She beamed at me as she climbed off Lightning. “Are you good?”
“Never better,” I said as I tried to get off Apple like an expert rider. But my foot got caught in the stirrup, and I faltered.
Quinn gasped, rushing to catch up.
I laughed as I managed to get two feet on the ground. “I’m cool.”
She giggled. “You still don’t like horses. Do you?”
I clutched her waist. “What I do like is you and me and…”
She squealed. “Let’s jump in.” She removed her tank top, revealing a yellow bikini top. “We have the lake all to ourselves.”
That we did. My cousin Kade’s house was across the lake, but I doubted he would be watching us.
We secured the horses to a tree before Quinn took off, diving into the water.
I tore off my shirt and chased after her.
Once we were both in the cool lake water, she locked her hands around my neck and her legs around my waist.
“Are you ready for college?” she asked as I twirled us around.
I was more than ready. I couldn’t wait to play college ball. I couldn’t wait to begin my new life with her at my side.
I pecked her on the lips. “I am, but right now, I want you.”
She slid off me. “Then you’ll have to catch me.” She started swimming, but not that fast.
“I will always catch you, Quinn Thompson. Forever and ever.” As I swam up to her, I was on top of the world. I had the most beautiful, confident, intelligent, and amazing girl a boy could ever have.
We were both ready to begin anew, and as she’d said in her valedictorian speech, “The future is your playground. Use it to have the best darn time of your life.”
I planned on doing just that with her.
Dear Reader
I hoped you enjoyed Maiken and Quinn’s journey and diving into the Maxwell world. There will be books on Maiken’s siblings, but I’m not sure of the timing yet.
If you want to stay up-to-date, come join my reader room on Facebook here: susan’sreaderroom
In the meantime, if you haven’t had a chance to meet Kade Maxwell and his brothers, then turn the page to read chapter 1 in Dare to Kiss. Please note: the books in the Maxwell Series contain content suitable for ages 18 and over.
Chapter 1 - Dare to Kiss
The ball left my hand and zigzagged on its way to home plate, missing Tyler Langley’s glove. I kicked the dirt in frustration as he yelled something back at me—what, I couldn’t say. The buzzing in my ears masked all sound around me. I usually got this imaginary bee in my head when I was upset or angry with myself or even when I was nervous. I didn’t know why it happened. My psychiatrist said it was a way for my body to protect me. It sounded like a bunch of crap, but what did I know about my brain?
Tyler came running out to the mound, waving his catcher’s mitt at me. His mouth was moving, but the little bee zipping around in my head was still loud. When he reached the pitcher’s mound, he tipped up my chin with his gloved hand.
Embarrassed at my performance, I looked away. I hated myself right now.
“Look at me.”
I shook my head.
“It’s okay, Lacey. You’re just tired. You have both your fast pitch and curveball ready. The slider isn’t that important for tryouts. It’s only high school baseball.”
My head snapped up, and I met his soft blue eyes that had helped to lessen the constant noise in my head. “Easy for you to say. This is important to me.” I pushed him away.
What was I doing? I didn’t mean to be such a bitch. He’d been patient with me over these past few weeks, helping me practice. He’d given up some of his summer fun in between his football practice, and here I was giving him attitude.
“I know it is, but you have two excellent pitches, and the coach is only requiring two for tryouts.” He enfolded my hand with his callused one.
A small twinge of jealousy hit me. Things came easy for Tyler, it seemed. Whenever he’d thrown a few pitches to me to show me how the curveball looked, my mouth would always fall open at how perfectly he pitched. He’d played on the baseball team his first year in high school, but gave it up when the football coach asked him to concentrate on football. He’d agreed because he loved the game more than baseball, and it gave him better scholarship opportunities.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just tired.” I pushed the envy aside. It was stupid of me to feel it in the first place. My performance had nothing to do with Tyler’s talents. I was just extremely hard on myself. I strove for perfection. I had to make the team. Everything I’d wanted was riding on this year, my senior year, and my last chance to show the scouts at Arizona State University that I was worthy of a scholarship. They’d seen me play at my old school, Crestview High in California, and were so impressed that they sat down with me to discuss a potential offer to play for their school.
They gave me two stipulations. One, I had to continue to improve my pitching skills, and two, keep up my grades. If I met these requirements I had a shot at not only a scholarship, but at being the first female to grace an all boys’ college baseball team—or at least ASU’s.
“It’s getting late. Why don’t we call it quits? You need to rest your arm.” Tyler tapped my ball cap.
I nodded. I did need my arm loose if I was going to continue to practice hard up until tryouts next week. I prayed I could regain my skills. I’d gone a whole year without picking up a baseball. My hands started to shake as I thought about Mom and my sister Julie.
“Are you okay?” He wiped a tear off my cheek.
“Yeah.” Not really.
Almost a year after Mom and Julie’s deaths, I wasn’t sure I had the confidence to face a new life in a new school and a new home. Did Dad and I make the right decision to move clear across the country? My psychiatrist, Dr. Meyers, had recommended it. The memories and the pain had been too much for my dad, my brother Rob, and me. We weren’t healing. We weren’t even living. I’d abandoned my friends. My dad moped around, hiding in his home office. My brother Rob turned down his dream of playing for the LA Dodgers.
Tyler flicked his head toward home plate. “Come on. Pack up.”
We walked over to the dugout in silence. Once inside, I packed my bag, removed my cleats, and slipped my feet into a pair of flip-flops.
As Tyler changed into his tennis shoes, he said, “I’ll get the lights and meet you at your car. We can go get a shake and fries before you head home. I know you like dunking your fries into your shake.” He grinned. It was the same cocky grin that made the girls I’d seen watching us occasionally swoon over him, especially with his blond locks that had a way of curling around his ball cap, and, of course, his ocean-blue eyes.
He was sweet, trying to cheer me up. We’d met when I’d barged into Coach Dean’s office right after I moved here in July. I wanted to talk to him about tryouts and the schedule. I didn’t think the coach would be busy. After all, it was summertime, and baseball didn’t ramp up until tryouts in the fall. Boy, how wrong I’d been. I’d walked into Coach’s office without knocking, and interrupted a meeting between Tyler, Coach Dean, the football coach, and a scout for a large university. Immediately, Coach jumped out of his desk chair, yelling at me for my lack of manners, and to get out. As I slumped my shoulders, cowering like a turtle retreating into her shell, someone in the room had snorted. As I scurried out, I caught a glimpse of Tyler with a grin on his face. Since that day we’d become friends, mostly hanging out on the ball field for practices.