Read Online Operation Reunion by Justine Davis - Free Book Online

a little nervous. Dane and Chad’s mutual dislike was going to color Dane’s recollections. But he was doing it, cooperating, which was more than she’d had this morning. She didn’t ever want to feel that alone again.
    She would keep her promise as Dane was keeping his, she vowed. She would pour all she had into this last-ditch effort, she would do whatever Quinn and Hayley said was necessary and, in the end, she would accept the results.
    And then, she swore silently, she would do what Dane had wanted her to do for a very long time now.
    She would move on.

Chapter 7
    A ll the way back to her house, Kayla fought the memories stirred up by spending two hours writing down everything she could think of—the name of every one of Chad’s friends, descriptions of those she couldn’t remember the names of, every place he used to hang out and putting a star on the most frequent, even listing the times he’d gotten in trouble and with whom. She didn’t want to sugarcoat anything.
    Dane had commented on that, when he’d seen her list after finishing his own, shorter one and going over it with Quinn; Hayley had taken Cutter outside for a run while they worked. Kayla had been grateful for that; the dog was almost spooky in the way he looked at them, the way he seemed to sense every change, every shift in mood, and understand it in a way that had to be impossible for a dog.
    “You told them about when he got arrested twice,” Dane had said.
    “Yes.” She’d stood up to face him. “Once, all I wanted was to prove Chad innocent. Now I just want the truth.”
    Dane had blinked, clearly startled. “When did that happen?”
    “About two weeks ago,” she had said, knowing he’d understand. “Everything changed two weeks ago.”
    They’d agreed at the Foxworth facility that they’d spend some time searching their memories for anything they might have forgotten, any additional details that might help.
    She pulled into her driveway now and for a moment just sat there.
    She had considered, seriously, that she might have to sell her beloved little house. She’d bought it with the cash from the sale of her parents’ home, a place she had known she could never set foot in again. She didn’t want to move again, but she didn’t think she could bear to live here without Dane. They weren’t living together in the usual sense—he still had his place, but he also ran his business out of the den, and the work tended to spill over into the rest of the house. So he spent most nights here unless he was on a major project and working eighteen-hour days.
    That boy’ll go far. He’s not afraid of hard work.
    Her father’s words echoed in her head. As did his tone, touched with a sadness it had taken her a few years to figure out was over not being able to say that about his own son.
    Her father had liked Dane, although that hadn’t stopped him from keeping a close watch when Kayla had been younger. But he’d soon been convinced Dane looked at her like a little sister, and sadly, he was a much better protector than Chad was, standing up for her more than once when those who thought her too studious and odd started harassing her.
    And then Dane was there, pulling his compact SUV in beside her, and her world snapped back into balance. For a moment the relief that he was back swamped her, making it impossible for her to move.
    He waved at her next-door neighbor, Mr. Reyes, who was out working in his yard as usual. The man called out a cheerful hello and went back to trimming his hedge. It was a measure of how distracted she was, Kayla supposed, that she hadn’t even noticed him there.
    Dane came over and opened her driver’s door.
    “You okay?”
    “I will be,” she said, meaning it.
    But when they got inside, it didn’t take long for her improved outlook to be shaken. She noticed first one thing, then another, ran to the bedroom then the bathroom and finally turned on him.
    “Your things are gone.”
    He didn’t deny the