Page 9 of My Return to the Walter Boys (My Life with the Walter Boys #2)

In the end, Cole only won because he resorted to dirty tactics.

When my minnow was a foot from the end, he reached over the table and poked me in the side.

The attack caught me off guard, I sucked a mouthful of water up through my straw, and while I had a coughing fit, Cole’s minnow crossed the finish line.

“No congratulations for the victor?” Cole asked after we moved out of the way so the next race could begin.

“Oh, my bad.” I glanced around to make sure no little kids were watching, then flipped him off.

A soft laugh rumbled from his throat. “I’m so going to enjoy holding this over your head,” he said, “but do you know what would be even better?”

“Winning fair and square?” I suggested dryly.

Cole leaned in, and his lips brushed my ear. “A kiss from you,” he said, his voice low in a way that made my stomach swoop.

This close, every breath I took smelled of his cologne. It made me want to grab him by the front of his shirt and—

Goddammit. This was exactly the type of situation I’d wanted to avoid. I never should have agreed to spend time with him before we had an honest conversation, but I always made stupid decisions around Cole. He was my weak spot.

“Not happening,” I said, affecting a haughty tone and turning my nose up at him.

“You sure?” he asked but pulled away so that he was no longer in my personal space. “I promise to never mention my superior minnow racing skills again.”

“Even if I wanted to, which I don’t”— lies, lies, lies , my conscience chanted—“my mouth tastes like fish water right now.”

Cole threw back his head and laughed. When he finally got himself under control, he joined his hand with mine and pulled me back the way we came. “Let’s fix that, shall we? Can’t have you walking around with fish breath, and it’s time for the next stop on our tour, anyway.”

“Hey!” I whacked him on the arm. “I meant that there’s a nasty taste in my mouth, not that my breath smells bad.”

While we walked, Cole told me bits and pieces about his summer: the management position at Tony’s paid well, but he disliked that it meant fewer hours working on cars; he and his best friend, Nick, went on a road trip to Yellowstone and got stuck in a bison jam; and the water aerobics instructor at the pool where he lifeguarded, an almost eighty-year-old woman, slipped him her number on his last day.

We reached the food trucks in less than no time, and Cole steered us toward one selling shaved iced.

“It’s not a block party unless your mouth is stained blue from a blue raspberry snow cone,” he told me.

“I’d rather have cherry,” I said to be contrary. Truthfully, I’d be happy with either flavor.

Cole groaned as we joined the end of the line. “That’s so boring .”

“It’s a classic.”

“Yeah, classically boring.”

“Blue raspberry isn’t even a real fruit,” I pointed out.

“None of this is real fruit,” he said. “It’s syrup. Why don’t you just admit you’re too chicken to walk around with a blue mouth for the rest of the night?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re right, Cole. We can’t all be as badass as you.”

It took us another minute to reach the front of the line and order, but once we had our snow cones in hand, I grabbed a wad of napkins and made for one of the empty picnic benches.

Cole gently grabbed my elbow and steered me in the opposite direction.

When we stepped past the barricades and away from the block party, I gave him a bewildered look.

“We’re leaving?” I asked, even though the answer was obvious. There was still so much I hadn’t seen, like the music tent and the rows of vendors.

“Yup,” he replied, his lips already blue. “We’re done with all the kiddy stuff. It’s time for some real fun.”

***

We walked to a nearby residential neighborhood lined with established trees so big, their foliage created a canopy that shaded the entire length of sidewalk.

The homes were old but well-kept, with covered porches, bay windows that overlooked the street, and tidy front gardens.

When we reached a green bungalow where a thumping bass could be heard from behind a wooden privacy fence, Cole ignored the front walk and cut across the lawn toward the gate.

He lifted the latch and pushed it open, gesturing for me to go first, and I stepped into the most charming backyard I’d ever seen.

A stepping-stone path cut through lush grass and lead to a pergola-covered patio with lanterns hanging from the rafters.

There was a sunken fire-pit lined with cushions and pillows, a stock tank hot tub, and a hammock hanging between two trees.

Familiar faces from school were scattered all around, some playing beer darts while others gathered around the bonfire, but most were congregated on the patio, talking and laughing.

Walking into the party with Cole reminded me of all the times I’d been at his side in the hallways between class periods; everywhere he went, Cole drew attention without trying.

Heads turned, greetings were called out, and smiles followed in his wake.

The difference tonight, however, were all the acknowledgments I received, from head nods to friendly hellos.

It was a stark contrast to my first month in Colorado when I was stared at and judged for being the new girl.

The sense of acceptance was comforting and hopefully a sign that the upcoming school year wouldn’t be as bad as the last.

“Patio or fire?” Cole asked me after saying hi to one of his football buddies.

I caught a glimpse of Kim curled up in Alex’s lap on a wicker sectional and hesitated. “Um…”

Cole followed my gaze, clocked his brother, and quickly adjusted our course. “Fire it is,” he said, but it didn’t matter where we went, because he was friends with everyone.

I recognized most of the people at the fire-pit as the ones who cut class with us last spring.

Besides Nick, there was a guy with a lip ring named Joe but who preferred to be called Jet, his older sister Molly, and Molly’s friend Kate, whose pink hair streak had been changed to purple.

Then there were the two defensive linemen with names I always mixed up.

Ryan and Tim? Or maybe it was Bryan and Jim.

“Cole, you made it!” Kate jumped up and threw her arms around him before surprising me with a hug as well. “Hey, Jackie. Back for the school year?”

“Yeah,” I said, then shook my head when Nick silently offered me a beer. “I got in yesterday.”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous,” she said, plopping down on Jim/Tim’s lap to make room for me and Cole. “I wish I could jet off to somewhere fun like New York for the summer.”

Even with the space she freed up, I doubted the two of us would fit.

Cole sat down, and when I hesitated, he rolled his eyes, tucked me into his side, and draped an arm over the back of the bench.

Once I was settled (and striving to ignore the way his body was pressed against mine from shoulder to knee), he accepted a beer from Nick and popped the tab one-handed.

“Kate,” Molly said with a pointed look. “Don’t be annoying. You’re leaving for Southern Cal in less than a week while the rest of us will be stuck here attending dinky state colleges.”

Nick spoke up. “Actually, I’m going to—”

“UF, we know,” Bryan/Ryan said. “We’ve all heard it a million times. If I have to listen to you suck Florida’s dick one more time, I’m going to drown myself in the hot tub.”

“Some of us still have to finish high school,” Jet grumbled under his breath.

“In what universe is Boulder a dinky state college?” Kate asked. “It’s literally the largest university in Colorado. You’re just pissed you didn’t get into Berkeley.”

A guy I didn’t recognize with curly brown hair threw his arm over Molly’s shoulder, his gaze briefly meeting Cole’s before he offered her a sympathetic smile. “Hey, cheer up. The three of us will have a blast.”

Molly sighed and leaned her head against his chest. “Yeah, I know.” She was quiet for a moment before looking over at Cole. “When are you moving into the dorms?”

Cole took a sip of his beer before responding. “This Thursday. You?”

Even though I wouldn’t allow this thing between us to develop into something more, my heart still sank hearing his answer. Cole would be gone in less than a week.

***

The conversation about college carried on into the night, and even though I couldn’t contribute much since I still had two more years of high school, I was content to sit and listen.

Cole was unusually reticent as well, only chiming in when someone asked him a question.

He spent the night staring at the fire and absentmindedly tracing patterns on the side of my arm.

“Hey,” I whispered, gently nudging him in the side. “You okay?”

“I’m sorry. I promised you a fun night, but”—he yawned—“I’m beat.”

“That’s okay. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?”

“But you’re finally back,” he said, burying his face in my hair with a sleepy smile, “and I wanted to—God, you smell like vanilla and citrus. Is that your shampoo?”

“Perfume,” I replied, and he hummed in acknowledgment. I waited for him to continue explaining whatever it was that he wanted, but instead of saying anything, he let out another yawn, then nuzzled closer like he was preparing to nap on my shoulder. “Cole, are you still with me?”

The party was dying down, but over on the patio, someone shrieked with laughter.

“No,” he grumbled, “so I suppose going to bed isn’t a terrible idea, but how are you getting back to the ranch? Do you need a ride?”

“Alex is taking me.” I glanced around in search of him, but he and Kim must have left at some point because I didn’t see them anywhere.

That jolted Cole awake. “Nope, definitely not.” He untangled himself from me, slammed the rest of his beer, and stood with newfound energy. “Let’s go,” he said, offering me a hand up. “I’m driving you back.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the gleam in his eyes was steely.

He always got like this when it came to his brother, stupidly headstrong and impulsive, so I didn’t bother arguing.

We said our goodbyes, all Cole’s friends promising to meet up a final time before leaving for their colleges, and then we made the short walk to the Gas Exchange where the Buick was parked.

By the time we reached the ranch, it was almost ten o’clock.

Cole pulled up next to the shed and put the car in park.

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s back yet,” he said, glancing over at the house.

All the lights were off, which meant Katherine, George, and the younger kids were either still at the block party or already in bed. “You know where the key is, right?”

“Taped to the underside of the porch swing, but I doubt I’ll need it. Knowing your mom, she left the back door unlocked.”

“You’re probably right.” Cole rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “Look, about tonight. I’m sorry if you thought the block party was dumb and that I basically fell asleep at the party, but I’ve spent all my time working this summer. I’m running on empty.”

“You shared some of your childhood memories with me. Why would I think that’s dumb?” I told him in earnest. Cole Walter could be a real asshole sometimes, but he was equally as sweet, especially when he wasn’t getting into pissing contests with Alex. “I’m glad I got to spend time with you.”

He reached across the console and knotted our fingers together. “You mean that?”

“I promise,” I said as he ran his thumb over my knuckles.

He’d been incredibly touchy-feely tonight, more so than I remembered him being, and every brush and soft touch made my body feel like a live wire.

The air was thick around us, and I knew I needed to get away from him before I did something I’d later regret.

“I’m going to head in. See you tomorrow night at dinner? ”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” he replied, but when I tried to pull away, his grip tightened.

“Um, Cole?” I needed my hand back in order to leave. I glanced down at our entwined fingers, then back to him. The way he was gazing at me made my throat tighten. Even in the dark, his eyes were piercing.

“Can we talk then?” he asked. “About your summer and stuff?”

I cleared my throat, but my voice still came out raspy. “Y-yeah. Get some sleep, okay?”

Cole nodded, and this time, he let me go when I withdrew my hand. I offered him a parting smile and thanked him for driving me home, then unbuckled my seat belt and moved to open the door.

“Jackie, wait,” he said, taking hold of my arm.

When I glanced at him over my shoulder, Cole leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.