“Night’s not getting any younger, bro.” Rett walked over and took the second bike from Denver. “Maybe you should keep wearing the thing until it falls off naturally. You know like in the shower or swimming pool.”

“Hell no, I’m not sleeping in the same bed with that thing.” Cassie hopped off the bench and walked with enthusiasm toward Dray. She stopped in front of him. His eyes widened with something I rarely saw in Dray’s expression—fear.

Cassie leaned forward to get a better look at the mosaic of duct tape. She straightened and tapped her chin in thought. “Remember when you strongly suggested I try one of those Brazilian bikini waxes? Well, I want you to rethink that suggestion.”

Dray scrunched his face tight as Cassie reached for the end of the tape. She braced herself and gave it sharp yank.

“Fuuuck!” Dray’s groan echoed off the house as he clutched his stomach and crouched down for a few seconds to catch his breath.

The rest of us had to catch our breath from laughing. Kensington seemed to be having a great time. It was probably stupid to form an opinion so quickly, but so far she was turning out to be nothing like the other girls I’d dated. She was a real, two feet on the ground type, and I liked her. A lot.

Rodeo was still laughing as he rode off on the bike. “Let’s get this fucking jump party started.” He circled around and raced toward the ramp. The front tire shot up. He pulled a backflip, landing almost perfectly upright in the pit.

Dray had mostly recovered. He pointed toward Rodeo. “That’s what I want to try.”

“Hey, Denver, let me borrow that bike.” I climbed on it. “Uh, I think you should stick with a three-sixty for now, Dray. Watch this and prepare to be impressed.” I’d tired of the crown fast but my red prince cape flew behind me as I pedaled hard toward the ramp. It whipped around in a flurry as I spun the bike around midair and then dropped into the foam. I lifted my arms up for applause. The women were 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. “Shit, I’m rambling. Maybe there was a lot of tequila in those drinks.”

“You’re not rambling, and I like listening to you. And I don’t say that about too many people.”

She unfastened her seatbelt. I was disappointed thinking she was ready to hop out already. Instead she turned to face me. “I don’t know why it’s so hard. I don’t even have a tall order when it comes to the right guy. I want someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Someone, who, if I’m crying, can just listen with a sympathetic ear and who can make me laugh through my tears. I want someone who makes my knees wobble when he takes my hand or caresses my arm. See, not a big list, but so far, that person has eluded me.” She pressed her fingers to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, I am just babbling like a chattering bird. Stop me. No, I’ll stop myself. That’ll make more sense. Tell me—what it is you’re looking for, Cole? Or maybe you’re not looking for anyone.”

“Sometimes I think I’ll just stay single and have a good time and see where the future takes me, but whenever I hang out with Rett and Finley or Jude and Eden and all the others, I feel a little twinge of loneliness, like I’m missing out on some big secret that they know but that I won’t ever hear until I find someone. I don’t have a tall order either. I want to find that girl who’s on my mind all the time, whether I’ve had a shitty day or a great day or just an ordinary and boring day, I want to be thinking about her. Oh, and before you praise me for being deep and thoughtful, I will add that a great pair of legs is a bonus.”

She nodded a little more enthusiastically than she’d intended and she pitched forward. I reached over and took hold of her arm to keep her from slipping off the seat.

“Oh my gosh,” she laughed, “I don’t think I’ve been this drunk since college. I should probably go inside before I do something completely embarrassing, or worse, throw up the tequila.”