Tempting Tatum Read Free Page A

say.
    “Yep, your mother is one of the best cooks around. One of the reasons I married her,” he chuckles.
    I laugh. My parents are so in love with each other, my mom could burn every meal and Dad would still look at her like she hung the fucking moon. She looks at him the same way. I look up to see Asher and Grace walk into the room; they both have that look.
    “Come and get it!” Ember yells from the kitchen. Dad and I usher in like a herd of cattle while Asher and Grace follow behind. Lunch is amazing. Mom made fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and macaroni and cheese, with apple pie for desert. Yum!
    “So how was last night?” my dad asks. Being fire chief, he already knows, but he likes to get our side every time. This leads Dad, Asher, and I into talks of the department and staffing issues. Mom and the girls are planning a trip to go shopping to get some items for Ember’s new condo.
    “You sure you are okay there all by yourself?” Asher asks her.
    “Yeah, you know you can always stay in our spare room,” I chime in.
    Ember rolls her eyes. “Guys, come on. I lived at home all through college. It’s time for me to spread my wings. Speaking of which, I really want my tattoo. When can you work me in?” she asks.
    Ember doesn’t have any ink. She is going to be a kindergarten teacher so she has to remain professional. However, she is the first out of our family to go to college and finish, even out of all of our cousins. This is a huge accomplishment. She wants Asher and I to both give her a tattoo. She says she would never be able to choose either one of us. So we agreed that once she graduated we would do it.
    I glance over at Asher; he shrugs his shoulders. “We’ll have to find a time when we can both be in the shop. We’ll work it out for after graduation.” I’m so fucking proud of her. I would hate the tat to jinx her before she holds that piece of paper in her hands.
    Ember smiles so big I’m afraid her face might crack. “You guys are the best brothers ever!”
    “Oh, go on,” Asher and I say at the same time. This causes the entire table to bust out in laughter. We do that a lot; it’s a freaky twin thing.
    I take in my family and Grace, well she’ll be family soon enough. Asher already said when she says yes, that he’s going to push for a short engagement. He’s confident, and by the looks of them together, he has a right to be. It’s a great feeling to know that you have so many people in your corner. As involved as our family is with the department, we know all too well that life is short and you have to live each day to its fullest. However, even for us, we sometimes take our family, each other, for granted.
     

 
     
    I watch as Leah shows the last guest to the door. Once I hear the sound of the lock click into place, I drop down on the couch and curl up in the corner. I feel empty, a hollow version of myself. Within the blink of an eye, my life was in flames. How do I come back from this? How do I move on without them?
    Josh continued to call my cell relentlessly. Brent called and had my number changed. He stopped by a few times, but Brent and Leah threatened to call the cops. I’m done with him. I can’t deal with his shit. I don’t want to. He no longer exists in my world. I needed him; he was fucking someone else. That is the end of our story.
    Leah has been staying with me. I can’t stay here alone, without them. I hear her on her cell talking to Brent. He’s been great through all of this. Sacrificing time with his fiancée so that she can be here with me. Leah and Brent, they’re all I have left. Bringing my knees to my chest, I rest my head, letting my mind wonder.
    The day after the accident, I had to go to the police station to hear the results of the investigation. Leah had to work, so I went alone. My mind developed a constant string of images from the details the investigator shared with me. I keep seeing their accident play out, and it’s tearing me