Chapter 4

The impact knocked the breath out of Delois.

For one agonizingly long second, the world stopped spinning. She felt the rough, chapped texture of Bart's lips against hers. She felt the rapid, heavy thud of his heart hammering directly beneath her ribs. His breath was hot and tasted faintly of mint.

The shock sent a violent jolt of electricity down her spine. She scrambled backward, her hands pressing into the wet mud to push herself off his chest. Her face burned with a sudden, furious heat.

Bart rolled up to a sitting position instantly. He turned his head sharply away from her. The tips of his ears were dark red.

He raised the back of his hand and wiped it roughly across his mouth, pressing hard enough to leave a red mark on his own skin. He kept his eyes fixed on the grass, his jaw muscles jumping.

As Delois pushed herself up to her knees, the sudden movement snagged the thin cord around her neck. The old, braided string of her grandmother's amulet snapped.

The heavy wooden pendant slid off her skin and dropped silently into the tall, muddy weeds. Neither of them noticed.

Gonzalo stood over them, his chest heaving. The shock of almost hitting his sister had morphed back into pure fury. He took a step forward, his fists clenching again.

"I'm going to tear him apart!" Gonzalo roared.

Delois threw her arms out again, staying on her knees between Bart and her brother.

"I said stop!" Delois screamed, her voice tearing at her throat. "He didn't push me! I slipped! Bart jumped in and pulled me out of the water! He saved my life!"

She spat the words out as fast as she could, her chest heaving.

Gonzalo froze. Connie, who was picking himself up from the mud, stopped moving. The brothers stared at her, their angry faces twisting into expressions of deep confusion.

The heavy silence in the yard was stretched thin, but underneath it, a strange rustling echoed from the dense tree line bordering the property. The sound of snapping twigs and heavy, hurried movement went completely unnoticed by the arguing men. Suddenly, the tension was broken by a sharp, violent cracking sound coming from the dense tree line bordering the property.

Everyone turned their heads.

A massive wild boar burst through the thick bushes. Its coarse black hair was covered in dirt. Its small eyes were wide and panicked. Two sharp, yellowed tusks curved out from its snout. It was breathing heavily, snorting loud, aggressive breaths.

The beast locked its eyes on the group of humans. It lowered its head and charged.

The trajectory was a straight line directly toward Delois, who was still kneeling in the grass.

Delois stared at the approaching tusks. Pure, paralyzing terror flooded her veins. Her legs turned to lead. She couldn't command her muscles to stand up.

The boar closed the distance in seconds.

Just as the beast was about to ram into her ribs, a large, calloused hand clamped down on her upper arm with bone-crushing force.

Bart gritted his teeth. The veins in his neck bulged as he violently yanked her backward and shoved her behind his own body.

The boar blew past them. The foul smell of wet animal hair washed over Delois's face.

The beast missed them by inches and slammed headfirst into the old wooden fence bordering the yard.

The impact sounded like a gunshot. The rotting wood splintered and collapsed in a cloud of dust and debris. The boar shook its massive head, dazed by the collision. It let out a confused squeal, turned clumsily, and limped back into the safety of the trees.

The entire sequence lasted less than five seconds.

The yard was dead silent, save for the sound of harsh, ragged breathing.

Bart was still gripping Delois's arm. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He looked down at her. His dark eyes were wide, stripped of their usual mockery, revealing a raw, unfiltered panic that he had almost lost her.

Delois looked up at the sharp angle of his jaw. Her own heart was beating so fast it felt like a hummingbird trapped in her throat.

Before either of them could speak, the screech of tires ripped through the air.

A polished sedan slammed to a halt right behind Bart's rusted pickup. The driver's door flew open.

Jessi Hawkins stepped out. Her high heels sank slightly into the dirt. Her perfectly styled hair bounced as she marched furiously toward the yard.

Jessi's eyes locked onto her son. She saw him covered in mud, standing in enemy territory, his hand wrapped tightly around Delois Thornton's arm.

Jessi's face twisted in pure disgust. She marched right up to them, raised her hands, and shoved Delois hard in the chest.

Delois stumbled backward, breaking Bart's grip.

"Get your hands off my son, you shameless little tramp!" Jessi shrieked, her voice echoing down the street. "Haven't you caused enough trouble trying to hook a city boy? Now you're throwing yourself at Bart?"