Wayward Hearts Read Online Free PDF Page B

at the sight of Maxi’s petite figure marching across the large expanse of lawn. From this distance, she looked the same as she had in high school. He smirked, remembering the feisty, rebellious teen she used to be. The way her hazel eyes glowed with a challenge the day she dared him to skip school and drive into Kingsville to the movies.
    They made quite a pair back then. She always knew how to get him to do anything she wanted.
    Almost anything.
    “You missed a spot, Hanley.”
    Jason’s mouth curved into a smile at the sound of her voice. He picked up another set of clippers and held them out. “Think you can do better?”
    She stared at him for a minute before she grinned in return, accepting the challenge, as he knew she would. “Sure can.” Despite the fact that he held two pairs of clippers, she traded him the tool for the glass.
    He looked at her blouse and dressy pants. A high contrast to his sweat-stained T-shirt and faded jeans. “Not worried about getting those fancy clothes dirty?”
    “Nope.”
    His heart lightened as they fell back into their familiar pattern of playful competition. “Thanks for the drink.” He drained his glass and set it down on top of his toolbox, ready to tackle the greenery again.
    For a while, they worked in companionable silence, while Jason tried to figure out how to start the conversation. He sneaked a sideways glance at her. She seemed oblivious to everything but the wayward branches. Why did talking to Maxi suddenly seem harder than battling a raging fire? Despite the lemonade, his tongue stuck to the roof of his dry mouth. He cleared his throat and took the plunge. “Must be tough being back on the farm.”
    Maxi looked at him. “It is. Having Aidan here helps though.” She clipped with more intensity.
    “I take it Cal didn’t stick around.”
    “Nope. Took off as soon as he could. I’m surprised he even came at all, knowing how he felt about Charlie.”
    Her expression became thunderous, and Jason feared for the hedge’s existence. He guessed her older brother hadn’t changed for the better in recent years. Best to change topics. “So how do you like the shelter?”
    She flashed a wide smile at him. “It’s beautiful. You and Nick did a great job.”
    “Thanks. Good training for my next big project.”
    “What big project?”
    He hesitated, reluctant to say it out loud, to make it real. “I want to work toward getting a fire station built in Rainbow Falls.” He glanced over to see her reaction.
    She stopped mid-clip. “You’re really serious about this firefighting stuff. What started all this?”
    He paused, taking time to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time actually. Since Drew died.”
    The blood drained from Maxi’s face at the mere mention of her brother’s death. Even now, eight years later, she still couldn’t talk about it.
    “I don’t know if having a station in town would’ve saved Drew,” he went on, “but it would sure help in a lot of other cases. Like when Tony’s place burned down.”
    She raised the clippers with shaking hands. “What happened to your bike? You still ride?”
    The complete change of subject threw him for a moment. “Not so much anymore.” He smiled then, remembering the two of them screaming through town on his second-hand Harley, much to the annoyance of the adult population—his mother included.
    “You still hang out with Marco?”
    His insides clenched. The thought of his ex-best friend’s betrayal still rankled. “Not anymore.” He shot her a furtive glance, praying she’d let the subject go.
    But Maxi’s eyebrows perked up like a set of antennae. “Why not? What happened?”
    Jason lowered his clippers. The fact she knew him so well irritated the crap out of him. He blew out a breath. “Marco swindled Tony out of some cash.”
    “That’s it?”
    “He also tried to steal my girlfriend.” The brief hope that Maxi would let it go