Page 36 of One Last Run

"Let's lay out some ground rules," Danica said, holding up her fingers to count them off. "Nothing that will get Aunt Jade evicted."

"Very wise. I approve," Kiera chimed in.

"Everyone has a right to refuse their dare. We're nearly 40. We have free will," Danica added.

Pete nodded. "And if you don't want to do your dare, you have to either sing your favorite song at the top of your lungs or eat a spoonful of a mystery substance that the rest of us choose," she said.

The sound of Danica's giggle, sweet and infectious, completely captivated Pete.

"Only edible things for eating," Danica emphasized. "Okay, truth."

"You chicken," Maggie said. "Alright. Have you ever had a sex dream about me?"

A snort of surprised laughter escaped Danica's lips, a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "I have not."

"Your loss," Maggie said with a grin.

Danica nodded, feigning gravitas. "I'll try to remedy that as soon as possible, I promise. Okay, Kiera, truth or dare."

"Dare," Kiera said, looking ready for a challenge.

"Speak with a Scottish accent for the next three rounds," Danica said immediately, like she’d been waiting for this exact excuse.

Kiera laughed. "Aye, I will." It was a terrible accent in just three words, and Pete grimaced into her glass of wine.

Over the next few rounds, Izzy had to wear a clean pair of Danica’s neon green ski socks on her hands for the rest of the game, Pete had to dance in silence for a full minute while standing on her chair, and Maggie had to swish Danica's spicy soup in her mouth for thirty seconds.

The unspoken rules of the night seemed to be silly, low-stakes fun, with everyone fully clothed, a sense of playful abandon hanging in the air. That was, until Maggie leveled Danica with an intense stare. "I dare you, Danica Mae Wendell, to go make a snow angel on the deck in only your underwear."

A full-on Wild West showdown began, as Danica and Maggie stared at one another. Pete could have sworn the theme from some old Clint Eastwood movie began playing in the background as tension and phantom tumbleweeds filled the room.

Kiera sighed, glancing between Maggie and Danica. "Well, do you want to eat a spoonful of wasabi or do a naked snow angel?"

"I said her underwear could stay on! And her bra. I'm feeling quite generous," Maggie feigned innocence.

Slowly, Danica began to move with a resigned look on her face, her chair scraping dramatically against the wood floor as she stood, reaching for the hem of her sweater. Pete stood up so quickly her chair fell backwards, startling everyone into looking at her. "I'll be your proxy."

"What?" Danica asked, pausing, the skin of her stomach showing a few inches below the hem of her sweater.

"I'll do it instead," Pete said. "Sounds fun.”

Danica seemed confused. "It’s my dare. I can do it."

Izzy stood up. "I'll do it, too."

Kiera looked around the table. "So, we're all doing this? I thought we weren't getting Aunt Jade evicted."

"Group dare, I guess." Maggie laughed.

The women laughed as they turned off the lights — a concession they agreed to in order to stay in the neighbor's goodgraces — and stripped down to their underwear. A gust of wind blew snow inside as soon as Maggie opened the door, and all four made shrieked as they ran onto the patio.

Another stare down began as they all paused, arms clutched around themselves, alternating from standing on one foot and then the other, waiting to see who would go first.

Pete backed up from the group and let herself fall backwards into the snow, waving her arms and legs to make a snow angel. She heard squeals and yelps as the rest of the women followed her lead, Warm fingers brushed against hers and she turned her head to see Danica's open, grateful expression.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Kiera said after a few minutes, standing up to run back inside. Maggie and Izzy were almost immediately behind her, and then Danica was standing over her, holding out a hand. It was not lost on Pete that Danica was only wearing a thin bralette and a pair of white underwear, less opaque than they had been before. She took Danica's hand, jumping up to hurry them both inside.

Maggie tossed Danica a towel. "Truce?"

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