Page 134 of No Rings Attached
Coco barked, grabbed a block, and took off with Grace right behind her, trying to get it back.
Kyle glared at me as though him losing was all my fault.
“Who’s ready for some ladder toss?” Glamma stood up from her blinged-up lawn chair where she’d been sitting, sipping her champagne under a shade umbrella.
“This one’s mine,” Kyle announced, strutting over to the ladder toss setup. “Played it every summer. I never lose.” For once, he wasn’t wrong. I’d seen him play this game many times during the two summers we were together.
“Why don’t we let the boys play?” Celia suggested. By the bored expression on her face, I knew she was ready to be done with the lawn games. This day must have been her concession to Kyle and him getting at least one thing he wanted during their wedding planning.
Kyle picked up the bola, two balls tied together with a string, and threw it with the precision of a professional. It wrapped around the top rung.
Three points.
I wanted to smack the smug smile off his face.
Drew went next, and tossed his bola gently, without aiming—and it looped around the middle rung.
Two points.
“Go Drew!” I shouted and threw up my hand for a high-five.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed and he spun around. His gaze landed on Celia, who’d wandered off with a few of her friends. With a heavy exhale, Kyle took his turn.
Bottom rung.
One measly point.
Drew’s next throw wrapped the top rung, earning him three points and the lead. Wyatt and Grace began chanting, “Drew! Drew!” and Kyle grumbled about them being a distraction.
Each time Kyle was up, his tosses grew wilder and his face turned redder.
Drew won by a landslide and I couldn’t help but feel vindicated. It didn’t matter that by winning the lawn games it didn’t erase Kyle’s cheating, but it knocked him down a peg or two and that was a good enough start.
And now Celia was nowhere to be found.
After a quick snack break, we headed to a more open part of the lawn.
“Who’s up for an oldie but a goodie?” Glamma asked. “Three-legged race.”
I groaned.
Kyle eyed Celia who was slowly making her way back. “Ellie should run with me. For old times’ sake.”
I stiffened.
I didn’t want Kyle anywhere near me.
Drew didn’t miss a beat. He stepped forward, eyes sharp. “She’s with me.”
Kyle yelled at Celia to hurry up, shooting us a glare filled with malice.
“We’re going to fall flat on our faces,” I said as Drew tied our ankles together.
He smirked. “I’ll cushion your fall every time.”
This man!
Glamma shot off a toy gun to begin the race, and this time, everyone but her and my parents participated.
