Dating Daniel (Cloverleaf #4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

drinking, her dancing, and her having fun. Daniel had anything but.
    He had hit his breaking point, and she was beginning to make a scene in the parking lot. A police cruiser rolled by slowly, the officer insider eyeing Daniel as he tried to get her inside the truck. Running his hands through his hair, he felt himself growing more irritated by the second.
    “Just get inside the damn truck. We need to head home,” Daniel commanded with a little more bite in his voice.
    “Whatever.” Nina stumbled to the opened passenger side door. Daniel practically shoved her inside and slammed the door with frustration.
    He inhaled deeply as he got around to the driver’s side. Once inside the cab he started the truck. He let the engine warm up and watched some cars move down the now quiet street. It was as though everyone had vanished. It was a little after one in the morning, and it was eerily quiet. They were surrounded by tall buildings, ancient and weathered, mixed in with modern works of art. The architectural giants stood silent, shadowing the downtown area, masking the traffic lights and street lamps. Daniel could almost hear the rumble of the Spokane river running through Riverfront Park. He sighed and started to work his way to the north, exhausted from babysitting Nina for the last couple hours, enduring her whiny demands. Daniel was more than ready to be home. He wasn’t looking forward to the drive ahead, and as they ventured further up Division Street, they finally rolled into the darkness of the single-lane highway that would lead them home.
    The late-night darkness surrounded them, and Daniel tiredly watched for deer or any other wildlife that might try to dart across the road. Nina laid her head on Daniel, snorting gently. He softened toward her, his irritation vanishing as he let his thoughts run wild. The weight of her sleeping body leaning on him felt nice. Maybe tonight was a fluke; he sure hoped so. Bar hopping in Spokane, as Daniel came to realize, was not something he wanted to do again anytime soon, or rather, ever again. If he could just find a way to keep Nina content and happy, find things to entertain her in Birch Valley, maybe they could make this into something. Not that Daniel was desperate, but in some ways he kind of was. He wanted what his brothers and sister had, what his parents had. Was that too much to ask for? He didn’t think so.
    He yawned as they continued to drive, the hum of the truck almost lulling Daniel to sleep. He stretched his eyelids high and turned the radio on low, then turned on the air conditioner to help him wake up. A thought popped into his mind, and he began to formulate a plan to show Nina how he liked spending his time. Well, it was worth a shot.
     
    ***
     
    Sunlight filtered into Daniel’s bedroom, causing him to peel his tired eyes open. He flipped his pillow over, relishing the cool material, and he closed his eyes again, praying he could catch a little more sleep. Unfortunately he could hear noise coming from the kitchen, undoubtedly caused by two four-year-old boys he loved tremendously. The ceiling fan hummed as it cut through the warmth entering the room. Today was going to be hot, which only made going to the river that much more perfect.
    Daniel managed to leave the comfort of his bed. He could smell the scents of breakfast and his stomach growled. Bacon and coffee, just what he needed to shake the headache punching his brain and pounding behind his eyes. His eyeballs felt like they were dry and shriveled up. He hadn’t drunk much, and he’d been completely sober by the time he’d managed to get Nina in the truck. Dehydrated was more like it. Daniel shuffled down the hall to the kitchen.
    “Morning, dear,” Mary’s cheery voice welcomed him as she stood in front of the stove.
    Daniel grabbed his favorite mug, an overly large one with a moose silhouette on it, and headed straight for the coffee pot. He inhaled the rich aroma and watched the dark liquid fill