Wild Man (Wild Men Book 1), page 4
Until Ayden says—
“You know we’re here for you.”
My throat clogs.
“All of us,” he adds. “Whatever you need.”
“Yeah.” I follow that one word with a quick “thanks” and pray I’ll never need Ayden and the rest of my cousins the way he needed us.
Hours later, the six of us crash in the fishing cabin on the edge of Wild Ranch. Brayden’s grandfather built this cabin, and it’s rustic at best. No heat, but there is running water. We only come here when it’s warm enough, but even tonight, there’s a chill in the air. We gather around the stone fireplace with a couple of six-packs of beer that Brayden snuck out of his dad’s stash.
“Give me more than that,” Cameron complains as Brayden pops open a can and pours Cam half of it.
“You’re too fucking young,” Brayden grumbles. At eighteen, he’s determined to make sure none of us “screw up too badly.”
“What are you, my babysitter?” Cam says with a grin.
“You’ve always been a fucking troublemaker,” Dylan says to him. “You’re the youngest one here. You’re lucky we’re letting you have any.”
“Hey, all of us are under age,” Cam says, tugging at his dark head of hair. “You three Montana guys are just big talkers.”
His phone buzzes, and he ignores it.
“Don’t you want to talk to your girlfriend?” Ayden says with a smirk.
“Naw, not now. I’m hanging out with you guys,” Cam says casually.
“But things are good?” Jenson asks him. “You and Amy got serious fast.”
Cam shrugs. “She’s cool. We’ll see.”
His phone buzzes again.
“She seems pretty committed,” Jenson presses.
Cam’s eyes glint with mischief. “I told her I was off the grid for the weekend.”
Okay.
As the guys start fucking with Cam and how he’s the only one of us in a relationship when he’s the youngest, Jenson and I leave the cabin and go get wood to start the fire.
We pile the wood onto the wheelbarrow, and we’re nearly done when Jenson says to me, “I know you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“I’m fine. Why, what’s up with you?”
“I’ve got something going on. Not anything big like what you’re dealing with.”
“Well, what is it?”
“I found out why my mom never wanted me to know the name of my birth father.”
“I thought that was because she didn’t know.”
“She knew. And now, so do I.”
His green eyes flash with anger.
“J, what the hell do you mean? Is it that bad?”
Before he can say more, my phone buzzes.
“Sorry, I just have to make sure…” I fumble with the phone and slide my thumb across the screen. “Mom? Everything okay?”
“I hate to bother you,” she says in a rushed voice. “But Dad’s in the hospital. He fell and…”
“I’ll be right there.”
Jenson puts his hand on my shoulder. “I haven’t had anything to drink. I’ll drive.”
All six of us pile into Brayden’s truck, and Jenson drives us to the county hospital. We don’t speak much on the way.
We find parking easily and jog into the lobby where the receptionist directs us to the wing where Dad is.
I know this place inside and out. I’ve been here far more often than I’d ever have liked, but never like this. My father’s never been rushed to the hospital in all of his months of treatment.
“This can’t be good,” I mutter to Jenson.
“Let’s find out first,” he says as we exit the elevator.
Mom’s pacing the hallway when we reach the room.
“Colt.”
I wrap my arms around her.
“What did the doctors say?” I ask her.
She pulls back, putting on that calm, reserved face she uses a lot when she talks about my father’s condition.
“They said the disease has spread. There’s nothing more they can do.”
Behind me, I hear my cousins’ muted gasps. But my gaze never leaves my mother’s as grief slices through my body. My father’s not old. He’s in good shape. Yes, he smoked, and Christ is he paying for that now.
“But he stopped smoking…and they said that as long as he didn’t go back…” I grasp for a reason.
Her eyes fill with tears. “The doctor’s in with him now, going over options. But you know your dad…he just wants to enjoy what time he has at this point.”
“A vacation.” The words come out of my mouth without me thinking clearly. “He’s always wanted to go to Boulder. Remember?”
She smiles. “I do. He always thought Boulder would be so exciting. Are you saying…”
“Let’s go to Boulder. As soon as he gets out of here.” I’m already heading for my father’s room. “I’ll go tell him now.”
Chapter Nine
Skylar
It’s nice here in Boulder. Peaceful. I spend the days at the campground alone. Mom made it clear that we aren’t supposed to get close to anyone.
My brothers are able to play sports with the other kids and still keep their distance emotionally, but it’s different with girls. They ask questions, and they want to bond. When anyone asks where I live, I change the subject. I don’t even know my new address.
And I don’t want my father to find us. But I hate being homeless and having to be constantly on alert. It’s exhausting. Plus, we don’t exactly fit in here.
This place is full of expensive motor coaches instead of tent sites. We’re staying in the only bare bones trailer on the property, one that’s reserved for seasonal staff members.
Uncle Sid was able to secure it for us for as long as we need it. To repay him, Mom insisted on helping out in the park offices for a few hours each day. So far, we’ve been here a month. I thought I’d be bored out of my mind, but the mountains are gorgeous, and the air feels so good. I go on long hikes with my mom. We chat about everything, and it’s nice.
But our time here is about to come to an end.
Ivan made contact through my uncle this morning. We’re leaving for our trip across the country tomorrow. Soon, Mom says, we’ll be able to move into a new home. But we’re going to have to take our time getting to Connecticut. Ivan wants to make sure we’re not being followed or tracked in any way. So, we’ll drive out of here before the sun rises and head south for a little while.
Right now, the sun is high in the sky as I wander through the resort with my notebook in my hand, looking for a quiet spot to sit and write. I’ve been working on a pretend article about the campsite; I’ve interviewed my uncle and a few of the staff. I may not have a new school paper to write for yet, but this is good practice.
“Hey! Skylar, get over here!” Ben waves to me from the middle of the field a bunch of the guys have designated as theirs.
I don’t know what kind of sport they’ve been playing every day because I always turn away whenever I wander nearby. Today, though, I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t realize I’ve walked close enough for Ben to notice me.
I wave back at him but keep walking past, hoping he’ll take the hint.
He doesn’t.
“Sky!” He jogs across the field until he’s directly in front of me.
“Ben, I don’t want to play. Thank you for the offer,” I add politely.
He laughs. “I don’t need your polite dismissal, baby sister.”
I stop and look into his mischievous expression. “What do you need?” I ask him suspiciously.
He gestures to the crowd of boys mingling in the middle of the grassy field. The mountains make a beautiful backdrop behind them, but I’m too focused on shedding Ben to appreciate the view right now.
“Ben, you know I hate sports.”
“I know.” He throws his arm around me. “This won’t take long, promise.”
“What are we—” I reluctantly let him lead me toward one of the two groups of guys.
“We’re short one player,” he explains, and I groan.
“How’s that? You’ve been playing every other night just fine.”
“Todd went home. He was our best wide receiver.”
“Oh, great. So I not only have to replace someone—he was your former star player?”
“Don’t worry,” Ben says unconvincingly. “It’ll be fun. Who knows? This one game could change your life. And you can thank me later.”
“Ha, ha,” I say. “I don’t think anything’s going to change. I’ll still hate sports after this game, believe me. And I refuse to be tackled.”
“It’s flag football,” Ben says. “You’ll be fine.”
I stop short. “Fine, I’ll play. But I’ll meet you out there, okay? I have to pull my hair up first.”
As soon as he leaves, I place my notebook on a nearby bench. Then, I fix my hair into a ponytail and take a few deep breaths. Just the idea of being close to a football game is making my breath uneven.
But I don’t want to let my fears control me anymore. Maybe Ben’s right. In some small way, this game could be a turning point for me. At the very least, I can prove to myself that a football is nothing to be scared of.
I square my shoulders, lift my chin, and head for the field.
As soon as I get close to the two groups of guys, I notice him.
A guy around my age.
Blond. Built. And sure of himself.
And he’s looking right at me. Those blue eyes are crystal clear. And the intense look on his face is mesmerizing.
Without thinking about what I’m doing, I start toward him.
“Hey!” Ben’s shout is coming from the other group of guys.
I whip my head in that direction.
“Over here!” he calls to me.
I turn and head over to my two brothers.
As Ben and Nick introduce me to the rest of the team, I smile and nod hello, but my gaze is still stuck on the hot guy from the other team.
He’s wearing a blue t-shirt that says Boulder on it, and regular gym shorts. Nothing special. Yes, he’s in great shape and clearly an athlete. And that would normally turn me off. But something about the way he carries himself…it’s ridiculously attractive.
I keep him in my periphery, unable to take my eyes off of him.
“Okay, you get that, Sky?”
I bring my attention to Nick, who’s staring at me.
“Huh?” I ask him.
He rolls his eyes. “I know you hate to play sports, but humor us, okay?”
I give him the thumbs-up. “I’ll do my best, big brother.”
Chapter Ten
Colton
“Who’s the redhead?” I murmur to Glenn, the kid who’s staying with his family in the RV next to us.
“Ben and Nick’s baby sister. I wouldn’t mess with her. Those guys will probably kill you.” He laughs.
I chuckle, but I don’t plan to listen to him. Every nerve ending in my body is on high alert. The redhead is hot, sure, but it’s more than that. She’s got my attention—my full attention—in a way no one—and nothing—has since my dad got sick.
I still love football, and it’s saved me this past year, but the game is so tied to Dad that I think of him with every catch.
But right now, I couldn’t care less about the flag football game we’re about to start. I just want the pretty redhead to notice me. Her legs are long and toned, and I have an instant image of them wrapped around my waist. Her fiery hair is spectacular with the way it glows in the sun.
She had her eyes locked on mine when she first stepped onto the field, but then she got swallowed up by her team when they called her over to the huddle.
I jog into position on my side of the field, and when she finally re-appears, I’m disappointed that her brothers have her lined up clear on the other side.
Well, that won’t do.
“Hey,” I say to Glenn, who’s playing quarterback. “I’m going to switch sides with Tug.”
“But you said you like being on the right,” he protests.
“I did,” I agree. “Until today.”
Tug’s an easygoing guy, and he has no problem switching with me. But I’m still not close enough to the redhead to actually talk to her.
As soon as play starts, I find a way to get closer to her by lining up about three feet closer to the line of scrimmage than I should be.
Her eyes flare, and I know she’s aware of me.
So I walk straight up to her.
Her green eyes are so bright in the sun they shine like emeralds as we stare at each other in silence. From her long, slender legs to her creamy skin and pink mouth, she looks almost fairy-like. I have to actually stop myself from reaching out and touching her.
“Hey,” I say softly.
“H—” She clears her throat. “Hey.”
“You’re Ben and Nick’s little sister, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I haven’t seen you around.”
She shrugs. “I’m not into sports.”
“What’s your name?”
She flinches like I’ve gotten too personal.
“I’m Colton Wild.” I offer her my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She takes my hand quickly, and just as I feel an electric current pass between us, she drops my hand.
And she still doesn’t tell me her name.
Turns out I don’t need to ask her twice.
“Hey, Sky!” her brother, Ben, yells. “You ready?”
“I guess so!” She shrugs at me. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”
“No worries,” I say. “I’ll help you out. Sky.”
“It’s Skylar. Sky is what my friends and family call me.”
“I think we’re going to be friends for sure. So I’ll take my chances with Sky.” I pause. “But Skylar is a beautiful name.”
She gives a hint of a smile. “Thanks.”
And I can’t stop talking apparently. “Can I call you by either name? You know, while I’m explaining the rules of the game to you.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Are you a flag football expert?”
“I play high school football back home,” I say. “I’m pretty fanatical about it.”
“Fanatical, huh?” She grins at me. “That sounds kind of creepy.”
I laugh. “Only if you hate sports.”
She nods. “Yep, that would be me.”
“So you and I are what’s called ‘opposites attract’ then.”
She startles at my flirtatious comment, and just when I think maybe I’ve scared her off, her green eyes narrow.
“Are you hitting on me?” she asks.
I can’t tell if she’s horrified or nervous, but I know I don’t misread the heat in her gaze. So I keep going.
“Yes.” I wink at her. “And you love it.”
She bites her lip. “First of all, that’s presumptuous.”
I hold up my hands in surrender. “I call it like I see it.”
“Second of all,” she says, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “If you hit on me again, I’ll kick you somewhere you won’t come back from easily.”
I break into a loud laugh as I cup my crotch. “My dick and I will keep that in mind.”
“Good.”
I lean in close to her ear and whisper, “But my dick doesn’t scare easy. And neither do I.”
She inhales, but before she can respond, the ball is snapped, and the game is on.
Chapter Eleven
Like always, I get into the game right away. I call for the ball every chance I get, and I score twice in the first twenty minutes of play.
But the other thing I do as much as possible? I get close to Sky. I pretend I’m just coming over to explain one of the rules to her, but I make sure to whisper them into her ear.
And she flushes pink every time. She also curses…a lot. It always takes me by surprise, and it never fails to turn me on.
“Fuck,” she says as she runs down the field, and I follow her. “I’m just running back and forth for no fucking reason.”
“You’re in good shape for someone who says they never exercise,” I say.
She shrugs. “I like running, I guess. But you’re obviously an athlete. You really love this God-awful game, don’t you?”
“I do,” I say, frustrated when I nearly choke up. Talking about football never made me emotional before, but this year, all I do is think about Dad.
I clench my jaw and stop talking.
“You okay?” she says, her green eyes looking like they don’t miss a thing.
“Yeah.” I go for a joke. “Did you see me run over your brother to get into the end zone on that last touchdown? He’s going to get me back next chance he gets.”
“He’ll surely try. I can’t believe you can fucking score by just running over somebody,” she says. “I thought this was no-contact.”
“It’s supposed to be,” I agree. “But I keep forgetting that rule.”
To make my point, I brush so close to her that my bare arm touches hers. She noticeably shivers.
And then, she shocks the hell out of me by calling for the ball as soon as it’s snapped.
Not only does she catch the pass, she makes it thirty yards downfield. Nobody can catch her. If she didn’t stop and run out of bounds so she could catch her breath, she could have scored.
Before I can blink, she gets thrown to again. And again, she catches the football and runs for another ten yards before someone finally grabs her flag.
This time, I race downfield to her.
“Shit, you’re fast,” I say in all seriousness. “Those two plays provided a big spark for your team. I’m going to call you Sparky.”
“Oh, God. Please don’t call me that.”
“See, that just makes me want to do it more. Sparky.”
“Colton.”
That’s the first time she’s said my name, and I feel my dick react at the way it rolls off her tongue. So, I deflect. “Can’t believe you hate sports. You’re a natural athlete.” I want to add that her long legs don’t hurt with her speed, but I don’t think that would sound very appropriate.
