All The Wild Ones | Wildfire Series

Wild and Bright - Bonus

G R A Y S O N

"If you hit my pregnant fiancé with that football, I will end you, Everett."

I chuckled, not even bothering to look in Bren's direction. He was definitely glaring at me over the top of the grill. I knew he was, and I didn't need to look over to see it.

And for fuck's sake, I wasn't going to hit Madie. She was standing at least ten feet away from Beau—my passing target.

Lobbing the football into the air, I rolled my eyes. "You do know that I was just signed to play for the pros, right? Like my aim is pretty good, Hadaway."

Bren's harsh laugh cut across the backyard. My backyard. Our backyard. Nessa and I had just signed a lease on this cute little rambler in LA. And the backyard was probably the best part—a patio, a grill, a home garden, and little fairy lights hanging on some bits of lattice. Yeah, it was pretty great.

"I've been to enough of your games over the years to know something, Mr. Big Shot," Bren called.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You don't throw the balls. You catch them."

God, he was irritating. And also right.

"I can still throw a ball better than you can."

"I—"

"I'm going to jump in front of that football myself if the two of you don't stop," Madie yelled, a flash of anger whipping across her face as she glared at Bren.

Beau's eyes snapped open, and he held onto the football, sheltering it beneath his arm like he was afraid to toss it in case Madie really did jump into harm's way.

But she wouldn't. As quick as it came, her irritation vanished, and she was walking over to Bren, who had zipped his lips real fast. His eyes simmered as she approached, though. And as soon as she was within reach, he dropped the spatula he was using to flip burgers and wrapped his arms around her from behind, hands spreading over her baby bump as he murmured something in her ear. She smiled. Giggled. And just like that, everything was right in the world again.

The rattling of a gate drew my attention toward the house.

There she was.

My number one cheerleader, my best friend, my everything.

She'd cut her hair recently, and it was about shoulder length now, all spunky, like her. She currently had it sectioned off into little pigtails that I had the urge to tug on. Today was hot, and it didn't surprise me a single bit that she had on a sleeveless sundress, which was just as cute as her hair. God, I wanted to get under it.

Later.

Nessa cradled a brown paper bag in one arm, and I knew it was the booze she'd run out to get. We couldn't have a backyard barbeque without whiskey and the top-shelf tequila Beau wanted.

I was about to take a step toward her when our new neighbor popped their head over the fence between our yards. Nick? Nate? I couldn't remember his name, but he looked annoyingly eager as he called over to Nessa. I wished I was close enough to hear it.

A whirring sound alerted me to the fact that the football was coming my way again, and I barely got my arms out in time to catch it. Nessa was the only one who could distract me that much, and Beau knew it, spinning around to follow my gaze after tossing the ball.

He chuckled, walking toward me with a shake of his head.

"Dude, you're going to puncture that football if you grip it any harder."