Stumbling Into the Holidays (Stumbling Through Life #3) - Molly O'Hare Page 0,48

was always involved.

She closed her eyes as she held onto the tree trunk tightly.

The day Hunter and his family moved in, Abbie and her mother, Kathleen, brought them over fresh baked cookies. That was the nice thing to do, after all. The neighborly thing.

Plus, Abbie had been particularly proud of this batch since she spent hours decorating each one with the word ‘welcome’.

Abbie, along with her mother, had considered herself the welcoming committee of the neighborhood.

Ehh, what could she say? She got her nurturing side from her mom. Plus, Abbie absolutely adored making new friends. You could never have too many if you asked her.

The more, the merrier.

Maybe it was because Abbie didn’t have any brothers or sisters, or maybe it was her need for everyone to feel like they belonged.

After her father abandoned her and her mom right after Abbie was born there was always something lacking. That could’ve been the reason why her mother always made it a point to welcome anyone that moved in with wide open arms and a plate full of cookies. She needed them to feel wanted since they’d never felt that.

Well, that plate full of cookies was two years ago and every day since meeting Hunter James, Abbie regretted every freaking second of it.

“Are you gonna do it or what?” Hunter taunted from below. “You better hurry, I don’t know if that branch will hold you much longer?”

Jerk. Abbie’s eyes narrowed at him as she held onto the tree trunk a little tighter. If she could go back in time, she would have added salt to the cookies, or better yet, maybe some arsenic.

“Stop being a baby, Collins.”

“I’m not being a baby!” Abbie felt the branch bend under her weight.

Quickly, she closed her eyes as her heart started to pound against her chest. Okay, so she knew she was only about six feet off the ground, and the likelihood of her causing severe damage was slim to none; however, the more she looked at the annoying boy below her, the farther away he seemed.

Abbie took a deep breath before she opened her eyes and looked back at Hunter.

That’s when she noticed it.

Hunter was staring at her with that stupid smug smirk on his face. The same one he always got when he thought he’d won.

A growl erupted from deep inside her. Not today!

If Abbie were on the ground and not a million feet in the air, she’d march right up to him and smack that dang smirk right off his stupid face.

Stupid Hunter.

Stupid tree.

Stupid dare!

For two years now, Hunter James had made her life a living hell.

If he wasn’t constantly picking on her, he was daring her to do something she didn’t want to do.

And that was the exact reason she was up in a tree right now.

“You’re too scared, Abbie.” Hunter laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Am not. I just think it’s dumb to jump out of a tree unless there is a logical reason to do so.”

“Why do you always do that?” He glared at her.

“Do what?”

“Say shit to make you sound all smart and stuff.”

“I am smart, unlike you dumb-dumb.”

Hunter’s eyes narrowed before his lips formed into that smirk. “I dare you.”

A Collins never surrendered.

A Collins never backed down.

A Collins never turned down a dare.

At least that’s what her mother would say. Okay, not so much the dare part, but the never backing down part. Collins’ were strong, and no matter what was thrown at them, they always ended up on top.

No one will ever knock us down.

Not her deadbeat father, and certainly not Hunter James.

And that left Abbie here.

About to jump to her death.

She rolled her eyes at herself. Maybe death was a little dramatic. She took another deep breath before looking at the ground. Her breath caught in her throat as Hunter suddenly seemed very far away. Actually, death could be a possibility.

“You scared?” Hunter shouted.

“Not as scared as you were when I dared you to jump off the roof into the pool,” she snapped.

“I did it, didn’t I?”

“Only after I called you a chicken,” she yelled back. Why couldn’t she have just walked away? Any other normal human being would have, but no. Abbie was now two years deep in some messed up back and forth dare-off.

“And that’s what you’re being right now. Abbie the chicken!” The corner of his mouth turned up into that stupid smirk again. “That’s your new name.”

“When I get down there, I’m gonna hit you!”

“You’d have to catch me