Unbreakable Rules (Too Many Rules Book 3) by G.L. Snodgrass Read Free Book Online

lightly, his mouth hanging open. I cringed inside thinking that I might have looked like that a few minutes ago. What if I had woken up last and everybody else had watched me snore, or worse, drool. Thinking about it sent a shiver down my spine.
    Amanda was curled up on the couch on her side with both hands folded under her head. She'd had to pull her legs up tight because Brantley was hogging the other end of the couch. He'd sprawled out, his legs twitching as he dreamed of being chased by rabbits.
    Ryan was in the other recliner. Laying on his side, facing me. He looked so peaceful. As if he didn't have a care in the world. I flashed back to when he'd knocked on my door last night.
    You were lucky Hailey . I couldn't have imagined spending the night all alone in the dark in Nana's house. I'd have been a raving lunatic by the time the sun came up.
    He'd been so calm, so confident that things were going to be okay. All three of them had welcomed me. Amanda had seemed happy that I was there and ecstatic to have Brantley. Even Mark had avoided shooting me any snide remarks. But, it had been Ryan that had made everything seem almost normal. His quiet confidence was very reassuring.
    Brown hair had fallen across his forehead and into his eyes. I had a sudden urge to brush it back so I could see all of his face. He was good looking. A very straight nose and a small cut on the top of his ear. A boy becoming a man. Wow, who would have imagined I'd be thinking about brushing the hair out of Ryan Hardy's eyes.
    The haunting quietness let me know that the power was still out.  It was like being outside at night after a heavy snow. The continued absence of a background buzz had a chilling effect.
    What now? How long was this going to go on?
    I slowly got out of the chair, being careful not to wake anyone. Brantley lifted his head to see what I was doing. Probably trying to figure out if he was in danger or not. Then settled back down, resting his head on his paws, his eyes following me as I picked my way across the room to the downstairs bathroom. Thankfully, it had a high window that let in enough light.
    When I stepped out Mark was waiting, hopping from foot to foot. He shot me a smile, then hurried into the bathroom.
    "Good morning Hailey," Amanda said with a smile. She stood at the kitchen counter pouring milk into four cereal bowls. "I hope you like corn flakes. Ryan said to use up the milk because it'll spoil first."
    "Um, sure, thank you, that'll be great."
    At that moment, Ryan came down the stairs. He’d probably used the upstairs bathroom.  He stepped into the kitchen. His rumpled hair made him look as if he was half asleep. He'd changed into an Iron Man T-shirt and was fiddling with some kind of gadget. This was the Ryan Hardy I knew. It was the first time I'd really gotten a good look at him. He was tall and lanky, but he'd lost some of that skinny, beanpole look I remembered. He'd grown shoulders to go with that height.
    His brow softened when he looked at his sister. The love and caring written all over his face. He gave me a shy smile and a quick nod, then took a bowl of cereal to the small kitchen table. So much for early morning pleasantries.
    Each of us retrieved a bowl and joined him. Amanda moved around the kitchen with confidence. I studied her out of the corner of my eye. She did everything slowly, but confidently. Her hair was brushed and she looked fresh and ready to face the world. The next time I wanted to bitch about life, I'd think twice.
    I needed coffee before I could face the world. Lots of coffee. Not today Hailey. Today you have to face it without a caffeine fix. I shuddered at the thought.
    "So what do we do now?" Mark asked between bites of cornflakes.
    "I'm tearing my grandmother's house apart looking for some kind of light. If that doesn't work I'm hiking into town," I said. There were probably a dozen things I needed. Candles and flashlights being highest on that list.
    "Uh ... That might not be