Page 36 of Sunrise Arrows

The pen falls from his mouth and he catches it, dropping it on the desk as he says my name.

My stride slows the closer I get, but it’s still strong and confident as I round the industrial designed desk and slip between it and his chair, his legs opening up to make room for me. Hands on the armrests, I lean in—captivated by his eyes—and say, “I saw Ames today and somethin’ he said got me thinkin’.”

Archer doesn’t ask what his friend told me. Instead, he lifts the bill of his old Vanderbilt hat that I'm wearing to better see my face, murmuring, “I saw you wearin’ this in that video.”

“I never leave home without it,” I confess.

“Always did look better on you.”

His hand slowly caresses down to my face, his rough palm gently cupping my cheek and guiding me to lean into him. My lips follow and kiss the heel of his hand.

That small touch of my lips is like kerosene and a lit match across a dry pasture, consuming everything that stands between us, and the next thing I know, his hands are in my back pockets tugging me over his lap and my knees on either side of his thighs. My hands comb through his hair, tugging on the ends until he’s looking up at me and our lips crash together.

Ten years of longing, regret, love, and sorrow spill out into that kiss. And when we break apart, lips swollen and breaths heavy, I finally feel like I’ve come home.

CHAPTER11

Archer

“Holy shit,”Ryder whistles, his eyes tracking the hustle going on around us. He walks up to the stage that started getting built at three o’clock this morning and paces the front perimeter of it. “Is this?—”

“A scale replica of what she performs on?” I laugh. “Yeah, it is.”

“Your girl does not do anythin’ by half measures does she?”

“No, she does not.”

“Ellie’s gonna be talking about this birthday for years to come. Seriously, how am I gonna top Tins putin’ on a damn concert for my daughter next year?”

Briar, who's been sucking back enough caffeine to be concerning and walking around like a general preparing for war, trots down a set of steps at the back of the stage and heads right for us. She’s in sneakers, jean shorts, and some sort of light purple top with straps all over the place showing off her stomach. In her hand is a cell phone and clipped to her hip is a radio with a curled cord connecting it to an earpiece. She holds up a finger when she reaches us and pinches the mic on the collar of her tank.

“Tins and Ellie are doing a run through in forty minutes; I need those marks on the stagenow!” There’s a pause where she pushes on the earpiece to listen. Whatever they say is not good. She looks at us, sucking in a deep breath, hands curling into a fist as she swallows an actual growl.

My brother leans into me and tries not to be heard laughing as he whispers, “I think my balls just ran for cover.”

“It’s tape, not rocket science!” she yells back before ripping the earpiece out. “Sorry about that.

“Anyway, if you two will come with me to the main house. Mikey and John want to run through a few security things with you and we think it’ll go over better with the parents if it comes from you and not us,” she says to Ryder. And to me she says, “And Tins—” but is interrupted by my phone ringing.

“Sorry,” I murmur, pulling it out of my pocket with the intention of silencing it, but when I see it’s my mom calling I tell Briar to hold on. “Hey Mom, what’s—hi,” I change, my voice growing soft and lips tugging into a smile when I hear Tinsley.

“Hi,” she shyly says back. “I hope it’s okay; Eleanor let me use her phone to call you since I don't have one.”

“You don’t have a phone?”

Her laugh is nervous and so damn adorable I can’t help but smile as I turn away from Briar and my brother, who are watching me like I’m the latest episode of their favorite TV show.

“I uh, got rid of it a while back. Everyone had started contactin’ me through Briar anyway, so there was really no reason to keep it.”

I’ve missed the rise and fall of her sugared voice. Its sweet lilt something I don’t understand why she’d cover up but now am selfishly happy that she’s only letting it out with me. It does nothing, though, to soothe the grip of worry that’s taken hold in my chest.

“Shortcake, that’s not safe. What about when she’s not with you? Or you’re driving? Or just home alone—do you at least have a house phone?”

“Archer, I’m never alone,” she laughs at the same time Briar answers with, “She’s, like, never alone.”

Tinsley continues, “As for driving, I don’t. I haven’t in eight years. I don’t even have an active license anymore; it’s just not safe. For me or other people.”

“Oh baby, we’re gonna have to fix that,” I murmur. “I don’t like the idea of you not bein’ able to drive and havin’ to rely on other people.”

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