Eye of the Storm Read Free

not in any normal sense of the word. "Just because Reece and I can't live together doesn't mean I have to cut you out of my life, too."
    "I'm not sure you have to cut either of us. Reece is stubborn, I'll grant you that. But whatever happened between the two of you, it can't be totally irreparable."
    Simone smiled, her thoughts bittersweet. Martin's optimism made anything seem possible. But she'd lived in the shadows far too long to believe in things like happily ever after. Her life with Reece had been impossible from the very beginning. She'd just been too in love to see the truth of it. "It's over, Martin. Believe me, there's no going back."
    Martin sighed and reached for the sandwich. "Well, at least you still have me."
    "Yeah. And you have someone to feed and clothe you." She tipped her head toward the laundry again, and he laughed.
    "It's a tough job, I know." His words were garbled over the peanut butter.
    "And who better to do it than me? How long you staying?"
    "The whole week, if that's okay. I thought I'd spend some time on the island. The waves aren't as good as Florida, but they still rock."
    Padre wasn't exactly a surfing capitol, but this time of year there was at least enough surf to make it worth taking a board out.
    "Sounds good. It'll be nice to have the company." Simone was surprised at how much she meant it. She loved her house, every rambling foot of it. But living here on her own was a far cry from living in it with Martin and Reece underfoot. "The carriage house is waiting."
    "Carriage house" was a bit euphemistic, but the name had stuck. Sometime in the forties, the old barn on their property had been converted into a one-car garage. When Simone and Reece had bought the place, the dilapidated structure, like the rest of the house, had practically been falling down. But the lines were good, and so when they remodeled, she'd suggested turning the building into a two-car garage with an apartment for Martin above it. He'd been almost ready to head off to UT at the time, so it had seemed right for him to have a space of his own in their new house. A subtle nod to his need for independence.
    "Great." Martin jumped out of the chair, brushing crumbs onto the floor. "I'll just settle in, and then maybe head for the beach." He stopped by the back door, turning a guilty look to the overflowing laundry bags. "Maybe I should get started on these first?"
    "Go on." Simone shooed him out the door with a smile. "I'll start the wash."
    "You're sure?" It was a question, but his grin signaled he already knew the answer.
    "Positive. Go." She leaned against the doorjamb, watching as he walked down the back drive. Even his gait was reminiscent of Reece's. Separated by almost sixteen years, the two brothers had too much of a gap between them to have ever been joined at the hip. In fact, growing up, Martin had hardly seen his older brother. But when their parents were killed in a traffic accident, Reece had been there, ready to take responsibility for his eight-year- old brother.
    He'd given up a promising career in the military and instead come home to south Texas to put himself through law school, all the while serving as a surrogate parent for Martin. It had been tough for them both. But a real relationship had developed.
    When Simone had met Reece, Martin had simply been part of the package. And in all honesty, she'd fallen in love with them both. After Reece had asked her to marry him, Martin had followed up with a proposal of his own. And from that moment on, they'd been a family.
    The three of them against the world.
    It was everything she'd ever wanted. An instant connection. Two people on whom she could lavish all the love she'd been hoarding over the years. It had seemed a perfect existence. Unfortunately, it hadn't held up over time. What had started as mutual attraction had devolved into mutual distrust, Reece's constant questioning turning into an inquisition that ultimately had forced Simone to retreat behind the