What If (Willowbrook Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

wanted to be a part of since she’d known him, it would be her.
    From his answer, she’d ask about the gala. Like Eve had said, Drew would bring in a crowd and money. Two things they needed to make the gala a success for Sandy’s boy. A little guy Emma loved like crazy.
    Chance was almost three. He was a happy kid with a mop of curly blond hair and bright blue eyes. Recently, he’d been diagnosed with leukemia. Sandy and her husband wanted the best treatment for him. The best treatment meant making the trip to Seattle. For a barista and a janitor, money was tight. The town had pulled together, and with Eve’s mind for parties, they’d planned a gala at the senior center.
    Asa’s Supercross champ boyfriend could fetch a couple hundred dollars. What woman wouldn’t want to spend an evening with that easy-on-the eyes guy? Swoon-worthy, that’s what Rhys Miles was. Then there was Lucas Montaine. Wow . Another hunk of man. Drew? Drew was a bad boy with a wallop of sweetness. That’s what had drawn her to him.
    The day she had first seen Drew throw a football, rain had poured in buckets while cold had seeped into her bones. She’d waited and waited for a guy who later became a no-show. That had been the last time Emma had accepted Eve’s offer to set her up with a guy from “across town.”
    When the game had ended, Emma had called her father to come and get her. Yeah, it had sucked to be a senior in high school with no car. But money was tight and she’d been slowly saving up for her own car.
    Dad hadn’t answered, and that worried her, more so when her calls went direct to voicemail. She tried her mother’s number next. Her mom hadn’t answered either. In a panic, she’d run from the stadium. While stopped on the side of the road to catch her breath, Drew had pulled up alongside her and offered her a ride.
    She hadn’t hesitated. She needed to get home. During the drive, her mother had called with the horrible news. Emma’s father had died of a cardiac arrest.
    Earlier, he’d complained of chest pains. Her mother had thought he’d pulled a muscle chopping wood. His chest pain got worse after he’d dropped her off at the high school’s field.
    Why hadn’t he mentioned his pain to her? She would’ve never left him. She’d want to stay near and keep him safe. Over and over she’d asked Drew that. As she had cried, Drew held her hand and had reassured her that he’d stick around for as long as she needed him. They’d been together since. First they were friends. Then their friendship changed into an exclusive relationship during their college years.
    One morning, after spending the night in Drew’s dorm room, she found a note on her windshield. Stay away from Drew or else had been written on the note.
    The message hadn’t scared her. What frazzled her nerves was the dead cat splayed on the leather seat of her car. She’d vomited before grabbing the cat by the tail and tossing its disemboweled body into the bushes next to Drew’s dorm.
    Afterward, she had suggested to Drew the crazy idea of keeping their relationship a secret. He was into football for the long haul, had shared his dreams of someday coaching for an NFL team. No way would she let his concern for her safety distract him from making his dreams come true.
    Of course, he had demanded a reason. She went with the old standby; she didn’t like change. Her reasoning was partially true. Taking their relationship to a higher level of everyone knowing was a huge change. In her opinion, anyway. Drew had caved, and said he’d go along with her insane idea.
    However, he warned her there’d come a time when he might want a different arrangement. If she’d known “different” meant breaking things off with him, she might’ve told him about the dead cat and the note. Or the tingling-up-the-spine sensation of being watched as she’d rushed from her car to her mother’s place after she’d driven home from where Drew went to college. Now, there