Page 60 of The Way Back Home

I scratch behind Zora’s ears. Her tongue lolls out, and she thrust her head through the window and gives Cole Webb another short, sharp bark as we peel away from the curb. I think she misses it, too—the fight, the work, feeling useful. You can take the Marine out of the Corps, but you can’t take the Corps out of the Marine. We’re a match made in heaven, she and I.

***

WHEN WE RETURN, THEhouse is as quiet as it was when we left. Olivia’s likely still asleep in her bed. Josiah is in the next room, and Bett’s nightlight casts a rainbow of color down the hall, drenching it in light. I climb the stairs as silently as I can, which isn’t quiet at all, and when I reach the top, I’m surprised to find Olivia in her doorway, standing in a silk nightgown, pale pink, so pale it’s almost white. I know I shouldn’t look, but my eyes dip down to her breasts, to the rosy outline of her nipples beneath the silk. I wet my lips and meet her gaze, and it takes everything I have not to reach out and pull her to me.

“You went to Josiah’s, didn’t you?”

“How’s your head?”

“You’re not answering my question.”

I give her a sly smile. “Because you already know the answer.”

“What did you do, August?”

“Nothing any other Marine wouldn’t.”

“Jesus, August,” she says, sounding tired and at the end of her tether. “Is he still breathing?”

“I ain’t looking to go to jail, princess.”

“You beat up the sheriff’s brother,” she whisper-yells, impatient now. “You’re a trained Marine; you’re supposed to be the level-headed one here.”

“Oorah,” I say sarcastically.

“August.” She closes her eyes and exhales loudly, and I realize I don’t wanna fight her no more. I reach out, grab her waist and pull her to me, and then I smash my lips into hers. Liv lets out a startled whimper that quickly turns into a moan. I pull away, grin down at her stunned expression, and whisper, “Get some sleep, princess.”

I walk down the hall, check on my sister, and then disappear into my room without glancing back at Liv, though I know she’s watching me. I feel her stare burning holes in my back the whole way.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Olivia

“JESUS CHRIST, WHATthe hell happened to you three?” Beau crows as he glances between August, Josiah, and me. He shoves his hands into his pockets and stares. All three of us look at him. He turns to Josiah and says, “Dude, did you get stupid enough to make a pass at Olivia? Holy shit, man. I know she’s hot, but that’s—”

“That’s enough,” August says, and that’s the end of it. Beau could probably hazard a guess at what happened—surely if anyone knows about Cole Webb beating his son, it’s Beau. Still, he’s being his usual irritating self by attempting to provoke us all. Either way, when August Cotton tells you to can it, you can it. Unless, of course, you happen to be me. I’m not so good with the shutting up and agreeing to do everything he tells me to do.