Page 82 of Sudden Summer

“That’s my good girl. My jeans are still by you, right?”

“Yes,” I squeaked.

“Okay. Reach into my right pocket and take out the satellite phone. My cell phone would work out here, but I don’t want you turning on the screen. Press the second button from the left. It will connect directly to Colt. Got that?”

“Mhm.”

“Tell him someone’s shooting at us, and he needs to get his ass out here. Preferably with another weapon or two. Okay, baby?”

“I got it…” My hand slipped into his pocket and pulled out the satellite phone. Shakily, my fingers felt over the first button, and then found the second.

“Good. Hand me my pants while you call.”

“Where are you going?!” I hissed as he rolled off of me, taking the pants out of my hand. He reached around until he got to the holster, immediately pulling out his own weapon.

“I need to turn off the string lights. Whoever is out here shootin’ might have a night scope, but we can at least try to slow them down if not. And then I need to see if I can fucking figure out where they’re shooting at us from.” He looked back at me for a second as the twinkling lights went out. “Call Colt, baby. We need his help.”

My finger was shaking over the button, but I pressed down, controlling the phone enough to hear it connect through.

“What’s the matter, Beau?” Colt sighed. “Forget a condom and need your big brother to bring you one?”

“Colt,” I whispered, ignoring his joke. “We need help.”

“Birdie? Christ, sorry about that. What’s going on? Where are you?”

“At the old willow tree your dad used to bring you out to camp under. Do you remember⁠—”

“Yeah, yeah. I remember that spot.”

“Someone just shot at us.” I tried to sound as calm as possible, but between this and Beau’s naked ass sitting right next to my face while he tried to scope out the direction the shots came from, I was close to either hysterically crying or laughing, and I wasn’t sure which one would win if I lost control.

“Someone what?! Are you guys okay? Do I need to call this in?”

“Should he⁠—”

“Yes,” Beau growled. Apparently he could hear the conversation we were having. “Do it on the way, Colt. Just get your ass out here. I want Birdie in a truck and back at the house as soon as fucking possible.”

“I heard him, Birdie. I’ll be there in under five, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks.”

I ended the call, slipping the phone back into Beau’s pocket.

“What are we supposed to do now?”

His eyes were wide as he scanned the area. “You’re going to go to the tree, and I’m going to stand up and cover you.”

“No! Absolutely not! The shooting stopped. There’s no reason why we have to move. Maybe a hunter got turned around and didn’t realize they were on private property! Hand me my underwear so I can hide it before your brother gets out here!”

Beau’s eyes stayed on the horizon, but his lips curled into a smile as he grabbed my panties off the ground.

“Beau!” He reached over, fixing the strap on my dress before sliding the underwear into my hand.

“I don’t like that we’re just lying out here, exposed. I want you to go to the tree, Birdie.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Put your pants on before your family gets an unwanted eyeful!” I warned.

Just as I slipped my underwear under my boob—because of course I couldn’t put them back on all torn up and I didn’t have pockets in this beautiful dress—bright headlights charged up the road at us.