Chasing Perfect (Someday#4)
Page 20
“No, Brandy, offish. Like, short for official? I swear to God, you keep up on the least amount of slang of any person under fifty I’ve ever heard of. Anyway, I think you zeroed in on the least interesting part of that pronouncement.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Wow. Congrats.”
“Thanks, Brandy,” Hunter chimed in from the other side of the room.
“You’re welcome.” As the realization of what I’d just said dawned on her she smiled, “Oh, and holy shit!”
I jumped back in here. “Damn right, holy shit! There’s so much to tell you about, but long story short, it’s going to make you jealous as hell, and you’re going to regret deciding to sit around boring old Arcata while Hunter and I had big adventures.”
Brandy looked hesitant and she was biting the inside of her lip. “Yeah, Sandy. That’s the thing. I didn’t actually stay here over break.”
I did a small double-take. Brandy? Did something unexpected? What the what?
“So…what? You went down to the mall in Eureka or something?”
“Not exactly.”
She looked like she was having trouble putting the words together. I felt a cold lump form in the pit of my stomach. This hesitant, shell-shocked girl was not the confident, take-charge ballbuster I knew and loved as my twin sister. I had thought her reticence was just because we’d been fighting, and that was so rare, and she wasn’t sure how to make up. Now, I thought it might be something more, and that scared the fuck out of me.
Hunter must’ve sensed the growing tension and dread in the air as well, because I felt him move up behind me. He stood so that my back was pressed firmly and comfortingly to his chest, and he placed his hand squarely on my waist to steady me. I was grateful.
“Spit it out, Bran,” I said, my tone clipped and forceful around the tightness I now felt in my throat. Although, in truth, I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted her to spit it out. Not at all.
Tears began to form in her blue eyes, and her hands shook as she held them in front of her. “Look. I realize that you’re probably going to think I should’ve told you about this when I first found out, but you have to understand that I didn’t know anything for sure…and I just wanted to be sure…and I wanted to protect you if it wasn’t true…or even if it was…”
I was going to throw up. My nausea grew with each rambling word that came out of Brandy’s mouth. Brandy wasn’t a babbler. Not at all. She was normally organized, and quick on her feet, and sure of herself. Whatever it was she was prattling on about, her words twisting and winding and stumbling over each other with no real direction, or aim, or end in sight…it had upended her so completely that she wasn’t even herself right now.
“What the fuck, Brandy? What are you talking about?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I could see her making a conscious effort to center herself. When she opened her eyes, she locked them on mine, and she was her clear-eyed, purposeful self again. When she spoke, there was no hesitation in her tone.
“I found our father,” she said simply.
I took a step back in surprise, bumping into Hunter, who tightened his grip in support. I could barely breathe.
“What? Like…you found where he’s buried? Like…you found him…in his grave?”
She took another deep breath, steadying herself yet again. Her cheeks were pale, but her eyes still held resolve. She said simply, “No. In his house. Our father’s alive.”
“He’s alive,” I repeated breathlessly.
“He’s alive.”
Embracing Reckless
The Someday Series continues with
Brandy’s story
Embracing Reckless
COMING November 2016
Other Titles by Melanie Shawn
THE CROSSROADS SERIES
My First
Book 1
My Last
Book 2
My Only
Book 3
My Everything
Book 4
Tempting Love
Book 5
Crazy Love
Book 6
Actually Love
Book 7
Fairytale Love
Book 8
My Love
Book 8.5 (Novella)
THE SOMEDAY SERIES
Someday Girl (The Someday Series, #1)
One Day His (The Someday Series, #2)
Forever Us (The Someday Series, #3)
About the Author
Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they both migrated south and now call So Cal their home.
Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. After graduating magna cum laude from Pepperdine University, she went on to teach grades 2nd through 8th for five years. She now spends her days writing and taking care of her furry baby, a Lhasa Apso named Hercules. In her free time, her favorite activity is to curl up on the couch with that stubborn, funny mutt and binge-watch cable TV shows on DVD (preferably of at least eight seasons in length – a girl’s gotta have her standards!).
Shawna always loved romance in any form – movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! She proudly acknowledges that she is a romanceaholic. Her days are jam-packed with writing, being a wife, mom aka referee of two teens, and indulging in her second passion (dance!) as a Zumba instructor. In the little free time she has, she joins Melanie in marathon-watching DVDs of their favorite TV programs.
They have joined forces to create a world where True Love and Happily Ever After always has a Sexy Twist!
You can keep up with all the latest Melanie Shawn news, including new releases and contests, at:
melanieshawn.com
and
facebook.com/melanieshawnbooks