of her eye, Emma could see Allie frown and exchange a quick look with Ben. Her sister was such a goody-goody. Such a worrier and, what was worse, upholder of a strict moral compass—a girl who expected everyone else to live by the same impossibly high standards.
And her sister, of course, was too smart to stay in Brunswick. She would get out of this town and would leave everything, including Emma, behind.
A rustling sounded near the shrubs, interrupted the resentment bubbling up in her chest. Emma sat up and ran a hand through her hair as Morgan Hicks stepped between the azaleas, carrying an open bottle of wine. Another girl, a freckled, strawberry blonde, and two guys trailed behind, each making their way through the narrow opening in the landscaping.
“Um, how about using the front door?” Emma asked under her breath.
Allie sat up. “Aw, Em. It’s okay, right?”
Morgan kissed Allie’s cheek, said hello to Ben, then slid a glance at Emma. “Sorry, we’ll call next time.” She winked at one of the guys, who raised a six-pack of beer in response.
“It’s fine.” Emma shrugged and heaved up into a sitting position, wiggling her legs so that her feet dangled close to the ground.
“This is Kira.” Morgan slung an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “Jack is her boyfriend, this is Alec, and . . .” Her voice slurred and trailed off. She paused, then snapped her fingers. “Chase!” she exclaimed.
“When’d she meet them, five minutes ago?” Emma whispered under her breath. Morgan did spend her time shopping and dating Atlanta’s most eligible bachelors. Her family made tons of money. She never could decide whether to loathe Morgan or emulate everything she did. Morgan blew hot and cold with Allie as well. She was occasionally overtly cruel to her sister, a trait her sister refused to acknowledge, but one Emma found slightly amusing, especially when Allie was on her last nerve.
“Please be nice?” Allie leaned over to nudge her sister. “Morgan likes you.” She gave Emma’s hand a quick squeeze.
Morgan clapped to get everyone’s attention. “So, Alec’s mom and dad have a place on St. Simons,” she said, arching an eyebrow. “They’ve bought a new yacht and are docking it this morning.”
Emma pressed her lips tight as Morgan continued her story. There was always a story or drama flaunting someone’s wealth. Allie and Emma’s own father had money, but not that kind.
“So we decided to avoid the commotion and drama and swing through town to see you first.” Morgan struck a pose, hip out, a grin on her red lips, as if she’d just announced an unexpected space shuttle landing in the waves off Sea Island.
“Great,” Allie exclaimed, nodding. “I’m so glad. Mom and Dad are out at the movies with Caroline. Ben, can you grab some extra chairs? Check the back porch.”
Ben unfolded himself from the hammock and headed for the garage.
Morgan plopped down in a chair and made a wry face. “I haven’t seen you in forever!” she exclaimed to Allie, then turned back to the group and smoothed a stray hair from her face. “So, I should make the formal introductions. Kira and Alec are attorneys at my firm. Jack’s at the DA’s office in Atlanta,” Morgan said with a sly smile. “And my friend, Allie, is going to be a doctor.” She raised her cup in a tipsy salute.
Chase twisted off the cap of a beer bottle. “Just finished my MBA.” He turned to Allie as Ben returned with folding chairs. “So, med school, eh?”
“Hopefully.” Allie suppressed a grin.
Jack tapped his chin, finished off his beer, and pointed at Ben. “What about you? What’s your claim to fame?”
Ben hesitated, glancing at the bottle in Jack’s hand. “Political advisor.”
Jack sputtered, then laughed. “No way, man. Really?”
“Really.” Ben sat on the hammock next to Allie and began rubbing her arm. He winked over at her. “If Sonny Perdue wins his second term as governor, there’s a good
And her sister, of course, was too smart to stay in Brunswick. She would get out of this town and would leave everything, including Emma, behind.
A rustling sounded near the shrubs, interrupted the resentment bubbling up in her chest. Emma sat up and ran a hand through her hair as Morgan Hicks stepped between the azaleas, carrying an open bottle of wine. Another girl, a freckled, strawberry blonde, and two guys trailed behind, each making their way through the narrow opening in the landscaping.
“Um, how about using the front door?” Emma asked under her breath.
Allie sat up. “Aw, Em. It’s okay, right?”
Morgan kissed Allie’s cheek, said hello to Ben, then slid a glance at Emma. “Sorry, we’ll call next time.” She winked at one of the guys, who raised a six-pack of beer in response.
“It’s fine.” Emma shrugged and heaved up into a sitting position, wiggling her legs so that her feet dangled close to the ground.
“This is Kira.” Morgan slung an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “Jack is her boyfriend, this is Alec, and . . .” Her voice slurred and trailed off. She paused, then snapped her fingers. “Chase!” she exclaimed.
“When’d she meet them, five minutes ago?” Emma whispered under her breath. Morgan did spend her time shopping and dating Atlanta’s most eligible bachelors. Her family made tons of money. She never could decide whether to loathe Morgan or emulate everything she did. Morgan blew hot and cold with Allie as well. She was occasionally overtly cruel to her sister, a trait her sister refused to acknowledge, but one Emma found slightly amusing, especially when Allie was on her last nerve.
“Please be nice?” Allie leaned over to nudge her sister. “Morgan likes you.” She gave Emma’s hand a quick squeeze.
Morgan clapped to get everyone’s attention. “So, Alec’s mom and dad have a place on St. Simons,” she said, arching an eyebrow. “They’ve bought a new yacht and are docking it this morning.”
Emma pressed her lips tight as Morgan continued her story. There was always a story or drama flaunting someone’s wealth. Allie and Emma’s own father had money, but not that kind.
“So we decided to avoid the commotion and drama and swing through town to see you first.” Morgan struck a pose, hip out, a grin on her red lips, as if she’d just announced an unexpected space shuttle landing in the waves off Sea Island.
“Great,” Allie exclaimed, nodding. “I’m so glad. Mom and Dad are out at the movies with Caroline. Ben, can you grab some extra chairs? Check the back porch.”
Ben unfolded himself from the hammock and headed for the garage.
Morgan plopped down in a chair and made a wry face. “I haven’t seen you in forever!” she exclaimed to Allie, then turned back to the group and smoothed a stray hair from her face. “So, I should make the formal introductions. Kira and Alec are attorneys at my firm. Jack’s at the DA’s office in Atlanta,” Morgan said with a sly smile. “And my friend, Allie, is going to be a doctor.” She raised her cup in a tipsy salute.
Chase twisted off the cap of a beer bottle. “Just finished my MBA.” He turned to Allie as Ben returned with folding chairs. “So, med school, eh?”
“Hopefully.” Allie suppressed a grin.
Jack tapped his chin, finished off his beer, and pointed at Ben. “What about you? What’s your claim to fame?”
Ben hesitated, glancing at the bottle in Jack’s hand. “Political advisor.”
Jack sputtered, then laughed. “No way, man. Really?”
“Really.” Ben sat on the hammock next to Allie and began rubbing her arm. He winked over at her. “If Sonny Perdue wins his second term as governor, there’s a good
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