Pole Position (Country Roads 2)

Brant’s eyes met the menacing gaze of one hot-blooded hillbilly. He had greasy hair down to his waist, and a condescending snarl.

Brant deserved the grimacing look. He almost plowed over him while he was thinking about the pretty woman in front of him—who happened to be riding alongside Mr. Hillbilly.

Immediately, he swung his gaze toward Colt again. He drove past him and headed up the narrow path, moving ahead of a few other riders.

He focused on one goal. He wanted to see if the redheaded siren wore a ring on the third finger of her left hand.

He was practically at the front of the pack by the time he realized he’d left Colt way behind. He’d been so caught up in fantasies, contemplating how many ways he could lay down a stranger, he left a friend in his tracks.

Maybe he needed to shelve the crazy ideas for the time being. Surely he could think about something else. The cool air kicked up a few notches as they followed the trails into the hills. His

thoughts slowly returned to Princess, the little girl who’d somehow warmed his heart.

Right before they left on their ride, she’d been there in the crowd, searching for them. Brant could tell since she was standing on her tip-toes and waving her arms wildly.

He’d handed her the bagged lunch, and Colt gave her the banana. She’d acted so gracious, like she’d just been given a couple of gourmet meals at a fine dining establishment instead of one bologna sandwich on rye bread.

While they’d waited with the other riders, he’d watched her. She’d taken out part of the sandwich and stood there eating it piece by piece, a nibble here and an itsy-bitsy bite there.

After the organizer of The Jingle Bell Ride made a few announcements, thanked the participants for their generous toy donations, and then gave a few friendly reminders—like the gentle suggestion that riders should not pass one another on the narrow trails—they headed for the mountains.

Colt and Brant anticipated the exciting adventure ahead. Princess assured them she’d wait right there until their ride was over.

Brant had a feeling she would keep her promise. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that.

Chapter Three

By the end of the day, Colt had serious doubt whether or not his ass would ever feel the same. Outside of an icepack on his rump, he could only think of one way to take his mind off the throbbing sensation. Since there wasn’t a willing woman nearby to distract him, he didn’t have to worry about whether or not he’d be able to muster up the stamina to entertain a lady.

He tried to tell himself again and again that the ride was worth the pain. The cool mountain air was refreshing, and the natural beauty discovered along the way opened his mind to a world of possibilities.

Steering through the rock garden and later managing to survive what the locals called the soup bowl—nothing more than sloppy mud stew—Colt had time to think. He put his life in review and decided, even though he was only twenty-two, he still had a lot of living to do.

A cattle rancher, Colt stayed busy with day-to-day operations. He hadn’t taken the time to consider what kind of meaningful relationship he wanted, and he seldom went out. With attending the local community college at Walters State and working the farm, rest and relaxation was an unattainable luxury. He wondered if he hadn’t thought about pursuing a woman because he hated to admit he wanted something more than just a casual relationship. So far, the occasional fling was about all he had to his credit.

He could thank Brant for that.

When Brant first moved onto the neighboring property, Colt knew they’d spend a lot of time together. On occasion, they barhopped together. Brant never had a problem picking up women. He was pretty enough, or so the women said, with ash-blond hair that fell in curlicues over his shoulders. He was always tan, which women seemed to like, and he had perfect features—high cheeks, a long nose, full lips, and chocolate-colored eyes. He looked like a fucking rock star, and Colt, well he was ordinary.

Colt had never been one for having sex with strangers, but soon after Brant moved in next door, he started joining Brant when he entertained women who were interested in threesomes. Colt had become so accustomed to sharing women, he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to date alone. There was a long list of advantages to riding double.

“Hey daydreamer, are you gonna sit there in the cold and sulk because I left your ass sittin’ on that trail, or are ya gonna follow me back to the cabin?”

“Follow you?” Colt balked. “How about I race you?”

The challenge was met appropriately. Brant sped by him at a high rate of speed and Colt caught up fast, swerving in front of him when the path widened. Dirt and gravel swirled around the large wheels. They cut their own path into the woods separating the area where the crowd waited and the road forked toward the campground.

When they arrived in front of their camping unit, they were covered in mud. As they removed their helmets, Colt asked, “Wanna flip for the first shower?”

He’d just started to dig for a quarter when he noticed Princess sitting on their stoop, watching them with curious, hopeful eyes.

And maybe that’s when he saw his future flash in front of him.

Chapter Four

“You found me! Where’s Colt?” The child’s eyes filled with happiness a few hours later when they started a game of hide and seek. “I thought he was going to come and get me.”

“He is,” Brant said. “You have to go hide again.”