Free Finding Refuge by Lucy Francis

favorite spots. I did more
serious thinking, and more daydreaming, there than anywhere else.”
    His voice softened. “And which are you doing now?”
    Andri turned her head and found Travis studying her, concern
shadowing his eyes in the golden evening light. “Neither. I’ve been thinking
all day. Time for a break.”
    He nudged her foot with his own when he gave the swing
another push, but she couldn’t be sure if he’d touched her intentionally or
not. “So what were you thinking about all day while playing with the fish?”
    The question jolted her a bit, signaling a more serious turn
in the conversation. “Life.”
    “Major subject. Come to any earth-shattering conclusions?”
    “Yeah. I’m not going back to Phoenix. I’m going to settle
here in Utah, assuming the job hunt is successful.”
    “Oh, really?” He looked a little stunned, then smiled at her
in that slow, sexy way that made her stomach flip.
    “Really. And, you know, if I’m going to stay, I could use a
social circle. Want to be my friend?”
    His expression brightened. “Sure.”
    That was easier than she’d expected. “Good. I’ll need help
moving.”
    Travis groaned. “Figures. There’s always a catch to the
friend thing.”
    “What are friends for?”
    He appraised her for a moment. “Here’s a topic for you,
friend. Rachel said the roses inside were from your ex.”
    She sobered. Still a little twinge of inadequacy, but she’d
gone a long way in getting it out of her system today. “Yeah. They were to say
thank you. Things are working out for him. His life is going in a far better
direction since I backed out of his little scheme. I’m really happy for him.”
    He shook his head, chuckled softly. “I think you’re the only
woman I’ve ever known who would say such a thing, given the situation. God
knows I can’t be that charitable about my ex.”
    “Tell me about her.” The words came out before she could
stop them, followed by a moment of sheer panic. Did she really want to know?
Especially if that was the source of the misery locked inside him. Maybe it
wasn’t too late to retract the question.
    Travis looked at her for a moment, an edge of old pain
etched in his expression as he seemed to weigh his words. Finally, he drew a
deep breath and slowly released it. “I met Melody at a party, a barbecue a
friend of a friend held, the summer after I finished my MBA program. I’d dated when
I had time, but suddenly I was out of school, just working, and I really had
the time to pursue a relationship. She was someone new. I thought she was hot
and she found me interesting, for whatever reason. I think that was the biggest
appeal. She came on strong, and I was only too happy to go along for the ride.”
    Okay, so far so good. Maybe this wasn’t too deep a subject.
Plus, friends knew things about each other. She wasn’t getting too close to him
yet. “When did you get married?”
    Travis ran his fingers down the swing chain, the thick metal
links stark against the red and pink splashes of sunset coloring the clouds
over the mountains. “I asked her to marry me just before Christmas, trying to
be perfectly romantic, you know? To make it even more disgustingly sweet, we
married on Valentine’s Day.”
    “That’s one way to ruin a holiday. Happened to me, too.
Peter and I got engaged on Valentine’s Day.”
    He cracked a smile. “So you’re with me on boycotting the
holiday.”
    “Oh, yes.” She suddenly pictured herself and Travis next
Valentine’s Day, gleefully burning sappy greeting cards, then challenging each
other on some video game filled with over-the-top violence and lots of blood. Perfect.
    “The first year was okay. After that, we fought all the
time. Things fell apart.” He shifted beside her, and she felt the gradual
change in his mood as he spoke. “Nothing major was wrong, you know, but
everything was wrong at the same time. Next thing you know, it’s
‘irreconcilable differences’ in legal