Before Read Online Free Page A

wasn’t the slick suits he wore or his height or his confidence he wore like a badge of honor. Simply, Reid was a guy people noticed because he had that unidentifiable ‘it’ factor. Pity I’d only inherited the ‘shit’ factor.
    “Hey you.” I stood and welcomed his hug, swallowing the lump in my throat. “What are you doing here?”
    “Trying to find you.” He eased away, held me at arms’ length. “Got any plans for the next month?”
    Was this a trick question? Did my powerful politician brother going places know what a loser he had for a sister?
    “Why?” My eyes narrowed. “Because no way am I spending my summer in some cramped campaign office in LA folding letters or stuffing envelopes.”
    “Do you have plans or not?” His smug grin signaled he definitely knew something I didn’t.
    “No,” I said, with a huff. “Not yet.”
    “Good.” He pulled a folded document out of his inside top pocket and handed it to me. “Take a look at that and see if you’d like to join me.”
    “Hurry up, slow coach.” Chantal elbowed me and I jostled her back as I unfolded the paper. “What is it?”
    I sped read the document, not quite absorbing the impact. “This is an itinerary for a trip to Australia?”
    “Yeah. One day in Melbourne. Two in Sydney. Then four weeks in far north Queensland.” Reid folded his arms and smiled at me like a benevolent god. “You in?”
    My mouth must’ve gaped because Chantal placed her finger under my chin and shut it.
    “How? Why?” My brother had never played pranks on me when we were kids and by his benevolent expression, he was serious.
    “My boss’s daughter is the widow who runs the cattle station we’ll be staying at in Queensland. He wants me to present a few proposals to facilitate ties between the cattle industries in Australia and California. He wants to get the farmers in Cali onside and some good PR happening for us. It’ll be a huge boost to our next campaign.”
    This still sounded too good to be true. “Why can’t he do it?”
    “Because he wasn’t so supportive when his only kid left the States to live in the outback twenty-five years ago and they’ve only reunited two years back when her husband died.” Reid shrugged. “He doesn’t want to mix business with family stuff, especially when they were estranged for so long.”
    “So you’re his lackey?”
    Reid nodded. “Yeah. A very lucky lackey who gets to visit Australia for the first time, all expenses paid, and take his sister because he’s too busy to have a girlfriend.”
    “And because he’s a lame-ass,” Chantal piped up, flashing a sickly sweet smile at Reid when he flipped her the bird.
    I scanned the itinerary again, not quite believing this was true. “You’re serious?”
    Reid nodded. “As deadly as those tiger snakes and funnel web spiders they have Down Under.”
    I didn’t give a flying fig about the local fauna. A free trip to OZ? I’d grab my ruby slippers. I was so there.
    “I’m in.” I hugged Reid, who squeezed me back. He gave the best bear hugs. “Thanks.”
    “Want me to give you a ride back to the dorm so you can pack?”
    I shot a panicked glance at Chantal. No way did I want to risk running into Dave and the resultant fallout if Reid was with me.
    “When are you leaving?” Chantal slung an arm around my shoulder. “Because we’d planned on having a girls’ night in, so maybe she can pack tomorrow.”
    Reid glanced at his watch. “I’ve got the company jet ready to take us back to LA now, Sis, and we fly out tomorrow.” He gave Chantal a noogie. “So your girls’ night will have to wait.”
    Chantal mouthed ‘I tried’ behind Reid’s back and I flashed a grateful smile. Hopefully, Dave would be hiding out in his room and we wouldn’t cross paths.
    “Okay then, let’s go.” I hugged Chantal, who whispered in my ear, “Aussie guys are hot. Chris, Liam and Luke Hemsworth? Alex O’Loughlin? Simon Baker? Find a lookalike and lose the