An Excerpt from Everett (Drake Brothers #1)
Chapter 1
Everett
Taking my duffle bag and what little bit I own, I walk off the aircraft and look at the world around me. It’s quiet, peaceful, the skies are Carolina blue, but everything inside me tells me that this isn’t the life for me. My life belongs on a base, floating out in the water, keeping this country safe, but there’s no hope. My time is done and now it’s time to find some piss ass job that will pay the bills and kill the time.
Looking to my left, I see Beckett standing there in Carhartts and a Ridge Volunteer Firefighter t-shirt. Damn, some things never change.
“What’s up, bro?” he says as I approach him.
“Hell, you didn’t have to dress up to come and get me,” I laugh as he gives me a firm pat on my shoulder. Beckett is my oldest brother, but if you were to see us out, you’d never guess it. We’re both over six feet tall, dark hair and emerald eyes. However, there’s one major difference—our fathers. Let’s just say he’s the bastard out of the four of us. He’s got skin that looks black as the ace of spades and his hair is coarse and kinky. I know why he keeps it cut short. That shit used to be as wild as we were back in the day. “Couldn’t talk the other shitheads into coming to get me?”
“You know. Colby’s got to run that damn hardware store and Jeremiah is working overtime while Mr. Mayes is in the hospital. He’s in real bad shape. Guess you’re stuck with me.”
“Yeah, guess nothin’s changed. So, what’s been going on at the station?”
“Nothing too exciting. I’ve had to go over to Molly Simpson’s once a week to rescue her damn cat. I swear I really think she just likes to look at my ass when I climb that ladder up the tree.”
“Dude, don’t count on it.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it. She’s hot as hell and have you seen those tits?”
Looking at him, I’m completely lost. I’ve been gone for six years. The day that I could enlist and quit being his responsibility, I did. I haven’t been back and hadn’t planned on it this soon, except for a damn honorable discharge that I believe is a complete crock of shit. Taking his phone, he punches a few keys and then flashes a picture of her to me. Damn is right. She’s no longer a mousy girl with a chest flat as a brick wall. She’s a fucking bombshell.
“She had to have bought those,” I say, stating the obvious.
“Probably, but I’m not ashamed to look.” Climbing in the truck, we roll the windows down and drive toward Ridge. It’s a town so small that if you blink you’ll miss it, but it’s home, or it has been since we were adopted by our parents, Carol and Paul Drake, when I was five years old. “There’s an opening with Bell Distribution and it’s got your name on it. All you gotta do is tell Jason you want it.”
“Sounds good.”
“Go see him tomorrow. I know the route near the house is open and hell, maybe that will score us some free beer.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Arriving in town, it doesn’t take long for us to arrive at the old farm house. It looks like it did the day I left, but it’s got a new paint job.
Stepping out of the truck, I grab my bag off the back and walk toward the front porch. Looking around, it’s like going back in time and right now, I’d give anything for my mom to meet me inside with a smile. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and wish it had been me instead of them in that accident. It was my fault they were on the road that day. I was the one that started the fight at the basketball game, and if it weren’t for that they’d have never had that head-on collision. That day changed all of our lives forever.
“Dude, you all right?” Beckett asks.
“Yeah, so what’s the deal? The other shitheads coming by or what?” He starts to laugh. “Somethin’ funny?”
“Oh, they’ll be by. In fact, we’re hitting up Barger’s tonight.”
“You mean they still let y’all in there?”
“Hell yeah, they do. Actually, James has been getting Colby to fix shit around there. He’s getting old and not able to keep the place up. He’s got a grandson, Seth, that helps, but he’s lazy as hell and on the first train outta here when given the chance. It wouldn’t surprise me if Seth put a for sale sign on it the moment he got a green light from his granddad.”
“Damn, that sucks. Wonder what will happen to it?”
“Word on the street is that there’s a new owner, or prospective owner in the works. Someone not from here.”
“Well, what in the hell would make them want to come to this piece of shit town?”
“Who knows.”
Walking to my old room, it looks exactly the same. I toss my bag on the bed and begin to unpack when I hear the door open and the hooting and hollering begins. Looks like it’s closing time at the store and shop. Leaving everything on the bed, I walk down the stairs and into the kitchen to see the other rascals. Jeremiah is standing there covered in greasy jeans and a Mayes Auto Body Shop shirt and Colby looks like he stepped out of a Field and Stream magazine.
“Colby, what the fuck happened? You look like a damn boy scout,” we all burst out laughing, including him.
“Gotta look the part, asshole. Plus, the ladies dig it.”
“Oh, I bet they do. Let’s see who gets the most play tonight,” I challenge them.
“Shit. You know you’re scared shitless when it comes to women. Always have been,” Colby shoots back.
Shaking it off, I grab a beer, twist off the top and take a long pull. “You keep tellin’ yourself that.”
“So what’s the plan?” Jeremiah changes the subject.
“Barger’s.”
“Sounds good. Let me get cleaned up and let’s roll.”
Looking at my watch, I realize that it’s time to forget about what brought me here and pick up where we left off because not one thing has changed between the four of us.
Discover the entire Drake Brothers Series
Everett (Drake Brothers #1)-
Jeremiah (Drake Brother #2)
Colby (Drake Brothers #3)- Coming October 27, 2017
Beckett (Drake Brothers #4)- Coming November 17, 2017