Read Diamonds and Dust (Lonesome Point, Texas) for Free Online Page A

red. “We’re almost home free, just hold on a few minutes longer.”
    “I’m fine, Mia,” Pike grumbled even as he let her propel them out the entrance and across the dirt road to where she’d parked the truck. “Are you going to hover like this all week?”
    Mia released him with a frustrated sound as she dug into her purse for the keys, turning so that the light spilling from inside the tent illuminated her bag. “I don’t know, Pike, are you going to be a cranky bastard all week? Seriously, the way you’re acting is ridiculous. If you didn’t want to come to the wedding, you should have just told me.”
    “Don’t be crazy,” Pike said. “Of course I wanted to come.”
    “Because I could have made Bubba my Dude of Honor,” Mia continued, stabbing her key into the passenger side door and wrenching it open. “And you could have spent the rest of your recovery in Palm Springs with whatever supermodel you’re boinking, and not had to bother with this bullshit.”
    “Your wedding isn’t bullshit,” he said softly, realizing he’d been an even bigger asshole than he’d thought. Mia rarely got hurt feelings. That he’d managed to upset his sister less than three hours into their visit made him ashamed of himself. “I’m sorry, okay? This has nothing to do with you. I’ve just been…going through some stuff. But I’m not going to let it ruin your wedding week. I promise.”
    Mia sighed and her tense shoulders relaxed away from her ears. “I’m sorry, too. I know it can’t be easy being on the injured list. I mean, it’s great for me because I get to have my brother home, but your career could be in jeopardy. I know that has to be stressful.”
    Pike shrugged, deciding letting Mia believe that it was his torn ACL making him difficult wasn’t exactly a lie. He was concerned about how soon he’d recover and being benched for the past two weeks hadn’t been the paid vacation he’d thought it would be. Being on leave gave him too much time to think about his life and all the things in it that he wished were different.
    “If you want me to take you to Mom and Dad’s I can,” Mia said. “If you’re not up for nachos and poker it’s not a big deal. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up later in the week.”
    Pike snorted. “Since when have I ever chosen Dad’s place over yours?”
    “Since never,” Mia said. “But I figure there’s always a first time. Dad is really excited to see you, by the way. He made me promise to bring you to dinner at the house tomorrow night.”
    “He made you promise or Mom made you promise?” Pike asked, narrowing his eyes.
    Mia lifted one shoulder. “Mom made me promise because she knows Dad wants you home but is too cranky to say it. So I guess we know where you get it from.”
    Pike rolled his eyes as he reached for the open door to the truck. “I’m nothing like Dad.”
    “I know,” she said, capturing his hand before he could slip into the passenger seat and giving it a squeeze. “And try to stay like that, okay? I love Dad, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t need another Jim Sherman in my life. And you’re…”
    “I’m what?” Pike sighed, suddenly feeling the long journey down to Texas and all the sleepless nights beforehand, when he’d lain awake dreading the trip.
    “You’re better than that,” Mia said gently, tapping two fingers to the center of his chest. “You’ve got a good heart, Pike. You should let it show more often.”
    Pike stretched his neck to the side, trying to ignore the knot of emotion rising in his throat. “My heart’s just fine. Don’t believe everything you read in a gossip magazine, sis.”
    “I don’t. I believe your eyes, and what I’ve seen there since you got in today makes me sad. I don’t like seeing you look so…hard. And angry.” She shook her head. “What’s really going on with you, P? Because it seems like something more than stress over being on the injured list.”
    Pike’s jaw clenched.