A lean brunette ran and slid into the open barn door. “Bo!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.

A blonde sporting a short hair cur appeared from behind and a stack of hay on the floor above. “What?”

“Old Man McAllister’s grandson is coming for the summer!”

She was way too excited for her own good, Bo mused watching her look on her friend’s face. “And this means what to me?” She asked. “Watch out.” She tossed down a bale of hay onto the first floor.

“Well do you think he’ll be cute?”

“He’s from the city right?”

“Yeah…” The brunette replied unsure as to what that had to do with anything.

“I’m pretty sure there’s nothing about him I would find attractive. ‘Nother bale comin’ down.” She tossed down another bale.

The brunette, Jordan, shook her head dragged the bales out of the way. “You don’t have anything to say about this?”

“Should I?” Bo asked disappearing from view to get more bales. “He’s probably some punk kid who’s parents don’t want to deal with him, so they’re sending him to the country in hopes that our simple way of life will straighten him out.”

“You’re hopeless.” Her friend replied.

“No, I just watch too much TV for my own good.” She reappeared to toss down another bale. “What’s the game plan for the night?”

“I told TJ and Lew I’d show him the town.”

“What?” Bo dropped the bale without even giving her friend the heads up. She wasn’t sure what was worse, that TJ and Lew thought there was enough town to show off or that she had lost the car. “Jay, you were gonna lend me your wheels for tonight.” She stopped getting bales to stare down at her friend, hands on her hips.

“I was gonna bring him to the dance.”

Dance? Oh shit. Bo turned on her heel and got back to the hay.

“You forgot.” Jordan accused.

“I don’t need to go if you have a date.”

“C’mon Bo, you have to come. What if he turns out to be a total sketch? Or sleazy? I need you to back me up.”

“I thought you were being optimistic.”

“I was. Up until you ditched me.”

“You know Friday’s race night.”

“Yeah? And?”

“I got Topher to let the boys let me race as long as I promised to beat Mickey. I can only do that if I have your Trans Am.”

“Why don’t you drive the truck?” Jordan asked.

“Drive the truck?” Bo repeated and threw the bale down, jumping down after it. “Mickey’s showing off his Gran Torino, the truck can’t race that! I need to beat him. I promised the boys. C’mon Jay, don’t do this…”

Jordan was silent for a moment as she thought. “Fine.” She conceded.

“Yes!” Bo jumped for joy.

“On the condition you come with me to the dance.”

“Oh, come on…”

“Do you want to win or what?”

Bo sighed exasperated and ran a hand through her hair. She knew when she’d been had. They both knew she wanted to beat Mickey more than she didn’t want to go to the dance. “We’re not friends.” She said grabbing one of the bales and heading outside with it.

Jordan hurried after the blonde catching the unlatched gate and securing it. “It won’t be that bad.” She called.

Won’t be that bad? Bo thought parallel parking behind Topher’s truck and climbing out. She saw who was there. Yes it could. She was on time for once, and everyone else was late, and TJ and Lew did not look pleased, which did not bode well, they were pretty nice guys. Grabbing her sunglasses off the dashboard she saw why they were nonplussed. They were babysitting McAllister’s grandson. He did not look pleased to be there.

Well, he wasn’t the social reject she had predicted. He looked more like royalty. He was well tanned wearing Oakley’s, a polo shirt, some skater shorts and Birkenstocks. His hair was gelled, and his face, could have been attractive if not for the permanent sneer.

There was no way she was going over there. Not until back up came. TJ and Lew were nice guys, polite, everything a mother wanted in a son, but the pair of them looked like they were about to snap any second. He really had to be an ass. When Jordan arrived she was going to get the ’I told you so’ of a lifetime.

“Dakota, this is Topher.” She heard TJ say and looked up in time to see the stocky redhead extend his hand to the prep who looked over his get-up disdainfully.

A new Dodge Ram pulled in front of where they small group had convened and two boys wearing baseball caps and work boots piled out.

“You boys just get out of work?” TJ asked.

“Yep.” The taller of the two with a wider build threw a nod of acknowledgement in Bo’s direction.

She smirked as she continued to watch the goings-on from a safe distance.

“Bo!” He called.

She shook her head, she was not going anywhere until Jordan arrived.

“Dan. Jimmy. This is Dakota McAllister.” Both boys were also denied handshakes. Dan shot a look in Bo’s direction. That was exactly why she was waiting for reinforcements.

“Hey Bo!” Jimmy yelled spotting her. “Is Z coming?”

She shrugged and they waved her over.

Great.

She was just about to start down the road when Mickey arrived in his orange Gran Torino. The dusty haired boy climbed out and approached the brothers.

Mickey saw her by her truck and scoffed, “You don’t intend to race with that do you Bo?”

Bo’s eyes narrowed. No one talked about her truck like that and got away with it. It was a good trusty vehicle with a lot of surprises. It had been her dad’s when he was younger. It just didn’t have the power to beat a muscle car.

Trucks pulled in on the other side of the dirt road and Bo nodded to them as they waved in her direction. Bobby Lee, JD, Jeb, everyone but Jordan had arrived.

“Hey there Bo.” Bobby Lee climbed out of her daddy’s diesel Chevy.

“Bobby Lee.” Bo acknowledged. “How’s the farm?”

“Real good. You should stop by and say hi to my folks, they haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Will do.” She replied.

Bobby Lee, a hardworking girl of average build crossed the road. “You meet him yet?” She asked quietly.

“Nope.” Bo replied casting a look in the boys’ direction. “I’ve been putting it off. Seems to be a bit of an ass.”

“Really?” She moved to look around the cab of Topher’s truck. “That’s a shame, he’s kinda cute.” She looked over the boys then turned back to Bo. “You aren’t racing your Chevy are you?”

“No. Not today. I’m waiting on Jordan.”

“Who isn’t.” She replied with a smile. After readjusting her cowboy hat so that her fiery locks were out of her face, she linked arms with the tall blonde and the pair of them started for the group of boys.

They were coming alongside TJ’s ‘67GMC when a black Trans Am whipped by, leaving all of them choking on dust. The car slammed on its brakes as it came even with the Gran Torino.

“Bout time.” Bo muttered and steered Bobby Lee to the driver’s side of the vehicle, on the opposite of the road as the boys.

“Didn’t you say there would be chicks?” She heard Dakota ask.

It was official. Bo disliked him.

Jordan slid out the driver’s side window and sat, perched half in-half out. “She’s all your Bo, I checked all the fluids, just promise me you’ll be nice to the tires, my dad went ape shit last time you used her.”

“You’re telling me to watch the tires? You’re the one who made that magnificent entrance…”

Jordan glared at her friend and slid the rest of the way out, handing the blonde her keys.

Dakota was still complaining about the lack of girls, until they came around the front of the car. He was no doubt taking in their tall builds, Bobby Lee’s jean skirt, cowboy boots and hat, and Jordan’s Daisy Duke shorts. Bo wore board shorts, a beater, and was at present, barefoot. She was the more conservative of the bunch.

“Hey there, I’m Jordan.” The brunette bolted forward to introduce herself.

“Well hello.”

Jordan was gorgeous with her long dark hair held back in a braid, tanned skin, bold blue eyes, and delicate features.

“Bobby Lee.” The redhead shook his one hand with both of hers. Her hair was medium in length, hidden mostly by her felt cowboy hat, she had pale freckled skin and stunning green eyes. Despite the lack of hair exposed there was no way anyone could mistake her for a boy, her features were far too feminine, not to mention her legs…

Bo just glared at him, her grey eyes challenging him, as he looked her over.

“And this is Bo.” TJ said glaring at her.

“So Stonewall,” she started, running a hand through her pixie cut, “Any tricks I should know about?”

TJ’s glare deepened. His full name was Thomas Jackson, after the Confederate general of the same name. He hated it when anyone referred to him as Stonewall. “You know the drill Bo. A quarter mile to the lumberyard. First one back wins.” He turned to the capped pair. “Is the road clear?”

“You bet.” Dan replied sending a wink in Bo’s direction.

She laughed and shook her head. “What’s the loser got to do.”

“Skinny dip in the duck pond.” Bobby Lee said with a smirk.

“Be the winner’s bitch.” Mickey countered.

“I’d rather see Mickey naked than have him follow me around to do my bidding.” Bo muttered. Those close enough to hear her laughed. Louder she said, “I like the skinny dip idea. That could be fun.”

Mickey gave her a sly grin. “I’m sure you would enjoy it.”

“Do you agree?” Topher asked amused.

“Why not? It’s not my ass.”

“All right kids. To your marks.”

Bo slid into the Trans Am making sure she remembered the rules to the game. The speed wasn’t the most important part of the race. It was the turnaround. It had to be fast. Knowing what she would do Bo smiled and shouted to Topher. “You got the camera right?”

He nodded and gave her the thumb’s up.

Excellent. Bo fired up the vehicle, one hand on shifter, one hand on the wheel. Keeping her eyes glued to Bobby Lee, she watched as the girl waved her hat. In an instant Bo gunned the engine and shifted, peeling out on the dirt road.

If she got ahead of Mickey she could edge him off the road and into the ditch as the road was barely wide enough for two cars. Unfortunately, he had the same idea.