Read Online Somewhere Only We Know by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Romance
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totally forgot that you lost your mom when you were—how old?"
"I was seven when she got sick, eight when she died, almost ten when my dad and Lynda got together."
"So you probably remember your mom better than any of your siblings."
"Aiden and I have the most memories. Drew has a few. Sean doesn't remember anything about her."
"Did you like Lynda right away? Or were you angry that your dad had fallen for someone else?"
"I did like her, but I felt torn. I wanted to be loyal to my mother. It didn't seem right that my dad was laughing and smiling again. On the other hand, it was a lot worse when he was sad, so I warmed up to the idea of them being a couple. And Lynda was great. She took things slow, let us adapt."
"You got two sisters, too."
"Emma and Nicole definitely added some excitement to the crew. We were four wild boys before they showed up. Then the twins were born. It was all good. I'm glad my dad found a way to move on."
"Maybe you should follow his lead. It's been a few years since Leanne died, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has."
"Do you think you'll be able to fall in love again?"
He looked into her eyes and had the strange feeling that was already happening.
"Someday," he said shortly. He opened the door to the stable office and ushered her inside, happy to put an end to what was turning out to be a very personal conversation. As a teenager, Maddie had always asked him the tough questions, challenged him about his attitudes, his feelings. She'd never been afraid to call him out. It had been a while since he'd been with anyone like that, especially a woman.
He and Leanne had had a completely different kind of relationship. They'd been very compatible and in some ways very alike. There'd been no reason to challenge each other. They'd always been on the same side—until a few weeks before she died when suddenly they seemed to be at odds over the smallest things. He'd chalked it up to the wedding plans. Leanne had wanted a big wedding, and while he'd gone along with most of her ideas, he'd started to balk at over-the-top suggestions like filling the pond at the country club with live swans or leaving the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage.
His friends had laughed and told him to relax and just let it all happen. The wedding was for the woman. His job was to let her do whatever she wanted. But it had started to feel as if Leanne was more interested in the wedding than in the actual marriage. Things had gotten so strained between them he'd actually talked to her about calling the ceremony off, reconsidering what they really wanted. Leanne had cried at the suggestion. He'd hurt her, and he'd felt bad, but he'd also felt like someone needed to cut through all the bullshit and figure out what was going on with them.
Unfortunately, that hadn't happened, and one of the last conversations he'd ever had with Leanne had been punctuated by her tears.
His gut twisted at the memory. He'd had to live with his words for a long time, and he'd given up trying to wish them away. He'd said what he'd said, and he hadn't been wrong, but his timing had definitely been bad.
"We're all set," Maddie said, turning to him with a happy smile. "I told them to make sure you have a good horse."
"Great."
They walked out to the stables. A few minutes later, he mounted a beautiful gray horse while Maddie hopped onto a chestnut horse that pranced restlessly, eager to get on the trail. A young man named Derek came up next to them and told them he would be their guide. All they had to do was follow along behind him.
Burke hoped his horse was on board with that idea, because he had a feeling that wherever his horse wanted to go, that's where they would be going.
"Do you want to go second?" Maddie asked.
"I'll follow you."
"Okay." Maddie nudged her horse into a walk, falling in behind Derek with Burke bringing up the rear. It seemed awkward at first, but once he got into the rhythm of the ride, he started to relax and enjoy the view.
They
"I was seven when she got sick, eight when she died, almost ten when my dad and Lynda got together."
"So you probably remember your mom better than any of your siblings."
"Aiden and I have the most memories. Drew has a few. Sean doesn't remember anything about her."
"Did you like Lynda right away? Or were you angry that your dad had fallen for someone else?"
"I did like her, but I felt torn. I wanted to be loyal to my mother. It didn't seem right that my dad was laughing and smiling again. On the other hand, it was a lot worse when he was sad, so I warmed up to the idea of them being a couple. And Lynda was great. She took things slow, let us adapt."
"You got two sisters, too."
"Emma and Nicole definitely added some excitement to the crew. We were four wild boys before they showed up. Then the twins were born. It was all good. I'm glad my dad found a way to move on."
"Maybe you should follow his lead. It's been a few years since Leanne died, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has."
"Do you think you'll be able to fall in love again?"
He looked into her eyes and had the strange feeling that was already happening.
"Someday," he said shortly. He opened the door to the stable office and ushered her inside, happy to put an end to what was turning out to be a very personal conversation. As a teenager, Maddie had always asked him the tough questions, challenged him about his attitudes, his feelings. She'd never been afraid to call him out. It had been a while since he'd been with anyone like that, especially a woman.
He and Leanne had had a completely different kind of relationship. They'd been very compatible and in some ways very alike. There'd been no reason to challenge each other. They'd always been on the same side—until a few weeks before she died when suddenly they seemed to be at odds over the smallest things. He'd chalked it up to the wedding plans. Leanne had wanted a big wedding, and while he'd gone along with most of her ideas, he'd started to balk at over-the-top suggestions like filling the pond at the country club with live swans or leaving the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage.
His friends had laughed and told him to relax and just let it all happen. The wedding was for the woman. His job was to let her do whatever she wanted. But it had started to feel as if Leanne was more interested in the wedding than in the actual marriage. Things had gotten so strained between them he'd actually talked to her about calling the ceremony off, reconsidering what they really wanted. Leanne had cried at the suggestion. He'd hurt her, and he'd felt bad, but he'd also felt like someone needed to cut through all the bullshit and figure out what was going on with them.
Unfortunately, that hadn't happened, and one of the last conversations he'd ever had with Leanne had been punctuated by her tears.
His gut twisted at the memory. He'd had to live with his words for a long time, and he'd given up trying to wish them away. He'd said what he'd said, and he hadn't been wrong, but his timing had definitely been bad.
"We're all set," Maddie said, turning to him with a happy smile. "I told them to make sure you have a good horse."
"Great."
They walked out to the stables. A few minutes later, he mounted a beautiful gray horse while Maddie hopped onto a chestnut horse that pranced restlessly, eager to get on the trail. A young man named Derek came up next to them and told them he would be their guide. All they had to do was follow along behind him.
Burke hoped his horse was on board with that idea, because he had a feeling that wherever his horse wanted to go, that's where they would be going.
"Do you want to go second?" Maddie asked.
"I'll follow you."
"Okay." Maddie nudged her horse into a walk, falling in behind Derek with Burke bringing up the rear. It seemed awkward at first, but once he got into the rhythm of the ride, he started to relax and enjoy the view.
They
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