“You.” I point at Casey. “Stop that right now. We have a pact.”

“It’s null and void.” He smirks. “Has been since you left.”

“How many?” I ask him, thinking of how many of my friends he’s hooked up with and broke their hearts.

“A gentleman never kisses and tells.” He sits down, and I look around.

“I don’t see any gentlemen here,” I say, grabbing my own chair and sitting down. “You.” I point at Olivia. “Come sit here next to me.”

“Would you relax? I can handle myself.” She pulls out the chair and sits down. “Oh my gosh, is that fried chicken?”

“Yup,” I say when my mother puts down the plate of chicken. “That’s chicken fried steak.” I point at the plate next to the chicken. “That’s shrimp and grits. And then collard greens, biscuits with gravy you can also put on the chicken fried steak, and cornbread.”

“I’m going to be a million pounds when I leave here,” Olivia says, looking at all the food. I’m about to grab a piece of chicken when a phone rings, and we both look at each other. The panic in her eyes is apparent, and she almost bolts from the table. Casey’s eyes fly to hers and then mine as he pulls his phone out of his back pocket. He looks down and then looks at me.

“’Bout fucking time you took your head out of your ass,” he says and looks at me and then my parents as he pushes away from the table. “I was calling to give you a heads-up.” He walks out of the room.

“No one will touch you here,” my father says softly, and Olivia grabs her napkin and dabs her eyes. I don’t say anything when Casey comes back into the house, the door slamming behind him.

I watch him toss his phone on the counter. “Well, it’s safe to say people know you’re back.”

Chapter Five

Jacob

“Is this going to be a problem?” Savannah asks, and I shake my head.

“Ethan, say bye to Mom,” I tell my son who walks over to his mom and reaches up to give her a hug.

“Love you, kiddo,” she says and then she looks at me. “Can you call me later?”

“Will do.” I nod at her. Having Kallie back in town is fucking with me, and I saw her for point seven seconds. I feel shifted, and I hate it. I get Ethan in the truck and buckle him in. “Eat what your mom packed you.” I point at the lunch bag that he put on the seat when he got in.