Chapter 26

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We concluded our drive to Tennessee when Dustin pulled onto a dirt path that circled around the front of a ranch-style home. There was a plump, older woman sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch, a magazine in her hands, when she heard the gravel crunching underneath the tires her eyes shot up and a smile lite up her entire face as she shot up from her spot and quickly yanked open the screen door to shout something into the house. Dustin put the truck in park but before that Mabel had leaped out and was running in her direction, arms opened wide.

"Aunt Sue!" She shouted as the woman mimicked her pose until they finally grasped each other into a tight hug. She had on a long denim dress that had a white floral print around the collar, she wore her greying, light brown hair in a tight ponytail that swooshed when she moved.

"Hey Aunt Sue," Dustin's voice was soft and he had a small smile playing on his lips, as she pulled from Mabel and looked to Dustin, her dimples accentuating her features while she fisted her hands and put them on her hips.

"Dusty!" Her accent was much deeper than both Mabel and Dustin's combined, I hung back by the hood of the truck watching as this woman who was easily a foot shorter than Dustin brought him into a bone-crushing hug. She peeked off to the side of him and met my gaze to which I offered a small smile that mirrored hers. "And who is this little lady?" Her question was directed to Dustin but her eyes continued to follow me.

"That's my girl, RaeLynn," my heart fluttered at his words, "RaeLynn, this is my Aunt Sue."

"Hi, nice to meet you." My feet brought me closer to the group and suddenly I realized that there were two other people greeting Mabel, they all wore grins the size of Texas.

Holding my hand out for a polite handshake she looked at it and tsked, "Come on now, that's not how we do things around here." Before I could retract my hand she had took it only to pull me to her in a hug that was tight in a friendly manner, warm vanilla and lavender filled my nostrils.

"You done good, Dusty," a scrawny man was standing next to Dustin as we ended the hug, he wore a loose fitting pearl snap flannel and a black cowboy hat that looked much too big for his head. He was a head shorter than Dustin and his blue eyes smiled at me with crow's feet, "I'm his Uncle Earl." He greeted me with a handshake, his hands were calloused and rough just like Dustin's.

"I'm RaeLynn, you can call me Rae if you'd like."

"Well, what do you say we ditch this big goon, Rae?" A voice asked from behind me causing me to whip my head back.

"Quit it, Randy." I saw Dustin reach his hand over and smack the much shorter boy on the back of his head, he was about an inch or two taller than me and was dressed in a similar outfit to his Dad's, though his muscular frame filled it out more.

"Oh, you know I'm just playing, cous," his voice wasn't as nearly as deep as Dustin's but his accent was much more prominent.

"Nice to meet, you." I offered my hand and he took it with a light grasp and small shake.

"Well, what do you say we get you all settled inside?" Aunt Sue asked to which we all nodded, tuning back to the truck to get our bags.

"Well, what do you say we get you all settled inside?" Aunt Sue asked to which we all nodded, tuning back to the truck to  get our bags

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