Blinding Rain, Season 2, Episode 7 (Rising Storm) by Elisabeth Naughton Read Free Book Online

we could both totally use a drink right about now.”
    “Mary Louise, what the heck is going on? You’re acting like a lunatic.”
    She huffed because she was not the one acting like a lunatic. He was.
    Reaching the pub, she tugged the door open and pulled him in after her. A quick scan of the bar told her the dinner crowd hadn’t hit yet. With a wave toward Sonya Murphy, standing behind the bar drying out a glass, she headed for an open booth near the back.
    “Sit,” she said to Tate, finally letting go of him as she set his cupcake box on the table. “And tell me what you want to drink.”
    He dropped into the booth and frowned up at her like she’d grown a second head. “I don’t know. A pint of whatever they have on tap, I guess.”
    “Gotcha.” She turned for the bar. “I’ll get two.”
    She knew he was watching her with both confusion and dismay as she crossed to the bar and stopped near Sonya to order their drinks, but she didn’t care. He needed to pull his head out of his ass, and she was tired of watching him throw his career away over a woman who wasn’t worth his time.
    “Hey, Sonya,” she said as she drew close. “We’ll take two attitude adjustments.”
    Sonya smiled and reached for clean glasses from below the bar, glancing past Mary Louise toward the booth where Tate—hopefully—still sat. “An attitude adjustment sounds exactly like what that boy needs.”
    Mary Louise sighed and propped her elbow on the bar so she could rest her chin in her hand. “You have no idea. I just broke up an almost fight between the two Johnson brothers right on the street.”
    “That would explain the irritated look on his face,” Sonya said, filling two glasses with ice.
    “Yeah, but not why he insists on being such a jackass,” Mary Louise mumbled. She didn’t get it. Why the heck couldn’t he see that Hannah Grossman wasn’t worth being upset over? The woman clearly hadn’t loved him if she’d so easily dropped into bed with his brother. Tate Johnson was an incredible man. There were hundreds of women who’d be thrilled to be in a relationship with him—her included. But she didn’t even stand a chance with him because he couldn’t see any woman besides Hannah.
    Sonya grinned as she added a multitude of alcohols to the glasses, then topped them off with sweet and sour mix, followed by a splash of cranberry. “Sadly, I know how men think. Got myself a houseful of men, and they’re all jackasses from time to time. Only way that boy’s gonna stop acting stupid is to mend fences with his brother.”
    “Yeah, good luck with that. The only way that will happen is if Tucker stops seeing Hannah. But we all know that won’t happen. Those two are crazy about each other.”
    “Yeah, they are.” Sonya set both drinks on the bar, added two straws, then leaned a hip against the counter and eyed Mary Louise across the space. “Tate over there isn’t upset things ended with Hannah, he’s upset she left him for his brother. Sibling rivalry’s a terrible thing. I’ve watched it happen with my own boys a few times. I saw Tate and Hannah together numerous times in here before all this nastiness with Tucker happened. They were like two friends who hadn’t realized that’s all they’d ever be. Trust me, Tate didn’t love her any more than she loved him. He’s just forgotten that fact because his pride’s been bruised. Once he and Tucker work things out, he’ll realize it.”
    Mary Louise’s frustration ebbed as she stared at the older woman and realized what she needed to do. “Thank you, Sonya. That makes perfect sense.”
    “Does it?” Sonya laughed. “Aiden thinks I tend to ramble.”
    Mary Louise smiled as she lifted the drinks from the bar. “Tell your husband he’s wrong. And if he doesn’t believe you, I’ll help you knock some sense into him.”
    Sonya laughed. “I’ll do that, honey. Enjoy your drinks. And good luck trying to make that man see what a sweet little thing you