Against the Wind, Season 2, Episode 1 (Rising Storm) Read Free Page A

What is there to explain? She got knocked up and then lied to everyone about the father, especially Logan, who wanted nothing more than to protect her. Talk about a betrayal.”
    Dillon sighed. “I get the feeling we’re not talking about Logan right now.”
    Heat flashed through Tate. “No, I guess not. I had the perfect girl, one I loved, and my brother slept with her. They’re both adults, and they knew exactly what they were doing.” Not in a million years would he have expected either Hannah or Tucker to do such a thing. Sometimes he still couldn’t wrap his mind around it.
    Logan reappeared with two steaming bowls of soup and quickly added a couple of micro-brews to the table. “Bye.” He deserted them for the back room again.
    Tate looked around. At this time of day, before lunch, the pub was empty save for the two of them.
    Dillon dug into his soup with a happy hum. Then he straightened. “You didn’t love her.”
    Tate’s mouth gaped open. “Sure I did.”
    “Humph.” Dillon downed half his beer.
    “You’re not on duty, are you?” Tate groused.
    “Nope.” Dillon ate more soup. “All right. Tell me what you loved about Hannah.”
    Tate’s chest heated, and he ate some of the soup. “She’s perfect. Beautiful, genuine, well spoken.” In fact, she’d look great next to him on any podium.
    Dillon snorted. “What else? I mean, what sets her apart from other women? What drives you crazy about her that you wouldn’t change?”
    Tate frowned. “Nothing. She’s ideal.”
    “Geez. She sounds like a cardboard copy of the perfect politician’s wife,” Dillon drawled. “The woman is even from an influential Storm family with an impressive pedigree.”
    “Is that bad?” Tate snapped.
    “No, but it sure as shit isn’t good. Where’s the excitement? The romance?”
    Tate sipped the potent beer. “What are we? Sixteen?”
    Dillon sighed. “No, but we’re not ninety, either. What does Hannah want in life? What’s her biggest fear? Strongest memory? Largest dream?”
    Tate studied his friend. “What’s your damn point?”
    Dillon shrugged. “I’m just saying that if you really loved the woman, you’d know the answers to those questions. I’m your cousin and best friend, and I know those answers about you. You want to rise to power and make changes within the political system. Your biggest fear is failure in front of everybody, and your strongest memory is of when you and Tucker got caught in that barn fire. Finally, your largest dream, one you won’t admit to anybody, is the White House.”
    Tate rested his head back in the booth, his gut churning. “Okay, so you know me. Are you secretly in love with me or what?”
    “Or what,” Dillon said dryly. “But I’ll bet you dollars to donuts you can’t answer those questions about Hannah. She’s a great woman, but you liked who she could be, what you could make her, and not who she really is.”
    Was it true? Had Tucker seen what or who she really was? The woman was crazy about animals and she liked ranching. Two things Tate didn’t have much interest in. He turned his focus on his cousin. “What about you, buddy? You asked me to hire Joanne Alvarez for my campaign. She’s a married woman you’ve been in love with since high school. When are you going to finally make a move?”
    Dillon’s expression lost all humor. “You just said it. She’s married. Besides, we’re just friends.”
    “Right.” Tate scrutinized Dillon over his beer glass. “I found it odd that her asshole husband, who liked to use her as a punching bag, found the drive and energy to actually leave town. I wonder what made Hector finally get up and go?”
    Dillon looked him directly in the eye. “Who cares? So long as he’s gone and doesn’t come back, I don’t think it matters why he left.”
    “That’s what I figured.” Tate leaned forward. “Listen, I know I’m the last person who should be giving advice, but if she ever finds out you had something