Page 16 of Spencer and the Younger Girl
Hadley sped up to get away from him and wiped her sweaty palms on her tight black t-shirt. She’d gone all out for this. Black leggings, black shirt, and leather jacket. She’d even tied her blond hair up in a black bandana.
Roman had laughed at her when he first saw her, saying he was surprised she hadn’t put on war paint.
So, what did she do? She went back to her room and used eyeliner to draw black lines under her eyes.
Was it ridiculous? Yes. Did she love it? Abso-freaking-lutely.
Damien yanked open the small wooden door and ushered them all in. Goats lay spread across the straw-covered ground, seemingly content in their sleep.
“They’re so cute,” Bailey whispered.
Hadley shared a grin with her. They were. A few babies lay at the far end, but Damien had told her those were off limits. They’d only be stealing full-grown goats today.
Stealing goats. She held in a laugh. This was a night she’d remember.
Damien went through, making sure each goat had on a collar and lead that would ensure they all got back safely.
“Start taking them out.” Hadley gestured to Roman and Brayden.
The boys did as she asked, forcing goats to their feet and leading them into the night.
“This is so exciting.” Bailey grinned. “If my mom finds out, she’s going to kill us.” The prospect of trouble didn’t seem to bother her.
“She won’t find out.” Only seniors would be blamed for a senior prank, but they’d have no way of knowing which seniors. “If we do this right, no one will know it was us. Come on.” She grabbed the lead for one of the goats and tugged. The animal followed her with so much faith, so much trust.
“I won’t hurt you,” she whispered. “I promise.”
Brayden and Roman left once their cars were full, leaving Hadley with only Bailey and Damien to load the last few.
They’d managed to get them all in and shut the doors when a light flipped on, breaking the secrecy the darkness gave them.
Hadley cursed and ducked down behind her car, pulling Bailey with her.
Damien froze for a moment before relaxing. “That’s the bunkhouse light. If we get out of here before whoever it is comes out, my parents still won’t know.”
“Okay, Damien, you ride with Bails. I’ll bring up the rear.”
Damien saluted and climbed into Bailey’s car. The two of them drove off as Hadley scrambled to dig her keys out of her pocket.
A goat cried from her back seat, and she dropped the keys in the dirt. Scrambling to pick them up, she didn’t notice the man approaching until he cleared his throat.
Straightening, she looked into the hard eyes of Spencer Lee. “Hey, man. Just here looking for Damien.” She winced at the sound of goats coming from her car.
“In the middle of the night?” Spencer’s low voice was thick with sleep. He walked around her car, peering into the window. “Huh, I didn’t realize how much my brother resembled a goat.” He turned back to face her. “Why are you stealing my family’s goats…” He paused like he couldn’t remember her name.
“Hadley,” she snapped. “The name is Hadley. And is it any of your business what I need goats for?”
“No, but it might be Ma’s business. Or my dad’s. Want me to go wake them?” He stepped toward the house.
“Wait,” she called. “Don’t. Please. We’re going to bring them back. It’s just a stupid senior prank. Damien agreed to this, I swear. We aren’t just stealing them.”
“A prank?” He lifted one brow. “Okay, sure, I guess I can help.” He opened her passenger door and slid in.
She stared at him. “I didn’t ask for your help.”
“No, only my silence. But that comes at a price, Hadley. A prank sounds like fun.” He leaned back in the seat. “You can fill me in on the way.” When she didn’t get in the car, he shrugged. “The longer you stand there, the closer you are to being discovered by someone without a sense of humor.”
She grumbled as she slid into the car and turned it on. “You’re infuriating.”
