Head Over Heels Read Online Free

kissing sound over the phone. “Love your family. All of them. I mean it.”
    “Sure.” For this one request, he would have to tell her what she wanted to hear. Even though he would rather beat himself senseless with a baseball bat than talk to his pigheaded brothers.
    “Family. Is. All. You. Have.” She coughed again. “I love you.”
    “Love you, Mom.” He covered his mouth, afraid to say more than that.
    “Go. Be…strong.” Elizabeth disconnected the call.
    Thane stared at his phone. He brought up Gunnar’s number. His finger hovered over the screen, only a hair away from pressing send to contact his oldest brother about their mother. She hadn’t sounded like her normal self.
    He stopped and canceled the call. Elizabeth told him not to worry. She promised to come see him when she felt better. She never lied to him in the past.
    The niggling voice in his head told him not to discount his feelings this time. He called Gideon’s number first. After three rings, someone answered.
    “Hello?”
    Thane blinked when he heard a female voice. He looked at the screen to see if he had dialed the right number.
    “I’m looking for Gideon Wells.” He didn’t say more in case he had called an old girlfriend by mistake.
    Girlfriend. More like play thing. His mother would be disappointed if she knew how he’d been treating some women lately. Since none of them had complained afterward, especially when gifted with something from a robin’s-egg-blue-colored box, courtesy of Tiffany’s, he saw his behavior as a victimless crime of passion.
    “This is his brother Thane, right?” she asked in a whisper.
    “Who’s this?” He wouldn’t be confirming her claim until he found out the identity of this woman.
    “I’m Janelle Gold. I’m Gideon’s girlfriend, I mean, fiancée.”
    Thane couldn’t move, couldn’t say anything. Gideon had gotten engaged and hadn’t told him? Gideon hadn’t even shared with him that he’d been thinking of getting married.
    Thane couldn’t blame his brother for cutting him out of his major plans. Thane had practically ignored him each time Gideon called. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.
    “Congratulations on the engagement.” Thane meant the sentiment even though he felt his own heart shattering.
    Janelle gasped. “I shouldn’t have told you that until I found out for sure if you’re Gideon’s brother. Are you? He’ll be so disappointed if this gets leaked to the press.”
    Thane smiled at her naïveté. Yes, she would be perfect for his middle brother. “I’m Thane. I was hoping to talk to him. Is he around?”
    “Sleeping. The surgery took a lot out of him. Since your mom had to go back to the hospital, he’s been a wreck.”
    Thane had almost forgotten about the surgery. Gideon had called him shortly after the Super Bowl and before the procedure on his knee, but Thane hadn’t talked to his brother since to see how he’d fared.
    He heard a door closing through the phone.
    “Is there something I can tell Gideon when he wakes up? Or do you need him right now?” She exhaled. “I would hate to wake him.”
    “No. Let him sleep. I’ll catch up with him later.” Thane ran his hand over his head.
    Janelle’s voice lightened. “Gunnar went to the hospital with Eboni. You can get him.”
    So Gunnar had gotten back with his old high school sweetheart. Good. Thane remembered Eboni from when the two of them had dated. He recalled that she had been the one with the wild orange hair who would give Thane candy when she visited. Now he realized she used the candy to keep him quiet whenever she and Gunnar went out after Gunnar’s curfew. Everyone had secrets.
    Thane really didn’t want to talk to Gunnar, especially about Elizabeth. To fake his true feelings, Thane smiled. “Thanks. You get some rest yourself. Nice talking to you.”
    “Same here. I hope I get to meet you soon.”
    Thane disconnected the call and took a moment to think. Even though he wanted to