Phoenix: Book One of The Stardust Series by Autumn Reed, Julia Clarke Page B

I was.” He paused. “We’d actually been keeping
an eye on you and your dad for a couple of days. Although our investigation led
us to the area, we had to be sure that we tracked down the correct person. We
weren’t even expecting Brian Taylor to have a daughter.”
    “Brian Taylor?” The
name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. And then the pieces
started to fall into place. Kira . . . Taylor. I hadn’t
even thought about my former last name when I’d discovered my change in
identity.
    Chase looked at me,
surprised. “Your dad’s given name is Brian Taylor. You didn’t know that?”
    I hesitated.
Truthfully, it was embarrassing that my past had practically been a blank slate
until a few days ago. “No, I actually just found out about the name change, and
I didn’t think to ask what my dad’s name used to be.”
    I shook my head, stung
that Chase had to tell me Dad’s real name. There’s so much I still don’t
know about my parents, my family. My heart ached with fear and loss. A few
days ago I would have given anything for the answers to my past, the keys to my
freedom. Be careful what you wish for , I thought.
    After a couple hours of
passing “Go” and buying and losing properties, we finally finished the game.
“Good game,” Chase said. “Can you do me a favor and not mention to the guys
that you beat me,” he said, a teasing grin on his face.
    I raised one eyebrow.
“Really? I didn’t peg you as one of those guys who can’t deal with losing to a
girl.” Chase’s soft laugh flowed through me, warming me. I couldn’t believe how
quickly I had become comfortable in his presence. I think it helped that he
also seemed just a little shy, making my own awkwardness less obvious.
    “Speaking of the guys,
I was kind of hoping that I could make dinner tonight. I’ll probably need
assistance getting around in the kitchen, but I want to do something to thank
you all for helping me.” I wasn’t used to being waited on hand and foot and was
ready to contribute something to the group.
    Still sitting at the
table, the Monopoly pieces scattered around the board, Chase pulled gently at
the neck of his T-shirt. “That’s nice of you, but it’s really not necessary.
Besides, if I let you stand on your feet that long, Ethan will kill me.”
    I frowned, not one to
be easily deterred. Glancing around, I noticed a bar stool and pointed it out
to Chase. “How about this? I can sit on the bar stool at the counter and you
can just put everything on the counter in front of me.”
    He hesitated,
deliberating as he pushed his chair back from the table. Standing up, he
shrugged. “I guess that could work; I can even be your sous-chef. And, I’m sure
Ethan will be relieved since he’s been stuck with most of the cooking since
we’ve been here.”
     
    *  *  *
     
    It was cozy in the
cabin, and I felt relaxed and comfortable. September was always one of my
favorite months, and not just because of my birthday. I loved the beginning of
autumn, when the sun began to set earlier, making the evening air cool and
crisp. Just thinking about it had me craving a warm bowl of soup.
    Chase gave me a quick
inventory of the ingredients available as I ran through my mental catalogue of
recipes. While the kitchen wasn’t stocked, we had what I needed apart from
tortilla chips and cilantro. Chase texted Knox, asking him to pick some up on
his way back to the cabin.
    Chase was an excellent
sous-chef, not that the chicken tortilla soup I was preparing required much
assistance. After years of making dinner, cooking had become routine. Although
I wouldn’t call myself a master chef by any means, I was a decent cook when it
came to the basics. This recipe was an old favorite, an easy standby, that I
had long since memorized.
    While I chopped,
sautéed, and stirred, Chase handed me items from the fridge or pantry and
talked about his grandmother’s cooking. As he told me about her famous meatball
recipe, I