Page 31 of Fighting Chance

Bambi has just recently started testing out her vocal cords. Since she’s deaf, it’s deeper than most barks I’ve heard, especially for a female dog. Nevertheless, it’s the most adorable thing.

“I’m going to get you for that!” I sputter, flicking water off my face.

“Quick, Queen Emmy, run!”

Emmy squeals and as I peek out around the tree—not being doused by water this time—I spot Bambi chasing after Layla. She’s holding Emmy’s small hand, urging her little feet to move faster.

I tell myself that I’m standing here to give them a head start, not because Emmy’s carefree smile has my stomach performing somersaults and the sight of Layla with my daughter makes me want to do despicable things.

Before I can dart out, Bella beelines for the trees, her feet kicking up leaves in her mad dash. She doesn’t get far before she’s screaming out in surprise as my best friend squirts her in the back. Grayson bends at the hips a second later, dropping his water gun, wrapping his arms around her waist, and lifting her in one fell swoop. He runs off with her between the trees.

“Put me down, Grayson!”

“Never!” he calls out as he vanishes from my sight.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I make my move, sprinting for the nearest tree and dropping low. Bambi’s deep bark rings out from the other side of the yard.

Got you.

I push off the tree, keeping my water gun down low. ExceptLayla suddenly emerges, knocking me to the side and striking me in the chest with an icy spray of water.

“Jesus, woman!”

Her manic laughter chases me as I hightail it away. She must have hid Emmy somewhere with Bambi.

Coming to an abrupt stop, I curse. “Why the hell am I running?”

I spin and lift my water gun, my smile downright dirty. Layla’s mouth pops open in surprise, and I don’t hold back in the slightest. Her scream is so high-pitched I’m surprised a glass doesn’t break in the distance. She tries to run away, the sight of her hair clinging to her face drawing a deep belly laugh from the depths of my soul.

She was right. Maybe we all needed a little fun.

Bella is urging Emmy to run faster in the distance, Bambi’s barks coming more and more, but they’re still in the opposite direction of us.

“Ahh!” Layla screams when I don’t let up. “Truce! Truce! Truce!”

I take my finger off the trigger as Layla holds her arms up in surrender, but I keep the gun aimed on her. “Truce? Sorry, sunshine, but I want that date.”

She flicks water out of her eyes, laughing. “Truce, white flag, handshake, I don’t care what we call it but just give me a break from the cold!”

Her teeth begin to chatter and I instantly feel terrible. I lower my gun, only for hers to rise on a snicker. “Sucker.”

I don’t have enough time to shoot off an attack before water is exploding across my chest and face, my white t-shirt clinging to me. I can’t even see to shoot her back.

Suddenly, my foot catches on a branch behind me and I go down on my ass—hard.

Layla stops, gasping. She rushes to me, her knees landing beside my chest. “Are you okay? I swear you went down in slow motion. I didn’t mean to?—”

I cut her off with a spray of icy water directly on her stomach. Her eyes widen before she launches at me, smashing her entireweight against my chest. A deepoomphflies from me as she scrambles for the water gun in my hand. In the far distance, I can hear Grayson calling out for Bella to relent but I can’t focus on their water fight when I have a very wet, verypersistentLayla climbing all over me.

Fuck me. If she doesn’t stop wriggling my dick is going to make an unwanted appearance.

“Damn, sunshine. If you wanted me this bad all you had to do was ask,” I tease.

She curses me under her breath, the water still squirting her as she tries to wrangle it from my hand. “You’re such a cocky bastard!”

“A cocky bastard you’re throwing yourself on.”

Growling with frustration, she lunges once more, right as I wrap an arm around her stomach and flip us, pinning her arms down and between my knees.