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Chapter Three

EVA

I stood on the porch of rown up loving So h my head Once those memories had only been for Josh, my childhood sweetheart, fiancée, and now a fallen soldier He had beeninto htylike Josh, but I’d fallen in love with hilass of sweet tea and took a sip I aiting on Daddy to get back fro to have lunch together today, but his new far I had been almost here when Daddy had called to cancel, so I decided to come and just enjoy the peace and quiet for a while

I wanted to stay and see Daddy today It had been hard leaving him at first When h the grief and pain, Daddy and I had grown stronger together Leaving hiuilty, but it had been tiht I recognized that Jeep parked out front," Jeremy’s voice called out from the front yard I turnedunderneath theat e

I setand ran down the steps Jeremy opened his arms for me to throw rowing up as Josh had The three of us had been inseparable When Josh had died, Jere close I just hadn’t realized that Jeree cae had saved both of us

Jereround "You’re hoht you had another week before you ca his face was always bittersweet He looked so much like Josh

"Semester’s over Ti here?" He asked, setting round in front of hione to the stockyard though His help called in sick this ly "Why don’t you have lunch with me instead?"

"I’d love to I have soe, corn on the cob and black-eyed peas, and biscuits on the stove, keeping theh for just me and Daddy Coirls’ hearts you’ve broken this year"

There was a flicker of unease in Jeremy’s eyes that most people wouldn’t have noticed, but theneveryday of their life with him I knew hio for now He was protecting so to let him

"Your homemade chicken salad?" he asked with a pleased look on his face

"Yep"

"Hell, yeah," he replied, and bounded up the stairs without waiting forhomeDaddyJeree--because I was, deliriously so It was just that I didn’t feel like I could talk to hie and Daddy still didn’t speak to each other When they were together, it ard Even though Cage didn’t mention it, I knew he still worried that he would never e’s face said it all I just couldn’t be open with hi

I fixed both of us a plate and sat down at the table across froether at this table since I was a little girl It felt good to still have e You lanced up at me then back down at his plate, then he shoveled a forkful of peas into hishe wanted to talk about Which meant we needed to talk about it It had always been Josh’s job to get Jeremy to talk when he had a problem I had watched their dynamic for years I knew Jeremy as well as I had known Josh

"Talk Jer," I said, settingat hi to talk about"

"Yeah, and I know better than that Can’t lie to me," I replied

Jeremy leaned back in his seat and leveled e life is for et out of hereYou knoay fro up early and going outside before the dew has dried Iwith the sun onI wanted out of this life and now I know it’s my home It’s who I am"

I understood some of that I missed the land too Maybe not as much as he did, but it was a part of both of us "Then move home If this is the life you want, come home"

I could see the torn expression in his eyes "I want tobut Momma is so damn proud of me For the first time in my life, she acts as proud of me as she was of Josh I loved ood as Josh in Momma’s eyes She adored him He was the one who everyone loved" He paused and his eyes flicked doay from me "I understand why I loved hi that she’s proud of even if she hadn’t wanted lad I did now"

I leaned across the table and glared at Jereaze back up to meet mine "Jereood Your momma thinks you walk on water She adores you just as , you were the reason everyone--rieved for Josh, and you stood there in the gap When you should have ben grieving and falling apart, you kept us all together You, Jeremy You If you decide you want to come home and live here and have this life, your momma will be thrilled She wants you close, Jer But , she wants you to be happy Can’t you see that? She wants you to have a chance at life She wants you to get to live the life your brother didn’t"

A sed on the corner of Jeremy’s lips It was a crooked slad you were here today I needed you to set ood for that," Jeremy teased

"We all have our talents," I replied, and winked at his with you and Cage?" Jere another bite of his food

"Good--no, great He got a full-ride scholarship to Hill State in Tennessee for baseball I’onna work? I can’t i you behind Last time I was around, he was pretty da away at me was back I wanted to believe the best, but the truth was, there was a chance Daddy could say no What if he said no? "I’ht make it true

"Wow, really? I didn’t think your dad would be real keen on you running off with Cage"

Not what I needed to hear right then Iindifferently "Maybe not, but I love him"

"And when Eva loves someone, she loves them hard and with all her heart I know that I’ve seen it in action," Jeremy said with a sad s to deep and figure out It was odd

CAGE

I glanced down at etting late Eva had texted that she was headed back froo I didn’t want to text her and check on her while she was driving, for fear she’d glance down at her phone and take her eyes off the road If she wasn’t here in the next tenafter her

"Loosen up Dayour phone I love Manda like mad crazy, but even we have to take breaks from each other You need to learn to breathe without her under your ar at me from across the table at Live Bay where I’d met up with him and Dewayne to hear Jackdown play Eva knehere I was and was corowled at Preston He tucked soirls walked up to the table because of it The dude and his hair were a da as hell, sinceat me Not interested Never will be

"Hey, Preston, you’re alone tonight?" one of the into hiirl may not be here, but I’m still not available Go sniff somewhere else," he replied with a flip of his hand I didn’t even make eye contact with the for Eva to walk inside

"Next time point one in my direction," Dewayne said as he put his beer down on the table and sat down beside me "I walk off for three da distraction They’d have done it Both of ’em"

"Go after them I’m sure they’d be all over that tattooed-dreadlocks-pierced lip-and-leather-bracelet thing you got going You’re scary as hell, D It’s gonna take more than a Malibu Barbie to take you on" Preston had suh Females liked it, but then he’d snarl and they’d take off running

"You’re right Those touldn’t have been able to handle e I needed Where the fuck was Eva?