Read What Might Have Been: Daniels Brother #4 (Daniels Brothers) for Free Online

work filled his vision.
    His buddy . . . his friend. That’s how he’d thought of her until he was fourteen.
    It had been a long, boring summer. Abby had gone away to some camp. Chris had gotten his driver’s license. And Trent had been left to his own devices for the first time.
    He remembered the day she’d returned as if it were yesterday. She’d climbed out of her father’s car when she’d seen him and run down the street to greet him.
    Trent had known right then that something was different. He’d reacted to her in a way that he hadn’t before. She’d changed over the summer and his young male body had taken notice.
    But he was young and he hadn’t understood what it was exactly that he was feeling. He’d made some excuse that he needed to go help his mom in the house and had left her standing on the front porch looking confused. Trent had felt horrible about how he’d treated her, but he didn’t know what to do.
    Before he could figure it all out, Chris had made his move. Trent had been heartbroken when he’d heard his older brother had asked her to go to the movies with him—on a date. There was no way he could compete. Chris was sixteen and could drive. Trent was only fourteen. Of course Abby would choose Chris.
    As much as it had pained him, Trent had stepped aside and let his older brother get the girl.
    A woman peered out her front door to stare at him. It was Mrs. Webley. He smiled and waved, not wanting her to think he was some criminal trying to case the neighborhood or anything.
    It took her a second to recognize him, but when she did, his old neighbor grinned back at him.
    Trent figured he should probably get out of there before someone who didn’t know him called the cops. People weren’t as carefree as they used to be about strange vehicles hanging around.
    “I thought you’d changed your mind,” his dad said when Trent pulled into his parents’ driveway about thirty minutes later.
    “Got tied up at work.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.
    Mike Daniels nodded and headed into the backyard.
    After grabbing his work gloves and a shovel from the bed of his truck, Trent followed his dad around back. They had work to do.
    It took them over an hour, but they finally pried the sapling out of the ground. Trent was covered in sweat and dirt, surrounded by nature. It felt great.
    “Going to tell me what’s on your mind?” his dad asked.
    Trent wiped the moisture from his brow and jammed the head of his shovel in the ground beside him. “I was thinking I could bring a silver maple over tomorrow. Since the hole is already here, it shouldn’t take us too long.”
    “That sounds fine. But that wasn’t what I was talking about.” His dad snagged a lawn chair and sat down. He folded his arms over his stomach and raised his eyebrows.
    Why was it that at thirty-one years old his dad could still make him feel like he was five, getting in trouble for fighting with his brothers?
    Trent decided it was better to get it over with. Drawing it out would only make his dad think there was more to it than there was. “I ran into Abby this week.”
    “Abby Hoffman?”
    He nodded. “Her boss is the nephew of one of my biggest clients and my company was recommended to do some work for them.”
    His dad pursed his lips. “Been a while since she’s been home.”
    Trent didn’t comment.
    “You know . . . your mom and I went to her dad’s funeral. She was there. Haven’t seen her since.”
    He remembered that day. If he hadn’t had a final, he would have been there as well.
    “She’s a personal assistant to a lawyer named Maxwell Collins.”
    His dad smiled. “Abby always was a smart girl.”
    Trent turned and began gathering up the debris scattered around the area where they’d been working. “Yep.”
    After a few minutes, his dad pushed himself out of the chair and helped Trent carry the dead tree to his truck. While they could have cut it up and left it on the curb, it was easier for Trent to