Page 60 of Jackrabbit

“Oh, that’s how you wanna play.” Colt stuck his tongue between his teeth when they came up for air, rubbing his stinging nose. Beau was grinning, and Colt was buzzing. “Alright. Bet.”

Colt slipped back under the water and tried to take Beau's legs out, but Beau reached in and snatched him out. He tossed him in again like Colt weighed nothing, and Colt knew he'd be thinking about nothing but being manhandledlike this for the foreseeable future. That, and built pecs over a perfectly squishy tummy, all dusted with hair. Fuck.

Now, though, he had a mission. Instead of trying for the legs again, Colt popped out of the surface just out of reach, waited for Beau to try to get him, then did it again. One more time, and Beau was having to stand on his tiptoes to keep his head above water. Colt seized his opportunity, jumped on Beau's back, and shouted a victory crow that zipped back to him through the clearing as Beau finally went under.

They played like sixteen-year-olds until the sun began to soften, washing the water in deepening orange. Colt was breathing hard, draped across Beau's back, when he waved his hand in the air like he had a flag and groaned. “I give up. You win. Jesus fuck, Beau, you're a machine.”

“Youneed a life alert button?” Beau asked as he relaxed and started treading water with Colt on his back like a hot koala.

“Oh, and petty, too,” Colt sighed. He patted Beau's chest. “Proud of you.”

“You're an ass.” Beau squeezed his ankle and looked up at the waterfalls. “Come on, now. Let's take a climb.”

“A climb?” Colt glanced up at the rocks and groaned, dropping his forehead against Beau’s hair. “I'm gonna die.”

“You're young. You can take it.” Beau grabbed both of Colt’s ankles and tried to dislodge him. “Go on, start swimming.”

“Nah, you gotta tow me to shore.” He settled more comfortably against Beau’s back and pointed toward the rocks. “Away!”

Beau chuckled, and Colt had about one second of thinking he'd won before Beau launched himself backward. Colt lost his grip, and by the time he'd righted himself, Beau was twenty feet away, swimming backward and laughing at him. Colt followed, and they pulled themselves up onto the rocks, dripping wet and freezing in the late afternoon breeze.

He peered up at the rocks, a stack of different sized reddish boulders that looked mostly easy to climb. Easy for Beau, of course, who was already pullinghimself up onto the first one. His muscles flexed and shifted as he moved, thrown into sharp shadows by the quiet light. They made it to the top, where they stood in a small bowl filled with water, and the view was spectacular. The whole clearing was washed in a honey glow, the trees gently swaying in a breeze that kicked up the smell of warm rocks and pine.

Beau stepped up to the edge where the water was running off and turned back to Colt. “You trust me?”

Before Colt could answer, Beau bunched his legs and threw himself off the rock in a backflip. Colt gaped as Beau hit the water with a huge, loud splash. Then Colt shook his head, grinning as he ran and jumped right after him.

Chapter 32

Feet hammered on the metal risers as the crowd filled the stands, nearly drowning out the sound of engines gunning on the track. They’d cut the grass recently, that fresh, sharp scent underlying the smell of gas and rubber.

Colt’s heel tapped against the gravel.

“You alright?” Beau asked, leaning back against the car with his arms crossed and watching the other drivers do their qualifying rounds.

Colt's heart was racing, his palms sweating. His eyes found the stands instead of the track. Safer. Watching strangers file in didn't make his stomach twist the way watching another driver nail the apex did. “Yeah, I'm great.”

Beau leveled him with The Look. “Mhmm.”

Letting out a puff of air, Colt rested his chin against his hands on top of the car and drummed his fingers. He dropped his voice. “What if I fuck it up again?”

Beau pressed his palm against the back of Colt’s neck. The hand was steady and warm, and Colt leaned closer as the sky rumbled above them. His heart stuttered when the thumb against his skin pressed harder, and Beau's eyes searched his face.

“Colt, you won't—”

“Oh, the TikTok princess is back,” Kendrick called across the pit lane, and Colt sighed. Beau’s hand dropped from his neck as Beau turned, and Colt’s neck prickled with cold. Kendrick gave them a nasty smile. “Still got sponsors after that shitshow last week?”

Colt rolled his eyes, irritated at the interruption for nothing but a recycled, shit joke from a man whose masculinity was tissue paper thin. He wanted Beau’s hand back, his attention back, that steady gaze that brought Colt down. Kendrick could fuck right off.

“Wait till you see the dress and crown they sent me,” Colt called. “I'd make you a real cute date to the redneck ball.”

“Colt!” Colt looked away from the peanut gallery as Camila jogged up, grinning, her hair loose and wild around her shoulders. “Look at this!”

“Hey, I was talking to you!” Kendrick snapped.

Colt waved dismissively behind him as Camila turned and showed Colt the white jackrabbit decal spanning the whole upper back of her black t-shirt.

Gasping with all the drama in his soul, Colt grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Mila! That’s so fucking cool. Who made these?”