Emory Maxwell has come home to the small town of Sweetness, Georgia, with one goal in mind . . . to get his childhood sweetheart Shelby Moon to marry him. They've been in love since the second grade, but Shelby's father is determined to keep his daughter in Sweetness, not moving around the country as a soldier's wife. No matter what she chooses, Shelby knows she'll hurt one of the men she loves.
But when a tornado rips through town, will she and Emory lose their chance to be together forever?
This is a short prequel to the Southern Roads series, where a tornado all but wipes the town of Sweetness, Georgia, off the map. The series, Baby, Drive South, Baby, Come Home, and Baby, Don't Go, chronicles the efforts of the Armstrong brothers to rebuild the town they love.
The story opens with Emory on his way home to Sweetness, on a very short leave from the army. He desperately misses his girlfriend Shelby and is determined to ask her to marry him. The biggest obstacle is her father, who is equally determined to keep Shelby safely in Sweetness. And then there's poor Shelby, who loves Emory and wants to marry him, but doesn't want to hurt her father.
I felt bad for Emory, who did everything right. He saved up for a ring, has solid plans for his future, and even went to Shelby's dad to ask for his blessing. But that stubborn old man doesn't want to let go of Shelby. When Emory takes his proposal public, he sort of puts his foot in his mouth, which causes Shelby's pride to kick in and she sends him away. I ached for his pain, as he fled to his boyhood sanctuary of the town water tower.
I ached for Shelby too, as she was caught between a rock and a hard place. She immediately regrets the things she said, but can't go after him right away, because of issues at the grocery store. She also needs to be honest with her father about her wants and needs.
When Emory spots the tornado from his place on the tower, his first thoughts are for Shelby and the town's safety. My heart was in my throat at his dangerous predicament and I held my breath until I was sure he was safe. The intensity of his fears for Shelby leapt off the page. My heart melted as Emory says all the things he didn't say to Shelby when he proposed while he's trying to dig out the ruins of the grocery store. I loved her response, and that of her father. I loved seeing all the townspeople pull together to give them a special wedding day in spite of the devastation.
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