Change of Heart Read Online Free PDF

you want me to tell Leah the story.”
    Jessie rolled her eyes but smiled broadly at Leah. “He took advantage of me, ran away, and came back ten years later to beg me to marry him. There, that’s it in a nutshell, right?”
    Nathan shook his head. “Not exactly the way I remember it.”
    “Trust me,” she whispered loudly to Leah with a laugh. “That’s exactly the way it happened.”
    “We finally made it!” A woman’s voice announced her arrival, just before the largest dog Leah had ever seen ran through the gate and straight for her.
    “Tango, sit!” Immediately, the dog skidded to a halt and sat. A petite blonde scowled at him, and the dog hung his massive head apologetically. “Sorry about that, he’s been cooped up with me and the baby for the last week. He wants to play, badly. I’m Julia.”
    “Leah.”
    “And that’s my husband, Dylan, and his dog, Roscoe.” She held her hand out as a golden retriever ran into the backyard, followed closely by a man who looked uncannily like an older version of Gage. Not exactly, he was even bigger, which she hadn’t realized was possible since Gage was already built like a Mack truck. This must be the brother Nathan mentioned. As he met her gaze and shook her hand, she recognized the grave solemnity in his eyes even as he smiled in welcome. This man had been through hell and back. She’d seen the same look in several of the clients at the medical clinic she’d worked at over the past two years.
    Who was she kidding?
    She saw the same look in her reflection every morning.
    G AGE SAT ON the front porch of the cabin, trying to ignore the laughter coming from Jessie’s backyard. Three dogs barked and yipped happily as voices rose and a cheer went up just before he heard a loud splash. He couldn’t make out the conversations, but it wasn’t hard to tell everyone was having a good time. He tipped back the bottle of beer in his hand as a loud rumble sounded from an engine coming up the driveway.
    Bailey didn’t bother to park at the front of Jessie’s house like everyone else had. She drove her motorcycle right to the front of his cabin and parked. Sliding her helmet off, she shook her hair loose and swung her leg over the seat before climbing the porch steps.
    “Just the guy I wanted to see.” She smiled brightly at Gage. “What the hell are you doing over here when the party is over there?” She jerked her thumb at the house.
    “I’m not exactly in a celebration kind of mood,” he said with a shrug. He doubted that she’d believe it, since she’d gotten to know him pretty well over the last year, but it was the first and easiest excuse that came to mind.
    She arched a dubious brow and tipped her chin down. “Sure you’re not. You’re always in a party mood. What gives?” Bailey waved off the chilled bottle he offered her.
    Gage had met Bailey when he’d stayed at Julia’s for a short time while his brother was paired with a therapy dog. They’d immediately hit it off, but as much as they’d enjoyed one another’s company, after one date, they’d both realized they didn’t have a spark. They did, however, share an easy friendship, and she’d quickly become the little sister he’d never had.
    “I’ve had my head bit off enough times for one day.”
    “By Jessie?”
    He shook his head and took another sip. “Nope, her new therapist.”
    “Leah? Jessie said she’s great. She loves her already.” She dropped into one of the chairs Jessie had commissioned to grace the front of each cabin and kicked her feet up onto the table, clasping her hands over her flat stomach.
    “That’s exactly how she should feel, since she’s hiring her. I, however, am not her biggest fan.”
    “What’s wrong, Gage? Is she ugly?” Bailey mockingly stuck out her lower lip in a sad face.
    Gage clenched his jaw and scowled at Bailey. Usually he would have just told her what happened, but he wondered if he shouldn’t just bullshit his way through this