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Jace shook his head and Ford pulled up. “I just haven’t ever seen another chick drive his ATV before. This is something new, isn’t it Ford?”

“Sure is.” He tipped his beer back.

“You guys are a bunch of assholes. How would you know if any other chick drove? I don’t ride with you guys all the time.”

Jace grinned with a twinkle in his eye. “Whatever you say. Want to take a few more spins and then head down to Whiskey River?”

“Sounds good to us. Alyssa wanted to ride a little more then we’ll go.”

Three beers in and Alyssa was feeling tipsy while she was balancing on a narrow tree that had fallen. It went across the river and about ten feet up from the water. If she wasn’t careful, she could fall in.

She couldn’t believe she was behaving this way, barefoot and reckless and letting go. Truth was, John did it to her. He brought out this playful, fun side of her. During the time she spent with him, she forgot about everything going on. She was happy and carefree and with friends who wanted to be with her.

“Can you swim?” he hollered, dirt covering his face.

She spun on her toes. “Yes, why?”

“Because if you fall in, I ain’t jumpin’ in to save you.” He joked, and took a swig of his beer.

Her arms flopped to her side. “Well, what kind of guy are you? What do you mean you’re not saving me? You’re supposed to save me if I’m hurt.”

“I ain’t the savin’ kind of guy, honey.”

There was that ain’t word again in less than one minute.

“So … If I fall in you’re just going to stand there?”

“Maybe.” His big grin contradicted his lie.

She waved him over. “Come over here with me.”

“Hell no.”

She taunted him. “Why? You scared?”

“I ain’t scared of shit.”

“Then come on up here with me and show me that you’re not scared.”

“Let’s make a deal.” His eyes scanned the length of her body. “If I come over there, you have to kiss me.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Deal.” Maybe it was the beer that made her agree so fast, but he had some pretty delectable lips.

It was just a kiss anyway … right?

John chugged the remaining of his beer and then chucked it off to the right where it rolled on the ground. He stepped onto the broken tree branch and walked to her like it was nothing, like he was walking on grass.

“What …”

“You really thought I was scared?” he grinned. “Now give me that kiss.”

She stood on her tiptoes and placed a sweet, light kiss to his lips.

“That’s not the kind of kiss I was talking about—and you know it.”

He stepped away from her and did a back flip with some crazy twist off into the river.

“Are you freaking crazy!” she yelled while Ford and Jace laughed from a distance.