Brave the Heat Read Online Free Page A

in the back of her mind had questioned her decision. She had plenty of money from the divorce settlement; she could have gone anywhere. No matter what scenarios she ran through her head, she always came back to Old Brookfield…to Gavin.
    A knock on the driver’s side window pulled her from her thoughts and had her yelping out loud. Hand to her chest, she snapped her head toward the window and came face-to-face with Maddy Morgan. Maddy, her oldest and dearest friend, grinned and waved like the bubbly, beautiful woman she’d always been. The familiarity of it made Jordan’s heart ache.
    Putting a finger to her lips, Jordan pointed a thumb toward the backseat, praying the girls wouldn’t be woken up. They might need the sleep, but Jordan needed the quiet. Without making a sound, she got out of the car and closed the door. She’d barely turned around when Maddy gathered her up in one of the giggly, bouncy hugs that Jordan loved and had missed so much. Dressed in her signature casual style—a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops—her old friend was a sight for sore eyes.
    “I can’t believe you’re really back,” Maddy said through an excited laugh. She pulled back and squeezed Jordan’s arms before releasing her with a playful huff. Pushing her sunglasses onto her head, she pursed her lips. “How the hell is it possible that you still look like you did in high school?”
    “Hardly.” Jordan folded her arms over her breasts. “Actually, I didn’t think it was possible to feel this old. My poor daughters have an old woman for a mother and a son of a bitch for a father.”
    “They have you and that’s what matters.” A warm breeze fluttered over them, making Maddy’s curly, dark hair whip around her head. Her light blue eyes flicked to the girls and her smile widened. “Did you get all settled in at the house? I left something for the girls in their bedroom.”
    “Yes.” Jordan nodded, recalling the giddy expressions on their faces when they found the two baskets full of beach toys waiting for them in the pretty pink-and-white bedroom. “You must have spent a fortune on those. Do you always blow part of your rental commission on gifts for your clients’ kids?”
    “You’re more than a client and you know it.” Maddy winked. “We’ve known each other for twenty years. Hell, when I moved to town in ninth grade, you were the only girl who would even talk to me.”
    “Some friend.” Jordan’s throat tightened with emotion. “You’re the one who kept our friendship going.”
    “Hey, life happens.” Maddy shrugged. “Neither of us is on Assbook or tweeting or whatever people do, so we weren’t gonna find each other that way, and I was still in Europe on exchange when you split. When I got home and heard you’d left, I tried asking your mom and dad where you were, but that went down like a fart in church. Thanks to my persevering nature and the handy-dandy Internet, I found you and here we are.”
    “What would I do without you?” Jordan asked quietly. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I honestly don’t know if I would have had the courage to leave Ted if it weren’t for you.”
    “Stop.” Maddy grabbed both of Jordan’s hands.
    Those fierce blue eyes were edged with the familiar grit and fortitude Maddy had always possessed. Those qualities made her a devoted friend and a fierce businesswoman. Between the flower shop she’d inherited from her mother and her real estate company, Maddy had become one of the wealthiest women in town. And despite the time that had passed, the second Jordan had reconnected with Maddy, it was like no time had gone by at all. They picked up right where they left off.
    “Jordan, you stop that crap right there. We’ve already been through this, girl. I love you. You’re my friend and I’ve always got your back. You’re home and that’s what matters.”
    “I sure am,” Jordan said through a nervous laugh.
    “What are you doing here in town anyway? Not that