“Aw,” his sisters said in unison.
He pulled her in for a hug. “I’m going to plant a forest full of oak trees just to keep her around. Did I tell you guys she sent me a card at every stop on my tour? Instead of dreading each new hotel, I had something to look forward to.”
“I didn’t want you to feel alone,” Amber said softly.
Hawk nudged Dash. “If you let her get away, I’ll be hot on her path.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” Dash said as they went around the side of the house. The backyard still looked as it had when they were kids. The wooden playset with a rock-climbing wall and a fireman pole had seen better days, but the thick rope swing still hung like a massive snake from a branch, and the old metal shed anchored the far-left corner of the yard. Damon and their grandfather were tending the barbecue on the patio, their hearty laughter and the savory smell of their grandfather’s famous ribs hung in the air. It was a damn good sight. “What kind of trouble are you all getting into back here?”
Damon looked over. His black Henley and scruff made his chiseled features look sharper, and his brown eyes—which were currently locked on Amber—even darker. He shifted a challenging smirk to Dash. “We were just making bets on how long it would take Amber to drop your ugly ass for me.”
Their grandfather, a fairly large man in his early seventies, with snow-white hair, kind dark eyes, and the best business sense of anyone Dash had ever met, scoffed. “With the number of women you’re juggling, Big D, I think you’ve got all you can handle.” He looked at Dash and Amber, hiking a thumb at Damon. “Can you believe one woman actually calls him that?” His grandfather closed the distance between them, sporting his usual dress pants and a blue sweater, and pulled Dash into a manly embrace. “Good to see you, son.”
“You too, Gramps. Thanks for having my back.” He put his arm around Amber. “Amber, this is my grandfather, George, and my brother, Damon.”
“It’s nice to meet the romantic man who taught Dash how to light up people’s lives,” Amber said.
Before his grandfather could respond, Damon said, “What can I say? I’m a romantic guy,” and rolled his shoulders back, flashing an arrogant grin.
Amber tilted her head, smiling sweetly. “Really? Who’s the last person you set up romantic lights for?”
“Himself,” Dawn said, sparking a litany of jokes.
“Does the bedroom count?” Damon smirked.
Amber glanced at Dash. “Yes, but what happens outside the bedroom counts more.”
Everyone laughed.
“I can see you’ll fit right in.” Their grandfather embraced Amber.
Amber looked at Damon and said, “I’m sure you’re romantic in your own way. No hard feelings?”
“It takes a lot more than that to hurt my feelings.” Damon pulled her in for a hug, mouthing, She’s too hot for you, to Dash.
Dash shook his head. “Dinner smells good.”
“It’ll be ready in about half an hour,” his mother said. “I have a few things to finish up in the kitchen. Can I get you or Amber something to drink? Or a bowl of water for Reno?”
“I’m fine, Mom, thanks.”
“None for me, thank you, but I would appreciate water for Reno. Would you like me to help?” Amber asked.
“No, sweetheart. Relax and enjoy yourself.” His mother and grandmother headed inside.
Amber looked around. “So this is where the mayhem took place.”
“If by mayhem you mean ninja obstacle courses run by a drill sergeant, then yes,” Hawk answered.
“You told her about that?” Damon asked.
“Yeah, why not?” Dash was sure they’d give her an earful.
“Did you tell her how you used to chase us up the rock wall, yelling”—Andi lowered her voice an octave—“Go, go, go! You can’t slow down until you can beat me!”
“No, he did not.” Amber looked imploringly at Dash. “That’s a little harsh.”
“That’s not harsh, babe. That’s just one example she picked out of a hat. More often they heard about how great they were doing. I had to motivate them.”
“He always praised us.” Dawn put her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Great job! You’re a backyard winner! Now be an Olympian!”
Amber laughed.
“He was tough on them sometimes, but he made these kids what they are today,” his grandfather said.
Dawn arched a brow. “Neurotic?”
“Come on, you guys.” Dash raked a hand through his hair. “We had fun sometimes.”
They all started talking at once.
“Fun is not the word I’d use,” Hawk said.
“It was more like torture, with a dose of therapy,” Andi agreed. “All I wanted to do was to be left alone.”
“That’s why I did it. You needed to get out of your own heads,” Dash explained.
“My head has always been a great place to visit,” Damon said.
“For a circus,” Hawk teased.
Dawn crossed her arms, lifting her chin defiantly. “I bet I could beat you now, Dash.”
“Hell, we all could,” Damon said.
“Sounds to me like someone is throwing down a challenge,” Mitch said.
They all exchanged grins and glances.
“Mom still has all the stuff in the shed,” Andi reminded them.
Damon eyed Dash. “You up to it, old man?”
“Blowing you away?” Dash scoffed. “Hell yes.”
“Game on!” Damon said, and took off with Dawn and Hawk for the shed. Dash touched Amber’s hand. “Will you be okay for a few minutes?”
Andi took Amber’s arm. “What are you talking about? She’s joining us. Right, Amber?”
“I’m not very athletic,” Amber said as the others began rolling tires out of the shed. “But it sounds like fun.”
“It is fun.” Dash leaned closer. “But if you’d rather not join in, it’s okay.”
“I’d like to,” she reassured him. “But I don’t have sneakers.”
“I’ll get you some!” Andi exclaimed. “This will be so fun. But you might want to keep Reno away from the madness.”
“He can stay with me,” Mitch offered.
They helped set up tires to run through, flagpoles to weave around, and balls to throw into buckets. Their mother lent Amber a pair of sneakers, and she and their grandmother came outside to watch the fun.
“All right, this is how it’s going to work,” Dash announced. “There’ll be two teams, and two people will go at once, starting on opposite ends of the course. Team one will start at the tires, then weave around the flags, climb the rope, scale the rock wall, slide down the pole, and end by tossing three balls into the buckets. Team two will start with the buckets and work backward.”
“Girls against boys!” Dawn hollered. “You have to wait until the person before you finishes the first obstacle before the next person goes. That way we won’t run into each other.”
Amber leaned closer to Dash, talking quietly. “We have to climb the rope and scale the rock wall?”