Bitter Love

BITTER LOVEBook One in the Dawson Family SeriesCopyright 2021Emily GoodwinChapter OneJosieFifteen years ago…A tear rolls down my cheek, but I don’t bother to wipe it away. Another will just take its place in only seconds anyway. I look at the paper in my hand: the corner of it crinkled from being gripped so hard. A voice in the back of my mind tells me I shouldn’t have done that, that I should have been more careful.Because this is the kind of paper Mom will hang on the fridge.But there’s no point. It doesn’t matter. And now more tears fall from my eyes, splashing onto the handwritten note, smearing the black ink.“Jo?” someone calls, their voice coming from the hall. I need to say something. Turn. React. But I can’t.“Jo?” my sister calls again and then knocks on my door. I still can’t move. It’s like deep roots have anchored me to the floor and they’re the only thing holding me steady right now. If I focus on this—on standing as still as I can be while silently crying—then I

Chapter ThreeJacobI slide the stall door shut and step back, wiping sweat from my brow. It’s an unusually warm day in early May and I still have two more farms to stop by before I can swing by my parents for a family dinner. I’m already going to be late, and there’s a good chance I’ll show up smelling like the animals I’ve been treating today. There’s an even better chance that I’ll have to rush out, but I’m promising myself now it’ll only be for dire emergencies.It’s a rare occurrence that all of my brothers and our sister are in Silver Ridge together. Mom will have my head if I skip out on a family dinner, and I miss my siblings, even if they do drive me crazy half of the time. And tonight isn’t just any old family reunion. We’re celebrating my older brother’s engagement.“Do we have time for a coffee run?” Crystal, one of my vet techs, asks.“As long as it’s iced, yes,” I reply, checking the time. We’re running late—as usual—and I’m going to need to ask Dr. Spencer to cover my ne

Chapter FiveJosieI pull the blankets up to Everly’s shoulders after tip-toeing into her room. She fell asleep with her phone in her hand, and I slowly slide it out of her grip. I know her passwords to everything—or at least I think I do. That was part of the deal when I allowed her to get on social media. Originally, I didn’t want her to have her own account on any sort of platform until she was sixteen but gave in when it became clear she was one of the few kids in her class who was without and she felt singled out for that.Fuck, it’s hard to be a parent in the digital age. I understand the importance of social media just as much as I’m aware of the dangers. It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation. In the end, I decided it was better to give her the green light and set up something together rather than risk her sneaking it and doing God knows what behind my back.I’ve been told to “be a mother and not a friend” over and over again, but if my own mother was more of a

Chapter SevenJosieGolden light from the setting sun reflects off the glassy surface of Silver Lake. After checking in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was close behind me, I let off the gas, slowing down so I can take a bit of a longer look at the water.“Hey,” I say quietly and give Everly a gentle shake. How she fell asleep is beyond me. The damn cat has been yowling nonstop since we left Indianapolis. “We’re almost there.”She straightens up, pushing her hair out of her face and blinks, looking around. “Oh wow. We are.”“What? You didn’t believe me?”“It went by faster than I thought.”“Yeah, it would if you slept through most of the drive. Some traveling companion you are,” I scoff, giving Everly the side-eye.Used to my sarcasm, she just rolls her eyes and pulls her phone from her bag using the camera as a mirror to fix her hair.“I forgot how pretty the lake is,” I note as we go around a bend, following along with the shoreline for half a mile or so. “We’ll have time to

Chapter NineJosie“Hey, babe.” I lean the broom against a stall and kiss the top of Everly’s head. “How’s the horse doing?”She and Aunt Kim went to the vet to check on the sick gelding and just got back. I’ve been in the barn all morning and have successfully brushed all the burs and mattes out of Freya’s mane and tail. It was a slow process, both because her hair was a mess and because she’s still unsure if she can trust humans yet.“Ew, Mom, you stink.”“Oh, I do?” I lift my arm and fake-sniff my armpit. “I don’t think so. Wanna check for me?”Everly shrieks and dodges away. “Mom, gross!”Laughing, I wipe sweat from my brow, realizing that it’s already noon and I’ve been out here all day.“He’s really sad,” Everly says, face falling. “He’s skinny and dirty and he has pneumonia. The vet said he’s a fighter, though, and seems like he wants to get better. I got to pet him for a long time.”“You pet the vet?” I raise my eyebrows. “And he allowed it? I think I need to talk to this guy.