Satisfied, he nods. But before he can add anything, I say, “Like I love going to the OB/GYN, or maybe getting an enema, or even getting an ingrown toenail picked out. Yeah, I like you bunches.”

I flash him a big grin just as my dad blows his whistle. “All right, boys and Moore,” he says like always, and I direct my attention to him, a little grin on my face.

I won that.

“Today for our team-building exercise, we are gonna run this five-mile course.”

Immediately people are groaning. Apparently, I’m not the only one who hates to run. He blows his whistle, and everyone snaps their mouths shut as Dad goes on, “I believe that running is not only great for your endurance but also it’s good for building a team. The whole no person left behind is something I live by. Push your brothers and sister, help them to finish, and remember this isn’t a race.”

Dad may say that, but when I glance up at Jayden, I see it in his eyes.

This is a race.

And he’s going down.

“We are to finish as a team. Don’t let me see someone finish by themselves,” he says and everyone nods. Blowing his whistle, he waves us off. “And go!”

I meet Jayden’s gaze, and then we are glaring at each other as we start to walk with the team to the start of the trail.

“Wager?”

I scoff. “You mean, what you’re gonna give me when I win?”

He nods at me before sarcastically saying, “Oh yeah, sure.”

“You’re carrying an extra fifty pounds easy. You can’t beat me.”

“Try me, princess.”

Glaring, because I’ve decided that is the most degrading thing he can call me, I say, “Fine, I win, you gotta buy me a big bottle of mustard for the house.”

Scrunching his face up in a perplexed look, he says, “Mustard?”

“Yes, it’s a favorite.”

He shakes his head. “Fine, but thankfully, I won’t have to give up the five bucks. But you will have to admit one thing to me that you would never admit to anyone else.”

Eyeing him, I ask, “Say what?”

He grins, his teeth flashing in the sun as he covers his eyes with a pair of Ray-Bans. “When I win, you have to admit something to me. Pretty cut-and-dried, Moore. Or what, are you too scared to do such a thing?”

I know he is baiting me. I know he is, and I need to ignore the bait. But of course, I’m snipping at it like a damn idiot. “I’m not scared of anything.”

“Then shake on it,” he says, holding his hand out. I look at his hand, and I know I have nothing to worry about. I can beat him, no problem. He may have beaten me on the ice, but that’s because my skates weren’t sharpened... Or at least that’s what I’m going with. Taking his hand, warmth creeps up my forearm before I look up at him and he is smiling.

“Good, let’s go,” he says then, and of course, I drop his hand and take off. I gotta get a good lead on him, he’ll gas out quick, but when I look back, he isn’t there.

Jace is.

What the shit?

He grins as he trots beside me. “You’re fast, dude.”

“Thanks,” I say slowly, looking behind me. “Where’s Jayden?”

“Back there,” he says, jabbing his thumb behind us.

I laugh. I got this in the bag.

I pick up speed, but Jace falls back in step with me. I don’t know why that surprises me; we are about the same body type. Except I have tits and an ass. I feel him looking at me, but before I can look back at him, he says, “So you are coming tonight, right? Further our team building? I bet you could do a badass keg stand.”

I can, but I shake my head. “Nope, staying in. Can’t be drinking, slows ya down.”

He scoffs. “You can still come and not drink.”

I shrug, following along the trail. “I don’t feel like it.”

He gives me a look of disapproval and then asks, “Why? It will be fun. I heard the parties are amazing.”

“Just don’t,” I say before sucking in a deep breath. “I really don’t know you guys. I bet it will be fun for you, but not me.”

“So get to know us,” he suggests, and I let out a breath.

“I don’t want to,” I answer then, and his grin is gone. We trot for a few minutes with each other, and I want to shake him. He makes me feel weird.

“Can I ask you something?” he says and I shrug.

“Be my guest.”

“How do you expect to be a captain of a team when you know none of the players?”

“A leader isn’t a friend, they are the leader.”

He shakes his head. “A leader should lead by example. If we all did what you are doing, none of us would know each other, and we would lose. We wouldn’t be a family, like your dad wants.”

Touché.

Little shit.

Pressing my lips together, I don’t look at him as I run. I’ve decided this conversation is over. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him shaking his head, but I don’t care. I don’t want to make friends; I don’t want to let anyone in. The last time I did that, when I left, no one cared. Out of the hundred odd people I met, I made two friends and one guy broke my heart. Yeah. I’m good, and plus, I have a one-way ticket out of here, so what’s the point? No one will care about me later.

What a really sad thought, right?

When he takes off, I don’t speed up. I need to save my gas, because this trail is tough. I didn’t realize it was all uphill or that it was kind of rocky. My knee is aching and I want to quit, but I’m nowhere near the top. Trotting along, guys start to pass me, but there is no sight of Jayden, so I keep my pace. As I trot, I replay what Jace said and try not to let it bother me, but there may be some truth to his words.

If the captaincy were up to a vote, I’d lose in a landslide. No way would these guys vote for me. And the thing that worries me the most is that when I do win, will they ever respect me? Do I care if they respect me? A part of me knows I do, but then the bitter, angry part doesn’t care. I just need the C to make my career look more lucrative.

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I wonder when my need for a career became more important than my love for the game.

Before I can overanalyze that, Markus falls into step with me. “I’ll be getting beer for tonight. Do you like liquor?”