Breaking the Rules

by Katie McGarry

  A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

  For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer

  road trip out West with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so...different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything—except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

  But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants—even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love and themselves.

  Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah is more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he’d be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn...seriously epic.

  BREAKING

  THE RULES

  Katie McGarry

  Dear Reader,

  Echo and Noah aren’t in high school anymore, and the rules have changed.

  Immediately after they graduated at the end of my very first novel, Pushing the Limits, Echo and Noah took off across the United States in their quest for freedom, for self-discovery and to figure each other out as a couple.

  Breaking the Rules takes place during one week near the end of their road trip, and follows Echo and Noah’s first steps toward adulthood during that exciting and frightening time right after high school. Because of that, this story does deal with more mature themes, and I confess I swooned, blushed and cried several times while writing it.

  Those of you who have read Pushing the Limits will understand my tears. Echo and Noah have been through a lot in their eighteen years and, at the end of Pushing the Limits, they saw their first rays of hope for a better life, but, truth be told, they still have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with before they can truly find happiness. This is the reason why I decided to continue their story. I wanted these two characters I had fallen in love with to find true happiness, and that meant there were several demons they had to face down first.

  I’m honored that I was given the opportunity to write Echo and Noah’s continuing story, and I’m very proud of how Breaking the Rules turned out.

  In case you’re wondering, Breaking the Rules takes place in the time period between the end of Pushing the Limits and the beginning of Beth’s novel, Dare You To. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but readers who have followed the rest of the series might enjoy the subtle nods to my other books. For example, Dare You To fans might remember exactly why Beth has a love/hate relationship with the Yankees, while those of you who’ve read Crash Into You know where Isaiah’s hope for a happily-ever-after ultimately leads him.

  I hope that while reading this book you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll fall in love all over again with Echo, Noah and the friends who become their family.

  With lots of love,

  Katie McGarry

  Acknowledgments

  To God: NIV Isaiah 43:18—Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

  For Dave: Because real love means walking hand in hand even during the rough times and during the questions that feel impossible to answer. There is no other person on earth I’d rather have by my side in those difficult moments, as you forever bring me hope.

  Thank you to…

  Kevan Lyon—This journey would be close to impossible without you. Thank you just doesn’t feel like enough.

  Margo Lipschultz—I have loved Echo and Noah from the moment they appeared on the page, and I wasn’t sure anyone else could love them as much as I do until I met you. Thank you for all your faith in me and in them.

  For everyone at Harlequin and Harlequin TEEN who has helped me with this book and the others in this series. I am honored to have such an amazing team surrounding my books.

  Angela Annalaro-Murphy—I am truly blessed to have you as a friend, a best friend…a sister.

  To Kristen Simmons and Colette Ballard—One of the best parts of this journey has been meeting the two of you. Thank you for your fantastic friendship. I love you both!

  Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, Kurt Hampe, Bill Wolfe and the Louisville Romance Writers: Thank you for your continued love and support!

  To my readers: Echo and Noah’s continuing story is possible because of your support. You have no idea how much I appreciate you all!

  As always, to my parents, my sister, my Mount Washington family and my entire in-law family—I love you.

  Contents

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Noah

  Echo

  Echo

  Noah

  Echo

  Noah

  Q & A

  Playlist for Breaking the Rules

  About the Author

  Oz

  Excerpt

  Noah

  Echo shifts, and the cold rush of air against my skin causes my eyes to flash open. The Colorado State Park Ranger for the Great Sand Dunes wasn’t kidding when he said temperatures drop overnight. I stretch the muscles in my back then turn onto my side in order to touch Echo again. My palm melts into the curve of her waist.

  She’s curled in with her back to me, and she’s tugged the blanket tight to her neck. Her tank top no longer provides protection against the elements. Last night was hot, in more ways than I can count, and the cover wasn’t required for any of our activities—neither for the sleeping nor the kissing. Without a doubt, this has been the best damned summer of my life.

  Outside the tent, birds chirp, and off in the distance an engine sputters to li
fe. Gravel cracks as a car leaves the campground. Echo releases a contented sigh. She’s gorgeous in her sleep. Her red curls flow over her shoulder, and a few strands cover her face.

  We’ve got one week before we have to return to Kentucky. College orientation is starting, and my place of employment, the Malt and Burger, will reopen after being closed for renovations. I’ll no longer be a burger-flipper. Instead, I’ve entered management, where I’ll be teaching other assholes how to flip burgers. Who’d have thought I’d be the responsible type?

  My hand wades through the mess of clothes near Echo’s head, and I dig out my cell. Seven in the morning.

  Good and damn.

  Good—Echo slept through the night again without a nightmare and damn, she needs to wake up. I’ve got a promise to keep to a nine-year-old.

  I lean down and press my lips to Echo’s shoulder while my finger teases the strap of her tank. A disgruntled groan slips from her throat, and I chuckle as she halfheartedly swats at my hand. “Go away. I’m sleeping.”

  My nose brushes the hair away from her ear. Her sweet scent overwhelms my senses, and my mouth waters. I’m about to trash my intention of seducing her awake and replace it with plain seducing, but there’s one lesson I learned quickly at the start of our road trip: Echo’s not a morning person.

  I gently nip her earlobe. While mornings aren’t her thing, she’s definitely a night girl. “I promised Jacob I’d video chat with him today. You wanted to shop for a new dress, and we have one more stop before we hit Denver.”

  Jacob—my younger brother.

  I spent the past three years of my life plotting and scheming to gain custody of him and our youngest brother, Tyler. This spring, after experiencing one of those life-altering moments you see in the movies, I walked away from the custody battle and gave my brothers the life I could never provide. I shattered the fucked-up remains of my heart in the process. But Echo, being a damned magical siren, gathered the pieces and has slowly sewn them together.

  “I take it back,” Echo mumbles into the pillow. She fails at pulling the cover over her head when I pinch the blanket with my fingers to keep it in place. “I don’t want a new dress for Denver. You take the keys and go chat with Jacob.”

  Echo’s been invited to an art showing, and this one has her on edge. If I had to guess why, I’d say she’s tired of the same pretentious jerks acting like they know everything. I’ve been over this nonsense since our second week, but Echo’s into it, and I’m into Echo. “We need to map out the rest of our trip so I can call ahead and get shifts. I need cash if you want to stay in a hotel again.”

  I worked at the Malt and Burger for two years in Louisville, and thanks to their employee travel program, I can take swing shifts at sister stores throughout the nation. Gas and food on this trip hasn’t been cheap, and then I sent a chunk of money to my best friend, Isaiah, for a deposit on an apartment.

  “I’ve got money.” Echo nestles in like it’s three in the morning instead of seven, and damn if she doesn’t look sexy doing it.

  Even with the slump she’s hit this past month, Echo did well earlier this summer by selling her paintings at galleries. I agree she could finance us, but the only thing I have left is my pride, and I’ll eat shit before anyone rips that from me.

  “I’m earning my way,” I say. “If you don’t come with me today, we’ll end up going through Kansas again.”

  She wrinkles her nose but has yet to open her eyes. “It’s a large country, Noah. We can live without seeing Kansas again.”

  “If you wake up and come with me, we’ll have plenty of time to plan a new route.”

  “Know what I haven’t had plenty of in two years? Sleep. Now—shhhh. I’m nightmare-less, and you’re ruining my streak.”

  Echo’s been nightmare-less for seven days. It’s a big milestone, for both of us. “Echo...”

  “Please,” she whispers in this sensual Southern drawl full of the cracked grogginess that drives me crazy. “Pretty please?”

  Everything inside me softens. Hands down, this girl owns me. I gave up caring this past spring how fucked I am because of it. “Five minutes.”

  “An hour.”

  “Ten minutes, and we’ll stay in a hotel tonight.” We’re visiting Colorado Springs for the next two days before we drive to Denver. It’s our last sightseeing trip before going home. Until this point, I’ve been adamant we camp.

  Accepting her silence as consent to the deal, I hook an arm around her and draw her into my body. Echo flips, resting her head on my bare chest, and I don’t miss the unrepentant smirk. Her breath tickles my skin, and the thought of seducing her creeps back into my brain. I shove the impulse away. I made a deal and I’m a man of my word.

  With the soft sound of her even breaths and her body molded to mine, my eyelids grow heavy. I battle the urge to sleep along with her. This summer has brought a sense of peace I haven’t experienced since I was fourteen, since the night before my parents died.

  A herd of footsteps race past the tent, and seconds later a small kid’s voice yells, “Hey, wait up.”

  I force my eyes open. “Come on, baby. It’s time.”

  “You’re mean, Noah.”

  The blanket falls off her arm as I slide a finger down her shoulder. Goose bumps form along her skin at my touch. She may be cranky, but she’s responding.

  “A deal’s a deal,” I remind her.

  “I changed my mind. I’d rather sleep.” With her eyes still shut, she hunts for the cover, but I kick it off. She presses her lips together. “I’m serious. You’re the meanest person I know.”

  I kiss her neck then blow on the skin, pleased with the smile she’s fighting.

  “Does that feel mean?” I ask.

  “Horribly.” She giggles. “It’s torture.”

  Echo rolls onto her back, tossing her arms over her head, and flutters her emerald eyes open. Her red hair sprawls over the array of pillows, clothes and blankets. My heart warms when I spot the spark in her eye.

  I love her. More than I thought I was capable of, and I would sacrifice my life for her happiness.

  She sucks in a breath when I caress her face. It’s a slow movement, one that memorizes her skin. We’ve been traveling since graduation in June, visiting art galleries, exploring the country and each other. But there are some places that we haven’t been, and while I’m fine with waiting until Echo’s ready, there’s that span of time when she looks at me and I kiss her lips where I wonder: Will this be our first time?

  Echo’s phone rings. She blinks repeatedly then bolts upright. “Crap.”

  It’s a miracle her cell has power. She’s had a bad habit this summer of not plugging it in.

  Echo tosses my shirt at me before grabbing her cell. “I forgot to call Dad last night, and he’s going to be ticked.” She drops her voice so she can mimic his pissed-off tone. “‘I thought you were going to be responsible, Echo. You said you’d call every other day by seven.’” She returns to her normal voice. “Just crap. Will you please put your shirt on?”

  “Your dad can’t see I’m shirtless.” Because she’ll go red-faced and stutter if I’m not fully clothed while they talk, I slip the shirt on and unzip the tent. “Don’t forget to tell him I’ve been respectful.”

  I glance over my shoulder to see her answering smile freeze. The cell continues to ring, and Echo holds it in her hand, staring at the screen. Her face is void of color, and her body begins to tremble.

  “Baby?”

  Nothing.

  I edge closer and run my hand through her hair. “Echo.”

  The cell stops ringing, and Echo turns her head in a movement so slow that it’s painful to watch. The eyes that were full of life moments before are now wide and terrified. “It was my mom.”

  Echo

  Alexander, my b
aby brother, cries in the background.

  “Is he all right?” I ask.

  “Yes,” my father says on the other end of the line. “Just hungry. Can you hold on? Ashley needs his blanket.”

  “Sure.” I listen as Dad thumps up the stairs of our house.

  Alamosa is a small town in southern Colorado and the closest thing to civilization near the Great Sand Dunes. With that said, it was still a tortuous, caffeine-free, thirty-minute ride to coffee. Noah, being, well...awesome, waits in the winding line for my latte while I sit at the sidewalk table and chairs.

  He glances over his shoulder at me again. His shaggy hair covers his eyes so I have a hard time deciphering his emotions. Noah was quiet, unusually pensive, during the drive in, and that bothers me.

  Two girls in line admire Noah, and I don’t blame them. He’s undeniably hot: tall, dark brown hair, chocolate-brown eyes and cut in all the right places. The jeans and black T-shirt he wears definitely amplify that. Plus, he has swagger.

  As one of the girls drops her purse, he’s got a little more swagger than I’d like as he helps her collect her items.

  “I’m back,” says Dad.

  “Okay.”

  It’s like watching a horror film in slow motion. She tucks her hair behind her ears, gives him a hesitant smile and speaks. The girl is pretty—very pretty. I run my hand over the scars on my left arm. Sometimes I don’t understand why Noah’s with me. Especially when I’m so...

  “You’re quiet today,” Dad says. “Are you okay?”

  Noah answers the girl then motions at me with his chin. Both girls turn, and their faces fall. Noah waves. I wave back. Butterflies tumble in my stomach when he flashes his wicked grin.

  “Echo?” Dad prods.

  “I’m fine.” I blink three times, and Noah raises an eyebrow.

  “Lying?” he mouths.

  I throw a mock glare at Noah, and his shoulders move with a chuckle as he refocuses on the counter.

  I haven’t told Dad that Mom called because I don’t know how I feel about it, so I’m hardly ready to listen to his opinion. There’s no absolving Mom in Dad’s mind, and I’m not sure that’s fair. I forgave him for his part of the night that changed my life, so shouldn’t I at least try to forgive Mom? Nausea rolls through me, and I fight a dry heave. Okay—shouldn’t I at least consider trying to forgive Mom?

 
-->