Carter (The Harlow Brothers Book 1) Read Online Free

left. My mouth starts to water thinking about their amazing food and my stomach growls. I can’t stop for food since they’re closed and because I’m broke. I think about stopping by McDonald’s to grab something off their dollar menu, but that thought stops abruptly when I hear a siren go off. I jump, and my hand clutches my chest. I snap my head towards the sound, seeing a police car idling beside me. My heart instantly pounds in my chest and my stomach drops. My first thought is, what did I do wrong? Then my thoughts turn into panic. What if Easton knows where I am? Could he have connections here? Is the reach of his family’s reputation really this far?
    I stand as still as possible when the police officer steps out of his vehicle. I think about running, but I make myself stay where I am. If I’m in trouble, for whatever reason, running isn’t an option. The officer makes his way towards me, and I realize he seems familiar. My eyebrows furrow, as I try and figure out how I know him. I watch him closely as he slowly takes off his sunglasses. When I see his face, I can’t help but smile. “Caden? Is that really you?”
    He grins widely, opening his arms. I immediately walk to him, letting him embrace me tightly. He rubs my back, and I take comfort in him. Caden slowly pulls me back, his grip lightly holding my shoulders. He looks me up and down, carefully taking in how I look. I can’t help but turn away, ashamed of how awful I must seem. I still can’t believe Caden Harlow is standing here, right in front of me. Then I realize if Caden’s here, Carter will know I’m here soon. Caden is Carter’s younger brother. I know all of Carter’s brothers, since we grew up together, and use to hang around each other so much. Carter, Caden, Cason, Clark, and Caleb. Carter’s the oldest out of the bunch, and he’ll be thirty-three now. Caden and Cason are twins but from what I remember, are nothing alike. Cason has a scar on his right eyebrow, and it’s always helped me make the difference between them. Caden was the jokester out of the group. He was always making everyone laugh, and playing pranks. Cason was the quiet one, but the one you could depend on whenever you needed anything. Then there’s Clark, always wanting to save the day. The last I remember, he was thinking of joining the military. Caleb’s the youngest and the nerdy, shy, one out of all the boys.
    I glance back at Caden, shocked at how much he’s changed since the last time I saw him. Once he was a skinny and lanky kid, but you’d never know that now by looking at him. He’s put on muscle, and his arms are bigger than my entire body. His black officer’s uniform hugs tightly against his upper body. I wonder if he flexed his muscles if it would rip? His dark brown hair is spiked in the front, short on the sides, and his deep blue eyes seem to make me feel warm and safe again. He’s like the younger brother I never had. He starts to chuckle as I look him over. I smile and shake my head, knowing what he’s about to say. “Checkin’ me out, Shelby?”
    His deep southern accent is such a familiar sound. The people I knew in South Carolina had an accent too, but theirs was more refined, almost as if they were too proper to speak with a twang. Hearing Caden’s thick accent makes me instantly relax around him. He’s safe, and for the first time in a long time, I feel at ease. “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed,” I reply, waving my hand up and down.
    “Yeah, it’s been a long time since you’ve been around. There’s a lot you’ve missed.” I feel a bit of guilt at his words, but I just nod my head. What’s there to say? “Are you back in town for good or just passin’ through?”
    I sigh before I respond. “I’m not sure yet. I … I just needed to come home for a while.” I hate I’m tripping over my words, but I’m not ready to talk about why I’m home again.
    “That’s good to hear. I couldn’t believe my eyes when