Page 171 of Ride the Sky

Lovethis. Fallon, looking too damn beautiful for words, stretched out beside me on the couch. Where she belongs. Where she has always belonged.

“No cheating, fuckers,” Charlie says from the recliner.

Ford, sitting on the opposite end of the U-shaped couch, looks up from his conversation with Reese. Ever since we arrived at the Edens, they’ve been talking in hushed tones. “You remember that, little brother,” he drawls.

“We can’t cheat.” Fallon arches a sharp brow. “But we can lie.”

Ruby wags a finger. She sits in Charlie’s lap, his hand stroking over her thighs. “No lying.” She smiles. “Be real.”

Murmurs of agreement float around the room.

Fallon groans, slapping a hand to her brow. “I regret ever teaching you my no-bullshit ways.”

Dakota and Reese share a smile of cahoots.

Clearing her throat, Dakota reads the instructions on a game calledCold Hard Truththat she and Reese picked up at the pharmacy. “Draw a card from the question deck. Ask the person of your choice the question. After they answer, they choose a card and pick someone to tell the truth. It’s simple. Get to learn more about those closest to you. Oldest starts.” Her dark eyes glitter. “Hotshot, you’re up.”

Davis grunts, reaching for a card. “Oldest by a minute.”

I look between him and Ford and cackle. “Hell, you’re both pushin’ forty.”

Ford raises a fist. “You’re pushing daisies, kid, you keep talkin’.”

“Listen up.” Davis clears his throat. His eyes scan the card. The tips of his ears turn pink.

“Oh, shit.” Fallon hoots. She leans forward. “The big guy’s blushing.”

Davis chuckles. “This is for you, then, smart ass. Who’s the horniest of the group?”

“Damn.” Ford laughs. “Startin’ out with a bang.”

Fallon’s eyes shoot to mine, then she looks around the room. “No offense,” she says, her smile wicked. “But no one’s hornier than Ruby.”

Ruby gasps in dismay. Her cheeks are beet red as she looks around the group and then up at her husband. “That is not…I mean, that’s not true. Is it?”

Charlie covers his face with his big hand, but the harsh wrack of his shoulders tells me he’s laughing.

Everyone’s laughing.

I stare at Fallon like a man obsessed. Her face is lit with joy.

Fallon draws a card. Hand on her heart, she says, “To the horniest of the group, Ruby, even if you’d be paid one million dollars for it, what’s something you would never do?”

“Leave the ranch,” Ruby says, her bright smile turned on all of us. “Never.” Her eyes float to Charlie’s, which are suddenly misty. “I love this life. You all are my favorites.”

“No cryin’,” Ford drawls. “We ain’t even on our second beer yet.”

The night spins on. We’re on our third round of questions, our fourth round of whiskey, when Ruby, giggling, reaches for a card. She squeaks as she reads it over.

“Okay. This is for Dakota.” She bites her lip like she’s afraid of the question then continues. “Who would you be with if not your current partner?”

Charlie and I snicker. Davis doesn’t look happy.

“I mean…” Dakota shrugs, a smile on her lips that tells me she plans to fuck with Davis. “Out of all the men in Resurrection…I could see myself with maybe…”

Davis shoots out of his seat, snatches the card from Ruby. “We’re done with this game,” he growls.

“Poor sport,” I drawl.

---