The Reunion by Summer Newman Read Free Book Online Page B

all day.”
    Doc looked at the road, noted that the plow had still not come through, and it was determined, much to Ebony’s chagrin, that they would have to wait awhile longer. As they stood in the kitchen, Ethan walked from the basement to the living room and started talking to Doc. Ebony, who was closest to them, strained, against her will, to hear what they were saying.
    “Did you know,” Doc said quietly to the young man, who had his back to Ebony, “that in a little over three months, Ebony is leaving for Africa?”
    At that moment, Ebony looked into a mirror attached to a cabinet and saw the reflection of Ethan’s face, though he did not see her. She could not get over how handsome he was. He had filled out and become heavier, but his looks, always impressive, had been amplified by time. Truly, he was the best-looking man she had ever seen.
    “Jenny told me,” Ethan said softly, staring off distractedly with a look of consternation.
    “This is a three-year program, and from what Jenny said, Ebony may stay for good.” Doc paused. “She’s a wonderful lady. I could tell that the moment I met her. Jenny doesn’t want her to go. No one does. We want her to stay in Shad Bay.”
    Ethan suddenly noticed Ebony looking at his reflection in the mirror. She was immensely embarrassed, but she could not free herself from the magnetic pull of his eyes.
    “Believe me,” he said to Doc, though he looked at Ebony, “if I have my way, you’ll have yours.”
    Ebony abruptly turned away, gritting her teeth.
    How dare he! she thought, growling under her breath. How dare Ethan Harrington waltz back into my life as if nothing happened, as if he could pick up where he left off all those years ago. The arrogance. The egotism. I’d love to give him a piece of my mind, but he doesn’t deserve the attention. He is meaningless, absolutely, undeniably meaningless. I will not expend one more ounce of energy on him.
    The plow went through, and Ebony, her face flushed, hurried to the door. She wanted more than anything to get away from Ethan, but though she drove with the other women to the rental home, it wasn’t long before she met up with him again. He and Ron pulled the moving truck into the yard and in an hour emptied it. Though the women put away the smaller items as they were brought in, Ebony refused to look at Ethan. His mere presence was painful and agonizing to her. But, thankfully, after he and Ron hooked up the appliances and assembled the beds, Ethan left.
    Thank God , she thought.
    She helped for the rest of the afternoon, and it was not until around five that Ebony, totally exhausted, got out of Rebecca’s car at the bottom of her driveway. Jenny pleaded with her to stay over until the furnace was fixed, but Ebony flatly refused. She wanted to spend the night in her own home, in her own bed. But as she shuffled through the deep snow, her body dragged along almost involuntarily. She felt like she was falling asleep on her feet. Plenty of work still remained, however. She had to start another fire, uncover frozen blocks of wood, swing her heavy ax, and hack knotted chunks into pieces small enough for her stove. Halfway up the windswept hill, the cold air blasting without remorse, she stopped and thought about Jenny’s offer.
    No, she could not possibly stay in the Harrington house. Not now. She shook her head with pride and determination, then continued on her way, dragging herself through the drifts. Her heavy blue coat flapped in the wind, and the lower button popped off, disappearing in the snow. She stopped for a moment and searched, but soon gave up with a sigh and began trudging up the hill again. The house would be cold, but at least it was her house.
    By the time Ebony reached her yard, she felt like she had just finished a marathon. Instead of having someone waiting for her with a congratulatory smile, however, no one stood at the finish line. She felt incredibly, intensely, painfully alone. Completely