Read Online Here Comes Trouble by Delaney Diamond - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Delaney Diamond
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for him, entering the lion’s den, incapable of battling against the desires of her own body and the longing in her heart.
How could she face Lewis now after what she’d done? Could he forgive her moment of weakness?
Could she forgive herself for loving Matthew…still?
Chapter Seven
After a rough night, Matthew woke up on the sofa, clutching the pillow where Lorena had lain the night before. His body ached from having slept awkwardly because the sofa was too short for his tall body to stretch out. Groaning, he swung his feet to the floor and sat up.
He didn’t want to be alone and felt the urge to get out of the city. Although he’d initially told his oldest brother, Roarke, he couldn’t attend his Sunday cookout, Matthew called and told him he was on his way. A couple of hours later, after a shower, change of clothes, and a stop at the supermarket for beer, he drove east, toward Athens, Georgia, where Roarke lived with his wife, stepdaughter, and mother-in-law.
When he arrived at his brother’s, Roarke’s mother-in-law opened the door of the two-story house. She stood at almost six feet, like her daughter.
“Hello, Matthew,” she greeted him.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. B.” Holding a plastic bag with a six-pack in his hand, he leaned in for a one-armed hug.
“Good to see you, son.” She patted his back. “Your brother’s out back.”
Matthew walked through the house to the backyard. Roarke stood in his newly built outdoor kitchen, prepping the grill.
“Wow, this is nice,” Matthew said in awe.
Roarke looked up and smiled. Before him sat a large tray of ribs and chicken, and a smaller one with ears of corn. “They did a good job.”
Matthew started loading bottles of beer into the cooler. “And it only took two weeks longer than they promised.”
His brother laughed. “It’s all good. I expected delays, but now I’m ready to kick off the summer. We can do some serious entertaining out here.”
“I’ll say.”
Matthew looked around in appreciation at the pavilion. The gabled bamboo roof protected the kitchen beneath it from the elements. Under the sealed concrete countertop sat a small refrigerator, a rotisserie grill, and storage for pots, pans, and other supplies. A large grill and a two-burner stove rounded out the appliances. An island provided more work space and a sink for washing up. At one end, a sitting area of several chairs included a round fire pit as the focal point.
“Uncle Matt!”
Matthew didn’t have time to turn around before Roarke’s seven-year-old stepdaughter came bounding toward him and grabbed him around the waist.
“Who is this? Who’s this big girl?”
“It’s me. Arianna!”
She beamed up at him, and he pulled her up in his arms to give her a hug. “You’re getting so tall.”
“I know. Papa said I’m growing like a weed, and that’s a good thing.”
For months after Roarke married her mother, she’d refrained from addressing him, not sure what to call him. Then one day she came to him and asked, since she already had a daddy, was it okay if she called him Papa? Afterward, she started referring to the rest of the Hawthorne siblings as Auntie and Uncle. They were all pleased by this development, as they were very fond of her and happy to have her as part of the family.
Arianna held up the hem of her green dress. “See my pretty dress Grandma bought me? I wore it to church today.”
“Very nice,” Matthew said before lowering her back to the ground. “You look very pretty.”
“Hi, Matt,” Celeste called from the back door.
“What are you doing over there? Come on over and let me look at you.”
Celeste waddled over to be enfolded in his arms. “I can barely get my arms around you,” he teased, referring to her pregnant belly.
“Don’t start. I already feel fat enough as it is.”
Roarke stopped his preparations and walked over to put his arms around Celeste’s distended waist. “You look beautiful. You’re
How could she face Lewis now after what she’d done? Could he forgive her moment of weakness?
Could she forgive herself for loving Matthew…still?
Chapter Seven
After a rough night, Matthew woke up on the sofa, clutching the pillow where Lorena had lain the night before. His body ached from having slept awkwardly because the sofa was too short for his tall body to stretch out. Groaning, he swung his feet to the floor and sat up.
He didn’t want to be alone and felt the urge to get out of the city. Although he’d initially told his oldest brother, Roarke, he couldn’t attend his Sunday cookout, Matthew called and told him he was on his way. A couple of hours later, after a shower, change of clothes, and a stop at the supermarket for beer, he drove east, toward Athens, Georgia, where Roarke lived with his wife, stepdaughter, and mother-in-law.
When he arrived at his brother’s, Roarke’s mother-in-law opened the door of the two-story house. She stood at almost six feet, like her daughter.
“Hello, Matthew,” she greeted him.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. B.” Holding a plastic bag with a six-pack in his hand, he leaned in for a one-armed hug.
“Good to see you, son.” She patted his back. “Your brother’s out back.”
Matthew walked through the house to the backyard. Roarke stood in his newly built outdoor kitchen, prepping the grill.
“Wow, this is nice,” Matthew said in awe.
Roarke looked up and smiled. Before him sat a large tray of ribs and chicken, and a smaller one with ears of corn. “They did a good job.”
Matthew started loading bottles of beer into the cooler. “And it only took two weeks longer than they promised.”
His brother laughed. “It’s all good. I expected delays, but now I’m ready to kick off the summer. We can do some serious entertaining out here.”
“I’ll say.”
Matthew looked around in appreciation at the pavilion. The gabled bamboo roof protected the kitchen beneath it from the elements. Under the sealed concrete countertop sat a small refrigerator, a rotisserie grill, and storage for pots, pans, and other supplies. A large grill and a two-burner stove rounded out the appliances. An island provided more work space and a sink for washing up. At one end, a sitting area of several chairs included a round fire pit as the focal point.
“Uncle Matt!”
Matthew didn’t have time to turn around before Roarke’s seven-year-old stepdaughter came bounding toward him and grabbed him around the waist.
“Who is this? Who’s this big girl?”
“It’s me. Arianna!”
She beamed up at him, and he pulled her up in his arms to give her a hug. “You’re getting so tall.”
“I know. Papa said I’m growing like a weed, and that’s a good thing.”
For months after Roarke married her mother, she’d refrained from addressing him, not sure what to call him. Then one day she came to him and asked, since she already had a daddy, was it okay if she called him Papa? Afterward, she started referring to the rest of the Hawthorne siblings as Auntie and Uncle. They were all pleased by this development, as they were very fond of her and happy to have her as part of the family.
Arianna held up the hem of her green dress. “See my pretty dress Grandma bought me? I wore it to church today.”
“Very nice,” Matthew said before lowering her back to the ground. “You look very pretty.”
“Hi, Matt,” Celeste called from the back door.
“What are you doing over there? Come on over and let me look at you.”
Celeste waddled over to be enfolded in his arms. “I can barely get my arms around you,” he teased, referring to her pregnant belly.
“Don’t start. I already feel fat enough as it is.”
Roarke stopped his preparations and walked over to put his arms around Celeste’s distended waist. “You look beautiful. You’re
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