Knuckles (Dragon Riders MC #4) - Savannah Rylan Page 0,41

out of water pumping through the filtration system in the trailers.”

I looked toward the other voice. “Hope, right?”

She nodded. “It’s really nice to meet you. We can run down for you how the trailers work. Or you can just leave Knuckles to do the heavy lifting.”

The last girl nodded. Hannah. “Yeah, he does all the heavy-lifting for this group sometimes anyway.”

Joanna placed her hand on my shoulder. “Very dependable. And very strong. You’re a lucky gal.”

I smiled. “As I’m sure you girls are as well.”

I peered over my shoulder, wondering if JayJay was already on his way back. But all I saw were the guys making their way into someone’s trailer. I didn’t know whose it was or how long they were going to be in there. But I knew I wasn’t allowed to follow.

For whatever reason.

“You know, Link was talking about sending out a search party for the two of you come nightfall if you guys didn’t show up,” Joanna said.

I snickered. “Oh, we would’ve made it. Besides, sometimes blindly following JayJay has its good sides.”

Hannah grinned. “JayJay?”

Hope leaned toward me. “What’s his real name? I mean really real name?”

I blinked. “Why do I get the feeling this is something I shouldn’t be telling you guys?”

Joanna batted them away. “Oh, come on, you guys. Cut her some slack for a bit. Simone. Do you like marshmallows?”

I paused. “Actually, no. It’s kind of a texture thing?”

Hannah shot up out of her chair. “I have weenies in the trailer! Do you like weenies?”

I smiled brightly. “Who doesn’t like a good wiener every now and again?”

Hope barked with laughter. “You’re gonna fit in just fine.”

Hannah jogged away from her chair. “Be right back with the weenies!”

I kept looking around the campground. “So, how much work did it take to get all of this set up?”

Joanna shrugged. “Eh, between all of us being here to split the work, only took a couple of hours? Tops?”

Hope nodded. “Yeah, with all of us working, it didn’t take much time at all. We’ve been mostly hanging out and listening out for noises and such.”

I licked my lips. “Well, is there anything Jay—Knuckles and I can do to help out? Possibly tomorrow?”

Joanna swatted my arm. “You call him whatever you want to. The girls are just giving you a hard time. My sister is notorious for that kind of stuff.”

“Hannah, right?”

She shook her head. “Hope. But don’t worry about it. You’ll catch on eventually.”

“Right, right.”

Hannah came jogging back out a few minutes later with a package of hot dogs and we all picked up our sticks. As the smokeless fire—that seemed more like witchcraft to me—glowed to light up the night sky as the sun set, we roasted hot dogs and ate our fill of bunless weenies and got to know one another. I wasn’t sure how long the guys were in that damn church meeting, but I didn’t care.

Because I was actually having fun with the girls.

I belly-laughed. “So, yeah! That’s how JayJay and I technically know each other.”

Joanna’s jaw swung against the dirt. “I can’t believe you two lived together! And nothing ever happened?”

I leaned toward her. “Not without want for something to happen. But I’m glad it didn’t. I think it would have muddied a lot of confusing waters you’re already traversing as a teenager, you know?”

Hope snapped her finger. “She’s got a point. I was in love with this one guy when I was younger. Joanna might remember.”

Joanna nodded. “Bryant? Oh, yeah. I remember that idiot.”

Hannah grinned. “Sounds like a juicy story. Care to spill?”

I held up my finger. “We’re going to need some alcohol if we’re going to keep up these stories.”

The girls looked around before Joanna spoke. “I don’t think any of us grabbed alcohol before heading out here.”

I smiled. “Then, it’s a good thing I did.”

The girls clapped and whooped as I got up and walked over to our truck that hadn’t been unloaded yet. I unzipped my massive bag I stuffed full back at that warehouse-storage-house thing we went to and dug down deep. And I mean really, really deep. I knew I grabbed those things when I saw them. I knew they were down in here.

And when I felt my fingertips roll across the skinny glass neck, I smiled.

“Who’s up for a glass of wine!?” I exclaimed.

The girls clapped and hollered again as I pulled out not one, but two bottles. I had completely forgotten that I’d grabbed a few of these out of a box in the