9781618850676UnchainedMelodyHunter Read Online Free

wheelbarrow up against a nearby tree and walked to the Hummer
to get the remaining bags. He followed his brother up the back stairs into the
large kitchen and as Alex unpacked the bags, Ethan began chopping vegetables.
    “Shelley
Thompson.” Alex said the name with relish. His words conjured up an image in
Ethan’s head of the sleek, blonde Theta driving her red Audi convertible down
Guadalupe, with him sitting beside her, hoping she stopped before she scooped
up the gaggle of freshmen crossing the street in front of the University Co-op.
    Ethan
did not reply for a few moments. He knew what his brother was up to. “Where did
you see Shelley?” There was no tell in his voice that the news was anything
other than a polite question because that is all it was. The name of Shelley
Thompson held no interest for him whatsoever. There was a long list of women
Alex could run into in Austin, all of them sharing the category of eligible,
beautiful past girlfriend. Ethan was just not ready to reconnect with them. Maybe,
if Lise was there…but she wasn’t.
     
    * * * *
     
    The
fact Ethan was not ready to start dating again worried Alex to death. He didn’t
want Ethan to remarry, but he did want him to have a normal, healthy sex life. So,
every day or two, Alex launched another attempt at setting him up with some
woman or another. Alex was really concerned about his brother. That airhead
Francine had really done a number on him. He could still remember the day
Francine had casually announced to everyone at a family dinner, that she and
Ethan’s marriage was on the rocks because Ethan was having trouble in bed. Alex
could have cheerfully killed the woman, he had watched his brother withdraw
into himself and turn from an outgoing fun-loving guy to a depressed introvert.
Alex kept trying to tell Ethan the only thing wrong with his sexual performance
was having a cold, frigid bitch for a wife.
    Back
to Shelley, “I ran into her at The Sour Pickle.” Alex named a quaint little
restaurant a block off the drag, across from UT. Ethan had always liked the
restaurant because they let him bring Mojo onto the patio. Mojo was Ethan’s
dog, a miniature dachshund and the only female Ethan allowed into his bedroom
these days.
    “Is
she still working at Taylor and Lawson?” Ethan named one of the prominent law
firms in town. Shelley was a top-notch lawyer and quickly making a name for
herself. Alex saw Ethan’s attempt at conversation as a sign of interest. He folded
the last paper bag and poured himself a drink from a pitcher of margaritas
stored in the refrigerator. His brown eyes twinkled with levity. “She asked
about you.” Ethan turned the blender to high speed. He was making a batch of
marinara sauce from tomatoes and herbs he had grown himself. The whirr of the
small appliance made the curse words Ethan murmured unintelligible. Blending
marinara only took so long, unfortunately.
    “She
said she and some of her friends may drop by one night for drinks,” Alex informed
his brother, slowly backing away as he did so, just in case Ethan decided to
throw something at him. Ethan turned around and looked at his brother.
    “That’s
nice,” Ethan said evenly. Not at all the response Alex had been expecting. He
sat down on the stool and looked at his brother thoughtfully.
    “When
are you going to let go of what that bitch did to you?” Alex attempted to
console his brother.
    Ethan
smiled crookedly. “Look, I don’t mind Shelley and some friends coming over. We
can talk Longhorn football and how glad we are that Tom Craddick is no longer
in charge of the House down at the capitol building.” Ethan loved to talk
politics. “Just don’t expect anything else from me just yet and don’t encourage
Shelley to expect anything either. You, on the other hand, can have all the fun
you want to. Maybe Bobby will be here with his crowd and we can make it a real
party. Just tell me when and where and I’ll make it happen.”
    “Crap,
Ethan!