AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sure,” they said at the same time.
After getting bundled up in warm coats, gloves, and boots, we left to search the property for a good spot. We found a knocked-over tree in a clearing. After widely lining up the cans across it, I put a good amount of distance between us and the tree. “Here should be good.” I placed myself between them so they could see me and my rifle.
“I have a bolt-action rifle,” I told them and then I began talking about safety. Like where the safety was on the rifle, how to hold the rifle when not using it, and to always be aware of where the barrel of the rifle was pointing when holding it. Next, I explained how to load it. They watched as I opened the bolt on top, loaded a bullet, and closed the chamber by locking the bolt back in place. Then I showed them the bottom of the rifle and how to load more bullets there. Colt and Creed paid careful attention and asked good questions.
After loading four rounds into my rifle, I showed them how to stand and hold the rifle when firing. “There will be kickback. So make sure you hold it firmly,” I instructed as I stared through the scope at one of the cans. “Cover your ears. It’s going to be loud.”
I didn’t know if they did, but I gave them a few seconds to do as I’d asked before I pulled the trigger. The butt of the rifle kicked back into my shoulder at the same time the loud shot echoed in the clearing. The bullet I fired missed the can by a few inches and hit the fallen tree trunk beneath it. “One more,” I said as I pulled back the bolt all the way, allowing another bullet to enter the chamber, slid the bolt forward, and locked it back into place. I aimed again and fired. Through my scope, I saw the can go flying.
I lowered the rifle and glanced from Colt to Creed, both of whom were lowering their hands from their ears.
“You hit it,” Colt said.
“Are you surprised by that?” I asked.
Colt shook his head, smiling at me. “No, my little ball buster.”
I tried and failed not to smile. “Who wants to try next?”
Creed volunteered. I handed him the rifle and I walked him through what to do all over again, step by step. When he was ready to pull the trigger, Colt and I covered our ears. Creed fired the rifle.
He got a tiny smile on his face and he lowered the barrel of the gun. “I missed, but I was close.”
“Try again,” I told him.
* * *
After dinner that evening, Knox and Keelan helped me remove my stitches from my arm at the kitchen island while Creed and Colt went down to the basement to pick a game to play.
As Knox snipped and pulled the last stitch out, I let out a sigh as I took in the three-inch-long, rigid line that went across my upper arm. It was dark pink with ugly yellow bruising around it. “Another scar.”
“You’re still beautiful,” Keelan said as he watched me put my sweater back on.
The twins returned with the game Twister. Knox and Keelan opted out of playing but agreed to help us with flicking the spinner. As the twins moved the coffee table out of the way in the living room, I laid out the mat with the colorful circles on it in the center of the room. I was thankful I had changed into leggings and a baggy sweater with a sports bra underneath after we’d come back from shooting earlier today. Leggings would be a lot easier to bend and twist in than jeans. Colt and Creed had also changed into more comfortable clothes; both were wearing long-sleeved shirts with gray sweatpants that left so little to the imagination, they should have been illegal.
When we were ready, Keelan spun the spinner for us. “Right foot on red.”
Colt, Creed, and I all stepped on a red circle.
“Before you spin again,” Creed said. “I think we should make this game more interesting.”
Colt agreed right away.
I folded my arms over my chest. “Here comes the gambling.”
“Come down from that high horse, Shi,” Creed said with a smirk. “You enjoy it just as much as we do. Or do you need me to remind you of the last time we played with stakes and what you won?”
I had to think for a second to recall the last time we’d placed bets on something.
“What did you compete for last time?” Knox asked.
Just as Creed grinned, I remembered.
“It’s not important!” I rushed to say. My cheeks felt like they were burning, and I tried to move the conversation on. “How do you want to do this?”
“With a reaction like that, I really want to know what you three bet on,” Keelan said, grinning.
“We told you already,” Creed said to Keelan. “At the mud run. You just didn’t believe us.”
