Starlee's Heart (The Wayward Sons 1)

“Oh wow, that’s a long way. I’ve never been anywhere out of state other than Nevada. Las Vegas once, when my mom got remarried.”

I’ve got nothing to say to that. I have nothing to say to any of this. I’ve never been around someone that talks this much; rambles, even. So, I do what I do best. I’m quiet and I listen.

As we walk around the lodge property, George tells me how he likes adventure sports. Hiking, biking, skiing—water and snow. He rambles on about living in a small town and how it sucks. How it’s boring and how he can’t wait to leave when he saves some money and graduates next year. I absorb some of it, believing that if he’s following me around, he must really be bored.

“Charlie will get into college. I’ve got no doubt. He’s got some grand plan to get a scholarship for e-sports.”

“What’s an e-sport?”

“It’s playing sports online—you know, on different teams but affiliated with your school. It’s pretty cool. The best players can earn scholarship money.”

“And your brother’s good?”

“He’s kick-ass at it, which is awesome other than the fact that he’s obsessed. Like really obsessed. It’s a problem, and one of the reasons Sierra instituted outdoor time for the guys at the house.”

“What do you mean, ‘outdoor time’?”

“Oh, well, at least twice a week we have to go off the grid and do outdoorsy stuff. She says it’s good for all of us to get out there and breathe in nature and negative ions and work out our excessive energy.”

I watch him bounce on his toes. I have a feeling I know who she’s talking about with excessive energy. I do frown though and ask, “What’s a negative ion?”

“Hell if I know. I think it has something to do with water. Sierra is a huge fan of waterfalls.”

“And Supernatural.”

He glances at me. “You know SPN?”

“Uh, no, not really. Katie told me that’s what all the Wayward Sun stuff was about though, but to be honest, I’ve never seen it.”

“You’ve never watched Supernatural?” His eyes widen in shock.

“No. We didn’t have cable.”

He’s thinking hard for some reason and I use the opportunity to duck in the last room. I slip the paper on the counter and lock the door behind me.

“All done,” I say.

He stands across from me, his hand sliding through his hair, pushing it back. I wonder how soft it would feel between my fingers.

“Hey!”

We both look down by the office. Charlie’s standing on the porch with his phone out, thumbs moving quickly.

“Oh good, he’s finished.” He looks back at me and smiles. “Nice to meet you, Starlee.”

He offers me his hand and for a minute I stare at it, but then my senses come back and I shake it, limply. “Uh, you, too.”

He turns and jogs down the path to meet his brother and I realize in that moment that they’re the same age, size—twins? They speak to one another, I’m too far away to hear them but they both glance back in my direction—even Charlie, who drags his eyes away from the screen for two seconds before looking back down. Out of a distinct lack of knowing what to do, I focus on my shoes.

I don’t look back up until I’m sure they’re gone, back around the fence. I take a deep breath, feeling like I can breathe for the first time in an hour.

That night after dinner there’s a knock on the door. Leelee’s in her room and she asks me to get it. I look through the curtain and see George on the porch. My heart does a little nervous flip-flop but I open the door. Leelee hires these boys to work for her—they must be safe.

“Hi,” I say, noticing the pink square box in one hand and a something unidentifiable in the other.

“Hi.” He holds the box up. “Dexter wanted to send you the last Zasberry pie. I think it’s his way of apologizing for acting like a maniac in the street the other day.”

“Oh, well, he doesn’t need to apologize to me.”