The Persistence of Thornes

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Hawthorne Mills is supposed to be my chance to start over with my brothers. Becoming their guardian wasn't the plan but I'll do anything it takes to keep them from being put in the system. Even if it means raising two teenage boys when I'm only twenty-three.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>There's one thing I don't expect.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Caleb Thorne.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>He's literally descended from the founding family of the town and practically royalty here.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>And also my new neighbor.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Which makes him privy to every screw up I make trying to navigate being a parental figure to my younger brothers.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>It should be easy enough for me to avoid him but he's annoyingly persistent in wanting to help me. I call it pity even if he insists it's not.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The worst part is there's undeniable chemistry between us and the more time we spend together the harder it becomes to resist.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>But nothing good in my life has ever lasted so I fully expect Caleb to be another of those temporary things.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Especially when my past demons finally catch up with me.</span></p>