Heart So Sweet: Book 3 in the Great Plains Romance Series Read Online Free
Author: Corrissa James
Tags: contemporary western romance
meant taking a beating from Lucas, it was better to get it over with.
At the front door to the farmhouse, he fidgeted, waiting for someone to answer his knocks. He kept his back to the small yellow bungalow to the west of the farmhouse while he said a silent prayer that Lucas wasn’t home, that one of the other brothers would answer the door. The door opened, and Tate turned to see Lucas looking back at him. Tate frowned. He seemed to have fallen out of favor with his spiritual protector.
The years had not been kind to Lucas, but Tate had expected him to look much worse. The military had bulked him up quite a bit, but his face was unshaven and his straggly hair fell to his chin. Rather than the vibrant, reddish auburn hair of his younger sister, his hair now looked dirty brown. Still, for a second, Tate’s heart lightened when he saw recognition flash through Lucas’s eyes and a smile tease at his lips. Then, just a quickly, a mask of pure hatred fell into place, and Tate couldn’t hide the disappointment from his voice.
“Lucas.” He nodded in greeting, but Lucas just stared back at him, the anger burning in his eyes. Tate cleared his throat. “I’m here to–”
Lucas tried to close the door, but Tate was prepared for it and stuck his foot between the door and the frame.
“I’m here on official business, Lucas. As the sheriff.” It wasn’t a card he wanted to play, but Lucas left him no choice.
As Lucas pulled the door open, Tate pointed to the metal star on his chest. Lucas rolled his eyes but didn’t close the door. He turned and walked back into the house. Tate understood that this was the only invitation to come inside that he would get. He walked to the kitchen, the sounds of voices echoing inside. Even if they’d been silent, he would’ve known exactly where to go. In his youth, he’d spent more time at the Clarks’ place than his own home. Seeing the house now, knowing that both parents were now gone, he couldn’t stop the feeling of nostalgia. So much had changed in just a few short years. This home had always been a place of genuine happiness and love. Now it felt like an empty shell.
He rounded the corner and saw Jonathan and Daniel, the two younger Clark brothers, sitting at the kitchen table. Both smiled at him as they called out his name. Lucas grabbed a can of soda, then left the room.
Daniel shook his head at Tate. “He ain’t real sociable no more. Not since Afghanistan.”
Tate nodded in understanding. Lucas hadn’t been sociable with him for longer than that.
The back door was thrown open, and the three men in the kitchen turned to see Andrew standing in the doorway, a bottle of beer in his hand. He held up the beer and grinned, then chugged it until it was empty. He then held up a finger, waiting a few seconds before letting out a loud burp. The boys laughed. Tate smiled tightly.
Andrew stepped into the kitchen. “Well, well, Tate Trudell. And did you hear boys? Old Tate here is the sheriff now.”
Andrew kept the grin plastered on his faced, but Tate noted the coldness in his eyes. Of all four brothers, Andrew was the most dangerous one, although he usually hid it well. So how would he deal with an authority figure who knew all his secrets?
Tate had an unsettling feeling that he was going to find out, one way or another.
Chapter Five
It was nearing dinner time when a sweaty and tired Susannah cut through the fields to her family’s farmstead. She had never been so happy to see the two-story farmhouse her grandparents had built or the little yellow bungalow next door that Lucas and his new bride had built more than a decade ago. Lucas had never actually lived there. He’d gone off to war in Afghanistan before it was done, and when he returned after his wife died in childbirth, he couldn’t bear to go inside it. His daughter Jenny, though, refused to move out of it, claiming it was her only connection to her mother. So Susannah and Jenny lived in the bungalow
At the front door to the farmhouse, he fidgeted, waiting for someone to answer his knocks. He kept his back to the small yellow bungalow to the west of the farmhouse while he said a silent prayer that Lucas wasn’t home, that one of the other brothers would answer the door. The door opened, and Tate turned to see Lucas looking back at him. Tate frowned. He seemed to have fallen out of favor with his spiritual protector.
The years had not been kind to Lucas, but Tate had expected him to look much worse. The military had bulked him up quite a bit, but his face was unshaven and his straggly hair fell to his chin. Rather than the vibrant, reddish auburn hair of his younger sister, his hair now looked dirty brown. Still, for a second, Tate’s heart lightened when he saw recognition flash through Lucas’s eyes and a smile tease at his lips. Then, just a quickly, a mask of pure hatred fell into place, and Tate couldn’t hide the disappointment from his voice.
“Lucas.” He nodded in greeting, but Lucas just stared back at him, the anger burning in his eyes. Tate cleared his throat. “I’m here to–”
Lucas tried to close the door, but Tate was prepared for it and stuck his foot between the door and the frame.
“I’m here on official business, Lucas. As the sheriff.” It wasn’t a card he wanted to play, but Lucas left him no choice.
As Lucas pulled the door open, Tate pointed to the metal star on his chest. Lucas rolled his eyes but didn’t close the door. He turned and walked back into the house. Tate understood that this was the only invitation to come inside that he would get. He walked to the kitchen, the sounds of voices echoing inside. Even if they’d been silent, he would’ve known exactly where to go. In his youth, he’d spent more time at the Clarks’ place than his own home. Seeing the house now, knowing that both parents were now gone, he couldn’t stop the feeling of nostalgia. So much had changed in just a few short years. This home had always been a place of genuine happiness and love. Now it felt like an empty shell.
He rounded the corner and saw Jonathan and Daniel, the two younger Clark brothers, sitting at the kitchen table. Both smiled at him as they called out his name. Lucas grabbed a can of soda, then left the room.
Daniel shook his head at Tate. “He ain’t real sociable no more. Not since Afghanistan.”
Tate nodded in understanding. Lucas hadn’t been sociable with him for longer than that.
The back door was thrown open, and the three men in the kitchen turned to see Andrew standing in the doorway, a bottle of beer in his hand. He held up the beer and grinned, then chugged it until it was empty. He then held up a finger, waiting a few seconds before letting out a loud burp. The boys laughed. Tate smiled tightly.
Andrew stepped into the kitchen. “Well, well, Tate Trudell. And did you hear boys? Old Tate here is the sheriff now.”
Andrew kept the grin plastered on his faced, but Tate noted the coldness in his eyes. Of all four brothers, Andrew was the most dangerous one, although he usually hid it well. So how would he deal with an authority figure who knew all his secrets?
Tate had an unsettling feeling that he was going to find out, one way or another.
Chapter Five
It was nearing dinner time when a sweaty and tired Susannah cut through the fields to her family’s farmstead. She had never been so happy to see the two-story farmhouse her grandparents had built or the little yellow bungalow next door that Lucas and his new bride had built more than a decade ago. Lucas had never actually lived there. He’d gone off to war in Afghanistan before it was done, and when he returned after his wife died in childbirth, he couldn’t bear to go inside it. His daughter Jenny, though, refused to move out of it, claiming it was her only connection to her mother. So Susannah and Jenny lived in the bungalow
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