She didn’t have to be up close to know their boots were dusty, their jeans worn in, and their hats weren’t just for decoration. Her stepdad, Gabe, and her brothers had obviously come to the lookout to see if they could spot her. Just like old times, she hit the horn three times, each one a short burst of sound that would be carried on the breeze that never seemed to ever stop blowing out here. One of the three—probably Weston, the sentimental one of the bunch—raised his hat in acknowledgment, and then they all took off, disappearing in the horizon.

Damn, she hadn’t expected the hot happy tears she was blinking away or the lump in her throat. Even though she’d never move back, there was no beating the feeling of being here with her family. They were overwhelming and nosy and constantly finding fault, but she never, not for one single instant, doubted that they loved her or that she loved them.

And she was already planning to ditch them whenever she could. Worst of all, she was doing it with the biggest asshole snob she knew. Her gut dropped and her heart went into overdrive with the spike of panic shooting through her veins.

What if he behaves around them in the same shitty way he acts around me?

“Look, we need to get something straight.” She pulled off to the side of the road, a cloud of dust settling in their wake. “I appreciate you doing this when Web couldn’t, but this is my family. They make me nuts, but I love them.” And she did. She might live a four-hour plane ride plus a five-hour drive away, but that didn’t change her feelings even one bit. “They are amazing and frustrating and some of the best people you’ll ever meet.” She turned to face Will, needing him to see on her face just how 100 percent serious she was. “And if you do anything to make them feel bad about not being rich Harbor City high society, I’ll cut your balls off. We own cattle. I know how to do it.”

Okay, she didn’t, but he sure as hell didn’t need to know that.

He raised an eyebrow and toasted her with his empty ginger ale can. “Duly noted.”

And with a final evil-eyed glare, she pulled back onto the road, feeling pretty good about things—right up until she drove into the yard in front of the house. There were nearly a dozen family members waiting on the front porch, eager to get all the constant family togetherness started.

Oh God. What in the blue blazes had she done?

…

There were a million people waiting for them when Hadley pulled up in front of the house.

It was a big place, two stories with a wraparound porch that had an honest-to-God metal triangle hanging from the ceiling that someone could bang the attached rod against, the clang alerting everyone it was time to head home—just like the old black-and-white cowboy movies he used to watch as a kid. It sat alone on the top of what could barely be called a hill, since it was more of a roll in the land. Big leafy trees surrounded the house like guards around the four walls. Off in the distance, he spotted the red metal roof of a barn or bunkhouse and several smaller houses between the big building and the main house.

The whole thing was about as country sweet as you could get—especially considering the place had managed to spawn the ball-threatening Hadley Donavan. Maybe she moved in late in life.

?

??Were you born here?” Will asked.

“Not out here.” She put the SUV into Park and turned off the engine. “I grew up in town. Didn’t move out here until I was fourteen when Mom married Gabe.”

“There’s a town?” Okay, he’d sacked out, lulled to sleep by the Dramamine and never-ending interstate, but he definitely would have woken up with stop-and-go city traffic.

“Yeah, we drove right through it.” She reached for the door, exhaling as if to gird herself, and opened it. “We were lucky and the single stoplight on Main Street was a blinking yellow when I drove through.” She paused and shot him another glare. “Remember what I said about my family. Do not fuck with them.”

“The thought never crossed my mind.” No, he’d been too busy having dreams about literally fucking Hadley, which just went to show how much the drive had messed with him.

He took a sly peek at her ass as she got out of the car. Yes, he was a glutton for punishment in the no-touch zone, but he wasn’t fully awake yet and had absolutely no interest in Hadley, no matter what lies the lusty twitch in his dick tried to tell as he watched her strut around the SUV’s hood.

Damn. He was going to have to get all of this “not interested” under control if he was going to make it through this week without getting distracted. He was a man on a mission, and he wasn’t about to let his brother fall into the same trap that had gotten Will once before. No pretty face or sweet ass would come between the Holts and their money ever again.

Although Will was going to have to be careful about how he went about convincing Hadley that even if Web might be an easy mark, Will would do whatever it took to protect him. There were a lot of places to hide a body out here—not that anyone looked particularly murderous, but if there was one thing he understood more than anything else, it was the power of family loyalty. Judging by the happy tears, hard hugs, and general joy from Hadley’s family as they rushed to greet her, he had no doubt her family understood it as well.

Unable to put off this ridiculous plan any longer, he channeled his twin and put on his friendliest smile before getting out of the car and joining the throng of mostly women surrounding Hadley.

“You must be Webster. I’m Hadley’s mom, Stephanie,” Stephanie said, turning to him with a friendly, if reserved smile and holding out her hand.

He accepted her handshake and managed to cover his shock at the strength in her grip. “Everyone but Hadley calls me Will. She loves to give me a hard time about my name.”

Hadley shot him a death glare. So they hadn’t discussed the name thing, but he was right and he knew it. It was only a matter of time before he failed to answer to Web and then the gig would be up.

Adalyn, judging by her Bride-To-Be T-shirt, cocked her head to the side, her face twisting with confusion. “Isn’t that your bro—”

Her question was cut off by a well-timed elbow from Hadley followed by a speaking glance that said, Shut the hell up.

“My brother’s nickname for me, yes,” he covered.

“Well.” Stephanie paused for a second, not looking the least bit appeased. “Will. It’s good to have you here for this special occasion.”

Tags: Avery Flynn Harbor City Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net