Page 9

E

very bit of momentum I’d gained vanished, much like the hallucination.

Punching the throttle did nothing but buck the front end of the four-wheeler up off the ground. I released the lever like it was a live wire. There was no correcting this huge error. Left with no choice, I’d have to roll backwards downhill and retry—without braking in the middle of the incline like a complete and utter noob.

When I grabbed the brakes to try to slow my reverse descent, the front of the four-wheeler lifted from the ground once more, screaming out a very blatant reminder that only the rear brakes were working, and really, I needed the drag of force to come from the front, because physics.

“Oh, cr—” I released the brakes, unable to use the rears without risking tipping the quad.

Left with nothing to slow me, the quad gained speed at an alarming rate. When I steered the handlebars to drop back into the ruts, I underestimated how little I’d need to adjust. Instead, what had been intended as a slight turn shot me completely sideways.

On a hill this steep, with this much momentum, gravity took over. I had all the time in the world to glance over and see the long way down, but not enough time to jump off.

The four-wheeler tipped, and my hands clamped the handlebars reflexively. It crashed on its side, dragging me along for the ride. The force proved too strong to brace for, and my helmet impacted the dirt before the four-wheeler began to roll, this time landing on top of me, and I knew no more.

Pain.

That was what registered first. Ice filled my veins, and it hurt to move.

Something large applied pressure to my chest, pushing me down before I even realized I’d been trying to sit up, and I went with it because, honestly, lying down seemed like a much smarter option at the moment.

Then, some otherworldly humming energy eased off. I hadn’t been aware of it acting as a kind of sensory blind until it stopped. Warmth returned to my limbs as my ears popped and sound returned.

“—think she’s waking up. Can you hear us?”

I realized my eyelids were shut and blinked them open, getting a pleasant view of the midafternoon sunlight shining through the scattered green canopy of the trees, as well as several faces staring down at me.

My brain kicked into gear, focusing on that fact. John and the guys from school kneeled around me while another ring of faces stood beyond that.

Instinctively disliking the vulnerability of lying prone while surrounded by virtual strangers, I attempted to sit up, but Hunter’s hand reached out and pushed me back down.

“No, don’t move. You might hurt yourself more,” he warned.

I blinked, moving my hands over my body to search for some unseen injury.

“The boy’s right, girlie,” John agreed. “That was quite a tumble you took. Your quad landed right on top of you.”

I glanced in the direction he’d nodded, assuming that was where said four-wheeler was, but the effort was futile. Ralph’s big, blocky form blocked the majority of my view on that side since he’d kneeled by my head.

He gave me a gentle grin, and a barely there touch patted my shoulder pad. “And to think they call me Wreck-It Ralph.”

I gasped, once more moving to sit up, only to have more than one pair of hands reaching out to stop me. “The four-wheeler. Is it broken?”

John scoffed. “We don’t know. We were a little more worried about you.”

“But…”

Hunter grunted. “If your quad’s broken, I’ll fix it. Now be still.”

I backtracked. “Oh, no, that’s—I didn’t want, um, my dad—”

John snapped his fingers and pointed at one of the bystanders on the outer ring. “Hey, go radio her father. He’s probably wondering what’s taking so long.”

He wasn’t here?

Oh, he couldn’t hear me either. The impact must have turned off the CB in my helmet.

Had I not passed out for very long?

“No,” John answered, making me realize I’d asked the question out loud. “Now move aside, boys. We need to check if anything’s broken.” He paused. “Unless you’d rather just wait for your dad.”

I took stock of my situation, but other than the lingering cold and slowly building hum in my ears, nothing felt too bad. “No need. Nothing’s broken—” I shot my gaze to Hunter and warned, “I’m sitting up now.”

“Not before someone checks your neck,” he argued, his jaw set in a way that screamed stubbornness.

“Willa?” called Dad’s harried voice, interrupting whatever my loose tongue had been queuing up in retaliation. “Let me through! I need to see my daughter!”

Commotion stirred as he began shoving people aside before breaking through. John wordlessly climbed to his feet and made room, though Hunter only shifted over a few scant inches.

Dad skidded to a stop, taking my hand and peppering me with questions. “Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Is anything numb? What happened?”

John explained, with Ben stepping in to add details. Kolton chimed in some embellishments, Ralph nodded with everything, while Hunter glared in general, grumbling things under his breath about stupid roots and broken brakes.

If my brain wasn’t so dazed, my cheeks would have rustled up a blush at hearing how closely my classmates had been watching.

Hunter hadn’t shifted his gaze, but I did my best to ignore it.

Dad nodded. “Okay, I’ve learned a thing or two from living with my wife. Here, Willa, let’s get that helmet off and go from there.”

Dad eased the protective gear from my head, treating me like spun glass, his fingers pressing and probing along my neck for injuries. When I insisted I was fine, Dad relented and allowed me to sit up.

Ralph brushed the stray leaves from my hair while Hunter kept a firm grip on my shoulder. If Dad were a smidgen less occupied with shining a light in my eyes and making me track the motion of his finger, he probably would have commented on it.

I pushed his hand away from my face. “Honestly, Dad. I’m fine.”

“Willa, you blacked out. No matter how briefly, that implies a concussion.”

“No, I think I’m just hungry. Maybe I didn’t eat enough at lunch.” I most definitely didn’t.

Hunter tattled, though, when he corrected me. “She ate nothing . Is that a big deal for her?”

Dad glared at me, a chunk of his concern slipping away. “Yes, and she knows better. She’s sort of diabetic. Come on, Willa. Into the Jeep.”

John reached out to stop Dad’s march. “You ran here, Rob. Are you really going to make her climb that hill when she has to be sore as hell?” he questioned.

“And what about the four-wheeler?” I added.

“It’s good, Willa,” one of the out-of-towners added. I hadn’t learned his name. “The handlebars might be a little bent, and your throttle was out of place, but Jamison and I loosened the nuts and set it right. Those four-wheelers are indestructible. The thing was still idling after its kamikaze summersault.”

“Thanks,” Dad said. “Anyone here comfortable riding it the rest of the way to camp?” When someone volunteered, Dad glanced at John. “Can she ride in your Jeep?”

Before John could answer, Kolton jumped in. “She can ride with us! Hunter’s Jeep is closer.”

Dad stared at the blond, a brow raised. Without a single word, his eyes shifted to the lineup of Jeeps. John’s rig was parked right on Hunter’s bumper, and I could all but hear Dad’s thought process.

John laughed and slapped Dad on the shoulder. “Oh, calm down, Rob. Let the kids have their fun.”

“Yeah, Rob,” Kolton added, quick to clear his throat and switch to “sir” when Dad cut him a warning glare.

Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, fine. We wouldn’t want Willa to walk five extra steps, now would we? Hunter seems like a safe enough driver. You guys have room in there?”

Ralph wrapped a thick arm around my shoulders. “We’ll make room. Let’s go, Willa. Your chariot awaits.”

Oh, that was a princess reference. It seemed Ben’s nickname was rubbing off.

I groaned. “Not you too.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Hunter demanded.

At first, I thought he was talking to me, so I flinched.

Ralph steadied me without missing a beat. “Getting in the Jeep. Why?”

“You aren’t cramming her in the backseat. She gets shotgun.”

Kolton sandwiched me from my right, probably catching onto the fact that if I were up front, big Ben would have to cram in the back with them, and Kolton would be stuck sitting in the middle. “But we’ll keep her safe and secure between us. We don’t want her bouncing that pretty head off the window if you hit a rock.”

Hunter gave him a deadpan look. “That’s what seatbelts are for. Now come on.”

I cleared my throat. “Ah, it’s fine. Really, we’ll all fit better if Ben stays in the front seat. Honestly, it’s no—”

“No arguments.” He climbed in behind the wheel.

And that was that.

The seat sat far back to allow enough room for Ben’s long legs, and I hurried to scoot it forward as far as it’d go, since there was no way Ben would fit behind Hunter. I felt some pressure ease off my backrest and Ben’s quiet but heartfelt, “Thanks.”

“Thank you . You know, for letting me steal your seat.”

Kolton’s head popped up between Hunter and me. “Our pleasure. So where’s your dad going?”

I glanced through the windshield, trying not to allow my nerves to overtake me. We were just peers who were hanging out. No big deal. I could do this.

“Probably went to fetch the spare helmet he brought in case something like this happened. I doubt mine would fit my fill-in.”

Ben reached up over the headrest and mussed up my hair. “Cuz you’re so little!”

Hunter hunched over the steering wheel, leaning down to eyeball the top of the hill. “Your dad had that little faith in you and preemptively packed a spare?”

“No, but we’ve been out here enough to realize things rarely ever go to plan. Always carry a spare. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to fill someone’s radiator with creek water because they skewered it with a branch hiding inside a mud pit. They just know their Jeep doesn’t leak antifreeze, so why would they need to pack it? Stuff like that.”

One of Hunter’s dirty blond brows arched. “You know your way around an engine.”

I shrugged. “Kind of. More accurately, I know enough to be dangerous. I don’t work on vehicles myself very much. Dad usually handles major repairs and modifications while Nick and I are at school, since that’s his full-time job, but I’ve seen and heard enough out here on the trails to know what parts do what and how to diagnose a problem based on any squeal, screech, whine, hiss, or clunk.”

“Hmm.”

On cue, Dad popped up over the ridge, toting the spare helmet, and then we were back in business.

It was weird seeing my four-wheeler, something I knew better than my own body sometimes, being driven by someone else, like I was passively sitting back and watching some thief steal it. The guy went up and over.

“He made that seem easy.” Embarrassingly easy. My head tilted. “I’m not sure if that hill looks scarier than it feels.”

Kolton wedged his shoulders between our seats. “Not sure how nervous you get, but as a spectator, it looks like you’d need a set of brass ones to do this shit.”

“Language,” Ben muttered.

“Sorry. I meant bullshit but shortened it.” To Ben, Kolton quipped, “I’ll try not to be so informal around the lady, your kingliness.”

Ben sighed, and a smile danced on my lips at their interaction.

Dad gave the all-clear over the radio once my ATV was safe since the spare helmet didn’t have comms in it, and Hunter lined up with the hill.

Normally, riding as a passenger was no big deal to me, but my hand clenched the door handle while another gripped my seatbelt. Was it because I was with someone other than Dad or…

When my vision narrowed and ears buzzed, I realized it was probably the “or.”

As subtly as possible, I checked my watch, scanning the readings and praying they wouldn’t show anything abnormal. Ben might have been able to joke off my disappearing act last night, but the odds of that happening again if I tried to pull it off with four witnesses were slim to none.

My temperature read a perfect ninety-eight degrees. The heart rate ran slightly elevated, but that could be because my body still jittered with some adrenaline soaked aftershocks.

Or because of the present company.

Either one.

A slow, relieved breath escaped me, taking some of the tenseness from my shoulders.

I tabbed off the screen, catching Hunter’s inquiring look from the corner of my eye, but he didn’t offer any comment as he guided us to the base of the hill.

Sitting in the middle, Kolton lacked his own handle to grab, so he held onto our seats, and I felt it as his hand inched forward to brush my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Hunter’s a pretty decent driver, and he likes his snail’s pace. Not like you, you daredevil spirit.”

“You break more shit when you go fast,” Hunter defended, starting the incline as the Jeep’s nose pointed at the treetops.

“Guys, come on,” Ben interjected. “Language.”

Hunter carried on as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “And this is my daily driver.”

Kolton responded, but I didn’t catch what he’d said because the buzzing in my ear had returned in full force, a piercing shrill sound that overtook the conversation.

Something touched my shoulder, and I jolted with a gasp.

“Oh shit, you scared me,” Ralph answered, his voice higher pitched than I thought it could go. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” My breath came out thready, and sweat beaded on my temples. My fingernail clacked on the watch’s screen to light it up, but the readings were still normal—apart from the heart rate, which had kicked up from a jog to a trot.

“Okay,” Ben began. “Now I know you’re all doing this on purpose.”

“What the shit are you talking about?” Kolton asked.

Ben groaned.

I blinked at the surroundings. We’d already made it up and over the other side somehow.

“You okay?” Hunter questioned, voicing his thoughts aloud as the backseat heatedly discussed proper deportment—and yes, Ben used the word “deportment”—in mixed company.

To be fair, Ralph sounded like he wanted to wind Ben up to see him lecture about the rightness of treating people like ladies. The suspicion was confirmed when Ralph winked at me and tossed out something purposely inciting about gender equality.

Ben turned purple at that, and I smiled, listening to his impassioned speech.

Who knew the star lineman had so many intriguing layers?

My ears popped as white noise started up again. Frowning, I tapped at the watch. Was it frozen? Why wasn’t it showing a drop in temperature?

Icy chills washed over me.

“Willa.”

I shook my head, focusing on Hunter. “Sorry, what?”

His slate gray eyes studied me. “I asked if you were okay.”

“Oh, right. Of course. Probably more ego bruised than anything. That four-wheeler is an extension of my soul, and a stranger hopped on and made the climb without even trying.”

“Hmm.”

What the ever-loving elderberries was I supposed to do with an ambivalent response like that? Exhaustion settled in, removing my brain-to-mouth filter, so I asked exactly that. “What’s ‘hmm’ mean?”

Hunter made a sharp turn between a close-set pair of locust trees. “What?”

“What did you mean when you responded with ‘hmm?’ Why do you sound surprised? Was I supposed to understand it?”

Kolton leaned forward. “Oh, oh, I know! I know! It’s because he isn’t used to people being ballsy enough to call him on his judgmental caveman bull shit.”

Ben’s hand latched onto Kolton’s shoulder before dragging him out of view.

“What? I said bullshit this time. More formal, less slang.”

I tilted my head, bumping into the headrest while attempting to focus on Hunter to gauge his reaction to Kolton’s words. The angle of the trail had the sun glaring in my eyes, causing me to squint, followed by a slow blink.

A hand landed on my shoulder. “Hey, wake up. You shouldn’t sleep after a hit like that.”

I shifted, finding a more comfortable spot. “M’fine. M’wake. ‘Dren-lin drop.” A yawn interrupted my words. “Jus’ gonna take… quick nap… prom…”

I dozed.

“Guys, she’s freezing. What should we—”

In between spurts of conversation that seemed to echo the content of my dreams, I caught sight of a young man, screaming and pounding against some invisible barrier that obscured his features and whatever he was saying, and then a raging black ocean carried me away.

I drifted a bit, waking long enough to realize Ben was carrying me to Dad’s truck before buckling me into the backseat.

“—her to the hospital just to be safe, but it’s probably like she said, an adrenaline drop,” Dad explained. “Do you need your sweatshirt back, son?”

I wiggled, catching a whiff of men’s cologne.

“Nah, no rush. She has my number, so she can return it anytime,” Ben replied before someone shut the door and the rest of their conversation became muffled.

I did? I had Ben Pierce’s number?

Huh. Cool.

I snuggled down into the hoodie, pulling it up to my nose to catch the delightful scent once more as welcoming blackness swallowed me whole.