Chasing Trouble by Joya Ryan Page A

bad idea.
    Jenna found herself thinking about Colt more and more. Every single time she saw him around town, she had the overwhelming urge to run up and kiss him. She had thought that distance was good and public was safe. She was starting to worry that she may be wrong. Because even with people around, her blood still heated and her skin zinged with tingles, silently begging for Colt’s touch.
    The only thing worse was how badly she wanted to go tonight.
    Jenna envisioned him with his worn jeans and baseball cap looking all sexy with two-day scruff and laughing by a fire.
    “Wait…” Lily’s blond brow furrowed. “Did something happen? With Colt? Is that why you’re trying to get out of going?”
    “What?” Jenna said, trying to keep the shock out of her voice. “I…no. I mean, I invited him to yoga last week to help with his injury and breathing.” Which was true, Jenna just left out the part about how she slept with him before that.
    Lily just examined her face and suddenly Jenna felt the urge to squirm under the scrutiny.
    “I didn’t want to say anything, but Colt was asking about you last week.”
    Jenna’s entire body flushed hot. “He was?”
    Lily nodded. “He said it was just a friendly inquisition, but I know my brother.”
    Jenna leaned in a little and fiddled with her earlobe, trying to look casual but feeling everything but. “What did he say?”
    “He was just hinting around about taking you out.”
    Jenna folded her lips because for some reason, a smile was trying really hard to split them. “Like a date?”
    Lily glanced at Jenna. “I don’t know. I shut down his idea before it got that far.”
    It took everything Jenna had not to ask why. She knew that Lily loved them both and wasn’t trying to keep them apart. For goodness’ sake, she didn’t even know they had been “together.” But Lily protected those she loved, and Jenna knew that Lily was trying to do just that.
    “Well, he hasn’t asked me out. We’re just friends. Like we’ve always been.” It wasn’t a lie, but definitely not the whole truth. They were friends, but not like they’d always been.
    Lily seemed content with that answer. Jenna, however, looked down the front of herself, her standard attire feeling suddenly boring and drab. Was Colt really considering asking her out? Enough so that his sister was questioning him? Lily would never be the source of gossip, so Jenna wasn’t worried that Colt had slipped or tried to talk to Lily and she was onto him. Actually, Jenna was kind of…giddy.
    “Why don’t I head home and change first, then I’ll go to the bonfire.”
    Lily smiled and clapped. “Perfect. I’ll swing by and pick you up after I drop off Alex.”
    A ping of excitement rang down her spine. “See you soon.”
    …
    “Well, look at you, little girl.”
    Jenna screamed and clasped the shirt she was just about to try on to her chest.
    “Easy, now. It’s just me,” Miranda said, walking into Jenna’s bedroom.
    She turned to face her mother. “What are you doing here?” And what was up with people barging into her home lately? “I thought you were in Wichita.”
    Miranda ruffled her box-blond hair, fluffing it up and causing the fat bangles on her wrist to jingle. She sat down on Jenna’s bed. The scent of cigarettes and Wild Turkey wafted from her and Jenna recognized the familiar smell from her childhood.
    “Ox and I broke up, so I came home early.”
    Her mother tended to pick men named after animals—she’d never forget the summer when Miranda had an affair with Rooster Miller and his brother Hound at the same time.
    Something very sick and awful settled in Jenna’s gut.
    Colt . Technically an animal name. Oh God! She threw her shirt on quickly, hating the thought of having something in common with her mother. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to get back to the point of why Miranda was here.
    “I’m sorry to hear that, Mama.”
    Her mom’s trailer park was on the west