Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,21

we wanted to change. Now, the work we had put in on the side lot—a full-sized foliage-filled lot that had come with the place—was beginning to show. Our gardens were flourishing. We had dug through the weed-covered yard and exposed good soil, along with a number of beautiful bushes that had gotten lost beneath the tangle.

I eased into the takeout window and ordered four cheeseburgers, two large fries, and two orange sherbet shakes. Another ten minutes and we pulled into our driveway. Traffic was a bitch during rush hour, which lasted from three p.m. until seven p.m. most days.

After greeting Mr. Rumblebutt, my black Norwegian Forest cat, and making sure he was fed, we carried our food out to the patio and sat at the picnic table we had bought. It was still warm, though it would cool for the night soon, and the fresh air felt good.

“So, do you think you can find Isolde a therapist?” I opened one of the bags and spread out the burgers on the table while Angel took care of the fries and shakes. “She’s carrying around a lot of guilt over arguing with Chaya on the morning she disappeared.”

“Sure. I know quite a few qualified doctors who could help her. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. I lost Mama J., of course, and you lost your parents, but somehow that doesn’t quite seem the same as losing a spouse. Though I guess you can’t really qualify grief—it’s harsh no matter who it hits.” She unwrapped one of the burgers and the smell of freshly cooked beef and onions wafted out. “I’m hungry. So, why do you think Morgana wants to see you tonight?”

I shrugged, biting into my own burger. “I have no clue,” I said after swallowing. “These are good. I don’t know if I remembered to eat lunch today.” I paused, taking another bite, then asked, “Speaking of therapists, how’s Rafé?”

Angel licked ketchup off her fingers, then took a drink of her shake. “He’s doing better. He’s processing everything he went through and he’s a lot calmer now. He’s starting to look for work again. He made a huge decision, though.” She paused, glancing over at me. “He told me he’s going to stop acting. I can’t believe it. I thought acting was his life, but he said that after coping with what the Tuathan Brotherhood did to him, he doesn’t feel a passion for the stage anymore. He’s talking about going back to school to study psychology so he can help others who have been victimized.”

That was news. Rafé loved acting. And he was good at it.

“Wow. I never expected him to go that route.”

“Me either, but he said it just doesn’t feel like him anymore. The experience over on the peninsula changed him. Whatever the case, he seems to be a lot more centered than he was. Even before he was…” she paused, glancing down at her food.

“You have to say it sometime,” I said. “Rafé was tortured. He managed to survive, and he’s healed up from his physical wounds, but the ordeal isn’t going to just go away. Even with the therapy, it’s something he’ll always remember. And events like that can alter your life. It makes the world seem like a vastly different place. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that he’s changing his focus.” I popped a french fry into my mouth, then said, “How are you and he doing?”

She smiled then, the glow radiating through her face. Angel was gorgeous. She could have been a model, and at five-ten, she stood three inches taller than me. Her skin was a luminous brown, her hair coiling to her shoulders in tight curls, though she almost always wore it in a high ponytail. She was lithe, with the body of a swimmer. Rafé had skin as pale as hers was dark, and his shock of red hair and trim body complemented hers. They were a striking couple together.

“We’re doing better. For a while, I was ready to kick him to the curb, even though I knew it wasn’t his fault, but you know what? I’m glad I didn’t. He begged me not to give up on him, and he’s following through. He has his anger and cynicism under control. I think we’ll pull through this. I’m so grateful he’s healing.” She finished her dinner, leaving the extra cheeseburger for me. I had a much bigger appetite than she did.

I accepted the last sandwich. “So what’s Marilee going