All Chapters of The Journey Collection: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I righted myself in the seat, ran my fingers through my long hair to get it out of my face, and bent across the cab to kiss Austin on the cheek. In an instant, he snaked his right arm around my lower back. Our lips met in an electric, yet brief, exchange. When he broke away to focus on the road, my gaze lingered on his profile. Austin had been the boy every girl wanted, just like his brother seven years earlier. Only this sister had caught this brother's attention early, and we'd been together since the start of our freshman year. He'd never had eyes for anyone other than me, and there wasn't another guy in Mason Belle who even piqued my interest.It wasn't his chiseled jaw or his sandy-blond hair. It wasn't even the taut muscles or his year-round tan. Those were all bonuses. Sprinkles on top of the icing. Austin Burin was a gentle soul with the heart of a lion. And he was fiercely protective-of me. There wasn't anything that boy wouldn't do to ensure my happiness, and his parents ad

"Eason, are you ready?" I peeked my head around the door to his office, and his slate-grey eyes met mine. My heart warmed at the sight of his panty-dropping grin."Packing up now. Did you finish the files on the Martin case?"I lifted the folder and proceeded across his office to drop the paperwork on his desk. "Everything you asked for is there, including a copy of the will." Real estate law was rarely exciting, but every once in a while, a case went to court, and things got juicy.As a paralegal, I didn't get to attend many of the actual hearings, although occasionally, I did get to sit in on depositions and mediations. It never ceased to amaze me just how greedy people got after death. Brothers and sisters became mortal enemies, and long-lost relatives appeared out of nowhere-every one of them had their hand out. I'd get tickled when Eason let a case get hung up in probate because his client was an ass. "I wish I could come with you for this one. It's going to be a doozy."T

Sarah and I had played our usual round of tag for days. She tried to reach me at times she believed I was available, and I called her when I was positive she wasn't. When the phone rang on Saturday night, Eason and I were sitting on the couch watching a crappy movie. I had no reason not to answer, even though I planned to let it go to voicemail when I heard my sister's ringtone.Eason darted off the sofa. No matter how fast I was, he remained a step ahead, grabbing my cell at the last possible second."Hello?" He sounded winded, and I could only imagine what Sarah thought the two of us were doing. "Hey, Sarah. How are you?" The pleasantries could be left out. They weren't friends. They'd never even met. Yet here the two of them were, yacking it up like old pals. "I'm good. Work's keeping me busy."I couldn't hear her side of the conversation, though I had no doubt she would regale him with her Southern charm. Sarah had a knack for wooing elderly people with her polite manners. I

Sunday supper was an affair at my parents' house. It had been since I was a kid, and it would be until my mom physically couldn't do it anymore. Without fail, she'd cooked for the four of us for years. As we got older, we included friends and girlfriends, and the list of guests had continued to grow. And now, every Sunday after church, Charlie, Sarah, and their three kids, Jack, and myself were regulars at the dinner table. My mom welcomed any ranch hand from their own farm and those from Jack's who cared to come, as well. In all honesty, she wouldn't have sent a stranger away. That's how Mason Belle women were.On average, there were fifteen people seated at their dining and breakfast tables on any given Sunday. Today, that wasn't the case. Jack's truck sat in the driveway, and Sarah's SUV was behind it. It appeared no one other than family would be joining us. It didn't surprise me. Most of the men in town currently bounced between their own herds and those of their friends. Each d

Eason followed me into the elevator. I noticed his snicker and then tracked his line of sight down my legs. Seeing nothing to gawk at, I glowered. "What are you giggling about?""You have something under your stockings."Alone with Eason, I craned my neck and contorted my body. Finally, I found the pair of red panties bunched behind my thigh, beneath my pantyhose. My cheeks flamed. Quickly, I tried to figure out the best way to remove the offending lingerie before the doors opened. I wasn't even sure how he'd seen it. There was only the slightest bit of fabric showing past the hem of my skirt."Here, hold this." I shoved my bag at him.Eason clutched my purse against his chest. His laughter increased with every second that passed. "Did you just pluck a pair off the floor?"A pointed scowl in his direction did nothing to deter him. "I was in a hurry. Hush." Right as I was about to hike up my skirt to reach beneath the fabric and grab my misplaced thong, I noticed he hadn't sto