Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend) by Nicole Edwards Read Free Book Online

witness what was transpiring between the siblings.
    When
Tessa spoke, Cooper immediately looked away.
    “I
know you need to do this,” she sobbed against Adam’s chest. “This has been your
dream. I get it.”
    When
Tessa pulled back, the movement caught his attention and Cooper glanced over,
noticing the tears once again streaming down her pale cheeks as she continued.
“I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that. Doesn’t mean I won’t be scared
every minute of every day.”
    Adam
sighed and pulled her back against him, leaving Cooper once again sitting on
the porch swing feeling like a third wheel who clearly shouldn’t be there.
    “When
are you going?” she asked, taking a step back and staring at Adam, her hands
scrubbing away the wet streaks on her face.
    God,
the woman did something to him. There was just something about her that made
Cooper want to grab her up and ease some of her pain. Even when her eyes were
swollen and her nose was red from crying, Tessa Donovan managed to steal his
breath.
    Forcing
himself to look away, he stared out into the yard, watching the dogs napping in
the shade of an enormous oak tree as he listened to the conversation.
    “The
next class starts next week. I’ve been accepted, so I don’t want to wait,” Adam
informed her, but then paused.
    “What
aren’t you telling me?” Tessa asked.
    Unable
to not look, Cooper glanced over at Adam again. The man appeared as though he
had some more unpleasant news to give Tessa and Cooper wished that the damn
porch would open up and swallow him whole. He did not want to be there for any
more unpleasant news. Hell, he didn’t think he should’ve been there for any
part of it at all.
    Adam
smiled sadly as he looked down at his sister. “I’m going to Dallas.”
    “What?
Why? Why not Austin?” Tessa questioned him, her eyes wide.
    Ok,
so Cooper could guess at this one. Austin was obviously closer to Devil’s Bend
than Dallas. Like thirty minutes, as opposed to three hours.
    “Austin
doesn’t have any openings for a while. I’m ready to do this, Tessa,” Adam said,
taking her hands as he shifted on his feet. “When and if I make it through the
academy, they’ll hire me on. At that point, I’ve got to give it a couple of
years, but then I promise, I’ll be back.”
    “First
of all, there is no if .” Even as Tessa spoke, Cooper could see the tears
reforming in her eyes, but somehow she managed to hold them back. “I’ll miss
you.”
    “I
know you will. Which is why I want Coop here to help you out at the bar. He’ll
be here permanently, and I know him, he’ll get bored.”
    Bored?
    Cooper
noticed that Tessa didn’t look his way. Not that he expected her to. If she
had, she might’ve seen the surprise on his face. At least he understood the
reason behind the random questions Adam had fired off earlier at breakfast.
    Cooper
contemplated what Adam was saying, and he fought the urge to smile. He wasn’t
so sure he’d ever get bored with all the work that would have to be done on the
house he was in the process of buying, but he got the impression Adam knew
that. Instead of interjecting, Cooper sat quietly, continuing to watch the
exchange between Tessa and Adam.
    There
was a series of emotions that played across her extremely expressive features,
but Tessa didn’t say another word to Adam. She stood there, her arms crossed
over her chest as she regarded her brother for long moments. Cooper wished he
knew what was going on in that pretty head of hers.
    “So,
when do you plan to start?”
    Realizing
the question was directed at him and that he’d been busted while he was
mentally noting every detail of her sweet, lithe body, Cooper glanced up to see
Tessa studying him.
    “When
do you want me to start?” he asked.
    He
had to admit, it felt a little strange to be accepting a job offer of this
sort, especially when his regular life in Nashville was still up in the air.
But it didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to