Read Online Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) by Tara Paradise - Free Book Online

taste the same?
Like his brothers, he was a grown man, in every sense of the word. She was
attracted to that raw masculinity. And I must be out of my mind, she
thought.
    Regaining some level of composure, she nodded. “Logan,” she
said, her voice soft and hesitant.
    It wasn't the response he'd hoped for, but definitely the
one he'd expected. He wouldn't say that she'd been cold, or aloof. It was more
like guarded. And he understood that.
    “How long have you been back in town?” Chase wanted to know.
    “I got in a week ago today.”
    “And how long are you staying?”
    “Three months,” Brooke answered, glancing quickly at Logan
as she said it. If he was surprised, it didn't show. His expression hadn't
faltered.
    “That's awesome,” Seth said. “We'll have to make some time
to hang out, all of us. It'll be great, just like the old days.”
    Brooke smiled. The old days. Hmm.
    It would never again be like the old days, but Brooke didn't
have the heart to say it. Seth looked so excited about the idea.
    The girl behind the counter called their number, indicating
their order was ready. Logan paid the bill and grabbed their food. Seth and
Chase offered goodbyes and promised to stop by her parents' house soon as they
headed out in front of Logan. He gave Brooke one last long look before
following them out. She watched him go, her eyes wandering to places they had
no business wandering to, and her imagination following suit. She blew out a
breath when the door closed behind him. God, this is going to be a long
summer ,  she thought.

    After lunch, Brooke walked with Karissa back to The Cottage
and stayed for a bit, enjoying the time she was able to spend with her sister
and not wanting it to end just yet. They sat out back on a bench in the garden,
sipping lemonade. Brooke admired all of the pretty flowers, their vibrant
colors adding a nice touch to the place. They made her think of her own garden
back home.
    “You're awfully quiet,” Karissa commented.
    “Just thinking,” Brooke said. She took a long sip of her
lemonade. Her throat was suddenly dry.
    “About Logan?” Karissa asked.
    Brooke looked directly at her and sighed. “I don't know,”
she said, her voice low, wistful. “I wasn't ready to see him so soon.”
    “Eight years isn't exactly that soon,” Karissa pointed out.
    Brooke gave her a level stare. “You know what I mean.”
    “Well, look at it this way. At least you got it over with.
Your first time seeing each other again. Now you don't have to stress so much
about it.”
    “Yeah, but I'll just stress about the next time I run into
him, and the time after that.” She pouted a little, and Karissa rubbed a hand
up and down her arm, soothingly.
    “Honey, I wouldn't worry about it so much if I were you.
Chances are, you won't run into Logan much. Even though this is a fairly small
town, it's still more than big enough for the both of you.”
    Karissa was right, Brooke thought. She would try to put it
out of her mind. With any luck, she'd only run into Logan once or twice more.
It was only three months, and then she'd be gone again. Surely they could
manage to avoid each other for that long. Mostly.
     

 
    Over the next few days, Raelyn began to feel much stronger.
She'd been home from the hospital for only a week and already she was feeling
back to her normal self.  No more pain medication, which made her groggy. She hated
not being aware and alert, and sleeping half the day. That wasn't for her. She
knew she had to be careful and take it easy. The doctors reminded her, Paul
reminded her, her daughters reminded her. She knew they all meant well. She had
just become tired of feeling like an invalid. But with each passing day, she
was regaining her strength and her independence.
    Brooke kept herself busy spending time with her mother, or
taking walks, or riding. It had been four days since she'd run into Logan at
the deli. And she'd thought about him ever since. She tried to push him out of
her