Blinding Rain, Season 2, Episode 7 (Rising Storm) by Elisabeth Naughton Page A

animals. They were soft and perfect.
    “Tell you what,” she said softly. “I’ll be right here when you get done. And after, if you’re up for it, I’ll cook you dinner back at my place. If, that is, you don’t already have plans.”
    His gaze lifted to hers. Was she asking him out? His heart picked up speed as he studied her. The nervous look in her eyes told him yes.
    “Okay,” he said slowly, savoring that knowledge. “Don’t steal my car while I’m gone.”
    Mary Louise smiled as he popped his door and climbed out. “I will try not to, Mr. Johnson.”
    Tate was actually smiling as he crossed toward the barn, about to meet with his brother. He never in a million years would have predicted that . But his smile faded as soon as he stepped into the barn and heard the unmistakable sounds of kissing.
    A familiar burn cut across his chest, and his first reaction was to retreat, but before he could make it back to the door he remembered what Mary Louise had said to him at the pub. That he wouldn’t be nearly as upset if Hannah had cheated on him with another guy. Mary Louise had been right of course. Now that he could look at his relationship with Hannah objectively, he knew she hadn’t been right for him and he hadn’t been right for her. Neither of them had been able to admit it, though. So instead of breaking up months ago as they should have done, their relationship had deteriorated to this.
    He frowned as he moved back into the barn, toward the sound of kissing instead of away from it, as he wanted. Mary Louise was right about something else. His anger had little to do with Hannah and everything to do with his brother. But for the sake of the family, he could be the better man, couldn’t he? He sure the hell hoped so since he was about to come face to face with two people he’d rather not see.
    He rounded a corner toward the stalls, and just as he expected, the two lip-locked in front of the horses were Tucker and Hannah. His gut tightened, and his feet itched to turn and run, but he stopped where he was and slid his hands in the pockets of his slacks instead.
    Neither heard him. And though he definitely wasn’t happy with the scene in front of him, it didn’t hurt him. At least not in the way it should if he really had loved Hannah.
    He cleared his throat, anxious just to get this over with. Hannah’s eyes opened, and when she spotted him over Tucker’s shoulder she lurched back and gasped. “Tate.”
    Tucker whipped around and immediately stepped in front of Hannah.
    “Relax,” Tate said, inwardly cringing because, geez, had he really been that bad that his brother thought he had to protect Hannah from him? “I’m not here to cause any trouble. I just want to talk.”
    “Okay,” Tucker said warily. “About what?”
    Tate rolled his eyes. Hannah must have nudged Tucker or pinched him because he whispered, “Sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
    “Well, I do,” Tate said. “I’ve been a little bit of a bear—”
    “A little?” Tucker asked.
    When Tate frowned, Tucker said, “Sorry. Go on.”
    “I probably didn’t...handle things as well as I could have,” Tate went on. “The two of you together is...” He waved a hand, trying to find the right word, coming up absolutely blank. “Well, it’s not anything I ever expected.”
    “Listen, Tate.” Tucker stepped forward. “I know we didn’t go about this the right way—”
    Tate held up a hand. “Let me finish.” He wasn’t really in the mood for excuses. Wasn’t sure he was ready to hear them. He just needed to say what he’d come to say so he could leave. He looked at Hannah. “I’m not so upset about us. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized we didn’t make a whole lot of sense.” He glanced at his brother. “I’ve mostly been upset because you’re the last person I expected to go behind my back.”
    “I know.” Tucker’s face fell. “Shit, I know and I’m sorry. If I could change what