Taking Chances: A Donnelley Brother's Novel Read Online Free Page B

was small - and I mean it was really small. I doubted the entirety of it was any larger than my bedroom at home, but it was lovely, so I didn’t bother expending any amount of energy on that fact. There was a small porch attached to the front of the house. The half to the right of the door was covered and the other half was open to the elements. There was a small wooden swing sitting in the covered area with beige cushions and soft pink throw pillows resting in the nook of the arm rests. Two white painted high backed wooden chairs sat on the other side of the porch, slightly facing toward each other.
    The railing was lined with hanging flowerpots that clung to the wood and on each corner of the roof was a hanging wicker basket filled abundantly with pink flowers. Sitting next to the base of the stairs leading up to the porch, beside the gravel walkway, was another large barrel filled with draping vines and flowers. Behind the cabin was lush forestland that I was certain had plenty of walking trials. I couldn’t wait to find the one that led down to the river.
    The inside of the cabin was quaint. It was so far from the lavish existence I had always known, that for a moment, I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. The living area was small with only enough room for a couch and a chair. There was a small coffee table centered between the couch and the fireplace. The kitchen was on the far side of the cabin (if you could call it far) and it was plain. There was a small pantry in the corner and all of the appliances were white rather than the stainless steel I was used to seeing in kitchens. The countertop had a creamy gloss top that, although it wasn’t granite, was the only part of the cabin that didn’t look quite so rustic, but still, it fit. Everything was perfectly tied in and I just loved it all. There was a small bathroom that was also wood, but the towels were white and soft pink. I had a feeling that a woman decorated this cabin and I wondered, if a man had ever stayed here alone - because it certainly was feminine.
    Across the hall from the bathroom, was the bedroom. It was more of a closet. And by the size of the closet that was in the already closet-sized room, I knew I was going to have troubles with getting my clothing to fit. It was a good thing that the dresser lining the wall at the foot of the queen sized bed, was nearly the entire length of the wall. The bed, which was covered in a soft beige duvet had light pink sheets peaking from beneath the brown and there was another pink knitted quilt draped over the rustic footboard. A small wooden nightstand with a simple, beige capped lamp, stood off to the side of the bed that had been pushed up against the wall with the window to conserve the already limited space.
    By the time I’d unpacked my clothing into the closet and dresser and shoved my suitcases beneath the bed, I didn’t quite know what to do with myself, so I decided I’d lay down. And then I got to thinking about Michael, and how I missed him, and how I would never know the man I’d always believed he would one day become.
    My heart ached.
    ...Michael drove fast over the freeway and I grinned as the summer air washed over my face from the open passenger window. My feet were hanging from the window and my toes were playing with the mirror on the side of the truck, wind filtering through the spaces of my toes.
    “You’ve got it all, Had.” Michael spoke low and I glanced up at him, surprised.
    “What are you talking about?”
    “You’re beautiful, kind, and spirited. You’re the perfect package. I know you’ll do great things, kiddo.”
    I scowled. “Don’t call me kiddo, Mike. I’m less than three years younger than you.”
    “You’ll always be kiddo to me, Had.” Mike leaned into the dash and the sound of Imagine Dragons flooded the space. For a moment, I just watched my brother sing along with the throaty allure of Demons, and wondered what on earth went through his