just drunk enough to be a very appreciative audience.
I lifted the bike up and over the side of the pit. Dray walked over to take the bike from me and I climbed out behind it.
Dray stared down at the bike, then looked at me. He held out his hand. “I need the cape too. It adds another layer of cool to the whole thing.” He hadn’t put his shirt back on and the skin around his stomach was still bright red from the tape.
I handed him my cape. “Here, it sort of matches your skin. Make sure you ride back far enough to get some decent—”
Dray waved me off. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got this.” He was a little wobbly but determined. He rode hard toward the ramp but didn’t get enough lift. He had plenty of spin though. The bike twirled into the foam pieces like the blades in a blender, popping them up in every direction and burying the rider deep.
Rett was laughing hard as he ran to the pit and hopped up on the stepladder. He looked down into the foam. “All I see is the red cape.” He paused. “Nope, there he is.” He gave the audience a thumbs up. “He’s alive.”
Clutch got on a bike. “Where the hell is the ignition on this thing?”
“Dude, you look just like one of those circus clowns on the mini bicycle,” Jude called to him. Again, we all dissolved into laughter. The party had been a blast, but we were all having more fun just hanging out together.
Clutch, undeterred by Jude’s comment and our guffaws, raised his middle finger to all of us as he pedaled toward the ramp. As expected, the bike made a small chirp jump. Giant and bike dove face first into the foam. The girls were leaning on each other trying to catch their breath. Kensington was right there with them, her face a pink glow from laughing so hard. And it occurred to me how perfectly she fit in with the other girls, confident, beautiful and likable in every way. Something told me winning her heart would be a challenge, but that same something was telling me she was totally worth the effort.
Chapter 8
Kensington
“I know I’ve said this twice already, but I love your friends. Just let me say that. There. I said it. I’m done. And your sister is adorable. There, I’ve said that twice too, but now that’s it.”
I smiled over at Kensington and thought how perfectly right she looked sitting in the passenger seat of my truck. “I guess you were really downing those margaritas at the end there.”
“I had one or two more, and I think it was mostly the sour mix stuff. But I’m a total lightweight. I think I’m just lightheaded from laughing so hard because—” She paused. “Well, you know, as I mentioned, your friends are great.”
“I agree. I hadn’t seen them in awhile, and I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.” I pulled around the corner and headed up the long, tree-lined driveway to her house. “This was such a short drive home. I’m wishing that you lived a little farther.”
I stopped in front of the ornate iron gates. A sign reading Modante Vineyard arched over the gate. Kensington hopped out and punched in a code. The gates parted and opened. She climbed back in and we drove up toward the house. It was a colonial type mansion with a lot of used brick and white columns. Trimmed hedges lined the front of the house. I parked on the circular driveway, stopping in front of the steps leading to the massive front doors. The entire facade of the house was lit up but it looked dark inside.
I shut off the engine. “I’ll walk you to the door. I am, after all, a prince.”
She looked over at me. “I had a great time tonight.”
“I’m glad. And I’m sorry your date took off so quickly.”
“I’m not sorry. The thing between Nate and me was sort of crumbling away anyhow. That’s me, a crumbler. I crumble things, on purpose, mostly. I just can’t seem to meet the right guy.” She lifted a long, thin finger. “But I am a pro at picking the wrong ones. I’ve got that down to an art.” She sat back.
I lifted the bike up and over the side of the pit. Dray walked over to take the bike from me and I climbed out behind it.
Dray stared down at the bike, then looked at me. He held out his hand. “I need the cape too. It adds another layer of cool to the whole thing.” He hadn’t put his shirt back on and the skin around his stomach was still bright red from the tape.
I handed him my cape. “Here, it sort of matches your skin. Make sure you ride back far enough to get some decent—”
Dray waved me off. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got this.” He was a little wobbly but determined. He rode hard toward the ramp but didn’t get enough lift. He had plenty of spin though. The bike twirled into the foam pieces like the blades in a blender, popping them up in every direction and burying the rider deep.
Rett was laughing hard as he ran to the pit and hopped up on the stepladder. He looked down into the foam. “All I see is the red cape.” He paused. “Nope, there he is.” He gave the audience a thumbs up. “He’s alive.”
Clutch got on a bike. “Where the hell is the ignition on this thing?”
“Dude, you look just like one of those circus clowns on the mini bicycle,” Jude called to him. Again, we all dissolved into laughter. The party had been a blast, but we were all having more fun just hanging out together.
Clutch, undeterred by Jude’s comment and our guffaws, raised his middle finger to all of us as he pedaled toward the ramp. As expected, the bike made a small chirp jump. Giant and bike dove face first into the foam. The girls were leaning on each other trying to catch their breath. Kensington was right there with them, her face a pink glow from laughing so hard. And it occurred to me how perfectly she fit in with the other girls, confident, beautiful and likable in every way. Something told me winning her heart would be a challenge, but that same something was telling me she was totally worth the effort.
Chapter 8
Kensington
“I know I’ve said this twice already, but I love your friends. Just let me say that. There. I said it. I’m done. And your sister is adorable. There, I’ve said that twice too, but now that’s it.”
I smiled over at Kensington and thought how perfectly right she looked sitting in the passenger seat of my truck. “I guess you were really downing those margaritas at the end there.”
“I had one or two more, and I think it was mostly the sour mix stuff. But I’m a total lightweight. I think I’m just lightheaded from laughing so hard because—” She paused. “Well, you know, as I mentioned, your friends are great.”
“I agree. I hadn’t seen them in awhile, and I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.” I pulled around the corner and headed up the long, tree-lined driveway to her house. “This was such a short drive home. I’m wishing that you lived a little farther.”
I stopped in front of the ornate iron gates. A sign reading Modante Vineyard arched over the gate. Kensington hopped out and punched in a code. The gates parted and opened. She climbed back in and we drove up toward the house. It was a colonial type mansion with a lot of used brick and white columns. Trimmed hedges lined the front of the house. I parked on the circular driveway, stopping in front of the steps leading to the massive front doors. The entire facade of the house was lit up but it looked dark inside.
I shut off the engine. “I’ll walk you to the door. I am, after all, a prince.”
She looked over at me. “I had a great time tonight.”
“I’m glad. And I’m sorry your date took off so quickly.”
“I’m not sorry. The thing between Nate and me was sort of crumbling away anyhow. That’s me, a crumbler. I crumble things, on purpose, mostly. I just can’t seem to meet the right guy.” She lifted a long, thin finger. “But I am a pro at picking the wrong ones. I’ve got that down to an art.” She sat back.
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