Page 27 of Where the Little Birds Are (Little Bird Duet 2)

I blush, touching the bird. “Corbin got them made from a local woman. It’s sort of our thing.”

Her brows raise. “Birds?”

I just shrug.

Corbin squeezes my hand, redirecting the topic to me. “Kinley is a writer. She got an agent a few months ago and has multiple stories published online and in magazines.”

Everyone turns to my red face.

It’s Mark who says, “Impressive. Is that what you want to do with your life? Write.”

Clearing my throat, I give him an uncomfortable shrug. “I’m not sure. I’d like to, but—”

It’s Mrs. Callum who brushes her hand against my arm and tells him, “I have no doubt in my mind she’ll go places.” Her eyes travel to Corbin. “They both will.”

Mark nods in approval. “I don’t know what’s in this town’s water, but it seems to be creating the kind of dreamers I like working with. Consider what I said, Corbin. We’ll talk more at a later date now that you have my card.”

Dalia wiggles her fingers at him as she loops her elbow with her father’s. “Call me when you make up your mind. You and Daddy will make a perfect team.”

“I will, Dal. Thanks for coming.”

The two walk away, leaving the four of us left staring at one another. I can’t help but watch Dalia as she waves at everyone like she knows them. It bothers me more than I like, but I force the wary feeling away.

I turn to Corbin. “I’m really happy for you. A manager? That will be huge for you if you agree to work with him.”

His dad grumbles. “Still think the guy came off as an asshole.”

Corbin’s lips twitch. “You think everybody comes off as an asshole, Dad. Mark is just confident. You need to be, in this business.”

His father’s matching silver eyes roll at the remark. “There’s a difference between being confidant and cocky, and that guy was the latter. And I don’t think everybody is an asshole. I liked Kinley from the start.”

My face heats. “Thanks, Mr. C.”

He flashes me a grin before his eyes focus on his son’s. “Keep her, son. Best advice I’ll ever give you is to never let go of the good ones.”

Corbin looks at me, his eyes shining with a different kind of light I haven’t quite seen before. “Trust me, Dad. I won’t be letting anything happen to her.”

I look down at the ground when I can no longer keep his locked gaze. His fingers tighten around mine, his thumb brushing the back of my hand, as we begin walking to their car.

With his parents leading us, he leans down and brushes his lips against my ear. “I know that I mess up sometimes, but I mean it, Little Bird. It’s you and me against the world. You’re stuck with me even if you don’t want to be.”

I hold onto his hand and lean against him as we walk together. His lips brush the side of my head, causing my eyelids to flutter.

When we settle into the back of his parents’ car, he takes a pen from the console between his parents and grabs my hand.

Across the back of my unmarred skin, he writes, fly with me.

Biting my lip, I look up through my lashes and want nothing more than to say I love you, but the intense feeling in my chest leaves me speechless as he picks up my hand and kisses over the ink.

No more words are spoken.

None have to be.

Chapter Ten

Kinley / Present

The letters scattered across the kitchen island stare back at me in vast numbers, but my attention is on the package with Corbin’s name in the sender’s section. It’s bigger than the one he sent with the notebook that I have yet to use. It just sits in my office on display for me to torture myself with. Maybe if I opened it again I would have known the number by heart that he called me from the other day.

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