Sugar Rush (Offensive Line #1) (29 page)

“You got it! I was so worried when we lost you,” Mel says, becoming instantly solemn. She pulls me into a crushing embrace that nearly topples us both back onto the table behind me. “What if someone killed you?”

“That’s cheery, thank you. I’m fine, though, so let’s go do the rides, okay?”

“Ride time!” she cries, letting me go abruptly to jump up and down.

I turn to face American Pie and the gang, feeling a pang of regret. I’d really rather stay here, hear the end of Birchart’s failed romance, and smile at Jax than leave, but drunk, loud hos before bros, so I grimace and wave goodbye.

“Thanks, guys. It was nice meeting you all.” I look at Jax, memorizing the round blue eyes that will haunt my dreams for the next month. “And thanks, Jax, for saving me before.”

He raises his beer in a sort of salute. “Happy to help. Maybe we’ll see you around?”

I feel a spike of adrenalin at the thought. “I’ll be at the rides, apparently, so…”

I don’t have an ending to that sentence so it falls awkwardly between us on the table. All of his buddies are looking down at it with amused faces.

“Wren!” Ben calls, the Drunken Duo already leaving the tent and me behind.

“Bye,” I say, waving one last time and running after them.

This is a huge place, ridiculously so, and I know he’ll never find me. Even if he looks—which I doubt he will—the chances are slim. So I look over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of him one last time, and I find him watching me go.

“Bye-bye, American Pie,” I sing to myself, casting him one last smile.

END PREVIEW

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About the Author

I was born in Eugene, Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) It was there that I discovered why Latin is a dead language and that being an English teacher was not actually what I wanted to do with my life.

My husband, my son and my 80lbs pitbull who thinks he's a lapdog are my world.

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Tracey Ward