When We Were Legends (Ghost Mountain Book 1) by Shelbie Mae

Author:Shelbie Mae [Mae, Shelbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Ezra

Peering above the floorboards, Marigold’s eyes widened as she scanned the space. The treehouse was modest—a simple platform with a weathered wooden railing. But it was once my castle.

A pulley system still hung from a branch off the side. Levi and I once used that to haul rotting peaches, buckets of toy cars, board games, and even buckets of dirt up to our fort. Because we were the oldest of our siblings, we had imposed a strict ban on our younger sister and brother from entering until our parents intervened.

Marigold found a spot by the trunk and leaned against the gnarled wood, eyes puffy and red.

How was I supposed to help her? Sometimes I came up here to think. It was a safe place. A quiet haven that could allow Marigold to experience and express her emotions freely.

“Are you okay, Mari?”

Her red-rimmed eyes met my gaze, but she remained silent. “Mari?” she asked.

I shrugged, a little embarrassed. The name had just slipped out. “It’s a nickname,” I said. “Do you mind?”

She used the hem of her T-shirt to dab at the moisture under her eyes. “No. I kind of like it.”

The pale white skin of her stomach distracted me. She looked soft and warm. I forced myself to look back at her face.

A woman like Marigold could never develop feelings for someone like me. Not with her ties to Levi. We could be friends and friends alone, no matter how much I wondered . . .

I moved to the railing, as far away from her as possible. Standing at the railing, I felt the soft peach fuzz brushing against my bicep as I leaned back against the wooden structure where the peach tree’s branches met the treehouse.

“Would you like a snack?” I picked a succulent-looking piece and handed it to her.

She rolled it between her palms but didn’t take a bite.

“You can stay here as long as you want,” I offered. “And . . . and I’m willing to listen if you need to talk.”

Her trembling lip hinted at unshed tears.

“And I don’t mind if you cry,” I said. “I have a little sister, so I’m used to the affair.”

Her expression wavered from a small smile to sorrowful agony. Curling into herself, she wrapped her arms around her knees, the peach resting delicately in her hand.

If she were Lilly, I would have embraced her without hesitation, urging her to confide in me. But this was Marigold. I couldn’t treat her the same way I treated my sister.

I remembered her hesitation to climb into my Bronco. The way she paused, probably wondering if I would kill her based on Levi's opinion. Now we were in a tree together, and I could only guess she wanted me to keep me at a distance.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I tried.

She lifted her head, noticed the peach still in her hand, and took a tentative bite. “This tastes like candy.”

Not what I was thinking we’d talk about, but at least it was progress.

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