Best of Three (Counting on Love) Read Free Page B

resident. He likely had room in his schedule and could easily take care of the surgical follow-ups Nate had scheduled that afternoon.
    “I’ll take care of it, Dr. Sullivan,” Shelby said.
    And that was why he always got her very expensive Christmas gifts.
    “Thank you.”
    Tucking his wallet into his pocket and pulling his pager from his desk drawer, Nate strode to the door.
    He knew exactly where to start his search for his wayward son.
     
     
    That was definitely not Dena’s big-assed silver crew cab pickup sitting in front of her place.
    Emma pulled up to the curb and shut her car off. Not only did Dena not have enough money to even make a down payment on that truck, Dena would never buy that truck. Dena was more a classic Volkswagen Beetle—a used, beat up, bright yellow classic Beetle—kind of girl. Cheap, compact and fun.
    Emma glanced at the beat up, bright yellow classic Beetle in Dena’s driveway in front of the truck and grinned. Dena had come up with the “cheap, compact and fun” phrase herself the day she bought that car. Eight years ago.
    Emma looked back at the truck and shook her head. She wished that the truck belonged to a new boyfriend who had come into Dena’s life to sweep her off her feet and shower her in lavish gifts.
    But she knew exactly whose truck that was. And he was no Prince Charming.
    Emma sighed and pulled her purse out of the passenger seat.
    Nate Sullivan was here.
    This couldn’t be good.
    Emma made her way up the walk, reflecting on the last conversation between Dena and Nate.
    He’d caught the kids in bed.
    Nate had stormed over to Dena’s place, convinced that she would be equally concerned and angry and that they could form a united front when talking to Shannon and Michael about the risks they were taking.
    But Nate didn’t know Dena.
    It took a lot to get her friend upset. Dena was laid-back, probably too much so when it came to Shannon, frankly. Emma loved her but she didn’t always agree with her parenting style. Emma had been stepping in to give Shannon advice and to admonish her as needed since Shannon had been two years old.
    Shannon had two parents—in every way that counted. Dena was the easy one. The one who praised her and thought she walked on water and told her she could do anything she set her mind to. Emma was the one that reminded her that “anything she set her mind to” would require a college degree and some money. Emma and Dena were a good team. When Shannon was upset or hurt or sad, Dena was the shoulder she cried on. When she got into trouble or had a decision to make, Emma was her rock.
    It worked for them. Had been working for the sixteen years Emma had known the Watson girls.
    But Nate didn’t know that. Dena was Shannon’s mother and he insisted that she take responsibility and discipline her daughter.
    Discipline wasn’t really Dena’s thing.
    Emma let herself in through the kitchen door and immediately heard the raised voices.
    “You are telling me you have no idea where your daughter is right now?” Nate said, frustration clear in every word.
    “I know exactly where she is,” Dena shot back. “She’s with Michael. And that’s all I need to know.”
    Emma sighed. This was going to be fun.
    She tossed her purse on the table and propped her cane against the wall as she glanced into the living room. Dena was in the recliner where Emma had left her that morning before her appointment with Nate. Dena had been throwing up since one a.m. and Shannon had called her to ask if she could bring some crackers and tea over.
    Nate stood a few feet inside the front door. He looked pissed off.
    “You don’t care that our children are out doing god-knows-what, without even telling us where they are going to be or who they are going to be with?”
    “I trust my daughter,” Dena told him.
    “Then you’re naïve.”
    Oh, boy. Emma hung back. If Michael and Shannon were going to get serious—and she suspected they were on a direct path to very