Page 15 of Holden: Bucked By Love (Crawford Ridge Ranch #1)

Leni

The fireworks are about to start, and I'm wiped out.

July fourth might be my favorite holiday, but like most of them, it's a lot of work for the moms. I didn't want much for dinner after the pie eating contest, and chasing the kids around the carnival left me feeling sweaty and rubbery.

The traditional cookout at the homestead ended up being a big party, with Walker and Landry's friends joining in, and Steph too, which kept me busy filling glasses with water, and making sure Abe had enough meat to grill – don't even get me started on keeping the condiments fresh.

People will be people, and the holidays make it worse.

Now the sun has set, and the stifling heat is fading a little in the twilight.

It's still too warm for a jacket or blanket, but the sweat that's been eternally coming from my pores today finally provides some relief as the cooler air shifts over me.

I'm sitting on Holden's tailgate where his truck sits along the edge of the community park, backed in to face the field where the fireworks will shoot off.

The entire perimeter is filled with cars and trucks, with the center of the park roped off to keep people away from the flammable display.

People are settling on blankets and lawn chairs, sipping cold drinks while kids run around with glow-in-the-dark sticks and sparklers, their laughter filling the air.

I've kicked off my shoes to let my feet breathe a little while I watch Mace and Jo-Jo live it up.

Mason has been included in the guy's tag football game that they play every year.

Holden and his brothers are competitive in real life, but on this night they mostly just ham it up good-naturedly.

I've played with them a few times, but this year I'm content to watch.

Landry's friends are there too, with Kit being the only girl who shows any interest in joining the game – mostly because she's sporty and unafraid.

Also because her boyfriend, Beau, is bossy and practically shamed her into playing.

I hardly know them, so I'd never say it out loud, but I think it.

The six of them play in teams of three, and there's more smack talk than one park can handle.

I love that this tradition remains when it feels like other things have crumbled.

Rae and Abe are seated in Abe's truck bed next to me.

They're both dressed in festive shirts that are years away from their day-to-day clothing, and they wave their own small flags at anyone they recognize in the crowd.

They have a little blow-up couch that leans against the cab, and a cooler filled with drinks, along with giant bags of popcorn.

They both smile as they watch their boys play, and I can relate.

I love watching my children have fun together.

Jo-Jo is running around by herself, waving glow sticks around in a sort of dance, and it's not the first time my heart pricks, wondering if she has friends at school or if she really is okay spending so much time alone.

I'm so social, it's hard to relate, but I relax at the brilliant smile on her face and try to remember that life has a way of giving us the things we need.

Steph walks up and slaps my bare thigh with an open palm, making it sting and drawing my attention to her.

It's a thing we've been doing since we were children, and in our thirties we should probably grow out of it, but some things really do stay the same forever.

Her dark hair is braided like mine, and she's wearing a sundress that nearly makes my eyes burn with its festive styling.

Around her neck is a long string of glow-in-the-dark sticks hooked together.

She took off after the cookout to meet up with a guy she's been toying around with, and he's a few steps behind her, which makes sense because Steph blazes a trail everywhere she goes.

She occasionally chats with Walker about weight routines and he's mentioned that her strength training takes half the time his does, even though they're doing similar programs. It's no surprise that Steph met this mystery guy at the gym when he tried to offer her some tips on weights and she reversed roles by teaching him a lesson or two.

For some reason, her ruthless moment kicked off a spark of interest, and here they are together.

"Hey." She leans close to me. "This Ryan guy is super into me, and I just want you to know that kids should not be looking in our direction tonight," she says under her breath a second before Ryan joins us.

I roll my eyes at her and smile at him as she introduces us.

"Ryan Keddington, this is the younger and much more disappointing version of me, my sister Lenora. "

Ryan is about the same height as Steph, who at five foot seven, has an inch on me.

He's got dark blond hair and blue eyes and is built stout and strong, like a rugby player.

He's wearing regular street clothes, which makes him stick out here tonight.

Not because of his taste in clothing, but because of the fact he doesn't look like a red, white and blue rodeo barfed on him.

"Nice to meet you, Ryan." I hold out a hand. His grip is firm and his smile doesn't show teeth but does reach his eyes as he shakes mine in greeting. "Steph will eat you up and spit you out if you're not careful. Don't believe a word she says about anything."

Steph huffs playfully, thigh-slapping me again, as Ryan gazes between us. Then, deadpan, the man says, "So I'm guessing she never wrestled a wild cougar to save your little girl on a family hike?"

Steph gasps at the same time I do, and it doesn't occur to me that we were gasping for different reasons until she says to him, "I never said that."

His lips tug. "I know, but it wouldn't surprise me if you did, and I wouldn't believe it for a minute."

Steph slaps her lips shut and I laugh out loud. Maybe she's finally found a guy who will be strong enough to hold her interest. While I've been married forever, Steph has gotten into her thirties without anyone touching her heart. I'm officially intrigued.

Music suddenly blares over the park loudspeakers, a sign that the show will begin in five minutes and people should clear the area and get seated.

Steph hooks her arm through Ryan's and drags him off to wherever she's set up her Venus flytrap man-catching station.

The Crawford men are sweaty as they make their way back to where our trucks are parked.

Beau says something in Kit's ear that makes her scowl and lightly shove at his shoulder.

When he mockingly shoves her shoulder back, it nearly takes her off her feet and Landry is there to catch her before she tumbles.

His face is dark with an expression I so rarely see from the unflappable youngest brother that I can't take my eyes off the exchange.

Beau rolls his eyes and shrugs as he walks toward his truck, leaving Kit standing there with Landry's hands holding her shoulders as they both glare at him.

Trouble is brewing, and I'm a sucker for any drama that isn't mine.

I'm a little sad to see Kit shake it off and follow Beau to where they have chairs sitting together.

I wish she'd tell Beau what he can do with his attitude.

Landry isn't far behind, but I can see he's having a hard time moving back into a good mood as he takes his seat on the other side of Beau.

He picks up his cowboy hat and covers his dark hair, pulling the brim low to hide his eyes.

Landry has a wild streak and can come off like he doesn't care about anything, but I know for a fact that's not the case, and seeing him brooding raises my eyebrows.

Out of habit I look to see if Holden noticed and find him also looking at his brother with a frown.

Our eyes meet and he nods at me, telling me we're on the same page about this strange turn of events.

Walker, however, is doing great. The women that tend to follow him around have reappeared, and a few of the guys too, and as usual, the golden boy is surrounded by people as he flops down on a quilt that has definitely seen better days.

He holds up his hand toward Rae, who tosses him a cold soda from the cooler at her feet, and he cracks it open, all the while keeping a running monologue going to entertain his fans.

Walker is hysterical, and popular, and I fully understand why Mason worships him.

Mason and Josi also get drinks from Rae before taking a seat in their chairs at my feet. Mason is breathing hard from trying to keep up with the adults, but he's smiling and I tap his shoulder with my bare toe.

"Have fun?" I ask.

He nods. "Totally."

Holden has a soda in his hand when he makes it to us, and he turns to pull himself up onto the tailgate next to me.

I don't know how he can tolerate wearing full jeans and boots in the heat like this, much less playing football in them, but he never seems to care much.

He fans his shirt and blows some cool air from his mouth up onto his forehead, making his hair sway before settling back in place.

It carries the scent of pine my way, familiar and nice.

"Mason's getting fast," he says loud enough for our boy to hear.

"He looked good out there," I agree, and we both smile as he lifts his shoulders a little and puffs out his pre-teen chest.

"Jo-Jo invented a new dance," I add in, knowing our daughter can hear too. "She's so graceful."

"She really is," Holden picks up the cue.

Jo-Jo giggles at Mason who offers her a smile just as the first firework explodes in the air above our heads. It shouldn't, but it startles me, and I jump enough that Holden reaches out to steady me, his warm palm landing on my bare knee. We both look down at his hand and he moves it.

"Sorry," he says under his breath. "Habit."

My shoulders slump. "When did that happen?" I ask.

"What?"