Free Forgive Me (Callaway Book 2) by Kaithlin Shepherd

would do anything for you."
    "He's a good man," was all she managed to say.
    "Yes, he is. He's a lot like his father, tied to this land but ruled by his heart." She knew Kathy was referring to Drew deciding to stay in Montana. Looking back, she knew Drew had made the best choice for himself. She couldn't hate him for not coming with her; he would have ended up resenting her for making him leave.
    "I never meant to hurt him," she told her, tears flowing down her face as the emotions she'd kept buried for years finally erupted.
    Kathy grabbed both of her hands, forcing Amanda to look her in the eye. "Oh, baby girl, I know, and he knows that, too. My boy, he's a stubborn one. He gets that from his father, but he loves deeply. When I met their father, I fell in love on the spot, and he did, too. There's a saying that when the Callaway men fall in love, they fall in love hard and fast. Once they give their hearts, it's forever. Drew has always been in love with you, Amanda, and he always will be. The teenage boy survived you leaving once, but the man…well, I'm not sure he can survive that again. What I'm saying, darling, is that I see the love you have for him in your eyes, but if you can't see it for yourself, then be careful with Drew."
    Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she knew she had to leave before having a complete meltdown. "He's the only man I've ever loved, Kathy. The only man I've ever…I should go."
    "Amanda, I didn't mean to upset you," Kathy told her. She knew she was trying to comfort her, but all she wanted was to be alone.
    She hugged Kathy, doing her best to reassure her. "I'm okay. I'll be back in three days to pick up the first order. Thank you, Kathy."
    "You're family, Amanda. It's my pleasure." Amanda hurried out of the house and completely ignored Nick as he called her name, asking her if she was all right. She got in her truck and headed for the one place where she could forget everything: Owen's Bar.
    The parking lot was relatively empty when she pulled up to the bar, reminding her that she was about to get drunk before 6 p.m. She walked inside and ignored the looks from strangers and the inquiries from acquaintances. She took a seat at the bar when she saw Owen was working.
    "Amanda, what can I get for you?" She looked up at Owen Thompson and smiled at how much he still looked like the heartbreaker he had been back in high school. All the girls wanted one of the Callaways or Thompsons back in the day, and from the looks of the women giving her the death stare that evening, things hadn't changed much. Owen, Jake, Chase and Josh had been like her brothers growing up, but she and Owen had always been the closest, since they were the same age. Almost every memory she had of high school included Drew and Owen.
    "Whiskey straight, and keep them coming, Owen." She watched his expression change and recognized coming to drink her worries away probably hadn't been the best idea.
    He looked at her like he was trying to decide what he should do, but before she could say anything, he handed her a glass and filled it with Jack Daniels. "What's got you drinking the hard stuff, darling?"
    She laughed, but she was pretty sure it sounded more like a sob. "Well, let's see. I'm going broke trying to pay off my dad's debts, my house is falling apart, and apparently the saying that your first love never dies is dead-on."
    "We'll fix your house, Amanda." She downed the whiskey and watched as he filled it back up without any questions.
    She threw her drink back once more. "Why did you guys even agree to this?" she asked him, satisfying the curious part of herself. Sure, they had all grown up together, but she hadn't been a part of their lives for years. It just didn't make sense to her.
    "Because you're like family, Amanda." She watched him as he spoke and knew he was being honest, but no matter how many times people told her she was like family, she couldn't get herself to feel like they were right.
    "I don't have a