“A—a thing.” She had nothing.
“Things always keep. You’ll pick it up just fine. Let’s go.” He wrapped his hand around her wrist and towed her behind him.
“I’m not dressed for it.”
He looked at her jeans.
“Did you want a helmet or something?”
“Seriously, Buster. I’m not good with any ball games. I shouldn’t even be here. I’m not part of this.”
“Why, are you infectious?” Ethan Gelderman came to her side.
“No! Do I look infectious?”
He smiled.
“I need to go. This is not my thing, it’s yours.” Panic was the only word for what was going on inside Lani right at that moment.
“We have a thing?” Ethan looked at Noah, who shrugged.
“Look, you’re all friends. I was just dropping off a cake. I need to go and not intrude.”
“You don’t think we have room in our lives for more friends?” Tex and Buster were standing in front of her now, and she just knew the others in the game were listening.
“No… yes.” Lani exhaled slowly. She was going to pack up her Bronco, which to be fair she never unpacked, and leave Lake Howling tonight. This place wasn’t like any other she’d visited. The people were in your face, and it was… nice, she had to silently concede. But dangerous also, because she wasn’t part of this and never would be.
“Well, which is it?” Noah appeared. Now there was a wall of men in front of her. Handsome, disturbing men.
“No,” Lani said, turning to go. “Besides I quite like where my internal organs are situated.”
“Wrong answer.” Noah grabbed her this time. “Now, you come with me. Faith is on the opposition team, because we’d kill each other if we were on the same one. I promise we’ll go easy on you.”
“True,” Faith agreed, unperturbed by her brother’s words.
“I don’t know the rules.” Lani tried to dig the heels of her sensible boots into the dirt but she still kept moving.
“Okay, I see where you’re going wrong there,” Ethan Gelderman said. “We don’t play by any rules, so you’ll be sweet.”
“Make them let me go,” she hissed out the side of her mouth to Noah.
“Loosen up. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
She turned from the crouch position he’d bent her into and looked at Noah. His eyes held a wicked glint. “I don’t want to have fun.”
“Everyone likes fun, sweet cheeks. Now, focus.”
“You people are bossy.”
“True,” Jake McBride said, “but in a well-meaning way.”
“A-and you’re all far too involved in each other’s lives.” Lani went for insults. Maybe they’d let her leave then.
“Also true,” Newman said from farther down the line.
“Here’s a thought, maybe you’ll enjoy it?” Noah said.
She looked at the others before her in a line. Some were baring their teeth, others had a steely look in their eyes. Her stomach sank. “I haven’t done this kind of exercise in years,” she tried, since clearly the insults weren’t working.
