Old Enough to Love — Kristi Pelton

Emma Hendricks... Zach OwensShe's 15... He's 18She's experienced nothing... He's experienced the world.What happens when their worlds collide?Never allowed to date, will the relationship survive Emma's overly protective, older brother and his friends? And what happens when his past is revealed, and she discovers he's on probation. Even if she accepts it, she must lie to her parents and those around her. She's always been, Just one of the guys...and now a man sees her as so much more. Can she convince him that she is old enough to love?Old Enough to Love is the story of Emma Hendricks, or Runt as she's known to her older brother and his friends. Emma-born prematurely has always been physically smaller than other girls. Protected by a posse of guys, led by her brother, she's pretty much off limits as dating material for anyone in their small high school-until Zach Owens, a senior from San Francisco moves to the small town of Ashland, Oregon and is oblivious to the unspoken rule. Emma, an inexperienced fifteen-year-old, is smitten with Zach and the undeniable attraction brewing between them. She attempts to compete with the older girls to maintain Zach's affections and believes she is ready to take the relationship to the next level. Though she is eager to easily bid her virginity farewell; she misunderstands his hesitations. Zach is on twelve months supervised probation and caught a lucky break the first time around. He adamantly refuses to participate in any activity that would lead to juvenile detention, and he is frightened he'll lose Emma if specific information about his past is revealed. Zach and Emma uncover blooming, passionate emotions while discovering first time love, all the while reining in nearly uncontrollable desires. Meanwhile, their biggest obstacles are the battle with her brother, her brother's buddies and Zach's elusive past.