Free Chasing Trouble by Joya Ryan

Colt stopped himself. He couldn’t tell his sister about what he wanted, partly because he was still figuring it out. He knew he wanted JJ, though. Knew there had to be a way to show her he was a good choice. Could keep her secrets and spend time with her. It would be a win-win for both of them.
    “You want to what, Colt? ‘Hang out’ with Jenna?” She air quoted the last two words and Colt immediately hated himself for telling Lily when she was thirteen that when a boy says he wants to “hang out” it usually implies a lot more than that. He also told her that if any boy tried anything to kick them in the nuts and run. At the time, he was educating and protecting his baby sister. Now, years later, with her throwing his words back in his face, it sort of sucked.
    “I’m not looking for anything,” he lied. Because this conversation was going nowhere quick. He knew Lily wouldn’t be thrilled about this idea of him and JJ hooking up. “I just want to know why she’s acting the way she is.”
    “She’s under a lot of pressure right now, Colt. You know that.”
    “The grant. I get it.”
    “Do you? She’s been working on this for the past year. A lot of kids in Diamond go home to parents who aren’t attentive or even around. She’s trying to create a safe place for them. She wants to be the one they pick to see this through. And Yvonne Taylor is her competition. The same woman who walked in on you ‘impressing’”—again with the air quotes—“Jenna. You know that woman has a big mouth. Remember the rumor she started about me and Johnny Blanco sophomore year?”
    Yeah, he did. Lily called him up in tears because Yvonne spread it around school that Lily and Johnny went all the way, when apparently they had only kissed. Which was good for Johnny because Colt would have been on the next flight home to kick his ass.
    Lily didn’t like Yvonne much, and Colt couldn’t blame her. It was one of the many reasons he kept his “run-in” with her last time he was in town to himself. Yvonne, however, hadn’t seemed to let it go and was looking for round two.
    “Yvonne and her mother still gossip about Miranda and say nasty things about Jenna any time they get a chance,” Lily said.
    “I know. I’m sorry,” Colt said. And he was. He didn’t want to cause problems. If anything, after this chat with Lily, he wanted to rush to Jenna, sweep her up, and tell her why she was better than Yvonne. Why she was special and sexy, and make her feel only good things. First he had to get her to see him, though. Lily would be a good source on how to soften JJ up, but he’d have to tread carefully.
    “JJ just doesn’t seem to want to do much socially. Maybe a night out would be a good thing for her,” Colt offered. “A stress release.”
    There. Platonic. Merely a friendly suggestion. Colt wanted to pat his own back because there was no way Lily could see through—
    “You mean she won’t hang out with the amazing Colt McCade and you don’t know how to get her to go out with you?” Lily asked with a raised brow.
    That’s it. He was spending way too much time around his sister.
    “It was just an observation by a friend, about a friend.” He bit down on his cookie feeling defeated by a five-foot-two blonde with the world’s best bullshit detector.
    “You don’t socialize much yourself. I’m glad you got out today, but in the past, you don’t really do much when you visit.”
    “Well, this time is different,” he mumbled.
    “And why is that?” She looked at him like she already knew the answer, but Colt wasn’t about to say it out loud.
    “Because I’m here for the summer, as you pointed out. That’s three months, and I’m just looking for things to do and people to hang out with.”
    “Like Jenna.”
    “This town likes me well enough. Hanging out with me wouldn’t be so bad.”
    “Uh-huh. You know who else likes you? The town’s women, Mr. Rodeo Romeo.” She patted his back and her voice