“How did you find me out here?”

“I could always find you, Flea Belly. Even in the dark, that blond hair of yours is hard to miss.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”

He smiled. “I always thought it was cute, but if you don’t like it, I promise, I’ll mend my ways. Can I call you Phoebe, or do you want me to address you more formally?”

His teasing was gentle and she relaxed a bit. “Phoebe’s fine.”

He smiled and held his cigarette pack out to her. She shook her head. “You should give that up.”

“I have. Many times.” As he inhaled, she was again conscious of those full, greedy lips.

“So how are you getting along? Is everyone treating you well?”

“They’re polite.”

“If anyone gives you a hard time, let me know.”

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” She had never been less sure, but she wasn’t going to admit that.

“Having Carl Pogue quit was unfortunate. If Bert had realized there was any possibility of that happening, I know he wouldn’t have done this. Have you hired a new GM yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Don’t wait too long. McDermitt is too inexperienced for the job. It would probably be a good idea to let Steve Kovak make the final decision. Or I’d be happy to help.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Her voice stayed carefully noncommittal.

“Bert liked manipulating people. He didn’t make this easy on either one of us, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.”

He shoved one hand in his pocket and then withdrew it, looking uneasy. Silence stretched between them. He shifted his weight, took a long drag on his cigarette, and blew the smoke out in a thin, harsh stream. “Listen, Phoebe, I’ve got something I need to tell you.”

“Oh?”

“I should have talked to you about it a long time ago, but I’ve been avoiding it.”

She waited.

He looked away from her. “A couple of years after we graduated, Craig Jenkins and I were at a party.”

Every muscle in her body grew tense. The night suddenly seemed very dark and the house far away.

“Craig got drunk and told me what really happened that night. He told me he’d raped you.”

A small exclamation slipped through her lips. Instead of feeling vindicated, she felt raw and exposed. She didn’t want to talk about this with anyone, but especially not with Reed.

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry; I’d always thought you were lying. I went to Bert right away, but he didn’t want to talk about it. I guess I should have pressed harder, but you know how he was.”

She couldn’t bring herself to speak. Was he telling the truth? She had no idea whether he was sincere or simply trying to win her trust so he could influence her decisions while she owned the Stars. She didn’t want to believe that her father had learned the truth but never acknowledged it. All the old feelings of pain and betrayal engulfed her.