Free Forgive Me (Callaway Book 2) by Kaithlin Shepherd Page A

family, not anymore." She was alone. Even in a bar full of people, she felt alone, and she hated it.
    "You have us, and you have Drew." Everyone kept telling her she had Drew, but the truth was she didn't. He hadn't made a move.
    He flirted but nothing more. She knew how intense Drew could be, and she hadn't seen that side of him. Maybe he wasn't in love with her anymore. She wasn't the same girl he once had feelings for, after all; hell, even her body wasn't the same anymore. "Everyone keeps saying that, but you know what? I don't have Drew."
    "You'll always have Drew, and you'll always have us, Amanda. Just because you left to find yourself doesn't mean you don't matter to us anymore. You'll always be family to us," Owen told her from behind the bar.
    She desperately wanted to change the subject, so she gave him her best smile. "How is it y'all got better-looking with time?" That was the truth, too. Owen was 6'4 with wide shoulders and arms as big as her thighs, with dark brown hair that almost looked black, and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He had tattoos peeking from under his T-shirt, and he was the definition of dangerously hot. He was such a contrast to Drew, who had light brown hair that had grown longer and green eyes she could always get lost in. It was hard to believe these two guys could be best friends.
    "Flattering my ego will get you free drinks, Mandy, but that's about it. Putting the moves on you would piss off Drew to the point of murderous rage, and I like my life, darling." She laughed at his words because Drew had shown no real signs that he still cared. Or had he?
    "I don't even think he likes me that way anymore." She wasn't trying to feel sorry for herself, but the truth of the matter was she didn't know how Drew felt about her anymore. It didn't matter how much she still loved him because if he didn't feel the same, if he didn't care about her anymore, at least beyond the realm of friendship, nothing she felt mattered.
    "Oh, trust me, he does," Owen replied with a smirk that would have made most women swoon at the man's feet.
    "I mean, I know I'm not as thin as I was back then, and I hear he slept his way around three towns." Listening to women talk in the diner about Drew's sex life and what having sex with him had been like had been one of the hardest adjustments she'd had to make. She hated that other women knew what it was like to sleep with Drew and she didn't. She hated knowing he was the only man she'd ever let inside of her heart, the only man she'd ever thought about giving that part of herself to, and that he'd slept with more women than she cared to think about.
    "I won't lie to you and tell you he was a monk, but you're the only he's ever loved. Deep down, you know that, and you're hot as hell, so don't go thinking Drew doesn't want to fuck you sideways, 'cause I can promise you, he does." He filled her drink back up before leaving her alone with her thoughts as he tended to other customers.
     

     
    One of the things Drew adored most about the ranch was sitting out on the porch and watching the stars. He knew it made him sound like a girl, but there was something calming about sitting outside, with the wind blowing and the stars shining. He grabbed his ringing phone from the side table and looked at the caller ID. "Owen, what's up?"
    "You need to get your ass down here, now." Drew wasn't sure if that was annoyance or laughter he was hearing in his best friend's voice. However, he knew whatever was going on was important or else he wouldn't be calling at one in the morning.
    He grabbed his keys and headed to his truck. "What's going on?"
    "Your girl showed up early this evening and got real acquainted with Jack Daniels." He didn't know if he wanted to be mad at her or smile his ass off, because he knew damn well that for her to be drinking meant she had to be feeling out of control.
    "I'm on my way." Driving down to the bar, the only thing he cared about was finding out what the hell