If Only (The Willowbrook Series Book 1) Read Free

pretty except for Eve. Other kids had said she was awkward, skinny, and once someone had compared her face to a fairy’s. So what if her cheeks seemed too full, her chin too sharp, and her ears a smidge on the pointy side?
    In high school, she was sought after, but it was more for her smarts than her looks. When Rhys’s grandmother had heard Asa was at the top of her class, she asked Asa to tutor him in math. No way would Jo let her grandson fail in a subject that could be important to him later in life when he’d be rich. That’s what Jo had told her.
    Bless the old lady for loving and taking in her only grandson after his parents died in a car wreck. A year after he’d moved to Willowbrook, Asa’s parents had bought a small house in town. New place, new state, a fresh start—those were her father’s reasons for their move across the country.
    But she knew better. For the chance to get her mother away from her lovers, and to possibly save his marriage, her father had uprooted his family to accept a manager position at the lumber mill. Yes, she detested her mother’s selfishness for breaking apart their family.
    A month ago, an invite came in the mail for her mother’s remarriage. The embossed blue and silver invitation, along with the RSVP card, made its way straight to the garbage can, but not before she’d shredded the papers. Her feelings for her mother bordered on resentment and less on love, more so after her father’s death.
    It was a good thing she’d moved to San Diego. Having her mother near would’ve made her father’s death more unbearable than what it had been because . . . because at the point of impact, she and her father had argued over her mother. Well, as long as she left Asa alone, she was fine with the remarriage.
    Eve’s finger sliding across her forehead had Asa blinking in confusion before she gave her friend a slight smile. Over the years of their friendship, this was Eve’s way to draw her out of her deeps thoughts. With Rhys, he’d tap her nose. God, she missed him.
    “What will I do with you now that Jo’s gone? With my out-of-town schedule, I can’t always be there for you, you know?”
    Asa straightened her shoulders. “I can take care of myself.”
    “I never doubted that,” Eve said with a twinkle in her blue eyes. “But when it comes to men, you’re clueless. Rhys kept you all to himself.”
    “He only did that because I was good for his grades,” Asa countered.
    “Bullshit. He cared about you.”
    “As a friend, Eve, but nothing more. Drop it, okay. Please?”
    “Fine. But once I get back, I’m gonna set you up with one of the guys from Ashton.”
    Shrugging, Asa targeted Eve with her best blank stare and got an exasperated sigh in return.
    “God, Asa, you’re gonna be one of those unhappy women who will always wonder about the what-if’s in life.” Eve grabbed her bag from the shelf beneath the counter. “I won’t mind if you close up early. They’re forecasting a snowstorm. If that happens, I expect you to stay home. Got it?”
    She gave her a two-finger salute. “Yes, mother.”
    Eve muffled her laughter with her hand. “You have enough firewood and supplies?”
    She didn’t, but she wouldn’t have her friend worry now. Eve had a plane to catch. “Say hi to Joe for me,” she said, pushing Eve out the door. “And tell him congrats on the new addition.”
    Joe was Eve’s big brother. His wife had their first child yesterday, and Eve was flying out to Oakland to visit for a few days.
    “An aunt, Eve. I can’t believe it. What next? Marriage?”
    Eve snorted while her breaths condensed in the cold air. “The café and my writing take up all of my time. Besides, I’m in no hurry to settle down with one guy. I like playing the field.”
    Asa did roll her eyes this time. Of course, Eve loved seeing different guys. Men couldn’t seem to get enough of her and her outgoing personality, which Asa thought bordered on being sweetly obnoxious.
    “I take