Under the Dusty Sky (Holloway Farms)

up. I pause at the door on the way out to smirk at him.
    “ The school librarian, Dad? Does she wear her glasses and say dirty book words to you like Dewey decimal?” I laugh.
    His face settles in a faux-glare, and he points to the door.
    “ Git. Don’t you have a farm-hand out there to chase after? One that I specifically mentioned was off limits?”
    I suck in a sharp, shocked breath, and my dad looks very pleased with himself.
    “ I may not say much, Bug, but I ain’t stupid. I’m not the only one sneaking around.” He winks at me and goes back to his paper.
    I blush deeply, and he shakes his head at me as if I’m the stupid one for thinking I could get anything past him.
    I feel lighter as I step outside into the clean, refreshed air. I clutch Mom’s journal in my hand. At least I know now. This one wasn’t my fault. I don’t have to apologize to her anymore for making her leave.
    But I did to Ben. To my dad.
    Two apologies down.
    Two more to go.

Epilogue
    Graceland
    Surprisingly, I’m able to laugh along with my brothers at the epic failure that is my driving test. I knew I’d fail even before I got behind the wheel. I’ve only driven with Ben twice since the first time at the Shelton Shack, and with my apologies to Lacy and Dermott taking up so much of my mind, I really didn’t care about driving.
    “ You sure you want to be dropped off here, Bug?” Archer says from beside me as he pulls his truck into the stable yard. He’s still sweaty and smells disgusting from football camp, and even if I didn’t have to meet Ben here, I’d gladly walk the rest of the way so I don’t have to smell the animal that I call brother. I’m just glad Asher had to drive my car home, and I don’t have both of them in here. There are not enough air fresheners in the world, I swear. I do not know what the appeal of football players is.
    “ Yeah, here’s good.” I don’t say goodbye and hop out into the blazing sun. I jog around the barn to say a quick hello to Belle before heading out into the field. Ben should be finishing up the hay harvest, and I see a tiny speck in the distance standing on top of a big bale stack.
    Squinting into the sun as I approach, I can tell he’s smiling because it’s blinding.
    “ So?” he yells down to me from the top.
    I look at the ground and shrug, but I’m holding in a laugh too.
    “ You failed,” Ben states, and I glare up at him, backlit by the sun and surrounded by clear blue sky.
    “ You sound so sure of that.” I grab onto the bales and begin to pull myself to the top.
    “ C’mon, Gracie. No one drives three times and passes on a standard. Just say it. You failed.” He pushes my arm playfully once I’m standing beside him.
    “ Failed epically is more like it. Don’t really want to talk about it.” I push him back. He sits down and settles himself on the bale before patting the hay between his legs. I lower myself and sit with him, resting my back against his chest. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and presses his mouth to my bare shoulder.
    “ Hey!” I shrug gently so he lifts his lips from my skin. “Cheater.”
    His body shakes mine as he laughs, and he hugs me tighter. I’m quickly getting used to him. To this.
    “ Since when do you play by any rules, Graceland?” Ben laughs and pushes the hair over my shoulder, his fingers running along the back of my neck. It makes me shiver even in this heat.
    “ Fine, I’ll play by the rules,” Ben continues.
    “ My favorite color is green.” He kisses my shoulder, and I smile.
    “ I had a dog for a week when I was seven, but my mom made us get rid of it because it shed. I cried for a week,” he says and kisses the side of my neck.
    I turn to face him, my grin wide as I try to imagine him crying.
    “ I cheated on a Chemistry test in eleventh grade because I was going to fail the class.” He presses his lips to my cheek and kisses me loudly. Pulling back, he smiles.
    “ Better?” he asks.
    “ Better,” I say and lean forward, kissing his mouth quickly at first, but he wraps me up in one of his crazy amazing hugs and kisses me harder.
    A kiss for everything I learn about him.
    This is the best way to get to know someone better. By far.
    And the summer has only just begun.
    END

Holloway Farm BOOK TWO sneak peek
BEYOND THE INFINITE HORIZON
    Coming 2014

Prologue
    Asher
    One year earlier
    She’s standing so close that I can feel the sun radiating off her body. Her skin is bronzed from our