up
and
were
ready
to
greet
her.
Tears
burned
the
back
of
her
eyes.
It
had
been
too
long.
When
she’d
been
Dare’s
girlfriend,
the
brothers
had
claimed
her
as
an
honorary
sister,
and
since
she’d
been
an
only
child,
she’d
held
that
attachment
very
dear.
One
of
the
hardest
things
about
leaving
College
Park
had
been
knowing
that
in
addition
to
leaving
Dare
she’d
also
left
behind
a
family
she
had
grown
very
close
to.
As
she
looked
at
them
now,
she
began
to
smile.
They
stood
in
a
line
as
if
awaiting
royalty
and
she
walked
up
to
them,
one
by
one.
“Thorn,”
she
said
to
the
one
closest
to
Dare
in
age.
She
gladly
accepted
the
kiss
he
boldly
placed
on
her
lips
and
the
hug
he
fondly
gave
her.
“Ten
years
is
a
long
time
to
be
gone,
Shelly,”
he
said
with
a
serious
expression
on
his
face.
“Don’t
try
it
again.”
She
couldn’t
help
but
smile
upon
seeing
that
he
was
bossy
as
ever.
“I
won’t,
Thorn.”
She
then
moved
to
Stone,
the
first
Westmoreland
she
had
come
to
know;
the
one
who
had
introduced
her
to
Dare.
Without
saying
a
word
she
reached
for
him,
hugging
him
tightly.
After
they
released
each
other,
he
placed
a
kiss
on
her
lips
as
well.
“I’m
so
proud
of
your
accomplishments,
Stone,”
she
said
smiling
through
her
tears.
“And
I
buy
every
book
you
write.”
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