Read Online The Heart's Game (The Kelly Brothers, Book 4) by Crista McHugh - Free Book Online
Authors: Crista McHugh
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away.
“Okay…” And he thought his conversation with Jenny had been difficult. “Well, if you need a change of scenery, my door’s always open. I remember that you always liked the music scene here.”
“I just want to be left alone. Between you and Gid and Adam and Mom and the fucking mob of reporters outside, I can’t even get a moment to myself.”
“We’re just all worried about you. Well, maybe not the reporters. More like the family—”
“I got it. Don’t worry. I’m not going to drive my car off a cliff or shoot up some heroin.”
Dan’s chest ached from the grief in his brother’s voice. Ethan was trying to sound tough, but he was suffering deep inside, and there was nothing Dan could do for him from this part of the West Coast other than say, “I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks. If I need my appendix out, I know who to call.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
Ethan hung up before he could get another word in.
Friggin’ asshole .
His anger evaporated, though, when he rationalized that this was Ethan’s way of handling bad news. Throughout his medical career, Dan had seen the rainbow of responses, everything from depression to anger to acceptance. His brother had been living in the tough as nails rocker world for so long, every conversation seemed to be wrapped in barbed wire lately.
Dude needs to get laid .
Dan pulled out his lucky die and said, “High, I should call him later tonight. Low, I should leave Mom to deal with him.”
Six .
“I can handle that.” He stowed the red die in his pocket and went back to the game, but every so often, he reached for his phone to make sure there wasn’t a text message from his family giving him an update on Ethan.
Chapter Five
Jenny added a new line of code to the firmware she was working on and crossed the lab to see if it fixed the bug. She tapped her fingers on a drawing of piano keys, playing the melody of “Für Elise.” In the plastic case in front of her, a robotic hand copied her movement on the synthesizer with the same precision, filling lab with beautiful music.
Someone applauded behind her.
Jenny whirled around to find Paul leaning in the doorway. “Tell me what you really think,” she teased.
“Fine.” He came over and played the Star Wars theme using the visual input robotic device. “Now that’s fine music.”
She laughed. “Maybe for Jedis in training like you.”
“Who said anything about me being a padawan?” He waved his hand in front of her face like a Jedi master. “You will accept me as your Sith Lord and join the Dark Side.”
“Only when you pull me out of Star Fleet Academy.”
“Damn you, Trekkies,” he mocked, Shatner-style. “Speaking of eternal geek debates, what’s going on between you and Dan?”
Her shoulder blades drew back as through he’d poked the spine between them. Did Dan tell him about Comic-Con? “What makes you think there’s something going on between us?”
“Oh, please! Dinner Saturday night was like watching a documentary on flirting. We were all taking bets on whether or not you two would leave together or separately.”
“Well, as you saw, we left separately.” She hit save and started cleaning up her work area, hoping Paul would take a hint and drop the subject. The last month had been an exercise in self-control. She knew better than to get involved with Dan, especially since she was already in the middle of week ten of her pregnancy and wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret much longer. Once he learned of her surrogacy, he’d take off running just like Duong.
But that still didn’t stop her from wanting him.
Only now, she wanted him for reasons outside the bedroom. He was fun to be around. He got her jokes and didn’t seem to look down on her for being a geek like him. And he’d never once tried to press for anything more than friendship on her since that first game four weeks ago.
“Yeah, I was kind of disappointed by that. Your debate
“Okay…” And he thought his conversation with Jenny had been difficult. “Well, if you need a change of scenery, my door’s always open. I remember that you always liked the music scene here.”
“I just want to be left alone. Between you and Gid and Adam and Mom and the fucking mob of reporters outside, I can’t even get a moment to myself.”
“We’re just all worried about you. Well, maybe not the reporters. More like the family—”
“I got it. Don’t worry. I’m not going to drive my car off a cliff or shoot up some heroin.”
Dan’s chest ached from the grief in his brother’s voice. Ethan was trying to sound tough, but he was suffering deep inside, and there was nothing Dan could do for him from this part of the West Coast other than say, “I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks. If I need my appendix out, I know who to call.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
Ethan hung up before he could get another word in.
Friggin’ asshole .
His anger evaporated, though, when he rationalized that this was Ethan’s way of handling bad news. Throughout his medical career, Dan had seen the rainbow of responses, everything from depression to anger to acceptance. His brother had been living in the tough as nails rocker world for so long, every conversation seemed to be wrapped in barbed wire lately.
Dude needs to get laid .
Dan pulled out his lucky die and said, “High, I should call him later tonight. Low, I should leave Mom to deal with him.”
Six .
“I can handle that.” He stowed the red die in his pocket and went back to the game, but every so often, he reached for his phone to make sure there wasn’t a text message from his family giving him an update on Ethan.
Chapter Five
Jenny added a new line of code to the firmware she was working on and crossed the lab to see if it fixed the bug. She tapped her fingers on a drawing of piano keys, playing the melody of “Für Elise.” In the plastic case in front of her, a robotic hand copied her movement on the synthesizer with the same precision, filling lab with beautiful music.
Someone applauded behind her.
Jenny whirled around to find Paul leaning in the doorway. “Tell me what you really think,” she teased.
“Fine.” He came over and played the Star Wars theme using the visual input robotic device. “Now that’s fine music.”
She laughed. “Maybe for Jedis in training like you.”
“Who said anything about me being a padawan?” He waved his hand in front of her face like a Jedi master. “You will accept me as your Sith Lord and join the Dark Side.”
“Only when you pull me out of Star Fleet Academy.”
“Damn you, Trekkies,” he mocked, Shatner-style. “Speaking of eternal geek debates, what’s going on between you and Dan?”
Her shoulder blades drew back as through he’d poked the spine between them. Did Dan tell him about Comic-Con? “What makes you think there’s something going on between us?”
“Oh, please! Dinner Saturday night was like watching a documentary on flirting. We were all taking bets on whether or not you two would leave together or separately.”
“Well, as you saw, we left separately.” She hit save and started cleaning up her work area, hoping Paul would take a hint and drop the subject. The last month had been an exercise in self-control. She knew better than to get involved with Dan, especially since she was already in the middle of week ten of her pregnancy and wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret much longer. Once he learned of her surrogacy, he’d take off running just like Duong.
But that still didn’t stop her from wanting him.
Only now, she wanted him for reasons outside the bedroom. He was fun to be around. He got her jokes and didn’t seem to look down on her for being a geek like him. And he’d never once tried to press for anything more than friendship on her since that first game four weeks ago.
“Yeah, I was kind of disappointed by that. Your debate
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