Read Online Under the Dusty Sky (Holloway Farms) by Allie Brennan - Free Book Online Page B

for school. I scramble out of bed and throw on shorts and a tank over the underwear I slept in. My bare feet slap loudly on the wooden stairs as I fly down them. I push into a full run and stop dead when I enter the kitchen and there are five men and Emma sitting around our huge table.
    “ What’s the hurry, Bug?” Daddy laughs.
    “ Why didn’t anyone wake me up? Why didn’t my alarm go off?” And by alarm I mostly mean the twins banging on my door until I get up.
    “ We thought we’d let you sleep in. We each did a chore for you. I thought it might be nice for you to get a vacation, so you are excused from chores until your birthday. I suggest you make the most of it. It’s only because this is a special birthday, and you should have fun with your friends and hang out...or whatever it is you girls do,” Daddy says, and I throw my arms around him before leaning forward and stealing a strip of bacon off his plate.
    “ Just so ya know, this was not my idea.” Asher shoves a fork full of eggs into his mouth. The kind caring Asher from last night is gone, and this is the guy I’m used to.
    “ I love you, too, brother. So, where did you disappear to last night with my best friend , because that wasn’t my idea.” I stick out my tongue at him. I know the two things have no direct connection but watching his face get red is worth it.
    “ I, we, she—” Asher stutters as Dad’s eyes narrow in on him. Dad’s hard on my brothers about treatment of women and how, if they ever knock up some girl, they’ll be paying out the nose in time and money for it. But Daddy’s pretty young, so I kind of suspect that’s how Hunter happened.
    “ Uh, uh, uh…shut up.” I mock Asher.
    “ Graceland!” Hunter’s the one who speaks this time. Emma laughs and takes Bentley’s arm with the hand that isn’t planted on Hunter.
    “ You get used to it.” She winks at him, and he smiles, taking a sip of his coffee.
    I fill my plate and hop up onto the counter, as all the chairs are taken. I curl my legs up and hold my plate while shoveling food into my mouth. I notice Bentley watching me.
    “ What?” I say, mouth full. I’m still pissed at him, and it doesn’t help when he laughs at me.
    “ You up for working on the car today? The sooner we get it fixed, the sooner you can be driving.” He has on his neutral face, and I hate it more and more every time I see it. I can’t read it. I can’t tell if he just wants to get it done so he doesn’t have to spend time with me or if he still wants to help me. Genuinely. Post almost-kiss.
    Oh my god, am I analyzing?
    I push every feeling I have aside and shrug my shoulders. “Sure, why not.”
    Jumping off the counter, I give him one more quick, close-mouthed smile and head back to my room.
    This will give me a chance to do one of two things.
    Get my plan back on track and get my perfect memory.
    Or get back that piece of my heart he walked away with last night.

CHAPTER 13
    Graceland
    I wear surf shorts that go just to my knees hanging low on my hips and a shirt small enough to be considered a sports bra, but who’s considering? My hair’s pulled up into a messy bun, and I head out to meet Ben at my car. My isolated car, parked way out behind the stables. My dad’s quad is gone, and I assume Bentley’s there already so I slip on sandals and grab the keys for the other machine.
    It’s an amazing day, but I can’t tell if it’s any different than any other day or I’m just happy I’m off the hook for chores. Ten days of no chores. Either way, I enjoy the warm wind on my face as I make my way to the horse stable. I turn into the lane, steering toward the other quad parked along the fence. I pull up and jump off, rounding the corner of the barn to say hi to Belle when I find Bentley in the exact same spot I first met him two weeks ago.
    His back is to me, and it doesn’t seem like he knows I’m here. Which is crazy because those quads are stupid loud.
    “ I’m not coming