Crazy Heifer (The Valentine Boys 2)

Famous last words.

***

It was when we were on the rope climb in the fourth obstacle that it happened.

I was trying with all my might, but I just couldn’t make it over the wall.

It was a twelve-foot wall with no footholds whatsoever, and I’d just traipsed half a mile through waist-deep muddy water.

Every time I would get three to four feet off the ground, my feet would slip and I’d fall right back down.

Callum would catch me, and he would help hoist me up all over again.

Sadly, I’d watched Nico, Booth, Bourne, and Mal sail over it with little to no slipping whatsoever.

Then there was poor Callum, Codie, Ace, and Colt that were waiting to get me over.

I knew they could make it without me. But they’d stayed behind with me.

And I was almost in tears.

My shirt was clinging to me, I was tired because I’d already run two miles, half of which being in some sort of mud or sludge, and Mal had laughed at me when he’d sailed over the wall. So had Marjorie.

Though Marjorie had been hefted up the wall by a large man with a long red beard that looked like he was so ripped he could compete in bodybuilding competitions.

“I can’t do it,” I whispered brokenly. “Y’all should go on without me.”

Callum snorted and turned his back on me. “Hop on.”

I was saying no, and backing away, when Remy came out of nowhere and picked me up.

All of a sudden, I was off the ground, my legs were wrapped around Callum’s back, and he was scaling the wall with zero effort.

Before I could process what had just happened, we were almost eight feet off the ground, and there was no way in hell that I was leaving him now.

I clung tight to his shoulders and cried against his back.

“Give me your hand, babe,” Nico called out moments later.

I looked up to find that we were near the top, and Nico was holding out his hand for me.

I let go of the death grip I had around Callum’s throat and offered my hand.

Nico pulled me off Callum’s back, and all of a sudden, I was straddling the large beam of wood just like Nico was doing.

“Next time, you should look into hiking boots,” he suggested, holding his foot up. “They make the difference here.”

I would make a mental note of that for later.

If I ever did this again. And, seeing as I was already struggling with the one I was currently working on, I could see it as being something I never did again.

“Eeeeeeeeee!”

I looked over the side to see Codie riding up on Ace’s back much the same way I’d just done with Callum. Callum who’d jumped down off the other side and was now climbing down the spider web of ropes that were crisscrossing down the backside.

“Ready when you are.” Nico offered me his hand.

I took it and slowly started to make my way down.

And, four minutes later, I was down.

Which was about the time that Callum kissed the shit out of me.

“Let’s go,” he ordered.

“But Nico…”

Nico was suddenly by my side and ruffling my hair.

“Where are the twins?” I wondered, seeing Ace, Codie, Remy, and Colt but no twins and no Darby.

No twins and no Darby.

“Oh, no.” I looked around. “Darby’s missing, too.”

Codie started to snicker.

“Umm, I found them.” Codie jerked her chin in the direction of the next obstacle. A twenty-five-foot log that spanned even more mud.

Darby was in front of Mal, slowing him down. The twins were directly behind him.

And all of them were giving him shit.

Well, then.

Shaking my head, I hurried in the direction, knowing that it was likely a very bad idea to have those three anywhere near my ex.

I was right.

By the time I arrived at the other side of the obstacle five minutes later, Mal was fuming mad and he was getting into Booth’s face.

Which only served to piss me off.

And since the rest of my merry band of misfits were helping other people across, I took it upon myself to march straight up to Mal and push him.

Surprised by the move, he went back at least three feet.

“Don’t push my fiancé!” a screech came from my right.

I put my hand out, and if Marjorie hadn’t had quick reflexes, she would’ve walked straight into the hand that I’d put in front of her face.

“He gave up the right to have his personal space respected when he got into my soon-to-be nephews’ faces,” I snapped, not taking my eyes off of Mal. “Now, back away before I kick your ass myself.”

Mal’s sneer went in my direction. “You and what army? Sorry, honey, but your man’s over there helping out all the other ladies… the ladies that don’t look like wet, fat cows.”

I growled, grinding my teeth as I did.

“You don’t think that I can take you down?” I asked. “I was with you for far too long not to learn your weaknesses.”