In Honor by Jessi Kirby Read Free Book Online

own chair by the fire and picked up a beer.
    The girl stood and came over to me, smiling apologetically. “Sorry about Wyatt. He’s kind of a lightweight. Two beers and he becomes the world’s biggest dumbass.” She stuck out her hand and I shook it. “I’m Corrie.” She gestured at the guy who was still sitting by the fire. “And that’s Sam, Wyatt’s older brother.”
    I nodded at them, well aware of the clench of my jaw at the word “brother.” Rusty stepped up next to me and shook Corrie’s hand, smiling his good ol’ boy smile. “Rusty. And this is Honor.” I watched her for the little flutter effect he had on most girls when he put in any effort. She wasn’t his usual type, but she was definitely good looking. Wavy brown hair, tan skin, and sleepy hazel eyes like you see on lingerie models. She smiled in a friendly way, but not overly so, and I guessed Sam was probably her boyfriend.
    As if on cue, Sam stood and smiled a more-sober version of Wyatt’s smile. “Nice to meet you guys.” He put a relaxed arm around Corrie’s shoulders and nodded at the cooler. “You want a beer?”
    Rusty didn’t miss a beat. “Don’t mind if I do.”
    Sam looked to me. I didn’t particularly like beer, but I learned in my brief high school party career that a girl who would drink a beer was a heck of a lot cooler than one who wouldn’t. “Sure.” I smiled. “Thanks.”
    While he went to get them, Corrie pulled two more lawn chairs out of the truck, and Rusty and I brought them over to the fire ring. Sam returned with an armful of dripping-cold beers, tossed one to Rusty, and handed Corrie and me each one but didn’t bother with Wyatt, who was leaning back in his chair, humming softly to himself. When I set my chair next to him, he winked at me. Corrie walked around behind him to her chair, ruffling his hair. “Keep tryin’, Don Juan.”
    She sat on the other side of me and twisted the cap off her beer. “Ignore him. He’s got a thing for girls in boots and dresses. Spent the entire trip trying to convince us to drive all the way down to Texas for that.” She nodded at my feet and smiled. “Those are cute, by the way. I like the red.”
    I took a drink and was surprised at how not-bad the beer tasted. The iciness of it was a good complement to the stillhot evening, and it put me a little more at ease. “Thanks.” I laughed a little. “Guess I fit the stereotype, then. That’s where we’re from.”
    “Hear that, Wyatt? Your dream girl’s from Texas.” She reached around and poked him.
    He sat forward in his chair and smiled, then leaned across me and wagged a finger at Corrie. “I told you they know how to dress there.” He turned to me, forearms resting on my legs, and I sat back slightly, all too conscious of our close proximity. Wyatt didn’t notice. He smiled so big, his eyes closed, then pushed himself back up and raised his beer. “So. To girls from Texas, who wear boots with dresses.” Nobody else heard the toast, but I clinked my bottle with his and took a sip, surprised at how good it felt to be just a girl in a dress, instead of one wrapped up tight in grief.



6
     
    “So, what’re you guys doin’ over this way?”
    Sam had no way to know that when he turned to Rusty, his question snapped me out of my slight buzz and sent me into silent panic. It was a normal enough question.
    I watched Rusty. Please, don’t say it. Don’t tell him about Finn or Kyra Kelley or anything. He glanced at me and casually drank from his beer, allowing me to answer. I silently thanked him. You never knew what might come out of his mouth, but at least he realized the last thing I wanted was to explain what we were doing there.
    I kept it vague and casual. “Just a road trip.” When I said it, its unspoken meaning tugged at the edges of my composure. Really, it was hard to believe what I was doing—that the day after my brother’s funeral, I was on my way to California for a concert, sitting