Free Who He Is (FireNine, book 1) by Shanora Williams Page B

stepped by his side.
    Gage tilted down his cowboy hat and the man did the same. “Lawn racin’ is the only way you can get in,” th e man said, grinning. “Well—all right, I’m lyin’, but we’d prefer it to liven the atmosphere a bit. We want y’all to have some fun.”
    “Trust me, Ellie, it’s fun,” Gage murmured in my ear. “I’ll be the driver. You just ride and be my little cheerleader.” Gage looked at the man and woman who were standing hand-in-hand. “All right. Where’s our mower?”
    The man chuckled and the woman ran from his side to go behind the barn. She returned in less than a minute, riding on a chrome red mower. “Here’s yours,” she chimed, her southern accent thick.
    “I take it you ain’t been ‘round here before,” the man said to me, hopping onto the green mower beside the tractor.
    “No,” I replied, shaking my head. “First time in Texas.”
    “Well, I hope you’re havin’ a ball. If not, this should make up for it. It’s the best part of the night. I think it’s the only reason people still even attend these hoedown joints.”
    Gage climbed onto the red riding mower and as he got situated, he looked at me. “Come on, Ellie,” he said, offering his hand. I looked over at the petite woman hopping on behind the man with the cowboy hat and then looked at Gage again. I couldn’t believe it. They were serious. They were really about to race… on riding lawn mowers?
    I hurried for ward, reaching for Gage’s hand anyway. “Aren’t lawn mowers kind of… slow?” I whispered in his ear. If they were, it was going to be one boring-ass race.
    Gage chuckled. “These aren’t just ordinary mowers. For one, they boost them to make them faster. John Deere is already a good brand, but giving them a boost—” Gage’s head shook as he gripped the wheel. He wasn’t even looking at me and knew for a fact I was completely lost on what he was talking about. “Just know we’re in for some fun, Ellie. You actually might wanna hang on.”
    I hooked my arms around Gage’s middle without hesitation. I knew he had no reason to lie. Gage started the mower and it rumbled deeply, causing my entire body to vibrate. He was still smiling as he looked over at the man and woman on their mower. They started theirs and their mower rumbled even louder.
    A few people came out from the back of the barn to watch and I got a little more excited. It was almost like drag racing… only on mowers. Gage pressed his pedal and lined up by our competitors.
    “Just follow the path ahead!” the man yelled over the roar of the engines. “We’ll start on three!”
    Gage tipped his hat again and then gripped his wheel.
    “One!”
    It was starting! My heart beat a little louder.
    “Two!”
    I clung on even tighter. I knew it was coming. I was nervous. Thrilled. Fucking insane. Adrenaline coursed through me and we hadn’t even started yet. Why the hell am I so amped for this?
    “Three!”
    Gage took off, the engines roaring even louder, and let out a, “Hell yeah!” once he realized we were already in the lead. A tree came up ahead and Gage whipped his wheel, but he didn’t stop. I hung on tighter and wanted to shut my eyes, but I didn’t. It was fun to see everything coming at me.
    The path curved and Gage turned his wheel a little too sharply. We jerked to the side and I gasped, thinking w e were about to flip over. He rotated the wheel to the left and got back on track, bellowing with laughter as I clung to the front of his shirt.
    “I got you, Ellie,” he said over his shoulder.
    I glanced over mine and saw the man and woman getting closer. “Gage, they’re coming!” I squealed.
    Another tree appeared ahead and he took the right side, the man and woman taking the left. We were neck and neck and the finish line was only a few feet away. I couldn’t tell which one of us was takin g the lead.
    The wind grew harsher , causing my pigtails to flap and my cheeks to burn, and Gage pressed his