Love All Out - Part 3 (A Stepbrother Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Bradley’s truck at the main house. I panicked, pulled my phone from the bib pocket of my overalls, and checked the time.
    Shit, it’s already a quarter to four. I should have been at James’s cabin five minutes ago. Please, please God, don’t let Daddy or Renee see him. I don’t want to have to explain why he’s here.
    I wiped my hands on a rag and set off for the main house, dialing James’s number on the way. He answered on the first ring.
    “I’m at the cabin.”
    “He’s here,” I said, half whispering. “Shit! Daddy just stepped out on the porch. This may take awhile.”
    “I’ll be waiting.”
    I ended the call without saying goodbye and stuck my phone back in my pocket. Bradley climbed out of his truck just as I reached the top of the driveway.
    “Hi, Willow. Are you ready for our little meeting?” he asked under his breath, somehow keeping the broad smile on his face. I didn’t have a chance to reply.
    “Bradley,” Daddy bellowed cheerfully from the porch. “It’s good to see you. What brings you out today?”
    Bradley smiled back at him as we walked up the steps. “Good to see you too, Cole. I came to hang out with James and Willow for a little while. I feel so awful about what happened in Kentucky, I thought it would be nice if we could have a fresh start.”
    “That’s awfully mature of you, son,” Daddy told him. “But I’m afraid your timing could be better. We’re all meeting with the Reverend and Mrs. Hawthorne at five-thirty.”
    “Oh really? Are you going over the wedding plans? Dad said you’ve set a date,” Bradley replied. The fake charm in his voice was almost more than I could bear.
    “Actually, we’re having a little premarital family counseling session,” Daddy answered. “Nothing serious, just making sure we’re all on the same page before the big day.”
    The corner of Bradley’s mouth curled up in a smug, amused grin. “That sounds like a great idea, really smart. You wouldn’t want a nasty secret to sneak up on you after the wedding.”
    “Daddy’s right, we can’t really hang out today,” I interrupted. “But I think James is at his cabin. Why don’t we walk over and you can say hello real quick?” I had to get him away from Daddy before he destroyed everything.
    “Sounds great, Willow,” Bradley agreed. “Cole, I’ll see you soon.”
    “Tell your dad I said hello,” Daddy said before disappearing back into the house.
    I turned and walked back down the steps. Bradley followed, positively bouncing with excitement.
    “I have to tell you, Willow, there are no words for how much fun this is. You’re going to a family counseling session? That has to be the most hilarious thing I’ve heard in months. Are you going to confess your sins to the good Reverend and his wife?” he taunted me.
    I can’t react. I can’t give him the satisfaction. And no matter how badly I want to, I can’t punch him in the face.
    “I have plenty of sins to confess, but not the ones you have in mind,” I said patiently as we walked around the house. I was relieved to see that James was already on his porch. He crossed the yard and met us halfway to the cabin. I appreciated that he didn’t leave me alone with Bradley any longer than absolutely necessary.
    “Are you okay?” James asked me once he’d reached us.
    “I’m fine,” I assured him.
    “You two are so damn cute,” Bradley sneered. “Or at least you would be, if you weren’t so revolting.”
    James put himself between Bradley and me and we silently walked to his cabin.
    “We’re here, just like you demanded,” James said as he pushed open the front door. “So tell us what you want and then leave. We have somewhere else to be.”
    “Yeah, I’ve heard all about your group therapy session,” Bradley said as he stepped into the cabin. “This won’t take long.”
    I sat down on the recliner and wrapped my arms around my chest, bracing myself for what was to come. James slammed the door shut and