Read Online Erin's Way by Laura Browning - Free Book Online Page A

ask each other questions over iced coffees? It might be a little late today for that. How about we take turns asking questions, and we have to answer?”
    Erin snickered, as she eyed the two women who could have stepped from the pages of Southern Living . “You mean like Truth or Dare?”
    Tabby laughed. “I played that in my dorm one time, but since I never wanted to answer any questions, I was always taking dares.”
    Erin grinned. It was hard to imagine that the perfect Tabby had things she didn’t want to talk about. “Me too.”
    Jenny laughed. “I played with Evan in high school, but I always chose dare because all he wanted to do was kiss…and stuff.”
    “TMI. Certain things I just don’t need to know about my brother,” Erin said with a laugh. Amazingly, she found herself relaxing. She’d never had a lot of girlfriends. Matty and Stan were the closest things, but femme gay guys probably didn’t count. Her thoughts clouded. She missed her crew mates. She hoped they were all right.
    “You looked sad all of a sudden,” Tabby observed. “Did you leave a boyfriend behind in the Virgin Islands?”
    Erin tilted her head. “Boys and friends, but not boyfriends.” She bit her lip. “I had a dream last night they were in trouble.”
    “Is there some reason to think they might be?” Jenny asked.
    Erin smiled evasively. “That’s not fair. I’ve already answered one question. Now I get a turn.” She looked at Tabby. “Truth or dare?”
    “Truth.”
    “How did you find out about Jenny?”
    Tabby’s smile was sad. “Mama was dying from cancer before she finally told me. Even if she’d told me earlier, though, I couldn’t have left her.” Tabby shook her head as if to clear it and looked at Jenny. “Truth or dare?”
    “Truth. I only take dares if Evan’s here.”
    “Is Evan going to run for another term as Commonwealth Attorney or is he going after a judgeship?”
    Jenny wrinkled her nose. “He swore me to secrecy, so you can’t say anything to him. He’s running for another term.”
    Tabby smiled. “That’s a relief. I was afraid if he pursued a judge’s position you would move away.”
    Jenny grinned and looked at Tabby wickedly. “My turn. Were you and Joe virgins on your wedding night?”
    Tabby blushed scarlet. “That’s not fair, Jenny. You know Joe had to tell you that when you ordered my X-rays.”
    “Just answer the question unless you want a dare. We swore it won’t leave this room.”
    “Almost.”
    Erin laughed. “What does that mean?”
    Tabby giggled. “Well, we’d checked once before the accident to make sure everything worked, but then Stoner would hardly leave us alone together.”
    All three women burst out laughing. Erin felt herself blush and turned to look out the window, but not before she was sure Tabby had noticed.
    Tabby sobered up first and looked at Erin intently. “My turn. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing you with Daddy. Why… Why do you think you’re stupid, Erin?”
    Erin’s mouth twisted. “I was never any success in school. I was great at math, but nothing else. Mama and Daddy were always so busy, and I got bounced around from school to school more than Evan did, so that everyone seemed to think I was lazy, but I couldn’t learn. I tried.”
    She looked at the two women and swallowed. “You can’t tell them. You have to swear. You have no idea what it’s like to be surrounded by people who are so brilliant. No one around here knows about this.”
    Erin closed her mouth. She hadn’t wanted to share that. It had just happened. Why wouldn’t Tabby and Jenny leave her alone the way everyone else did?
    “Don’t,” Tabby whispered. “Don’t shut down on us again, Erin. I’m so glad you’re here, and we just want to help.”
    “They don’t want me around,” Erin spat. “You can see it in their faces. Daddy didn’t even want me here last night. He practically begged Sam to let me stay there so he wouldn’t have to bring