Triple Dare (Sterling Shore 7)

“I’m going home. I told Dane this was pointless.”

She skips out like she didn’t just wreck some guy’s day, and Jax comes back with a look of fascinated horror on his face.

“Dude, your defense trainer doesn’t know how to block a shot to the boys? He needs to spend some time around Rain,” Maverick says, shaking his head as though he’s disappointed.

“Well… Normally he does, but Britt sort of attacked him before class even started. She just tapped him on the shoulder, and she started kicking his ass the second he turned around. Apparently she doesn’t realize you don’t just jump into actual physical contact the second you walk in.”

Maverick and I both burst out laughing, and Jax joins in too. I only stop laughing when my phone rings. A slow, confident smile spreads when I see Wanda’s name flashing on my screen. She’s always got my back with Ruby, since she wants to see us together.

“There’s my favorite older woman,” I say by way of answering the phone.

“Did you just call me an old woman? And to think I was just calling you charming,” she scoffs, mocking offense.

Maverick and Jax are watching me, acting entertained, so I walk off in search of some privacy.

“I'm the most charming man you know,” I drawl.

I think I can actually hear her rolling her eyes.

“Well, Mr. Charming, I need you to come help me out with Ruby.”

A small bit of panic rises, and seriousness replaces humor in an instant. “What's wrong?”

She laughs, which immediately puts me back at ease.

“She ate my brownies.”

All that does is create more questions. But then panic rises again.

“Did they have nuts in them?” I ask, already jogging toward the exit. Shit! I’ll have to jog home first. I don’t have my car.

“No. Hell no. You know better than to think I have anything nutty in my house. Well, besides her father, obviously. I’m talking about my medicinal brownies. She apparently didn't know what was in them.”

My feet immediately halt, and I actually stumble.

“Medicinal brownies?” I ask, choking on a laugh. “Is she stoned?”

Some weird, muffled ramble reaches my ears, and I hear Ruby giggling uncontrollably, the sound getting louder as Wanda apparently moves closer to her.

“Oh yeah. Girl is fucked up. And she’s as bad stoned as she is drunk. You know what that means. She keeps asking for you.”

That has me moving my ass toward my house a little quicker, and I can’t fight off the grin. I love drunk Ruby. I really hope stoned Ruby is just as bad, because drunk Ruby loves to wrap herself around me.

“I’ll be right there.”

CHAPTER 20

RUBY

“When is Corbin getting here?” I ask, trying to sit up. I think I’m trying to sit up.

My body is not working properly at the moment, and I can’t stop grinning like an idiot. But I feel so relaxed. There’s no stress. No wonder people love Wanda’s fun brownies.

Best of all, I don’t feel stupid—which is how I’ve felt in the past after taking in the “fun” stuff in some form. Don’t worry, I’ve never done the hard stuff. Wanda apparently buys the good shit, though.

“He’s going to be here any minute,” Wanda tells me while snickering.

Dad mutters something to her, and she rolls her eyes, apparently not concerned with whatever it is. He comes to sit down by me, and he kisses the side of my head.

“Don’t eat the brownies anymore without asking what’s in them,” he says in his gruff, but gentle, tone.

He has never raised his voice to me. In all honesty, I don’t think he’s ever even actually scolded me. It’s like he wants to make up for the hell I once lived through, even though none of that was his fault.

Krysta is still in it.

“We should have just kept her at our house,” Dad says, his gravelly voice getting deeper.

“She wanted to come home. And she wanted Corbin. Stop being so fussy. She’s a grown, smart, independent woman. She doesn’t need us telling her what to do.”

His eyes narrow on her. “She’s high. She does need someone telling her what to do.”

“She’s already peaked,” Wanda says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “She’s just feeling the calm left over now.”

Before Dad can argue farther, Corbin comes walking in with wet hair, looking freshly showered, and carrying a duffel bag. Guess he’s here for the night. It’ll be like old times.

I grin up at him, and his smile breaks across his face when he sees me. This feels so much better than arguing.

“Take care of her. She seems to be coming down now,” Wanda tells him, chuckling as Corbin kisses her cheek.

Dad just glares at him, but Corbin has gotten used to ignoring that glower. He only freaks out when Dad threatens him… Yeah… That’s happened more times than just the dick tattoo.