WILD MAN Excerpt (Wild Men Prequel)

Skylar

It’s nice here in Boulder. Peaceful. I spend the days at the campground alone. Mom made it clear that we aren’t supposed to get close to anyone. 

My brothers are able to play sports with the other kids and still keep their distance emotionally, but it’s different with girls. They ask questions, and they want to bond. When anyone asks where I live, I change the subject. I don’t even know my new address. 

And I don’t want my father to find us. But I hate being homeless and having to be constantly on alert. It’s exhausting. Plus, we don’t exactly fit in here.

This place is full of expensive motor coaches instead of tent sites. We’re staying in the only bare bones trailer on the property, one that’s reserved for seasonal staff members. 

Uncle Sid was able to secure it for us for as long as we need it. To repay him, Mom insisted on helping out in the park offices for a few hours each day. So far, we’ve been here a month. I thought I’d be bored out of my mind, but the mountains are gorgeous, and the air feels so good. I go on long hikes with my mom. We chat about everything, and it’s nice.

But our time here is about to come to an end. 

Ivan made contact through my uncle this morning. We’re leaving for our trip across the country tomorrow. Soon, Mom says, we’ll be able to move into a new home. But we’re going to have to take our time getting to Connecticut. Ivan wants to make sure we’re not being followed or tracked in any way. So, we’ll drive out of here before the sun rises and head south for a little while.

Right now, the sun is high in the sky as I wander through the resort with my notebook in my hand, looking for a quiet spot to sit and write. I’ve been working on a pretend article about the campsite; I’ve interviewed my uncle and a few of the staff. I may not have a new school paper to write for yet, but this is good practice. 

“Hey! Skylar, get over here!” Ben waves to me from the middle of the field a bunch of the guys have designated as theirs.

I don’t know what kind of sport they’ve been playing every day because I always turn away whenever I wander nearby. Today, though, I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t realize I’ve walked close enough for Ben to notice me.

I wave back at him but keep walking past, hoping he’ll take the hint.

He doesn’t.

“Sky!” He jogs across the field until he’s directly in front of me.

“Ben, I don’t want to play. Thank you for the offer,” I add politely.

He laughs. “I don’t need your polite dismissal, baby sister.”

I stop and look into his mischievous expression. “What do you need?” I ask him suspiciously.

He gestures to the crowd of boys mingling in the middle of the grassy field. The mountains make a beautiful backdrop behind them, but I’m too focused on shedding Ben to appreciate the view right now.

“Ben, you know I hate sports.”

“I know.” He throws his arm around me. “This won’t take long, promise.”

“What are we—” I reluctantly let him lead me toward one of the two groups of guys.

“We’re short one player,” he explains, and I groan.

“How’s that? You’ve been playing every other night just fine.”

“Todd went home. He was our best wide receiver.”

“Oh, great. So I not only have to replace someone—he was your former star player?”

“Don’t worry,” Ben says unconvincingly. “It’ll be fun. Who knows? This one game could change your life. And you can thank me later.”

“Ha, ha,” I say. “I don’t think anything’s going to change. I’ll still hate sports after this game, believe me. And I refuse to be tackled.”

“It’s flag football,” Ben says. “You’ll be fine.”

I stop short. “Fine, I’ll play. But I’ll meet you out there, okay? I have to pull my hair up first.”

As soon as he leaves, I place my notebook on a nearby bench. Then, I fix my hair into a ponytail and take a few deep breaths. Just the idea of being close to a football game is making my breath uneven.

But I don’t want to let my fears control me anymore. Maybe Ben’s right. In some small way, this game could be a turning point for me. At the very least, I can prove to myself that a football is nothing to be scared of.

I square my shoulders, lift my chin, and head for the field.

As soon as I get close to the two groups of guys, I notice him.

A guy around my age. 

Blond. Built. And sure of himself. 

And he’s looking right at me. Those blue eyes are crystal clear. And the intense look on his face is mesmerizing.

Without thinking about what I’m doing, I start toward him.

“Hey!” Ben’s shout is coming from the other group of guys.

I whip my head in that direction.

“Over here!” he calls to me.

I turn and head over to my two brothers.

As Ben and Nick introduce me to the rest of the team, I smile and nod hello, but my gaze is still stuck on the hot guy from the other team.

He’s wearing a blue t-shirt that says Boulder on it, and regular gym shorts. Nothing special. Yes, he’s in great shape and clearly an athlete. And that would normally turn me off. But something about the way he carries himself…it’s ridiculously attractive.

I keep him in my periphery, unable to take my eyes off of him.

“Okay, you get that, Sky?”

I bring my attention to Nick, who’s staring at me.

“Huh?” I ask him.

He rolls his eyes. “I know you hate to play sports, but humor us, okay?”

I give him the thumbs-up. “I’ll do my best, big brother.”

---

Colton

“Who’s the redhead?” I murmur to Glenn, the kid who’s staying with his family in the RV next to us.

“Ben and Nick’s baby sister. I wouldn’t mess with her. Those guys will probably kill you.” He laughs.

I chuckle, but I don’t plan to listen to him. Every nerve ending in my body is on high alert. The redhead is hot, sure, but it’s more than that. She’s got my attention—my full attention—in a way no one—and nothing—has since my dad got sick.

I still love football, and it’s saved me this past year, but the game is so tied to Dad that I think of him with every catch.

But right now, I couldn’t care less about the flag football game we’re about to start. I just want the pretty redhead to notice me. Her legs are long and toned, and I have an instant image of them wrapped around my waist. Her fiery hair is spectacular with the way it glows in the sun.

She had her eyes locked on mine when she first stepped onto the field, but then she got swallowed up by her team when they called her over to the huddle. 

I jog into position on my side of the field, and when she finally re-appears, I’m disappointed that her brothers have her lined up clear on the other side.

Well, that won’t do.

“Hey,” I say to Glenn, who’s playing quarterback. “I’m going to switch sides with Tug.”

“But you said you like being on the right,” he protests.

“I did,” I agree. “Until today.”

Tug’s an easygoing guy, and he has no problem switching with me. But I’m still not close enough to the redhead to actually talk to her.

As soon as play starts, I find a way to get closer to her by lining up about three feet closer to the line of scrimmage than I should be.

Her eyes flare, and I know she’s aware of me.

So I walk straight up to her. 

Her green eyes are so bright in the sun they shine like emeralds as we stare at each other in silence. From her long, slender legs to her creamy skin and pink mouth, she looks almost fairy-like. I have to actually stop myself from reaching out and touching her.

“Hey,” I say softly.

“H—” She clears her throat. “Hey.”

“You’re Ben and Nick’s little sister, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I haven’t seen you around.”

She shrugs. “I’m not into sports.”

“What’s your name?”

She flinches like I’ve gotten too personal. 

“I’m Colton Wild.” I offer her my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

She takes my hand quickly, and just as I feel an electric current pass between us, she drops my hand.

And she still doesn’t tell me her name. 

Turns out I don’t need to ask her twice.

“Hey, Sky!” her brother, Ben, yells. “You ready?”

“I guess so!” She shrugs at me. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”

“No worries,” I say. “I’ll help you out. Sky.”

“It’s Skylar. Sky is what my friends and family call me.”

“I think we’re going to be friends for sure. So I’ll take my chances with Sky.” I pause. “But Skylar is a beautiful name.”

She gives a hint of a smile. “Thanks.”

And I can’t stop talking apparently. “Can I call you by either name? You know, while I’m explaining the rules of the game to you.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Are you a flag football expert?”

“I play high school football back home,” I say. “I’m pretty fanatical about it.”

“Fanatical, huh?” She grins at me. “That sounds kind of creepy.”

I laugh. “Only if you hate sports.”

She nods. “Yep, that would be me.”

“So you and I are what’s called ‘opposites attract’ then.”

She startles at my flirtatious comment, and just when I think maybe I’ve scared her off, her green eyes narrow. 

“Are you hitting on me?” she asks.

I can’t tell if she’s horrified or nervous, but I know I don’t misread the heat in her gaze. So I keep going.

“Yes.” I wink at her. “And you love it.”

She bites her lip. “First of all, that’s presumptuous.”

I hold up my hands in surrender. “I call it like I see it.”

“Second of all,” she says, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “If you hit on me again, I’ll kick you somewhere you won’t come back from easily.”

I break into a loud laugh as I cup my crotch. “My dick and I will keep that in mind.”

“Good.” 

I lean in close to her ear and whisper, “But my dick doesn’t scare easy. And neither do I.”

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