True to his word,Grahm shows up fifteen minutes early. A bubbly feeling rises in my chest when he leans over and pushes the passenger door open. He’s wearing a gray hoodie and ?light-wash jeans that match his baseball hat, looking as handsome as he did this morning.
“Come on, we don’t want to miss the races, Thornton.” He smirks and winks at me. I take a deep breath and shake sense into myself.Stop staring at him like you’ve never seen a country boy before.
I hop up into his truck and have to tamp down my excitement. I have no idea what to expect. It’s surprising enough that this town has something like this.
I consider telling him about my little run-in with the guys at the grocery store but decide against it. I’m just going to stick close to Grahm and ignore that entire group if I see them.
“You look good, Thornton. I thought you were stunning this morning, but fuck, those jeans are working for you. I would’ve told you earlier, but we weren’t going to a party together yet,” he says smoothly with one hand on his steering wheel and the other perched on the door. My cheeks warm with his comment.
“Thanks.” I grin. “These are the only ones that fit me well. My only other pair are covered in mud,” I admit sheepishly.
“Do you need more? We have some pretty good shops in town. Although I think they might be a little too townie for you city folk.” His tone is full of sarcasm.
I give him a wry grin. “Anything to help me blend in, honestly.”
He chuckles at my comment, but I’m not even kidding. No one wants to stick out like a sore thumb, especially when the last thing I need is to be noticeable.
We stay on the highway for ten minutes before Grahm pulls off onto a dirt road that’s heading toward the mountains. It’s thickly forested and the moon won’t rise until at least midnight, so visibility is practically zero. If it weren’t for the line of taillights ahead of us, I would be concerned about being in a car with a practical stranger driving toward the woods.
“Wow.Who knew there could be traffic on fire trails. Areallof these people really heading to the same place?” I ask as I roll the window down and pop my head out to see further ahead. The first thing that hits me is the fresh pine air and the cool, late-summer breeze.
My lungs fill with the euphoric scent, and chills spread up my arms. Music plays in the distance, “Soft Core” by The Neighbourhood. It must beloudbecause I can feel the vibrations rumbling in my sternum from here.
“Oh my God, this looks like fun. Is this legal?” I laugh, and the elation must show on my expression because Grahm leans against his arm, elbow perched on his door, grinning at me.
“Murray doesn’t give a shit what we do out here as long as it’s all adults. Think you can keep up with us out here tonight, Thornton?” he teases. His eyes linger around my breasts for a moment before flicking back up to my eyes. I lick my lips andcan’t for the life of me wipe this giddy grin from my face. I haven’t felt this way in such a long time.
“I guess we’ll find out, Sutherland.”
For a foolish moment, I forget about all my problems. All ninety-nine of them, including those assholes. Tonight, I’m just going to forget about my past. Start anew.
We luck out on parking and get a spot in the field closest to the main area. A huge bonfire is already roaring. The music is so loud it feels like I’m at a concert.
“I guess we don’t have to worry about wild animals with the music being this loud!” I shout even though I’m standing right beside Grahm.
He laughs and bends down to my level. “Nope! Let’s grab some drinks. Follow me.” He threads his fingers with mine and guides me through the crowd.
Everyone is singing along to the music, beers and canned margaritas in their hands as they sway to the beat. My shoulders are already moving of their own volition.
I spot Hailey by the coolers almost immediately. Her hair is pulled up into a high ponytail and it still meets her mid-back. My jaw drops. Talk about a freaking queen. I let go of Grahm’s hand and make my way over to her.
“Briar, wait,” Grahm whisper shouts, but I’m already walking up to Hailey so I ignore him.
“Hey! Is there a canned sangria in there somewhere?” I don’t have to yell now that we’re a bit farther away from the speakers. Hailey lights up and gives me a big hug.
“Briar! I’m so glad you’re here!” she says with a slight slur. “Yes, oh my God, here, this one is the best.” She hands me a Moscow mule.
I’m not picky about drinks and I don’t mind this one, so I just laugh and nod at her. “Thank you.”
“Who are you here with?” Hailey lifts a suggestive brow at me. “You look ravishing, so I want to know who the lucky guy—” Her words fall as her eyes lift to meet Grahm’s.
There’s an awkward beat that passes through them, and I feel it like a gut punch. Grahm’s frown is ?half shocked and half pissed. My brows pull together, and I look back at Hailey. Her high spirits have been severed, and a dead-eyed stare has set in.
“Be careful with him, Briar.” She locks eyes with me before turning abruptly and stalking away.
“What is she talking about?” I snap my attention to Grahm. He runs his hand through his hair and lets out a long sigh. His pupils are blown wide, and he looks furious.
“We used to date, and she didn’t take the breakup so great.” He sounds genuine, but there’s something about her warning that makes me think it’s more than that. Girls don’t warn each other for nothing. Something happened that wasn’t okay, and it sends the red flags up.
