Page 93 of Trick or Tease

The guys chuckled as I loaded the pumpkin and positioned myself behind the release mechanism. I took my time, studying the angle and adjusting the tilt. All those years of high school physics had to count for something, right?

And there was just natural talent. I had done this a hundred times before. It was not that hard.

I pulled the release cord. The pumpkin sailed through the air in a perfect arc and smacked the center mummy target dead-on, exploding in a shower of orange pulp. The target toppled backward with a satisfying crash.

“Holy shit!” one of the guys yelled. “Right in the chest.”

Billy stared at the destroyed target, then at me. “You got lucky.”

I grinned, feeling more confident than I had in days. “Luck? That was pure skill, little brother.”

“Bullshit.” Billy laughed. “No way you can do that again.”

“Want to bet?” I asked, already reaching for another pumpkin. “How about we make this interesting? Chunk-off. Five shots each.”

“You’re on,” Billy said, his competitive streak kicking in. “But when you lose, you’re buying beer for everyone tonight.”

“Deal. And when I win, you’re doing my laundry for a week.”

I wasn’t sure I would be around for a week, but it seemed like a fair prize.

The guys gathered around as Billy and I faced off. I noticed Sabrina had emerged from the barn and was walking over to watch, a smile on her lips. Having her there made me want to show off even more, like a damn peacock. I felt the scratches on my back pull as I lifted one of the pumpkins.

Billy went first, his technique smooth and practiced from years of experience. He nailed three targets out of five shots, which was damn impressive.

“Beat that, counselor,” he said with a smirk.

I loaded my first pumpkin, took careful aim, and let it fly. Direct hit. The small crowd cheered.

Second shot—another hit.

Third shot—missed by inches, but close enough that I wasn’t worried.

Fourth shot—dead center again.

By the time I lined up my fifth and final shot, the pressure was on. I needed this one to win. I could feel everyone watching, could hear Sabrina calling out encouragement.

“Come on, Garrett! Show them what city boys can do!”

I released the cord and watched the pumpkin soar through the air. It hit the target with such force that bits of fake bandage went flying in all directions.

“Four out of five!” I shouted, pumping my fist in the air. “That’s how it’s done!”

The high school kids immediately started razzing Billy.

“Dude, you got schooled by your brother!” one of them said with a laugh.

“The city slicker just owned you, Billy!” another added.

Billy held up his hands in surrender, grinning despite his defeat. “Alright, alright. I guess all that fancy education was good for something after all.”

I was still celebrating when Sabrina jogged over and threw her arms around my neck. “That was amazing! Where did that come from?”

“Natural talent,” I said, spinning her around once before setting her back down. “I was just getting warmed up before.”

“Yeah, right,” Tom said, shaking his head with amusement. “You’ve been holding out on us, Hogan.”

The good-natured teasing, the simple pleasure of hitting a target with a flying pumpkin, all felt so natural. So right. For the first time since I’d been back, I wasn’t thinking about depositions or client meetings or partnership tracks. I was just enjoying myself with people who’d known me since I was a kid. They couldn’t give a shit how much my shoes cost or who I had dinner with the night before.