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“Because now these idiots are going to adopt you.”

Chapter Three

Noble

Iguess it makes sense that if a decade goes by, people are going to change.

That didn’t stop me from doing a double-take at the grown-up version of Hattie Holbrook.

And now, in this store, with her standing in front of me, my eyes can’t help but linger a little longer.

When we were younger, we were instant friends. She was flat hilarious, the spitfire sister of all my best friends. One of the guys.

Now, though, she’s . . . different. She’s still spunky, still willing to dish it out, that much is clear, but she’s also girl-next-door beautiful.

Was she always? Maybe. I never looked at her that way before.

But now?

Now I’m looking.

My mind drifts back to the summer when I was sixteen. Hattie showed up at the lake wearing a new red and white bikini that was a whole lot different than the plain, black one piece she’d been wearing for three years. The second she showed up, Boone smacked me across the back of the head and told me to knock it off.

My hands went up, defensive. “What did I do?” Because I didn’t do anything.

He widened his eyes, and I scoffed.

“She’s like my sister, Boone,” I said. “Don’t make it weird.”

“Just checkin’,” Boone said. “She’s like, way off limits.”

“Yeah, you’ve got nothing to worry about,” I said.

Hunter pulled himself out of the water up onto the floating dock in the middle of the lake. “Are you talking about Hattie?” he said. “Gross.”

“I’m not,” I said. “Boone is.”

“All I’m saying is we need to draw a line in the sand here,” Boone said. “An agreement. You’re one of us, so Hattie and Rowe are off limits.”

“Dude. Rowena is eleven, you creep,” I said.

“Well, she won’t be eleven forever,” he said.

“We’re gonna need to hear you say it,” West said.

They were half-kidding, but the whole conversation had me weirded out. Especially since Hattie was swimming toward us, and I wanted a change of subject before she got within ear shot. “Yeah, of course. I swear I won’t try and date your sisters,” I shook my head. “You guys are nuts.”

“It’s just part of being our friend,” Boone said. “Sisters no bueno.”

The idea that she’d even want to date me was stupid to begin with. She spent a lot of time rolling her eyes and telling us we were being idiots. She was more mature than all of us, except maybe Quent, who also seemed to carry the burden of being the oldest like a rucksack.

I always thought Hattie would end up with someone a lot more “with it” than any of us were, but I had a hard time imagining a guy that might actually deserve her.

She was a handful, in the best ways. Whoever manages to win her over, he’s going to have to be some kind of guy.

And that guy ain’t me.

I follow her up the checkout line, hoping she can save me from the onslaught of attention I was hoping to avoid. I’m happy to sign autographs or relive my best rides, but in this town, people are more likely to remind me what a screw-up I was.