The First Law of Love by Abbie Williams Read Free Book Online Page A

apologetically out the window and then drove forward. I needed to catch Cartersville Road to take me out to the Rawleys’ place, and it took me two wrong turns before I was headed in the right direction. I cleared Jalesville, back into the gorgeous, wide-open foothill country, gazing out my car windows with a great deal of pleasure. The sun was just melting over the edge of the mountain range in the distance when I pulled cautiously into what I believed to be the right place, my heart all fluttery and my stomach twisting.
    Holy shit, what a beautiful spot for a home , was my first thought.
    Seconds after I put the Honda in park, nervously gripping the wheel with my left fist, the door of the main house banged open and I saw people in the rearview mirror. A lot of people, and dogs, coming towards my car. Laughter, chatter, exclamations of excitement. Almost before I could wrap my fingers around the door handle, I was surrounded.
    â€œThere she is! Tish, welcome!” said Clark, closest to the driver’s side. He was grinning widely and opened the door for me; I was swept summarily into a warm embrace. He smelled strongly of peppermint and faintly of tobacco. He drew back to grin at me; he looked just as I remembered, sparse silver hair lifting from his head in the light breeze. His mustache still dominated his face, along with wire-rimmed glasses. His four youngest sons crowded behind him, Marshall, Sean, Quinn and Wy. I remembered the two weeks they’d spent with us in Landon, grilling out, swimming and drinking beer, and felt myself smile, my concern slowly evaporating.
    Truly, though, ‘boys’ wasn’t the proper word to describe them any longer, as only Wy was yet a teenager. The Peter Pan tribe had grown up and I was surrounded, almost overwhelmingly, by a rowdy group of handsome, twenty-something men. I thought of Grace and Ina, smiling to myself as I thought about what my former roommates would say at this fortune. Though it was apparent that a couple of them had girlfriends; either that or Clark had adopted two daughters.
    â€œTish, you remember me, don’t you?” Wy asked, dancing from foot to foot with excitement. He was tall and gangly now, with the same shaggy, dark-brown hair and long noses shared by all the Rawley men. His attitude reminded me instantly of Clint.
    â€œOf course I do,” I said, curbing the odd, tender urge to ruffle his hair. He had only been six years old when his mother had been killed in a car wreck. “You’re just a little bit bigger now.”
    All the boys offered hugs; I was introduced to Sean and Quinn’s girlfriends (who did not hug me); they were surface-nice, though their eyes covertly roved over me as potential competition – unknown woman from a different state could be trouble. I understood this, and felt compelled to assure them that I had no designs on their men.
    â€œGarth and Becky couldn’t make it this evening, but they’ll be over this next Friday for supper, as will you, I hope,” Clark said as he led me inside.
    â€œThat would be lovely, thank you,” I told him. Inside, the house was redolent with the scents of grilling meat and spice. There was a fire roaring away in a stone fire bowl on the back deck, I could see clearly out the glass patio doors. I felt my shoulders relax fractionally, swept into the warm sense of home that so clearly exuded from these people.
    â€œCome on out, honey, have a chair,” Clark told me. “What would you like to drink?”
    Probably I should have said water, but the air out here was intoxicating and as I sank onto a plushy patio chair near the crackly fire, I heard myself respond, “A gin and tonic would be great, if you have it.”
    â€œComing right up,” Clark said.
    I was joined by the whole bunch and found myself truly enjoying their company as they questioned me about Landon, about Mathias and Camille, about Ruthie, and Clint, who they all