Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) by Kaylie Hunter (great books for teens txt) 📗

the stairs. Whiskey carried her down while she gripped him tightly, both of them wearing their Kelsey’s Crew t-shirts. Pops carried Hattie’s favorite rocking chair down the stairs behind them.

“Let’s do this,” Wild Card said as he walked up behind me, carrying an afghan and a cooler. He had cut the sleeves off his shirt and added another slit in the collar for his sunglasses to hang from. The lettering on the front of the men’s shirts was the simple black lettering, not glittered like the women’s shirts. It wasn’t until everyone shuffled toward the door that I read the back of the shirts: Kelsey’s Bitches.

I laughed, reaching over to cover the kids’ eyes.

“We already saw it, Mom. We made everyone do pushups.”

“Except Hattie. Wild Card did her pushups for her,” Sara said.

Walking outside with the kids, I admired the decorations on the flatbed trailer which served as a spectator’s stage. The trailer was surrounded with white Christmas lights and red garland and had Team Kelsey handmade signs attached all the way around it. Hattie was carried onto the trailer and settled in her rocking chair. The kids and the other spectators unfolded lawn chairs, setting them on the trailer or around it.

“You sure you’re up to this?” Bridget asked. “Haley says you might not be able to run because of the chloroform.”

I led the way across the street. “I can’t take the lead position like we planned, but I can run.” I turned as our group circled up. “Running order is as follows: Bridget, Katie, Kelsey, Wild Card, Trigger, Anne, and Tech takes the tail. Bridget, remember to tag the next person before you grab the next flag.” Bridget nodded, so I continued. “All of us need to cross the finish line before they call time. We’ll need to finish in at least second place to have any chance of snagging the trophy.”

“Why second place?” Tech asked.

“She’s expecting a loss of one of the competitions,” Katie said, crossing her arms. “You think we can’t win the tournament?”

“Look around,” I said, nodding toward the other teams that consisted of mostly oversized men. “Now look at us. Who honestly thinks we can beat any of these teams in the rope pulling competition?”

“You have a point,” Bridget said as she admired Bones’ body in the group beside us.

“Maybe we could win if we bent the rules a little,” Wild Card said, scratching his chin.

“What are you thinking?” Bridget asked.

“I have an idea, but it depends on what the rules say.”

“You and Bridget can scheme later. Let’s still shoot for at least second place tonight, though. Understood, Tech?”

“It’s not my fault if we lose. I told you Tyler would be better at this,” Tech said.

“Tyler’s busy protecting the family. Besides, who’s more Team Kelsey than you?”

“If I get hurt, I’ll never forgive you.”

Katie wrapped her arms around Tech and whispered something in his ear. He smiled wildly down at her as she playfully bit his chin.

“All right,” Tech said as he released Katie and started jogging in place. “Let’s do this.”

“Kelsey,” Wild Card said, pulling me to the side. “If you take third spot, that’s still four laps in the woods. I know you’re faster than the rest of us, but Doc warned for you not to overdo it.”

“On a good day, I can run fifteen laps, so yeah, I think I’ve got it.”

“Ladies and Gents,” Donovan called out. “Remember the rules. Each runner has a designated number of flags at their table. The first runner will tag the next runner in, but all runners have to complete their laps, returning their flags to their team’s basket. Everyone on your team must be at the table and have all flags accounted for in order for your team to have completed the relay. Pops, Jerry, and Whiskey have agreed to be judges and will disqualify anyone caught cheating. Any questions?”

“Is this full contact?” Ryan asked.

“No. You’d know that if you read the rules. The trails are not wide enough for six people, let alone forty-some of us. Runners can pass by cutting to the outside perimeter of the trail only.”

“Simple enough,” Ryan said, crossing his arms and appearing impatient.

“First runners, line up!” Donovan called before he moved over to the starting line.

Jerry passed out the first round of flags and then stepped aside. Pops lifted a shotgun, aiming away from the group. When the loud boom sounded, the first runners took off into the woods. Bridget immediately moved to the outside and ran parallel to the men in the woods.

Bones laughed. “If she wins this damn thing, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Just be glad she put on ivy protection,” Katie said, holding up a green and white bottle. “The woods are ripe with poison ivy and poison oak this time of year.”

“Shit. Can I have some of that?” Bones asked.

Katie tossed him the bottle, and he smothered it on his legs, arms, and face. Someone else asked for the bottle and it was quickly passed around. Katie tossed another two bottles out to those who were asking for some.

I stepped over to Katie and turned my back to the crowd. “Weren’t you the one who asked Nicholas to have a pail of soapy water ready for us to wash off with after the race?”

“I have to get ready,” Katie said, grinning back at me. “Bridget will be here any minute.”

I moved over between Tech and Wild Card who were silently laughing. “What’s in the bottles?”

“Lilac, itching powder, and honey,” Tech said. “She’s going to get our asses kicked.”

“Crap. They’re going to be pissed when they get eaten alive by mosquitoes.”

“What the fuck, Katie?” Bones yelled as he started scratching his legs.

Just then Bridget and Donovan came out of the woods and tagged their