Page 1 of The County Line
Prologue – Molly
Eleven years ago…
“And now, please welcome your graduating Whitewood Creek High School Senior class!”
The announcer’s voice echoes through the outdoor stadium as the crowd erupts with cheers. Graduation caps soar into the air, mingling with bursts of confetti from the cannons set up around the perimeter of the field. The cool evening breeze carries the scent of fresh-cut grass, mingling with the sugary aroma of funnel cakes from the concession stands.
My best friend, Regan Marshall, turns to me, her eyes bright with excitement, a wide grin plastered across her face. “The first day of the rest of our lives,” she says, squeezing my arm.
I squeeze her back, matching her smile, but deep down, it feels different for me. This isn’t just the start of the rest of my life. This is the beginning of myfreedom.
Finally, I get to leave Whitewood Creek behind—the tiny town where I’ve spent years suffocating in a run-down trailer with my father and older brother. The place where my future has always felt like a dead-end, boxed in by broken dreams and emptypromises. Whitewood Creek is a beautiful, small town for some, but for kids like me who grew up on the wrong side of the city, it’s filled with nothing but pain.
But not anymore.
In just a few hours, I’ll be on a bus headinganywherebut here. The worn leather backpack I packed last night is still sitting on my bed at home, stuffed with the bare essentials—a couple of changes of clothes, a picture of my brother, and a little cash I’ve been able to earn while working at the town’s infamous barbeque restaurant after school.
It’s not much, but it’s enough to get me out of North Carolina. Maybe even all the way to the West Coast.
As the crowd of fellow students surges around me—hugging their parents, snapping photos, and making promises to stay in touch—I weave through them, my heart pounding in my chest. I dodge teary-eyed moms and proud dads until I spothim. The only person who’s here to see me. The only person who’s ever really cared about me.
My older brother Maverick.
He stands to the side, hands stuffed into the pockets of his worn jeans, his undershirt hiding the tired slump of his shoulders. He’s taller than me—always has been—but these days, he looks skinnier too. Like he’s been skipping too many meals since he started splitting his time between working with Dad and helping at the egg farm with Colt Marshall on the Marshall family’s massive farmstead.
“Mav!” I call out, my voice filled with eagerness as I throw my arms around his neck. “I’m so glad you came.”
His thin arms wrap around me tightly, holding me for a beat longer than usual. “I wouldn’t miss it. How many times do I get to watch my little sister graduate high school?”
His words are lighthearted, but when I pull back and look up into his blue eyes—the same shade as mine—I see it. Something’s off in them. There’s an emptiness in his gaze, a weight that he’s trying to hide behind that crooked smile. A sadness that wasn’t there before. And I don’t know if it’s because of Dad or something else but before I can ask, I sense another presence behind me.
Colt.
My brother’s best friend. The youngest of the Marshall family—practically royalty in our small town because of the farm that’s been in their family for generations—and the guy I’ve been secretly crushing on for years. Colt’s towering frame has always made him an intimidating presence to most people. Broad shoulders. Strong arms. Warm, hazel eyes that always seem to find mine anytime we’re together.
But he’s never intimidatedme. With Colt, I’ve only ever feltsafe.
“Congratulations, Molly,” he says, flashing me a grin that makes my stomach do stupid little flips, even though I know he’ll never see me as anything more than Mav’s little sister.
“Thanks,” I murmur, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You too.”
He adjusts his graduation robe, looking way too good in it, and I swear I catch his eyes lingering on mine a little longer than usual.
“Sundaes on me for my two favorite grads?” Maverick grins, throwing an arm around my shoulders, his other hand reaching up to fist-bump Colt.
“Sounds good to me,” Colt replies, but his eyes stay locked on mine. “What about you, Molly? You coming with us?”
I hesitate. The city bus leaves in two hours. If I go with them, I’m cutting it close. And if I miss it…
No.
I can’t risk staying. I can’t give my dad the chance to realize I’m gone before I’m already halfway out of North Carolina. I might be eighteen now—technically an adult—but that wouldn’t stop him from finding a way to drag me back and throw me into his business. Control is his addiction, money is his pride, and I’ve been under his thumb long enough with both of those things.
But… just one more memory. One last moment with the two people I care about most in this town before I leave everything behind.
“Okay,” I say softly with a nod. “Just for a little. I have… plans after.”
Colt’s brow lifts slightly, his curiosity piqued, but Maverick doesn’t even notice. Or maybe he does and just doesn’t care to ask what those plans could be. They’re the only two people I ever hang out with, well unless you’re not counting Colt’s twin sister Regan.
