Willow by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page A

on?”
    Willow didn’t say anything for a while. He was sure she wasn’t going to answer him. “He started working for me a couple of weeks ago. And you have to be wrong about the touching me thing. He and I only kissed today and nothing before then. He’s too…you’re just wrong about it.”
    Alexander wondered about the “he’s too” for the rest of the ride home because she had snuggled down in the seat and closed her eyes. It was something she’d done as a child when she didn’t want to talk about something. Hide out until the other party gave up or something else came up. He decided to talk to their mom. She would know how to handle it.
    It was nearly midnight when he got the chance to talk to his mom. But she’d already figured out something was wrong and had cornered him in the kitchen when he’d gone in for another piece of cherry pie after dinner. His mother, Amanda James, was as subtle as a bull in a china house.
    “ What’s wrong with Wills? And who is she sleeping with?” Alexander had a mouth full of pie and she’d startled him into just staring at her.
    He took his time chewing then swallowing. He didn’t want his sister to be pissed at him. She had a wicked temper. It was quick to ignite and quicker to burn out. But she was vicious when she was at full throttle. Just like their mother.
    “ She didn’t tell me his name, but I gathered he works for her. They aren’t sleeping together, but that might change soon if his looks were any indication. Why?”
    Amanda sat down and looked at him. She was grinning. He decided he didn’t like that grin and started to leave the kitchen before she brought him into whatever she was thinking.
    “ Oh no you don’t, young man. Get back in here right now. Sit.” Alexander sat. His mom was still his mom and he was slightly…okay, he was terrified of her. “Spill it. And don’t leave out anything.”
    So he did. He didn’t really know much. The bite mark appearing on her neck, the way she said it couldn’t happen again. And he had to describe the man once for her and then again for his dad. Alexander was sure that when Wills found out, and he didn’t doubt she would, he was a dead man.
    ~o0o~
    Willow got up early the next morning and went to the kitchen. She loved the mornings and was thrilled that Shasta had made her sticky buns for breakfast. This made life all the more worth it. Hot buns and a glass of iced tea.
    “ You eat all them Missy Wills. You don’t eat enough for a bird. I think you lost more weight since I seen you last. I’m going to tell that girl of mine she needs to feed you more.”
    She was probably right. Willow was eating her third bun when her dad came into the kitchen. They had been sharing breakfast since she was a child. She didn’t realize how much she missed it until just then.
    “ You save any for me?” Edgar James got a cup of coffee, kissed Shasta on the cheek, and sat down at the table. “So, girl, tell me who’s been sucking on your neck.”
    Willow snorted tea up her nose and nearly choked to death on the bun lodged in her throat. While Shasta beat her back hard enough to break ribs, her dad sat across from her laughing. She was going to kill Alexander.
    “ What the heck, dad? Sucking on my neck? I do work on a construction site. It’s a…it’s a bruise.” Shasta snickered; her dad laughed harder.
    “ You’re a terrible liar and you always have been. Now, tell me, little girl, do I need a shotgun here or are you telling me you’ve been practicing safe sex?” he sat back in his chair. “I gotta tell you, I’m hoping for both right now. Nothing on this earth would make me happier than you having your own baby. But I’d prefer you did it the right way. You know, married then baby. Right now…well, I wouldn’t even care if it was less than nine months from bride to mother.”
    Willow looked at her dad, really looked. He was her best friend, always had been. She really was a terrible liar, but she thought