A Hart To Call Home

Chapter One

Willow Park, West Virginia

It was an early summer morning in the picturesque town of Willow Park. A petite redhead sat on her bench seat and looked out the open window. She loved how peaceful the world was before it woke up.

A jarring squeaking sound from the room next door ruined her moment, and her pouty lips scowled at the intrusion. She knew that sound well; it was the sound of the window being pried open from the outside. Next, she heard the familiar thud as boots hit the floor.

Annoyed, she got up and made her way to his room through the adjoining bathroom she shared, with the noise maker, her cousin, Jase. She opened the door to his room and grimaced at the sight. His entire floor was covered in clothes. Every surface had stuff on top of it. It didn't smell too good, either.

"Kit?" He glanced at her as she walked in, "It's the first day of summer vacation. What are you doing up so early?"

"Forget me! Are you just getting home now, Jase?" She narrowed her eyes at her younger cousin. He was wearing a thick black hoodie that reeked like beer. His muddy brown hair looked unwashed, hanging in his red and puffy eyes.

"Yeah, so?"

"It's six in the morning!"

"You know you're only Twenty-two, right?" Jase questioned as he lifted a curious brow. "It's summer vacation, chillax!"

Chill? Yeah right! If only...what a pipe dream for her. She started nursing school in the fall and needed to pay for it. Not to mention, Jase would be graduating high school next year. She had to plan for his college fund too and was probably going to need to work two jobs this summer.

Despite all this Kit couldn't help but go easy on her cousin. Even though he annoyed her, he'd been through hell. Two years ago, his mom and dad, Carl and Rachel, died in a plane crash. Kit and her dad, Stone, moved in after, when Stone became Jase's caretaker.

Stone's parenting skills were pretty much nonexistent. However, Kit had always been responsible enough that it didn't matter. Jase took full advantage of his uncle's lackadaisical nature.

He let out a big yawn and plopped down on his bed. She rolled her eyes, taking the hint, and she turned to leave.

"When you get up, clean this room," she muttered. "It reeks in here."

"Yes, Mom," he teased as she left.

Kit crossed back over to her own bedroom, a cheerful and comforting space, with soft yellow walls and a light blue plush carpet. She padded across the room to her dresser; it didn't take long for her to settle on a pair of jeans and a basic long-sleeved tee shirt. She preferred to keep her look casual and comfortable, for the most part.

After a quick shower, she left her coppery hair down to air dry and applied some tinted moisturizer over her face with a little lip gloss before heading downstairs.

The stairs led down to the large living room, the wood floors throughout the lower level made it appear even bigger, but the blue walls always felt calming. The white, plush sectional couch took up most of the room. Jase would spend most of his summer on it playing video games.

She didn't have to worry about being quiet in the mornings. Her cousin would pass out in no time, and her dad never woke up before noon. Stone managed the local bar and grill and worked late nights. Then he'd come home and stay up well into the night.

Her phone rang, and her eyes widened; another person that never called before noon. "Carly?"

"Hey, Kit! Did I wake you?" Her perky best friend chirped into the phone.