Page 11 of The Wildest Ride

AJ’s eyebrow lifted. “Had to come out here to do it?”

It was Diablo’s turn to shrug and look away. “Figured I’d see Nana while I was out.”

And the rest of us, AJ realized with a start. Diablo missed them. Just like AJ had, no matter where he’d gone.

Another one of those things about family.

He asked, “How’s she doing?”

“She’s alright. Old. But that’s no different.”

“Bet she’d still slap you if she heard you say that.”

Diablo nodded with rare openness in his eyes. “Oh, for sure. She might do that even after she’s dead.”

Their laughter echoed in the cavernous space like memories of childhood. But things were different now. Now The Old Man needed their help.

Shaking his head to himself, AJ asked, “Did you have any idea?”

“No. Everything seemed so smooth as a participant. I never wondered where the money was coming from.”

“What I don’t get is how this guy funded the program year after year but didn’t mention it at all in his will.”

Diablo gave him the side-eye. “Bet you have no idea how entitled that sounds.”

AJ punched him. “Shut up. My dad’s dead.”

“You can’t play that card anymore.”

“Get back, Devil. I can play that card forever.”

“Har-har. Anyway, I’m here for two weeks. Whittling away my vacation time back home working pro bono.”

“You’ve gone noble on us.”

Diablo lifted an eyebrow. “Too bad noble doesn’t come with quite the luxury of the Caribbean all-inclusive I was going to take.”

“You know you’ll do both.” A wicked glint lit AJ’s eye. “Come to the qualifier. How long’s it been?”

“Not long enough to get the music out of my head yet.”

“You know you love it.”

“I don’t.”

“So, you going to come?” AJ pressed.

Diablo hesitated. “Absolutely not.”

“Come on. It’ll be fun. The three of us together again.”

“Three of us? What makes you think The Old Man will come?”

“You know he’ll be there. When has he ever missed?”

“No.”

AJ’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “Everyone says Caribbean girls ain’t got nothing on rodeo girls...”

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