Page 13 of Ride Me

Holden lets out a dry, humorless chuckle. “Thanks for the advice, I’ll be sure to tell Pa that he’s getting his money’s worth.”

Danner shakes his head and a sarcastic chuckle escapes his throat. The tension in the air crackles like a live wire as mumbled conversations bubble up around the room. We’ve got an entire team of football players just on the other side of the door and no water. These people need to focus.

“Stop.” Alex’s voice cuts through the brewing chaos like a whip, snapping every eye back to him. “We need to figure out what happened so we can get it back on. Now, Danner, respectfully, I need to ask… did you have anything to do with this?”

Danner’s face twists, his temper flaring hot and fast. “Oh, fuck off.” His voice hitches, louder than before, and then the room explodes.

The Kingridge brothers move at once. It’s an eruption of bodies tensing and fists clenching. It’s not a full-blown fight yet, but it’s damn close.

Cassidy’s hand slams down on Alex’s shoulder. “Enough.” Her words come out through clenched teeth, but it’s enough to freeze the room.

For a heartbeat, no one moves. It’s a standoff. But all parties are locked and ready to strike. In the tense silence, a small voice echoes.

"Can I tell you something funny?" Conner interrupts the tension.

I for one, would love to hear a joke right about now. From the looks on the faces around me, I take it no one else agrees.

"Please, not now, Connor sweetheart. Give us a minute to work this out." Cassidy wraps an arm around Connor’s shoulders, her voice low but firm.

Connor covers a laugh with his hand. "Okay, but… My dad turned it off."

His words are quiet but they hit the room like a ton of bricks. The air goes still, and suddenly you could hear a pin drop.

“Wait, what?” Bowen’s eyes widen.

"What?" Alex barks.

Connor’s face is a mix of pride and confusion as he continues, "It’s not because of the drought. My dad turned off your water because he knew the football guys were coming. For real, I heard him talking about it on the phone." He finishes with a flourish, arms spread wide in ata-dagesture. When no one laughs, Connor’s eyebrows draw together. "Get it?"

“You’re kidding…” Cassidy trails off, her eyes wide in horror.

It isn’t the first time her ex-husband has abused his power as mayor. But from the look on the Kingridge brother’s faces, I think it might be the last.

"I’m on it," Alex says through gritted teeth. "Keep these people busy, and I’ll have it back on by morning." He bolts for the door with Cassidy and Connor on his heels.

The door swings wildly on its hinges as they rush out, the rhythmic creak cutting through the charged air. Then, just as suddenly as the chaos erupted, silence settles back across the room. It’s a tense, expectant hush that hums beneath my skin.

“Well, I’ll accept your apologies now,” Danner announces, his voice slicing through the moment like a blade.

I gape at him, my eyes widening in disbelief.Not the time, dude.

His smirk is almost lazy, but his eyes gleam with something sharper. The look removes any lingering doubts I have about Danner being related to the Kingridge brothers.

The room tightens around his words. Every gaze snaps to him like arrows loosed from a bow. A fresh standoff crackles in the air, unspoken accusations and barely leashed frustration thickening the tension.

Then, from beyond the wall, a low rumbling rises. There’s a restless energy stirring, and it’s a reminder that this isn’t over. Not even close. The sound yanks us back to the real problem at hand.

“Okay,” I speak up. “Someone has to go out there and turn on the charm. Talk them into thinking that this is both intentional and a good thing. Spin it as a VIP experience created just for them.”

The guys nod in agreement with my suggestion.

“Now the question is, who wants to take the mic?”

The guys shoot looks at each other and mumble amongst themselves. Bowen and Callum nod back and forth using their twin telepathy to make the decision. But before they speak to the rest of us, Danner puts a hand up.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take this one. I’ll go talk to them,” Danner says, getting back to his feet.

There’s a beat of wide eyed silence before Holden bursts out in laughter. “Yeah, right.”

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