ALWAYS (A Wolfe Brothers Novel) Read Online Free PDF Page A

it will only waste energy and
time.”
    “ I understand but it’ll be
hard not to think about it.”
    “ Can you at least promise
you’ll try?”
    She grimaced. “Sure thing.”

Chapter Five
     
    Two nights ago, Maggie had woken from a
nightmare, a gory visual of a bullet exploding through Cam’s head.
She had sat up and wrapped her arms round her waist, desperate to
rid her body of a tortuous chill. Her body, slick with sweat, had
shivered from the cold consuming her. Even her teeth
chattered.
    Fourteen years ago, her uncle had
killed himself and her father still mourned the loss. She didn’t
know Jags or Cam well, but if she could spare another family the
grief her family still suffered, she’d do almost
anything.
    After her vivid nightmare, Maggie
talked to Tilly and found out she could help Cam in two ways. For
the first, she’d need her father’s help. The second required
seduction, an art she’d mastered long ago.
    Maggie entered the spacious home
office. A rectangular maroon rug covered most of the walnut
laminate flooring. On the wall behind the desk hung a portrait of
their family dog, Jimmy, the sweetest cocker spaniel ever born on
this planet. He died last year of old age. His custom-made dog
house remained by the back door under the overhang.
    “ Daddy?” She circled the
mahogany desk, her fingertips gliding along the dark
wood.
    “ Uh oh.” He pushed from
his desk and swiveled toward her. “You only call me Daddy when you
need something or you’re in trouble. Which is it?”
    She walked behind the distinguished
gray-haired man and dropped into an oversized leather seat opposite
her father. “Busted.”
    He rolled his chair back to the desk.
“Spit it out.”
    “ You know the old Copper
Creek place?”
    “ The abandoned restaurant
off Highway 105?”
    “ I need it
rezoned.”
    “ Why?” he
asked.
    “ The person who bought it
can’t get the permits needed for repairs because it’s zoned as a
historical building.”
    He palmed his forehead. “I miss the
days when all you asked for was money.”
    Maggie rolled her eyes. “Can you do it
or not?”
    He clasped his hands on top of the
desk, a silver thick ring on each hand, one high school, one
college. “Tell me about this friend.”
    “ What do you want to
know?”
    “ For starters, his
name.”
    She frowned. “Why do you assume my
friend’s a man?”
    He gave her a sidelong look.
    “ Fine.” Maggie sighed.
“It’s a man.”
    “ Now that we’ve
established the gender of said person, how about a name?” He slid a
narrow drawer open and retrieved a black marbled notebook and
matching pen. He fanned the pages and tore out a clean sheet. Pen
in hand, he said, “Name.”
    She gasped. “Shit.”
    He scribbled ‘Shit’ and
peered at her. “Does Shit have a last name?”
    “ That’s the problem.” She
groaned. “I forgot to ask Jags what his last name was.”
    Rocking back in the executive chair, he
dropped the pen. “Not exactly what a father likes to hear from his
daughter.”
    She didn’t have the best reputation in
town, and until now, hadn’t realized her father knew it
too.
    “ And what the heck is a
Jags?” he asked
    “ He’s Cam’s stepbrother,
the one who needs Copper Creek rezoned.”
    “ And this Cam is?” He
arched his brows.
    “ A friend.”
    His brows furrowed. “Is he
gay?”
    “ No.” She clucked her
tongue. “I barely know him. He’s a friend of a friend.”
    “ Let me get this straight.
You want me to rezone said property for a man who is a friend of a
friend?”
    “ Can you help or
not?”
    “ Under one condition.”
Pointing a finger, he said, “Get a job.”
    “ Not this
again.”
    “ You can’t live off me the
rest of your life. You’re twenty-four. It’s time to grow up. Do we
have a deal or not?”
    Glancing down, she noticed the leather
band on one of her green sandals had a tear. She’d have to go to
the mall today and get a new pair. Hopefully, they still carried
this