Read Online Hope Against Hope: The Hope Brothers Series by Honey Palomino - Free Book Online Page B

know, alright?”
    “Yeah, we’re good,” Seth said. “Just keep your sorry ass brother away from George, and we’ll be even better.”
    “I hear you, Seth, I hear you,” I replied.
    I walked away, pissed as an angry mule, even though I did my best to hide it. Now I was just even more upset with Lee. The last thing anyone needed was more animosity between our two families, and it didn’t look like the Hopes were just gonna brush this issue under the rug.
    Hell, there’d always been a competitive streak running between me and Crit, but it had always been good-natured. Now, it just all felt wrong.
    Competing against him in state was going to be real interesting. Part of me wasn’t looking forward to it, but there was a small thread of my own competitiveness that I knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore after that confrontation.
    I drove home that night after practice, my body aching, and my mind clouded with visions of George’s pretty green eyes.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

    The sound of wailing sirens woke me up from a dead sleep. I jumped out of bed and looked out the window, my heart skipping a beat when I saw the county firetruck, its red and yellow lights lighting up the road as it made its way down our driveway. I scanned our property, and couldn’t see a thing out of place.
    I raced out of my room and down the stairs, my bare feet carrying me quickly by memory through the dark house.
    “Crit! Jesse! Seth!” I yelled, as I flung open the front door and ran out onto the porch, down the steps and into the yard. I looked back at the house, standing dark and peaceful amongst the chaos surrounding it. The firetruck passed me just as I was rounding the house to go to the back of our farm. I gasped when I saw our old tool shed was completely engulfed in flames.
    “Oh, my god!” I exclaimed, as I stopped in my tracks. The firefighters jumped off the truck before it came to a complete stop and set to work putting out the fire.
    “What the hell?” I said out loud, running my hand through my hair as I looked around for any explanation.
    Jesse appeared at my side suddenly, startling me.
    “Wow,” he murmured.
    “I can’t believe this!” I took a step forward and winced in pain as my foot grazed a rock. Crit came barreling out of the house buttoning his jeans, and he was soon followed by Seth doing the same. I looked over at Jesse, and saw that he had somehow managed to make it out fully dressed. Luckily, I had on pajamas, because I hadn’t stopped to think about clothes when I jumped out of bed.
    “What the hell happened?” Crit demanded.
    “I don’t know, I just heard sirens and ran out to this,” I replied. I looked over towards the Haggard’s property and saw them all slowly emerge from their house. Beau walked out of his cabin behind his parent’s house and stood on his deck. Hank and Beau went back in, but moments later they came back out fully dressed. I watched as they made the short trek through the field to our house.
    “What’s going on?” Hank asked as he neared.
    “I have no idea,” Crit said, his voice full of bewilderment. The fire chief walked over to us finally, and began bombarding Crit with questions. All of which Crit had no answers for.
    “So, you were all asleep?” he asked.
    “Yes, like I said, we didn’t even know the shed was on fire till we heard the sirens. Who called you?”
    “Well, son, that’s the weird part.” Randy Webster was the county fire chief, and old schoolmate of our fathers. “We received an anonymous call.”
    “What?” Crit asked, confusion set into all of our faces. Crit looked over at Hank. “You didn’t call?”
    “No, Crit, wasn’t me,” he replied.
    “Me, either, Crit,” Beau said.
    “Well, that is fucking odd. Any idea what started the fire, Randy?” Crit asked.
    “Not yet. Looks like some hay nearby caught fire somehow. I’m just guessing at this point, but I’d say someone started it on purpose.”
    “That doesn’t make any