Destined Read Free Page B

brother against brother and friend against friend with her sexy
machinations. Men couldn’t seek to think past their little head when she was
around. The thought of the skank hurting Craig and Ashton, maybe tearing them
apart, made bile rise up her throat. How was it that they hadn’t learned?
    “I hope they know what they’re
doing.” Her words came out thin and faint.
    “Well, the whole area has done
nothing but talk about her coming back after some scandal in the big city.”
Candy snorted. “She married that politician type and probably wasn’t good for
his image. Couldn’t keep her panties on in all likelihood.”
    Sinclair didn’t reply. Gossip
wasn’t her thing, and she’d decided not to think about Melinda with her brothers . It killed her to call them
that, but that’s what they were to her in their minds, and she had to remember
it. Didn’t matter they were nearly six and eight years older than she was,
respectively, or that she’d never been adopted by their parents. She’d be
grateful for what she’d had for so many years. There was no way she could pay
them back financially, but she could sure clear out of their way and give them
space to get it on with Melinda. Marry her maybe, and raise little Russells . Her belly roiled.
    “What will you do for money?”
    “I still have the little fund Mom
Russell set up for me. And one paycheck from my waitressing
job. I’ll get a job.”
    “I don’t know how you worked and carried such a big academic load.”
Candy slowed at a crossroads, then headed straight for
town. She’d better hope the new Sheriff wasn’t around, or even one of the other
patrol cars. Sinclair had been the recipient of several heated emails from
Candy, her friend acting all indignant about Reese Murdoch coming home after
his discharge from the military. Seems he didn’t kowtow to Candy in the same
way other men did, and she described him as obnoxious, arrogant, and
infuriatingly hot. Sinclair thought she’d avoid mentioned anything about Reese,
who she remembered as being a fairly close friend of Craig’s. Candy was correct
in one aspect thought. Reese was hot.  
    “School work isn’t hard for me, and
while college was somewhat tougher, I managed.” She thought about how hard
she’d worked, all with her eye on the prize. Prizes.
    “Yup. Math nerd. Chemistry, physics, you name it. If it wasn’t for
you helping me, I never would have graduated high school,” Candy said breezily,
her blonde hair catching the sunlight. Sinclair knew her friend came from
money, and that her dad had set her up with her own little shop in Barrister,
selling all those curious articles a person had to have lots of disposable cash
to afford. But graduating high school had meant something anyhow.
    “You partied more than you studied.”
Craig and Ash hadn’t let her go to those parties, but she hadn’t minded. They
and the ranch had been her life, and her education was important.
    “I did. And loved every minute of
it,” Candy agreed. “But seriously, Sinclair, I’ll make you a loan.”
    “Only if you let
me pay you back.”
    “Of course. Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can’t do it differently in
business. And that way you’ll stay in touch.”
    “I will, Candy. I always did while
I was away. Only you and my brothers kept in touch. It’s important to me.”
    And
you were so damn lonely you misinterpreted their interest. Thought it compared
to your own. Talk about seeing the world through one’s own lens. She’d
missed them terribly, and contact had been all the sweeter.
    “You don’t have very much with
you.”
    She looked in the back seat. Two pieces of luggage, her laptop. “I didn’t unpack, not
really, so just picked up my bags. There was nothing else to bring.” Nothing that belonged to you,
anyhow. Tears built behind
her lids, and she blinked furiously.
    “I’m sorry.” Candy didn’t miss
much, and she sounded so sad.
    “ Me too,
Candy. I’m