friend in her own right, to protect his ex? The woman who fucking broke his heart… brokehim.

Frederick rubbed his temples, smothering his misdirected protective instinct. He would stay the hell out of it. Nothing was going to happen anyway. Pete would talk Katie down.

Meanwhile, Katie had put the rest of the crew to good use. Everyone was busy laying out place settings and arranging the side dishes, leaving the center of the dining table empty for the turkey.She oversaw the operation, while setting out mini-pumpkin decorations and small vases of orange and burgundy flowers.

Pete joined his wife at the dining table and whispered the news in her ear, while rubbing her back in soothing circles. Her hand immediately fisted around a poor little pumpkin, and that bloodthirsty light came back into her eyes.

Frederick wanted to rush over to warn Katie not to do anything rash, but her fist unfurled as Pete turned her to face him, running his hands up and down her arms. She proceeded to smoosh an entire Hawaiian roll into her mouth and chewed rather viciously on the fluffy morsel, but she nodded at her husband when he murmured something to her.

With a smile, his friend kissed the top of Katie’s head and turned to give Frederick a thumbs-up. Pete and the King’s Hawaiian roll had done their magic. Katie was defused.

“Captain?” From the confusion in Joe’s voice, he must have tried to get Frederick’s attention more than once.

“What’s up?” he said weakly.

“Do you think Pete and Katie will be chill?” Joe asked, not knowing the complexity of his question.

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