Stealing for Keeps (Frost Lake High Book 1)
Stealing for Keeps: Chapter 3

Rowan shows up exactly at eight. I hurry out to the driveway and climb into his old Ford truck. It suits him. It has a well-loved, rough-around-the-edges kind of vibe to it.

He takes one look at me and says, “Aww, man. No glitter tonight?”

“Ha, ha.” I shut the door and prop an elbow on the open windowsill.

He stares past me toward the house we moved into just last week. “You have siblings?”

“Yeah. A sister and a brother,” I say as I glance up at Torrance’s window. The light is on. It’s the only indication, other than her closed door, that she’s home. She’s not my biggest fan right now.

Wyatt is eight and thinks everything is new and exciting, but Torrance hasn’t spoken to me since we left Arizona. She’s only a grade younger than me, so I know how hard it was to leave her friends. I miss mine too, but I wish she could be just a little excited for me. Playing soccer at Frost Lake could open so many doors.

Rowan drives through town and then onto a gravel road that winds through a dense forest area. I can’t get over the trees. They’re massive, and everything here is so green.

The night air blows through the truck. I lose track of the time as he drives down a narrow country road. Small cabins pop up in clearings as we talk, mostly about soccer. He tells me about Frost Lake and asks me about my previous teams. When we finally fall into easy silence, I note how quiet it is out here. The only sounds are the trees swaying in the wind and the tires crunching on gravel.

I’m about to ask him how much farther when a larger cabin comes into view. It’s the only one for miles that’s had the lights on—and a line of cars out front.

Rowan pulls a U-turn and parks along the side of the road. We’re greeted with music as soon as we exit the truck. Voices drift out as we walk up the steps of the front porch.

Rowan walks in without knocking. The reaction is immediate. Every head turns, and a group of guys sitting around a table with cards in front of them yells, “Rowan!”

I’ve known him for less than a day, and it’s easy to see he’s well-liked by everyone.

“What’s up?” he asks no one in particular.

“We saved you a seat for poker,” Barrett calls. He’s a senior and the starting goalie for the team.

“Absolutely not,” Rowan says. “I don’t have any money, and if I did, I wouldn’t gamble it with your cheating shenanigans.”

“I don’t cheat,” Barrett says, grinning wide. He gives me a polite head nod. “What about you, New Guy? Do you like poker?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.”

He kicks out an empty chair for me. “Since it’s your first night, we’ll even take it easy on you.”

Rowan snorts in a way that tells me he thinks Barrett is lying.

“Another time.”

“Good choice,” Rowan says. “Come on. Everyone else will be out back.” He goes straight past the table and through a small kitchen to a back door. He steps out onto the porch and holds it open for me. “Word of advice: never gamble with Barrett. He’s a shark. His parents are loaded too, so he doesn’t think anything of dropping a few hundred dollars on a bet.”

“Noted,” I say, scanning the backyard. The porch is small, but it steps down into a yard that stretches toward the forest behind it. In the center, a fire is going, and people sit around it. A lot of the guys I recognize from the team, but there are others that I don’t know. And girls. I should have expected it, but there are more girls here than guys.

I look for the girl from today but can’t find her as Rowan leads me out to the party. A couple of people are on four-wheelers, and they head out into the tree line.

Rowan stops next to a group of guys that includes Hunter and Blake. “You already met these two, and these are the Whitlock twins, Eli and Eddie.”

They nod their heads in unison. They are identical but their hair is different. One has longer, curly black hair, and the other’s head is shaved.

“This is Disco,” Rowan says. “Junior forward all the way from Arizona.”

“Hey.” I nod. “My name is actually Austin.”

Rowan keeps walking, pausing at each group and introducing me. Always as Disco. At some point, I stop correcting him.

When we’ve gone around the entire party, we take a seat next to the twins.

“Is Vaughn here?” I ask. I was hoping to see him so I could follow up on our conversation from earlier. I have so many questions.

“Nah. He probably stayed late to practice more or get in an extra workout,” the twin with the short hair—Eddie, I think—says.

Rowan grabs a beer and a soda from a cooler and offers them to me. I take the soda, and he grins like he knew I would, then pops the top on the beer. I don’t mind drinking, but I’m not about to do anything that might make tomorrow’s practice go poorly. I will be on time and well rested and definitely not hungover.

“He usually shows up later,” Rowan says. “Parties aren’t really his thing, but he comes to keep an eye on us and make sure things don’t get too rowdy.”

My disappointment must show on my face, because the next question out of Rowan’s mouth is, “Did you seriously move all the way from Arizona to Michigan just to play soccer for Coach Collins?”

“Yeah.” I feel like maybe I should be embarrassed about that, but I’m not. This opportunity is everything.

“Well, shit, we got another diehard on our hands, boys.” He claps me on the shoulder. “I respect it, but tell me, Disco, how do you feel about putting all thoughts of soccer on hold for a few hours and just enjoying the night?” He leans back and tips his head up toward the sky. “The stars are shining, the music is pumping, and there has to be at least one pretty girl here who wants to dance with the new guy.”

“I don’t dance.”

“Well, we won’t tell them that.”

“I think I’ll hang here,” I say as Rowan stands and looks at me expectantly.

“All right. You’re sure? Girls at Frost Lake are in a league all their own.”

“We do have some hot chicks,” the twins say at the same time.

Chuckling, I nod. A vision of the blond girl I ran into earlier comes to mind. “I’m sure.”

“Okay. Have fun.” With a wink, Rowan leaves.

Eddie and Eli get pulled into conversations with other people, so I walk over to the side of the yard where Hunter and Blake have started playing cornhole. Barrett has abandoned his card game and sits on the bottom step, watching them.

“Can I get in the next game?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Hunter says, flicking his head and sending the light brown strands out of his eyes. “But there’s another one if you don’t want to wait.”

“New Guy!” Barrett calls from where he sits. He points at me as he stands. “Me and you.”

I follow him to the other cornhole setup.

“Care to make it interesting?” he asks as we pick up our bags.

I chuckle, thinking about Rowan’s warning that Barrett likes to bet. Unfortunately for him, he’s not getting anything from me. “I don’t have any money.”

He waves it off. “We’ll play for a dare.”

“A dare?”

“Yeah. You win, and I take a dare from you. I win, and you take one from me.”

“Can’t we just play for bragging rights? I don’t need you to do anything but shake my hand when I win.”

He throws his head back and laughs loudly toward the sky. “I like you, New Guy. This is going to be fun.”

“What’s the dare?” I ask. I feel a small beat of hesitation, but I never back down from a competition.

He tosses one bag up and catches it, smiling. One of his front teeth is chipped, and he has a sparse black mustache that blends in against his dark skin. “If I win, you have to kiss that girl over there before the end of the night.”

I follow his gaze to the porch where two girls have just stepped out the back door. My heart trips when I see her. She’s wearing jeans and a tank top tonight instead of the shorts and T-shirt she had on earlier, and her hair is down, falling over her shoulders and teasing her bare arms. It takes a beat before I even fully see her friend. The same brunette she was with today. She’s cute too, but there’s something about the blond that draws me to her. I hope she left the glitter at home.

“Which one?” I ask, tearing my gaze away.

“The one with the boot.”

Otherwise known as the blond goddess I nearly trampled.

“That’s it? I just have to kiss her?”

“Yeah. That’s it. Easy, right? You’re the mysterious and unknown new guy. The girls will be fighting over you before the end of the night.”

I highly doubt that girl has ever had to fight for a guy. They probably just fall at her feet. It doesn’t stop me from imagining what it’d be like to make out with her. It’s been a while, with the move and everything. Not that I’ve ever had a lot of time for dating. Soccer takes up so much time that I’ve only done the girlfriend thing once.

“I’m not even that good,” he says. “You’ll probably beat me.”

Kissing her wouldn’t be the worst way to end tonight. I shrug. “Let’s do it.”

Twenty minutes later, he’s not only beaten me, but he’s beaten me so badly that I can’t figure out how it happened. I’m usually good at cornhole.

We’ve attracted a crowd, including Rowan, who shakes his head at me and gives me a look that says, “I told you so.”

“Pay up, New Guy.”

“What’d you bet him?” Rowan asks, stepping up to pat me reassuringly on the shoulder.

“Uh-uh.” Barrett interrupts. “This is between me and the new guy.”

Rowan’s brows lift. I think he mutters, “This can’t be good.”

“I have all night, right?” I ask. She’s gorgeous, and I didn’t exactly make the best impression earlier. I’m going to have to play the long game.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t wait. Once Vaughn gets here…” He trails off, tilting his head to the side and wincing.

“Is there a rule against hooking up during the season or something?” I look from Barrett to Rowan. The last thing I need is to do something stupid and get cut. I’m already on thin ice after showing up late today.

“No, no. You’re all good. He just gets bent out of shape with my dares sometimes.”

Rowan’s brows lift. “You nearly sent Chad to the emergency room after you bet him two hundred dollars that he couldn’t surf the hood of your truck.”

“That was unfortunate,” Barrett says. “I didn’t account for his terrible balance, and that massive pothole came out of nowhere.”

I have an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

“But he was totally fine. And the new guy here just has to get a girl to kiss him or embarrass himself trying.”

Not just any girl. The hottest one at the party and the one I almost ran over trying to rush to practice. But I do love a challenge.

My new teammates are watching, and I have a feeling they aren’t going to stop until I’ve completed my dare. Might as well make my move.

She’s sitting on the back of a parked four-wheeler with the brunette.

As I approach, her friend notices me first and elbows her in the side.

Her mouth pulls up into a half smile that’s playful but mocking. “Well, look who it is. I must say, the glitter was a good look on you. You sparkled all the way across the field.”

Glitter jabs. I’m getting used to those. And if she’s joking around, then maybe she’s already forgiven me.

“Hey. I’m Austin. I didn’t catch your name earlier today.”

“Oh, you mean when you were running me over?”

Or not. “I’m so sorry. I was late, and I should have been looking where I was going. And if it’s any consolation, the guys are never going to let me live it down. They’re calling me Disco and asking for makeup tips.”

She lets out a small laugh. “That does make me feel a teensy bit better.”

There’s another beat where she seems to consider if she’s going to tell me her name or not. Finally, she says, “Claire.” She tips her head to the side. “This is Lacey.”

I glance over at her friend, who’s smiling big as she watches my interaction with her friend.

“That was quite a beating you took,” Lacey says. “Didn’t anyone warn you about Barrett?”

“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck. “I swear he cheated, but I don’t know how.”

Claire’s laughter tinkles in the air. “He definitely cheated. He always does.”

“Would you believe me if I said I was taking it easy on him?”

“No,” she says adamantly. “Just like I wouldn’t believe you came over here just to apologize. What’d he dare you to do?”

My jaw drops.

“Oh, please. It’s obvious. He doesn’t do anything without betting on it. Plus, everyone is staring at us.” She glances behind me.

I turn, and she’s right. My teammates’ expressions range from excited to impressed. Except Rowan, who looks almost nervous. I offer a reassuring smile.

“So what is it? Do you have to get my number? Maybe ask me out on a date? We might as well get this over with.” Her bored tone borders on annoyed. If I had to guess, she’s the object of many dares.

“I have to kiss you.”

“Kiss me?” Her brows lift in surprise, then she laughs. That doesn’t bode well for me. “And if you don’t?”

I don’t plan to find out.

“I’m a good kisser,” I assure her.

“Wow.” Her laughter doesn’t deter me. I work hard at the things I like, and I like kissing. “That’s not happening. I don’t even know you.”

“Like I said, I’m Austin.” I hold out my hand, but she doesn’t take it.

“I’ll make out with you, Austin.” Lacey smiles. Her dark hair falls over her shoulders. “You’re cute.”

I wink at Lacey and then glance back at Claire with a cocky grin plastered on my face. “I could just kiss you on the cheek or forehead or something?” He didn’t specify where I had to kiss her, and I’m about to take any loophole I can to get out of this with my pride intact. “Would be a waste though. You’re hot, I’m hot…”

She hops down from the back of the four-wheeler and steps closer while crossing her arms over her chest. She’s shorter than I remember, but she holds her head up high and pushes her shoulders back. She’s got this fiery attitude and sass that I didn’t pick up on this morning. I like it a lot.

“You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet,” she says dryly.

“Well, I kind of did if you think about it.”

She smiles with a soft laugh. “You’re a real charmer.”

“What can I say? It comes naturally around you.”

She shakes her head like she thinks I’m making it up, but for her, I’m ready to pull out my A game.

“Tell me, Austin, what do I get out of this?” Her tone sounds almost bored. Almost. There’s just a hint of amusement and maybe intrigue.

“What do you want?”

She studies me closely. “I’m not sure yet.”

“You can have anything you want.”

“Anything, huh?” Claire steps closer until I can feel the warmth of her skin next to mine. I think I hear Lacey squeal with excitement behind her, but I can’t look away. Claire’s eyes are different colors. One is blue and the other is hazel. Both are framed with long, black lashes. And her lips, which keep catching my eye, are coated in a glossy pink. She might be the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen up close.

“Anything.” If she wants to get out of here and go somewhere more private, I’d be down for that too.

Her eyes dart to my lips, and she moves another inch forward, laughing quietly. “You owe me so big.”

My heart is beating so fast. It must be because it’s been so long since I’ve kissed someone. I don’t remember ever having this reaction before.

“You’re sure?” I ask, then slam my mouth shut. What the hell? Am I really trying to talk her out of it? Forget the dare. I just want to taste her.

“No, but I’m rarely certain of anything anymore.” Another small laugh escapes, but then she tips her head up in invitation.

I close the distance, leaning down and brushing my lips over hers softly.

Instinctively, one hand finds her hip, and the other goes up to the column of her neck where I can feel her pulse racing in time with mine. She smells like cotton candy, and the way her mouth molds to mine, I already know I’ll never get enough.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember we have an audience and reluctantly pull back. We can continue this later. There’s no way I’m not kissing this girl again.

We stare at each other, still inches apart. Thank you, Barrett.

Someone taps me on the shoulder, and I turn, almost floating. Not kissing anyone for a month can really fuck with a guy.

I smile and shake the fog from my brain when I realize its Vaughn behind me.

“Hey. You made it. I was looking for you earlier.” It’s only after I speak that I realize he’s glowering at me.

“Hey, Vaughn,” Claire says, tone icier than it was with me.

I open my stance and look between them as I try to piece together the situation.

He doesn’t even acknowledge her, just keeps staring hard at me. I don’t know what’s happening, but he’s pissed. Then he levels me with seven words. “What are you doing kissing my girlfriend?”