Sweet Southern Secrets (Georgia Peaches Book 1)

by Colbie Kay

“Yes.” I get the focus just right so I can clearly see which star he’s talking about.

  “Do you know the name of that star?” Dex whispers against my ear.

  “No. Do you know how many stars are in the sky—not all of them have names.” I’m still looking at this one star as he kisses the crook of my neck.

  “You should, because it has the same name as you.” I drop my hand, holding the telescope at my side, and turn in his arms.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I ask, “You had a star named after me?” I smile the biggest smile ever because he keeps on surprising me.

  “I did. I have the official paperwork and everything.” He bends and softly kisses my lips.

  “Can I see?”

  “Hold on.” Dex takes the telescope from me before heading back inside, only to return a few minutes later with an envelope his hand instead of the telescope.

  He gives it to me and I pull the papers out. As I start looking at them, I realize these are not for the star. “When did you get these?”

  “Yesterday.” His smile is just as big as mine is. “She is now Raine Mitchell. The courts also decided in my favor and I have sole custody of her.”

  “Dex, that is amazing! I’m so happy for you.” I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tightly. We have been waiting to hear something for so long that we were starting to get discouraged. I’m so happy that now he gets to keep her, and even if Tiffany comes back, she can’t take Raine from Dex.

  “Look at the last document.” I do, and there it is: the authenticity certificate that he had that star named Callie.

  “You’re an amazing man, Dex Mitchell.” I look into his brown eyes and see all the love I could ever possibly need.

  “And you are my forever, Callie Fisher.” Dex picks me up bridal style and I can’t help but to laugh as he carries me back into the condo and takes me into his bedroom.

  Dex proves just how much he loves me over and over again. I have no doubt that we will have a long and happy life together with Raine.

  Bonus – The Georgia Peaches: Fourth of July Weekend

  From the anthology Hot Wicked Romances

  Hey y’all, it’s Fourth of July weekend here in Senoia, Georgia, and let me tell ya, it’s gonna be one hell of a seventy-two hours. Tradition is that every year on this weekend, my sisters and I have all of our friends, the locals, and if anyone else wants to show up to our little shindig, they can. As long as they follow our three simple rules, it’s all good.

  It all started four years ago when we were fourteen. Yep, you heard that right. My sisters and I are all the same age because, well, we’re the Georgia Peach triplets. We started with a small gathering with just our friends, but as the years went on, it grew into a full-blown weekend bash. No one knows how to do it like the Georgia Peaches.

  We live in a white two-story farmhouse with our momma. City folk like to call it out in the boonies, but we just say it’s in the country, which makes it nice, because we have the acreage to accommodate whoever shows up to this gathering we put on. This year is expected to be huge, and I mean huge. Not only are we eighteen now, but we’re leaving for college in the fall. So I guess it’s like a going away party too.

  Tonight will start off with music, dancing, and drinking around a bonfire. Most people just set up their tents and bring sleeping bags so we don’t have to worry about anyone drinking and driving. If someone tries, we put a stop to it, whether that means taking their keys or calling them a ride. That’s one of our rules: when you come out to party with the Georgia Peaches, if you drink, you ain’t leavin’ behind the wheel.

  Tomorrow night we’ll go in town, watch the parade and fireworks, and then come back out for music, more fireworks, more partying, and another bonfire.

  “Cyd, did you go to the store and get all of the food?” That would be the youngest of us triplets, Callie.

  “Not yet. I’m getting ready to go now,” I yell back down the hallway from my bedroom door.

  Walking into the kitchen, I grab my car keys off the kitchen table, along with the grocery list. I start up my Jeep Wrangler, then the passenger side door opens.

  “I’m going with you,” Cayden says while jumping into the seat, turning the radio up all the way—I’m talking full-blast—playing Brantley Gilbert, and bobbing her head to the hot country singer. “This weekend’s gonna be so much fun!” Cayden yells over the music while I laugh.

  “Hell yes it is!” I respond while keeping a steady speed on the gravel road.

  Three grocery carts later, we’re ready to check out. Our cashier is Melanie, a classmate of ours that ended up pregnant our junior year of high school. She would never tell anyone the boy’s name, but we all had our suspicions that it was none other than Jimmy Ray. But ya know how small-town talk is.

  Jimmy was the star quarterback for the high school football team—and the mayor’s son. He was the kind to do whatever he wanted with no consequences, like run the streets, cause trouble, and not keep his dick in his pants. But he was also destined to go on and do great things, leave this little town, and make something of himself. Once graduation came, he spent no time getting out of Senoia and went on to Harvard or some big-name college like that.

  Melanie, however, didn’t come from money, and she didn’t have the best grades in school either, so no scholarships were coming her way. She always kept to herself unless it was a weekend party and booze was involved. I imagine now, with a toddler, she’ll be stuck working at this dead-end job with no help from anyone.

  “Hey, Mel. Are you coming by tonight?” I ask as I unload one of the baskets.

  “No, Jacob hasn’t been feeling well. I was lucky to find a babysitter just to be able to come to work. Have fun, though.” I look up at her and can see the sadness in her eyes. She was always so pretty, but now she looks tired, run-down, and doesn’t take much care of herself.

  “Well, if he starts feeling better, you are more than welcome,” I say with a kind smile.

  All through the parking lot, putting the groceries in the back, and driving home, I keep thinking about Melanie. I don’t know how she does it, and I don’t think that could be me. I feel bad for her, and I don’t understand why she made the choices she did.

  “Hey, you okay?” Cayden asks when I turn the car off at home. “You seem sidetracked since we left the store.”

  I turn to my sister that looks just like a mirror image of me, but with hazel eyes where mine are grey. “I don’t know how she does it.”

  “Who, Melanie?” Cayden furrows her brows.

  “Yeah, Melanie. Could you imagine what she has to deal with, Cayd?”

  “No, not at all.” She shakes her head. “That is prime example of why we don’t mix feelings with a good time and always make sure he’s suited up before doing the deed. Now, don’t dwell on it, we have too much to do.”

  Cayden is right—we never get attached, and we never let our feelings cloud our judgment. We made that rule the day our daddy left us ten years ago.

  After unloading all the groceries for the bonfire, we all took our places in the kitchen. I got the hamburgers prepped, Cayden put all the hotdogs in a pan, and Callie worked on the different kinds of dips and chips. Momma got the grill and soda ready for us before she had to leave for work.

  We have three rules when it comes to this weekend. Number one is no one is allowed inside the house. If they need anything, they know to come to one of us and we will be happy to get it for them. Only our closest friends are allowed in, to help us keep the picnic table stocked with food and drinks; other than that, you’re not getting in. Number two is no fighting, and number three is no one drinks and drives. So far, these rules have worked, so let’s hope it’s successful for this weekend also.

  Now that all the major work is done, it’s time to get ready for tonight because pe
ople will be arriving soon. Out of the three of us, Callie has always been the one to take the longest, but I guess that’s because appearance is everything to her. I’m the tomboy, Callie is the girly girl, and Cayden is somewhere in the middle. I guess it works out better this way, because if we were all like Callie, Momma would go irate waiting hours for us to be ready to go somewhere. Instead, we’re all always ready by the time Callie is—and that says something for four women in one house.

  “Damn it, Cayden! Yes, I’m almost ready. By the way, Brody will be here tonight.” Callie yells from the bathroom, where she’s taking forever, as always.

  “Fan-fucking-tastic! Nothing like a friend with benefits.” I’ve been hooking up with him on and off for some time now; too bad we’re going off to separate colleges. I’m going to miss our adventures in his truck.

  “Cayd, I really don’t think Brody is feeling that way anymore,” Callie responds, and I’m taken aback for a second, because I don’t know what she’s talking about. I don’t have time to dwell on it right now, though—let’s get this party started.

  The DJ got set up a few hours ago, and people started arriving and setting up their tents. Now, they’re enjoying the good food, blaring music, and the bonfire as they walk around with drinks in their hands, talking with the same people they see every day.

  The sun is starting to set, so it’s time for me to take a breather. I climb out of my bedroom window that leads to our roof. When I want to be by myself I like to sit up here; it gives me some space away from the craziness in the house with Momma and my sisters. I lay my blanket down, take my spot, and look up at the only star in the sky so far. “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.” Closing my eyes, I wish for a good year at college.

  When I first started coming out here, it was before our daddy left. Momma never knew because I would have gotten in trouble, being seven years old and climbing onto the roof. They were fighting all the time, so it gave me peace and quiet away from it all. I started making wishes for shit to get better, then for daddy to come back after he left. I was too young then to realize what a piece of shit he really is. As the years went on, my wishes changed, but this place always stayed my sanctuary. I’m going to miss this when we’re gone.

  “Hey, I knew I’d find you up here.” Brody plops down beside me. Brody Masters has been my friend with benefits over the last couple of years, and, aside from my sisters, he’s my best friend. I’m gonna miss him too.

  “Yeah, just wanted a minute to myself to think.” Lifting my legs, I wrap my arms around my thighs and rest my head on a knee while looking at his handsome face.

  Brody has the whole southern boy look down to a T, starting with the t-shirts that have the sleeves ripped off so he can show his muscles. And muscles does he have! From his arms to his chiseled abs and thick thighs, he really is yummy to look at. I don’t know how he fits those thighs in Wranglers, but he manages, and God, that backwards baseball cap kills me with just a little dark-brown hair poking out. And those blue eyes I could get lost in are the color of the sky.

  “You want me to leave you to it, then?” Brody asks while looking down at all the people partying.

  “Nah, I suppose you can stay.” I bump his shoulder with mine, and both of us smile. “You gonna miss this place when we’re all gone?”

  “I’ll miss some things.” He leans in, kissing the top of my head. “What about you?”

  “Same. I was raised a small-town girl, but I never had that mentality like my sisters. Once I’m outta here, I’m not coming back.” I look up at the sky once again, seeing more stars shining bright.

  “Don’t forget this will always be your home, Cayd. Don’t count it out just yet, because we never know what the future holds.” Brody puts his arm around my shoulder, and I lean into his hard body. We stay silent for a while longer as we watch all of the people below. “One last time to remember each other by?” he questions, and I have to laugh.

  “I hope when you find a girl at college you’re more romantic with her.” Pushing away from Brody, I stand and remove my panties, giving a silent thank you to myself for wearing a summer dress.

  “That’s the brilliance of us, baby. I don’t have to be romantic. You take me as I am,” Brody replies as he pulls his shirt up over his head then grabs me around my legs, pulling me close.

  “You’re right about that,” I respond as I straddle his lap.

  Brody’s rough, farm-working hands start at my calves just above the cowboy boots I have on, slowly gliding up over my thighs and around to my ass. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull Brody in close, placing my lips against his. Our tongues dance to a rhythm all their own as my fingertips travel down his tight and toned body until I land at the button on his jeans. Brody’s fingers find my clit just as I pull him free from his jeans. We work each other up into a frenzy until we can’t take it anymore—I need him inside of me.

  Once the condom is secure, I slowly sink down on his hard, long length. Finding the perfect pace that we both love, I ride his cock, switching between rough and hard, then slow and steady. Brody’s hand grips the back of my long auburn hair, bringing my lips to his for another heated kiss.

  As my hips rotate, his head goes back and his eyes close. This is my time to memorize how beautiful he is. It doesn’t take long for the burning fire to start building in my core. I work faster, chasing my impending orgasm, and Brody can, as usual, sense I’m about to come. He wraps one arm around my back and takes over, thrusting deep inside, hitting right where I need him to. My cries are muffled as he takes my mouth, swallowing the noises so no one below can hear. Brody follows suit as he bites down on his lower lip, filling the condom with his cum. We hold onto one another, catching our breath and letting the night air hit our sweaty bodies.

  After a while, we get dressed and decide it’s time to get back to the party and see all of our friends before we collapse. One thing about Brody is he’s just like me: no need for all the mushy shit afterwards. We both got what we needed, and it’s time to move on. We don’t need to cuddle and comfort, we don’t need to have meaningless talk, and we sure as hell don’t need to make each other feel like this is more than just fucking.

  The bonfire burns bright against the darkness of night. In front of me, the burning embers rise into the air before floating to the ground, burning out once they hit the dirt. Looking all around, I see everyone having a good time, but I keep thinking about the changes that are coming my way.

  I know the university isn’t that far away, but I’m really going to miss Momma. It’s not going to be the same; everything is going to change. As I look around, I can’t believe that this is the last time we’ll do this. I can’t believe that we leave for college next month, and then we’re on our own. I’m over-the-moon that Cayden and Cydney will be there with me, but will we stay as close as we are now, or will we all find our own paths in life and go our separate ways?

  “Hey, Cyd,” I say as I see her approaching, seeing the concern on her face.

  “Hey, Cal, what you sittin’ here thinkin’?” Cydney asks as she takes a seat beside me, bringing me back from my thoughts.

  “I’m just thinking about the future, going off to school, what’s going to happen when we get on our own.” I know that I’m taking it the hardest that we’re leaving.

  “Cal, we’ll figure it out. Let’s enjoy this weekend, and then we can worry about the rest.” Cydney flings her arm around my shoulders and I lay my head on hers as we watch the burning fire together.

  After a few minutes, I decide she’s right. No reason to ruin this weekend with my worrying. “Sounds good. Let’s get a drink and dance.”

  “Atta girl,” Cydney says while shaking her hips.

  Not too long after we start dancing, Cayden walks up to us and joins in. Grabbing each other’s hands, w
e jump around, spin and twirl, just letting loose like when we were little girls in our bedrooms and no one was watching.

  We drink, dance, and party until early morning. This is going to be the best weekend of our lives.

  I finish pulling my long auburn hair into a ponytail and take a look in the mirror. I chose my favorite black tank with my cutoff jean shorts, no makeup, and simple black flip flops to wear into town for the Fourth of July celebration.

  Walking down the stairs, I yell, “Cal, Cayd, you ladies ready to go?”

  “Hell yes!” they say in unison, one handing me my bag and the other dangling the jeep keys from her finger.

  When we woke this morning, most everyone was already gone after the party last night. I imagine they left to go get ready as well. Later tonight, everyone will be back at our place, ready to party some more. The University of Georgia won’t know what to do when we arrive on campus in the fall.

  Once we get into town, parking is a madhouse, but we find a spot about a block away, and all Callie and Cayden can do is scream, “We have arrived, bitches!”

  I laugh, but join in. “Let the fun begin!”

  We walk around town for hours, riding all of the carnival rides, playing the games, and flirting with all the hotness that is visual.

  The parade just finished up as we round the corner, and fuck me if we don’t see the last person we ever expected to see again. Once upon a time, we all wished he would come back, but over the years, we grew up, realized how he really was, and never wanted to see him again.

  Cayden looks at the two of us. “We gotta get the fuck out of here!” Just as much shock is written on her face as ours.

  We race back around the corner, hoping he doesn’t spot us. Catching my breath, I tell them, “Damn, that was close!” With big eyes and my chest heaving, I know I probably look crazy right now. “Why the hell would he show up here and now?” I ask, a mix of emotions going through me.