Page 1 of Back in the Country
PROLOGUE
WAYLON - SIX YEARS AGO
Iwatch as Marlee hugs her brother. Her face is buried in his chest and her gown billows in the light breeze. When she pulls away, her eyes are watery but bright—just like his. This is such a big accomplishment for them; it makes my heart squeeze.
Giving them just another private minute to bask in this milestone, I saunter over and catch her eye.
“I did it!” Marlee screams as she launches herself into my arms, diploma hot off the press.
“I am so proud of you, Baby Girl.” Burying my nose in her hair, I inhale as I spin her around. Her laugh is wild and free, just like she is.
“Thanks, Waylon.” She beams at me, and my heart pounds in my chest. Swallowing takes effort, but I force the emotion as far down as I can manage. Now isn’t the time or the place, and it probably never will be.
Her smile is so brilliant and carefree. She has a lifetime to make all her dreams come true. I clear my throat thinking of how I met this little bright-eyed girl when she was barely seven years old. She’d latched onto me—well all of us really— and never let go.
Now, she is college bound and I can finally acknowledge that she is taking a piece of me with her. I remember she’d been so scared when I’d first met her, and my heart had lurched at the sight of the tears in her eyes. When one broke free, I’d knelt in front of her and used my thumb to wipe it away.Baby Girlhad slipped from my lips as I tried to comfort her the best way a fourteen-year-old boy could. The name had stuck, not because she was young but because she was precious—and I’d known it immediately.
“All right, Baby Girl, you ready to go to your big party?”
Her big green eyes roll so hard I’m surprised she doesn’t fall over. Despite being the youngest of our chosen family, she’s never asked for anything extravagant. Marlee has always just been this constant ray of sunshine, finding happiness in everything she does.
“Yea,” she huffs. “Let’s get it over with.”
“Hey,” Sorren scolds, “Gran and Mama put a lot of work into this party for you.”
“I know. And Iappreciateit. But you guys know I’m easy.” She winks at her brother, giving him an instant eye twitch.
“Donotmake us give you the safe sex talk again,” he growls as we walk toward the car. I cough to cover my laugh, and he gives me a stern look over her head. Looking away, I try to rein myself in because talking to her aboutthe birds and the beeswas honestly one of the most awkward days of my life.
Looping her arm through his, she rests her head on his shoulder, and I watch him instantly relax. I know he’ll always worry about her, but I think for the first time since they moved to Clementine Creek he can finally breathe. She’s an adult now, with a high school diploma and plans for college in the fall. This is a new chapter for both of them.
The party is barely windingdown when Marlee corners me and asks if I want to take a walk. It is something we do all the time, but for some reason this feels different. We’d changed after the ceremony—her into a floral cotton dress and me in shorts and a button-down I rolled the sleeves on. I still wanted to look nice for her special day, even if she didn’t notice.
“I figured out what I want for my graduation present.” Marlee’s eyes sparkle with mischief as she skips down the road beside me.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I grin at her. Her playful side is something that will always amaze me. She’s this wild spirit that’s always been bigger than this town. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and by God, this girl will move mountains one day.
“Yup.” She spins in front of me, the hem of her dress floating higher up her thighs, exposing so much tanned leg I want to weep.
“And?” I press because I can’t be staring at her legs like that.
She sashays up to me and stops when we’re toe to toe. The smell of her perfume swirls around on the breeze, and it makes my skin tingle in a way I can’t afford. It’s light and fresh and feminine, like sunshine and the ocean breeze even though we’re in a landlocked state. My body feels like it just turned on, and her being near me, smiling at me, is driving me mad.
I swallow hard.
Shejustgraduated from high school, for fuck’s sake.
“I want a night with you.”
Cocking my head to the side, I narrow my eyes at her. She blushes, and my heart takes off at a sprint. There’s no way…
“Like to watch a movie?” My voice is surprisingly calm considering the current spike in my blood pressure.
“To have sex.”
What.
The.
