Three Days of Rain Read Free

drove home to the family that needed him and the normalcy that he needed.
     

CHAPTER 2
    As Jake was driving home, he cursed his brother and the memory of Madison Olsen. Two years and no word from her. The day she left, he knew she was the devil everyone thought she was. He thought he knew her like no one else did. They spent three years together. Not all of it good, but not everyone can have a perfect life like Danny and Megan. When was Danny going to realize he didn’t need to take care of him anymore? When would he figure out not everyone needed perfection in their lives?
    Jake pulled into his driveway, took the keys out of the ignition, and leaned back in the leather seats of his new truck. With his eyes closed he allowed the memory of that first night with Maddie to flood his brain...
    ***
    Maddie laughed as he peeled out of the parking lot. “Jacob Morgan, you are crazy!”
    Her laugh was nice and she seemed to have calmed down a bit since the last time she’d rolled into town. He’d have to ask her about it one day. For now, he just wanted to get the hell out of there before Sheriff Finley showed up and decided Jake was the cause of the fight. The assumption wouldn’t be unfounded, of course. He had been a bit of a renegade lately. His temper was becoming legendary.
    Jake glanced at her sideways. “How’s the arm?”
    “Fine. Stopped bleeding already.”
    “Regardless, when we get back to my place, you should clean it out.”
    “Look at you, Dr. Morgan! Awfully presumptuous, aren’t we? Going back to your place? I’m not that kind of girl.”
    He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Sure, Maddie. I forgot you’re a good girl.”
    She took his assumption as a challenge. She’d spent years trying to get Jake’s attention and she wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip. “For your information, I have changed.”
    “So you keep trying to tell everyone. Look, if you want me to drop you off at your parent’s, then I will. Just say the word.”
    Maddie kept silent and Jake drove back to his place. When they pulled up he turned off the car, grabbed his guitar, and jumped out. He was halfway up the walkway when he realized Maddie was still sitting in the car.
    “What are you doing? Are you coming in or not?”
    With a playful huff, she hopped out of the truck. “You know Jake, I am a lady and as such, I expect a man to open the door for me.”
    “You do, huh? I’ll remember that next time.” He turned away and reached for the lock with his key.
    “Next time?”
    “Figure of speech.”
    “Right.”
    They walked into the house—a small bungalow Jake bought a few years back. It wasn’t much but the mortgage was cheap and it served his purpose. He turned on the lights and dropped his keys on the table before walking back to his bedroom and placing his guitar on its stand. When he returned, Maddie was standing in the living room looking around.
    “Nice place, Jake.”
    “Thanks. I bought it from your dad. Let me get something for that cut.”
    “It’s fine, really.”
    “Then it will be even more fine when it’s cleaned up.”
    He walked into the bathroom, grabbed the peroxide, antibiotic cream, and a bandage.
    He motioned for her to sit at the kitchen table. “Have a seat.”
    Maddie did as she was told and watched as Jake poured peroxide on a cotton ball. She flinched and he laughed.
    “Peroxide doesn’t hurt you know. It just bubbles a bit.”
    “I know. Just get it over with.”
    She turned her head as he went to work on her arm. The peroxide was cool and not at all painful but she still refused to look. It wasn’t until he patted her arm and told her he was finished that she looked at his handy work.
    “Not so bad, huh?” he said. “You should be fine in a few days.”
    “Thanks. It feels better already. You have anything to drink?”
    “Sure. What do you want? I have beer, whiskey, water...” He opened the refrigerator door and scanned its contents.
    “Whiskey would be