Midnight's Dream (Book One of the Verbecks of Idaho) by R.E.S. Tidmore

Author:R.E.S. Tidmore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adult romance, lovestory, western ranch, contemperary romance, hope and love
Publisher: R.E.S. Tidmore

Chapter Eight

As the old pickup drove away to Main Street, a knot formed in Emma’s throat, so big that she couldn’t talk. Logan Miller. Joel’s best friend before he drowned. Emma could hardly recall Logan. She’d been six when Joel died. The only thing she remembered about Logan and Joel is they were always together, and she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere with them because she only ever got hurt. And they didn’t have time for babysitting. It had always made her so mad she’d go crying to her mom. Some of that old hurt crept up and she smothered it down. Joel had been six years older than her; of course he and Logan wouldn’t have wanted a baby tagging along.

Just her luck. She found a man deliciously attractive who talked to her as though she was her own person. He was kind, thoughtful, hardworking—and he was her brother’s enemy. Salty tears burned her eyes. She tried to blink them away but the stubborn things kept hanging around. One thing she did remember clearly from when Joel died is how broken Cole had been. He had taken all his grief and targeted it toward Logan. The drowning had been an accident, but Cole had never seen it that way. At the funeral, Cole picked Logan up by the scruff of his shirt, his face an inch from Logan’s. With the whole town there, he accused Logan of murder. Told everyone Logan had bullied Joel into swimming in the river the day he died, turning the entire town against him. She remembered that because when Cole threw him down and Mrs. Miller rushed over to make sure he was okay, Logan had stared at Cole with a look of shock and betrayal. Grief and pain for Logan welled up. It was because of Cole that Logan went away and Mr. Miller had almost worked himself to death.

Frustrated, she gave Cole a rough shake. Nothing. Unable to stifle her irritation with her brother’s actions, she decided there was no time like the present and slapped him across the face. He groaned. A smirk tipped one corner of her mouth. She shoved him in the chest and stood up.

It took him a moment to get oriented.

“I hope he broke your jaw,” she said.

Cole sat up and thumbed it. “Love you too, sis,” he said, eyeing her critically.

She tried not to shrink under the weight of his stare, not wanting to be that shy little girl he always saw. Instead, she straightened her spine, lifted her chin, and then turned her back on him. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she didn’t say a word. She was good at ignoring her brothers, Cole in particular. She heard him grunt and the sound of his boots scuffing the ground. She hurried inside her office, not looking back.

“You got something you want to tell me?” she heard Cole say behind her.

“No, why? Do you?” she said in a huff.

“Don’t act like that with me, young lady,” Cole said.

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