“Mudding,” Owen says, his focus on Summer’s youngest brother. “Are you coming, Henry?”
Henry glances between me and each of his brothers. He scratches his jaw as a devious grin starts to grow on his face. “Sorry, Adira.”
Adira slaps the back of his hand against Henry’s chest, stopping him from falling in with the rest of his brothers. He stares each brother down. “Didn’t you promise Summer you’d leave her boytoy alone?”
Boytoy? Really? That’s not going to help me make good with the brothers. “Fucking hell.”
“Boytoy?” Another mountainous rumble comes from the glowering Owen as he pushes me past the queen.
“Boytoy... boyfriend,” Adira calls out as I’m herded toward the quad bikes with most of Summer’s brothers in tow. “You promised Summer, remember?”
Storm smirks under the brim of his hat. He’s resting on one of the quad bikes, but he straightens and tips his hat back from his eyes. “Never crossed your fingers behind your back, Queenie?”
Adira gapes and touches the neckline of the cream jumpsuit he’s wearing. “And here I thought you were nice boys.”
“It’s fine,” I assure Adira. We’ll have bared our teeth and sorted out our shit by the time we come back. All I need to do is stand my ground and prove I love their sister. “If Summer asks, can you let her know something came up. Don’t tell her what...”
Adira elevates a single perfectly drawn brow.
“She’s been nervous about her brothers and I finally spending time together. She’ll be stressed the whole time we’re gone. And that can’t be good for the baby. I’ll tell her all about winning over her brothers when I get back.”
“And don’t wake her,” Jett says.
Maybe he’s worried about how she’ll react to this forced bonding session too.
“Got it.” Adira purses his lips. “Don’t bring the best man back bloodied and bruised and we have a deal.”
Owen’s hand tightens on my shoulder again. “Not making pro—”
“Deal,” Storm says.
“Get your ass on the four-wheeler, Hollywood.” Owen shoves me toward one of the vehicles.
“Yeah, yeah.” I unclench my hands. He needs to stop shoving me. I swing a leg over the seat and settle in. “Is everyone coming?”
“Not Burke. He’s leading the horse ride.” Owen straddles his quad bike. Grabbing the handlebars, he revs the motor and his four-wheeler lurches forward.
Shit. Burke’s the only one who likes me. I was counting on him having my back.
One by one we follow Owen into the paddocks. The brothers fan out on their four-wheelers as we speed across the flat, cleared ground that makes up most of their ranch. The main house and the surrounding buildings quickly disappear from view.
A cow—its neck outstretched—moos as we pass the grazing herd. Up ahead the tree line looms. Beyond is thick shadow.
Without slowing Owen breaks through the dense foliage in front of me. The brothers speed up to follow.
Jett bends low over the handlebars, hollering as he speeds under a low hanging branch.
I back off the throttle as I pick a path, hopefully one that won’t end with me plastered to one of the monstrous tree trunks.
Kale spins his quad bike right before the trees, sending chunks of dirt and grass flying from under the tires.
If they think I can’t keep up with them—the motor torques louder as I add more speed—if they’re expecting me to back down from a challenge—won’t happen. I send the four-wheeler flying between two trees. The trunks are so close I can feel the wind break they create as I catch air off the tangled roots extending underneath my ride.
There’s not much of a path beyond that point, but multiple bumpy and breakneck options through the branches and vegetation.
Henry flies up onto the bare dirt in front of me, and I swerve to keep from crashing into him. Kale’s engine rumbles behind me.
I catch glimpses of Jett and Storm between the trees on either side of me. Their whoops are wild and adrenaline filled.
