“Prove it,” Mason challenges, hands on his hips, head cocked.
“No,” Addison shoots back, laughing. “I don’t want to.”
“What are you even arguing about?” I ask, pulling my rake from the dirt again.
“She thinks she could outrun me,” Mason says, with a scoff on the end of it. “Like if I was chasing her. As a cop.”
“Ha! Addison, stop.” I laugh. “When’s the last time you even ran?”
She glares at me. “Excuse me?”
“Answer it.”
She pauses. “I don’t know…”
“Gym class?” Jesse throws out with a laugh. We all crack up, even Addison.
“Definitely couldn’t outrun him,” I say, shaking my head and continuing to rake out the edge of the garden bed. “Me on the other hand…”
“Oh stop.” Addison groans with an eye roll.
“No way.” Mason shakes his head. “You’d be face-first in the grass in ten seconds.”
“Prove it,” Dad calls from his spot, not even looking up. That gets a round of laughter.
“Alright.” I drop the rake and stretch my arms out. “Try me.”
Mason raises a brow and nods his head out toward the yard. “Let’s see it.”
I bolt.
The second my boots hit the grass I hear Jesse yell, “And they’re off!”
I’m quick—quicker than you think I’d be—but Mason’s faster. I can feel him already moving in behind me.
I dodge around the clothesline, aiming for the edge of the pasture, but I don’t make it far. Fifteen seconds—max—and an arm wraps around my middle, yanking me over and knockingthe wind out of me as I hit the ground with a hard thud. Mason lands on top, pinning me down in a second.
“So, who’s faster?” He huffs, half laughing, half out of breath.
“I’ll give it to ya.” I laugh, grunting, trying to shove him off.
He shoves my face into the grass before hopping off. “That’s what I thought.”
Laughter explodes behind us. Addison, Jesse, Ella, Mom, Dad…even Karissa’s cracking up.
He helps me up and we head back to the garden, catching our breath along the way.
“Looks like you lost,” Addison retorts, hands on her hips, a smug grin on her face. “I definitely could’ve outrun him longer.”
“In your dreams.” I laugh. My eyes catch Karissa’s, still smiling, so I make my way over. “How’d I do?”
“Well, you know.” She shrugs.
“He’s faster than I remember,” I say, trying to defend myself, but she shakes her head and laughs more.
I’ve never heard her laugh like that before. It catches me off guard. Light and unfiltered…the kind of laugh that sticks with you. The kind you want to hear again.
Another forty minutes pass before we call it a day.
