“I’d probably be an asshole too in that case,” she continues. “Shit, I’d probably be an even bigger asshole than he is. You need to take this childish bullshit you’ve got going on and shove it up your ass, because the rage-baiting is getting old and so are you. Grow the fuck up.”
It’s quiet for several seconds. Austin’s chest is heaving, her face is flushed, and she’s fucking gorgeous. Her eyes don’t leave Colt’s and I’ve gotta hand it to him—his don’t leave hers either. He’s angrier than the bulls he rides though, nostrils flaring, eyes tight. His dimples are long gone.
“Well I’ll be damned,” Jameson says, loudly enough to mostly break the tension. Austin goes stiff beside me though.
Tyler chuckles from across the fire while Kenny bounces Callie on her hip. “That was a lot of bad words, huh, sunshine?” she says with a grin as the little girl giggles. Theo and Tate can’t help but smile too.
Colt storms off toward the bunk houses and I finally get up out of the dirt to sit on the log beside Austin. “I’m sorry,” she’s saying quietly, watching me. Her eyes are so wide, like she’s shocked at her own outburst, scared of the repercussions.
“I’m not,” I tell her, hoisting her up from the log and onto my thigh.
She fights me a bit. “Maddie, your mama’s?—”
“My mama just heard you swear like you were scared someone would take the ability from you, Tex. I don’t think you sitting in my lap is gonna be the thing that scandalizes her tonight.”
Austin groans, hiding her face against my neck but it only makes my smile wider. I wrap her up in my arms. “Thank you, baby,” I whisper only for her to hear, pushing her hair behind her ear to kiss her cheekbone.
“Someone turn on some music, I wanna see Tate and Tyler dance.”
“They’re not monkeys you can just order to dance when you want entertainment, Mama.”
“With how much the lessons cost me, I can ask them to dance any time I want them to.”
“You only paid formylessons, not Tyler’s.”
“Cricket,” Tyler’s voice interrupts everyone else’s bickering. I look up in time to see him sticking his hand out for her while Jameson starts a song on his phone. Tate rolls her eyes, but takes his hand like she always does.
THIRTY-SIX
MADDOX
Colt doesn’t come back.Every so often, Austin looks over toward the bunk houses, biting her bottom lip, worried she went too far.
When the fire dies down, it’s an unspoken agreement that it’s time to wrap it up for the night. This was on the shorter end for a Whittaker bonfire, but if Colt hadn’t been such a dickhead, maybe that wouldn’t have been the case. Regardless, I’m more than happy for it to end early so I can have my girl to myself again.
“How’d Tate even have time to fall asleep? I swear she was just laughing her ass off with Bailey a few minutes ago.”
I snort, tapping her hip to signal for her to stand, watching as Tyler climbs the slight incline from the fire pit. “She’s not asleep. She just doesn’t want to walk so she’s pretending.”
“And you’re just gonna let that poor boy carry her anyway?”
“He’s right where he wants to be, trust me,” I tell her with a wry smile, wrapping my arms around her waist. “I’m gonna stay back and help Mama with a few things. Are you in a running mood?”
Her face falls a little and she huffs. She doesn’t answer rightaway, but I don’t pull back or fill the silence for her. “Yes, but I won’t,” she grumbles.
I grin, ducking to kiss her cheek as Kenny walks up, hovering a bit away. “Good girl,” I whisper to Austin, pulling back to kiss her forehead too. I know I’m coming on way too strong tonight, but I can’t help it. I just want to be touching her all of the time lately. I wish I didn’t have to share her with the world.
“You can take a bubble bath if you want. I bought some fancy salts and fizzy things. They’re under the bathroom counter. Just don’t fall asleep ‘cause I’ve got plans for you when I get home.”
“Okay, gross,” Kenny says, giving up on hovering. Apparently, my time with her best friend is up.
“Don’t eavesdrop next time.”
“I’ll see you back at the cabin,” Austin cuts off Kenny’s response. I toss her a wink as I walk away, grabbing Mama’s folding chair in one hand and the other side of the cooler Jameson’s carrying in the other.
“Shut up or I’ll drop it,” I warn Jameson. He keeps making ridiculous kissy noises anyway, probably because he knows damn well the cooler isn’t heavy enough to warrant two people carrying it.
“Mama, what else can I help with?” I ask her as we pass, making good on my threat to drop my side of the cooler. My brother just laughs.
