Free Can't Stop Loving You by Lynnette Austin Page B

eyes. Brawley rolled over, taking his pillow with him. Damn. He’d forgotten to close the shades.
    There’d been some interesting goings-on in the driveway late last night. But he wouldn’t think about that. Not yet.
    Maggie would skin him alive if she found out about it and knew he knew but hadn’t told her. The old rock and a hard place. He rubbed a hand over his chin. He should shave, but hell with it. He wasn’t going into work, so why bother?
    With every move, his muscles grumbled and groused, reminding him it had been way too long since he’d indulged in any real physical labor. The punching bag and weights in his fancy Dallas gym kept him in decent shape, but they sure as hell hadn’t prepared him for hours wielding that sledgehammer.
    By the time they’d destroyed and cleaned up last night, the kids had crashed. Jesse’d curled up on the reception room sofa and fallen fast asleep. Jonah had chosen the armchair next to him. They’d finally found Josh flat on his back behind the reception counter. All three still wore their swim goggles.
    What amazed Brawley was that they hadn’t so much as stirred when Ty removed the goggles or when the men hefted them up, carried them to the van, and strapped them in. Ty said they’d sleep all the way home, and he’d toss them into their beds, grubby clothes and all. Brawley wondered what Sophie had to say about that.
    All in all, it had been an interesting evening.
    His mind turned to Maggie. Last night in Dottie’s garden, in the dark, he’d hoped. For what? Forgiveness? A turning back of the clock? It wasn’t gonna happen. And that was about the most depressing thought he’d ever had.
    He’d wanted her. Right here in his bed. Had, instead, stood and watched her drive away to her own.
    And speaking of beds. Thank God, this would be his last night in this one. Way too soft. His own should arrive tomorrow. Before that happened, though, he had a lot to accomplish today.
    Tossing the pillow aside, he squinted at the little jewel-box alarm clock. Another of Annie’s treasures. Why neither she nor Sophie had taken it with them he didn’t know. Today, though, it would be out of here, along with the rest of the fluff.
    He groaned as he rolled over again. The next few hours were going to be busy. Time he crawled out of bed, got dressed, and threw on a pot of coffee. Cash should be here soon to help him haul away this stuff. Both Annie and Sophie had already assured him there wasn’t anything here they needed or wanted.
    He and Cash would toss everything in a neighbor’s storage shed for now. Later, he hoped to hold a town-wide yard sale. One of the most appalling things about Maverick Junction was their lack of a humane society. He’d use the leftovers here to kick-start the fund-raiser.
    Maybe he could talk Sophie into spearheading it. When she’d come into the clinic last fall, dragging an unkempt stray cat with her, the options had been limited. At the mere mention of euthanasia, she’d decided to keep Lilybelle. And because of that bedraggled animal, he and Ty had stopped by in time to beat the bloody hell out of the bastard who’d been stalking Sophie.
    A knock at the door snapped him out of those unpleasant thoughts, and he unfisted his hands. “Door’s open.”
    Cash walked in, sniffing the air. “That coffee I smell?”
    â€œSure is. Those donuts I smell?”
    â€œSure are.” Cash grinned and set the bag of fresh-baked donuts on the table. “Stopped by Sadler’s. Figured if you were gonna work me like a mule today, I needed my sugar fix first.”
    â€œAmen to that.” He squinted at his friend. “Annie didn’t fix a big farmhouse breakfast for you?”
    Cash snorted. “You kidding? When I got up, she threw me a sleepy smile, pulled the covers over her head, and mumbled something about me having a good time with you