For the first time, Katty smiles directly at me—a real smile that reaches her eyes. "Exactly like that."
She looks gorgeous. Damn it.
We approach the livestock area, and Lilly brightens at the sight of baby goats in a pen.
"Oh! Can we?" she asks, already pulling us toward them.
Some things never change. My baby sister, tough enough to leave home at eighteen and make her own way, still turns into a kid around animals. I can't help but smile as she leans over the fence, cooing at a black and white kid that prances toward her.
"She needed this," Katty says beside me as we hang back. "Something normal. She hasn't been sleeping well."
I study her profile in the glow of the string lights overhead. "How long have you two been friends?"
"Since tenth grade chemistry. We were lab partners," she explains. "I accidentally set her notebook on fire the first day."
"And she still wanted to be your friend?" I raise an eyebrow.
Katty shrugs. "I put it out before the teacher noticed. Lilly said anyone who could handle a crisis that calmly was someone she wanted in her corner."
My sister's always been a good judge of character. As I watch Katty watching Lilly, I see the protective instinct there, similar to my own but different. Softer around the edges, maybe, but no less fierce.
"What's your plan?" Katty asks, turning those green eyes on me. "For Dylan."
"Depends," I say honestly. "I need to see what kind of man he is. Some back down when confronted. Others need more... convincing."
She nods, unsurprised. "Just so we're clear, I'm not opposed to whatever needs to happen. Lilly's tried doing things the right way. It didn't work."
Before I can respond, Lilly's head snaps up, her body going rigid. She backs away from the goat pen slowly, her eyes fixed on something, or someone, across the pavilion.
"He's here," she whispers when we reach her.
I follow her gaze and spot him immediately—exactly as described. Polo shirt, khakis, that pretty-boy look that always makes my teeth itch. He hasn't seen us yet, but he's scanning the crowd, hunting.
"Stay with Lilly," I tell Katty, already moving forward.
Her hand catches my arm, surprisingly strong. "Wait." When I look back, her expression is fierce. "Together. We do this together."
We stand side by side in the glow of the fair lights, ready to protect what matters. And as Dylan's searching gaze finally finds us, I realize this Sweetheart County Fair just got a lot more interesting.
Chapter 2 - Katty
I feel the exact moment Dylan spots us.
It's like a cold finger tracing down my spine, the same feeling I've had since this whole nightmare started. Lilly freezes beside me, her earlier joy evaporating like morning dew under a harsh sun.
But this time, something's different. This time, we're not alone.
Tank stands at my side, a human fortress of muscle and intent. The carnival lights play across his tattooed forearms and the hard planes of his face. I've known him for all of thirty minutes, and already I understand why Lilly speaks of her brother with such confidence. He radiates controlled violence. The kind that doesn't explode randomly but strikes with precision when needed.
"That's him," I murmur unnecessarily. "Coming this way."
Tank gives a nearly imperceptible nod. "Got him."
Dylan weaves through the crowd, his face lighting up with that fake smile I've grown to hate—the one that never reaches his eyes. Those eyes only show one thing when he looks at Lilly: possession.
"Should we move?" Lilly whispers, her hand finding mine and squeezing.
"No," Tank and I answer simultaneously. I clear my throat. "We stand our ground. You've done nothing wrong."
