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Authors: Lorhainne Eckhart

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BOOK: The Awakening
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He loved his cousin. He’d come a long way in repairing their relationship. In the spring, Jed had set out on the new stallion he’d got at auction. He was training him, a raucous beast, to be his lead horse when he took riders out. What Jed had been thinking, Andy still didn’t know, but Jed loved a challenge, and that stallion had been nothing but. Red, the stallion, had thrown Jed up past the meadow, and it had been well past dark when he and a very pregnant Diana found Jed with a broken leg and cracked ribs. That night had brought them closer, helping to heal the rift between them that had been caused by what he’d done to Diana as a child. She was the woman he would go to his grave loving, a woman who’d never be his.

Jed was the only Friessen to live off what he earned. He wouldn’t take a red cent from his daddy. Both he and Diana had worked damn hard to turn his unsuccessful horse-riding outfit into something with a reasonable income. The fact that Andy’s own mother was cozy with Senator Johnston and knew all about Jed and Diana’s expansion to therapeutic riding for disabled kids, and the funding they had approached the state for, set alarm bells ringing.

Andy had always been careful with his mother, making sure that she never knew his weakness. She was sly, with all the characteristics of a black widow lying in wait. The bite was subtle, but a painful poison would spread through, taking hold of each victim. Andy had sworn he’d never be one, but here he stood in Paine Field, the small airport in Snohomish county, waiting for Alexis to disembark the private jet she’d just flown in on. The plane was now taxiing down the runway toward the terminal, and he watched through the window as the stairwell wheeled over to the jet and the door popped open. A tall, leggy brunette dressed in dark pants, heeled boots, and a white fur coat climbed down and strode toward the terminal. The door was opened by a security guard. The brunette had long, wavy hair, and she stopped just inside the terminal. She glanced around until she locked eyes with Andy. He, of course, could have made it easier and stepped toward her, but he was still pissed at being forced to be here, so his first impression of this chit was one of irritation. She may have been a nice enough girl or a snob, but even though she was quite lovely, he wasn’t interested in stoking her fire. She strode toward him, her head high and her shoulders back, with the powerful confidence of a woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

“You must be Andy Friessen.” She stuck out her hand and stared at him with icy blue eyes.

“I am indeed. You must be Alexis Johnston.” He accepted her soft hand, a firm handshake.

She smiled, flashing brilliant, straight white teeth. She reminded him so much of the women he’d dated in the past, but it had been a long while since he’d dated anyone, and she did nothing to entice him.

“You have bags?” Andy asked, just as a uniformed man pushed a cart with three large suitcases toward him.

“Ma’am, where would you like me to put your bags?” The young, dark-haired airport employee stared at Andy.

“My truck’s this way.” He started walking to the door and stopped when he glanced over his shoulder at Alexis, who was frowning. “Is there a problem?” Andy stopped and waited while Alexis strode toward him and then past him, her lips thinned.

Why, he’d pissed her off! She must have expected him to give her his arm, but he wasn’t interested. She was one foxy lady, but there something cold as ice about her that chilled him to the bone. “The blue truck. Just toss the bags in back.”

The young airport employee did just that.

“Be careful with that,” Alexis said. “What’s in there is worth more than you’ll have in a lifetime.”

She was a cold bitch, too. Andy glanced upward and then shook his head in sympathy at the young guy, who stared at Andy with wide eyes.

“Thanks,” Andy said. The guy just stood there, and Alexis stared at Andy, raising one eyebrow. Andy reached into his jean pocket and handed ten dollars to the airport employee.

“Thank you, sir.”

Andy walked around the side of his truck. Hell, he’d be damned if he was going to open her door, too. She was still standing on the curb when he slid behind the wheel.

“Oh, for the love of God,” he muttered under his breath, and then he climbed out and walked around, opening her door.

“Well, thank you. I was starting to wonder if all forms of courtesy were void in this part of the country.” As soon as she sat, he shoved the door closed and smiled to himself when he heard her indignant huff.

Chapter Five

“Your rent is due on the first of the month. There are no exceptions.”

Laura stood in the open doorway, facing her landlord, Jerry Hines, a middle-aged single guy with a solid build. He was a little on the rough side and somewhat good looking, but he could be a hard nose. He’d raised her rent only once, and she knew it was more than he was legally allowed, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.

“I know, Mr. Hines. I am few days late, but I lost my job, and my boss didn’t give me my last paycheck. I’m looking for another one. If you could just give me a few more days…”

He cut her off. “ No, cash now. Do you or don’t you have it?”

Laura could feel a hard lump burning her throat. She had no idea what to do, and she shut her eyes for a second. In that moment, Jerry fingered a strand of her long hair, which hung loose, and then slid his hand on the doorframe in a gesture that had her blood running cold.

“There is another way you could work it off for this month.” He gazed at her with dark eyes that resembled those of a predator cornering his prey. Laura stepped back, trembling.

“No. Please, I would like just a couple days, and I swear I will have your rent. Or I could give you my car.” She felt panic, a strange bedfellow that had become too familiar over the last few years, sneaking up again.

Jerry sighed and hardened his face, watching her as if she were nothing but a nuisance. “That piece of crap? Not interested. Be gone by morning. I have someone who’ll be moving in.”

“Jerry, please… We have no place to go. Don’t we have any rights? How can you just throw us out? I’ve always paid you on time. This is the first time ever…” She didn’t recognize her voice.

He turned away and then shook his head, then looked at her with those hard eyes. “You have no rights. You’re a nobody, and I have the law on my side. I’m a landowner. Laura, you’re a nice girl, but don’t mess with me, because you’ll get hurt. Start packing. I’ll be back at seven in the morning, and you better be gone or I will take what you owe me in another way.” He didn’t stop but stalked around the corner.

Laura closed the older wood door and sagged against it as if she were an eighty-year-old woman. She couldn’t believe how fate could be so cruel. What had she done to deserve this? She had no family she could call. Her parents had tossed her out when they found out she was pregnant, calling her a slut and a bad influence on her younger brothers. She had been fifteen when she moved out and worked part time at a fast food restaurant until she’d given birth to Gabriel a few months after her sixteenth birthday. Tyler, the boy who’d gotten her pregnant, refused to have anything to do with her. After Gabriel was born, she’d called her mom, but she’d refused to come see the baby, saying that she and Laura’s father would allow her to come home only if she gave the baby away. It was like a knife slicing her open—after fifteen hours of labor, exhausted, she’d burst into tears. Shortly after, with her baby Gabriel, she’d snuck out of the hospital and left Arlington.

Now, four years later, they lived hand to mouth. She needed the paycheck that Mrs. Friessen refused to give her to pay this month’s rent and buy food for her and Gabriel. Laura gazed at the one-room basement suite with the double bed in the corner, a worn sofa, a small kitchen table with two chairs, a cook top stove, and a camper fridge.

Laura strode to the beige tweed sofa that belonged to Jerry, her scumbag landlord. She dropped down and watched Gabriel, her dark-haired little boy, playing with the wooden blocks, oblivious to anything going on around him. “Hey, buddy, we’re going to go for a car ride in a bit.” She slid beside him on the floor and glanced around at their meager possessions. Everything would most likely fit in the trunk of her car. It was getting late, and she dared not be there when Jerry came back. She feared what he’d do to her.

It took her about a dozen trips to pack up her blankets, her clothes, Gabriel’s toys, and the small amount of food she had. The fridge was mostly bare except for milk and cheese, but it was cold enough outside that the food wouldn’t go bad in the trunk.

Just as the sun set and the first raindrops fell, Laura Parnell pulled away from her rundown rented suite in the rusted-out Volvo that she’d picked up for two hundred dollars the previous year.

Chapter Six

“Couldn’t you at least put on a suit and tie?” Caroline whispered before turning and facing Alexis as she strode into Andy’s library wearing a short black dress with a scoop neckline that outlined her curvaceous figure. Her dark, rich hair had been curled and hung in thick waves, her makeup was impeccable, and she carried herself as Andy imagined any politician’s daughter would.

Andy just glared at his mother as he strode to the bar and poured himself a generous amount of bourbon. He’d made no effort to clean up, wearing his dark jeans and red shirt with the top two buttons open. His father whistled as he strode in, obviously following orders, as he was dressed in a dark suit and blue silk tie.

“Alexis, you look absolutely stunning.” Todd leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then strode to Caroline and kissed the cheek she offered.

It amazed Andy how his mother flipped a switch when important guests were present, as if she were the loving wife and Todd the devoted husband. The two of them could have won an award with their performance.

Alexis sat on the leather sofa in front of the fireplace. Caroline took Andy’s usual wing chair. “Oh, Andy, pour me a glass of wine, please. Alexis, would you like a glass of wine?”

“Yes, that would be lovely. Red, if you have it?” She didn’t smile at Andy. Instead, she glanced around the room.

“Alexis, we are so glad you’re here as our guest. I was just telling your father how much we were looking forward to this visit.”

Andy turned his back and poured the two glasses of wine. He handed one to his mother and the other to Alexis.

“Thank you, Andy,” said Alexis.

If anything, she had impeccable manners.

“Andy, Alexis is going to be here for the next few weeks. Apparently, she’s quite the horse person, and it would be lovely if you could take her out for a ride.” Caroline gestured with her hand. “Andy, sit down and join us.”

Of course, where she was pointing was right beside Alexis, and although Andy had no problem flexing his muscles and being rude at times, he felt with a niggle of his conscience that now was not the time. He joined Alexis on the sofa and caught the gleam in his dad’s eye. So he, too, was in on it.

“Alexis, I haven’t been out riding in a while, but I don’t mind taking you out. We also have a riding ring that you’re more than welcome to make use of. I’ll let Ben, our stable manager, know. He can get you matched up with a horse…”

Todd jumped in. “Oh, Andy, as Alexis is our guest, why don’t you look after that? Ben is far too busy, and, Alexis, I think you might be more comfortable with Andy. He really is a master with horses.”

“Why, I would love to spend some time riding. That’s if you have time, Andy? After all, your mother has invited me to stay through the New Year. And I would love it if you could show me the trails and the horses.” She held up her glass and slid around until her leg bumped Andy.

“Dinner is ready,” Jules announced.

Andy leaped up and sloshed his drink on his jeans.

His mother frowned. “Come, Alexis. Let’s head into the dining room. Andy will join us after he’s changed.” The women left the library, but Todd grabbed Andy’s arm before he slid out of the room.

“What’s the matter with you? This is the senator’s daughter. Be a little more friendly, and it shouldn’t be difficult. She’s not that hard on the eyes.” Todd leaned in.

“I’m not interested. And what the hell is Mother doing, inviting her to stay past New Year’s? I’ll be bumping into her every time I turn around. I’m not interested in either of you stepping into my personal life and pushing any woman in my direction. So just back off.” Andy was irritated. He’d been distracted lately, but tonight he hadn’t missed how both Todd and Caroline were pushing Alexis in his path.

“Look, son. I happen to agree with your mother on this one. She’s a fine catch. Get to know her. Spend some time with her. Woo her. But this is an alliance I want, that your mother wants. You don’t need to fall in love with the girl, but I do want you married by spring.” Todd set his glass on the bar and squeezed Andy’s shoulder. “Listen, son, it’s time you settled down, anyway. Have some kids. Give us some grandkids. It’ll look good.”

Andy stared at Todd as if he’d lost his mind. “I don’t give a shit about an alliance. No one pushes any woman on me, ever. And when I marry a woman, it will be a woman I’m in love with, not because of political clout or money. That’s your game, Dad, not mine.” Andy strode from the library but stopped when Todd chuckled.

“Son, you have no idea what’s in store for you. If you don’t make this happen, your cousin Jed and that Claremont piece of trash he married will lose their ranch,” Todd said matter-of-factly.

BOOK: The Awakening
9.56Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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