Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
CORINNE
I'm late. My brother is going to kill me. I'm zipping through traffic as fast as I can while still being safe. To be fair, if he wanted me there by a specific time, he should have told me to be there an hour earlier. Maybe then I wouldn't be rushing through Austin to get to his house.
There isn't much I miss about living in a small-town. But no traffic is definitely one of them. A tractor driving down the road, or a cow being loose, are the only things that bring cars to a dead stop back home. And the place we're going for the weekend is barely above that.
I'm excited, though. I had a blast photographing Stella's wedding.
Her house is stunning and we're all staying there.
A quick glance at the passenger seat is all the confirmation I need.
My camera bag sits buckled in the seatbelt.
Justin makes fun of me for taking the extra precaution, but that thing is my baby.
It's how I earn a living and I'll be damned if it gets messed up because I have to slam on my brakes trying to get through this city.
Two miles until my exit, and I slide over into the right lane.
A honk meets my ears and a car zooms by me on the other side, giving me the finger.
There wasn't a car when I got over. That's the other thing I miss about small-town life.
People wave when you pass them. They don't give you the one-finger salute.
Taking the exit, I slow down to make sure I can get over so I'm not honked at again. Where is all this smalltown melancholy coming from? I couldn't get out of there fast enough, that long ago. Now, I long for it more than I thought I would.
Finally, the street to my brother's house is in sight. I glance at the clock to see how late I am. Only thirty minutes. That's actually good timing for me.
I park on the curb and head toward the door. It swings open before I lift my hand up to knock.
"Would it kill you to be on time?"
"What a nice way to welcome your sister to your house." I push past him and head straight for the living room. Audrey is sitting on the couch, shaking her head. "Hey Audrey, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh, you're fine." She laughs. "I don't know why he thought we'd leave on time. Or why he picked this time to head to Asheville. He knows what this highway is like right now."
"That ain't no lie," I mutter.
Justin storms into the living. "Seriously, Corinne. Do you treat your clients with this level of respect?"
"Hold up," I face him and put my hand in the air. Stopping him from saying whatever he's going to come at me with. "At work I'm a professional. I mark gigs an hour before I need to be there, so I have plenty of time to set up. This isn't a job. So, calm the hell down before you blow a gasket."
He takes a deep breath and lets it out. "You're right, I'm sorry." He opens his arms and takes two steps toward me. Ready to make up. It's something we did when our parents got together. Why? No clue. It's not like we've ever been able to stay mad at each other for long.
"It's all good." I take a step toward my brother and wrap him in a hug.
Audrey puts her arms around both of us and laughs. "Group hug!" She squeezes tight before letting go and we all pull apart. "Now, let's get the car loaded. Cori, where are your bags?"
"In the car," I point toward the door. "But um, there's a lot."
"We're only going to be gone for a weekend. What could you possibly be bringing?"
"I want to take some photos while we're there. Stella's place is gorgeous, and you never know when inspiration is going to hit." I wave his frustration away as I walk to the door. "Besides, it's not like it can't sit in the back seat with me. There's plenty of room."
It goes silent and I have a feeling I'm about to hear something I don't want to hear.
"About that—" Justin trails off.
Pulling the door open, I attempt stepping outside. But I run into something solid. I look up and this can't be happening. "What's he doing here?"
"Well, hello to you, too." Carter grins at me, and I want to smack the smug smile off his face.