Page 30 of Playing it Country

MARLEE: Atta girl

Iput my phone back in my pocket and watch as Case nervously flits around the kitchen making us lunch.

“Your family is a lot.”

He smiles at me over his shoulder. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“I’m in a group message with your sisters and in-laws and whatever. I am not a group message kind of girl.”

He laughs.

“They’re planning a housewarming,” I whine and he chuckles as he turns around with two delicious looking sandwiches.

“I’m honestly surprised they haven’t come over yet.”

“How are you okay with everyone always being in your business?”

He takes a bite of his sandwich and groans, and the noise is downright sinful.

“I don’t know any different.” He lifts a shoulder as he swallows, and just watching his Adam’s apple bob has me squeezing my legs together. “Plus, they mean well. The girls want you to feel welcome here.”

“But why?” I ask because despite seeing and interacting with these people and being enveloped by their adoration for each other—it’s still a hard concept to wrap my head around.

Case sets his sandwich down and wipes his hands slowly on his napkin before he opens his mouth to speak.

“Well, let’s see.” He holds his index finger out and says, “Sorren and Marlee came to live with their grandparents when she was little and he was a teenager. He practically raised her along with his grandparents. Waylon’s loved her his whole life and then fell in love with her. He’s Sorren’s best friend, by the way.”

“I did pick up on at least the ‘best friend married to my sister’ thing.”

He holds out another finger. “Hank did three years in prison for something he didn’t do, and with the kick in the ass from his now wife, he’s finally free of that after more than a decade.”

“Wow.”

“Otto finally got his happily ever after with his first love when she came back to Clementine Creek with her son and ex-husband.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

His lips tip on the side but he doesn’t elaborate. “And Rhea is…” Case trails off as if debating his words and then says, “Rhea.”

“That’s helpful.”

He chuckles as he braces his hands on the island.

“She’s the glue that holds us together. She’s our calm and our sounding board, but she’s also not afraid to kick our ass if we need it. Her heart is so big and she loves hard—we all do. Also she gives the best presents.”

I laugh becausewow.

“Your dynamic makes a little more sense, I guess.”

“We’ve dealt with a lot over the years and we lost a lot of time with the people we love. It’s not something we’ll willingly sacrifice now.”

I nod because there’s nothing else to say after a statement like that. Instead, I pick up my sandwich and take a bite, and my eyelids fall shut as I hum in appreciation.

“See? Rhea’s great at gift giving. She gave me the rub for the chicken. Pretty good, right?”

Laughing around my bite, I nod, and I’m equally thankful for the shift in mood.

“I’m pretty decent in the kitchen too,” I admit when I finally swallow and take a sip from my glass of sweet tea.

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