Sunkissed Colorado (Hart County #4)

Prologue

Zandra

Sixteen Years Ago

Music blared in my headphones as I walked down the hall, dodging couples making out against lockers, cheerleaders hanging all over football players, stoners casting paranoid glances.

I hate high school.

Only about eight months left of this. Graduation couldn’t possibly come fast enough.

I steered into the classroom for Ms. Washington’s third period English, taking off my headphones. My grin appeared as I slid into the seat beside my best friend, Jessa Mackenzie.

Jessa leaned in. “So. I may have secured us an invite to the bonfire tonight.”

I sighed. There went my smile. “Jessa…”

“Please.” She clasped her hands under her chin. “You have to go with me. I need you.”

“Are you finally going to share the identity of this guy you’re into? Who is supposedly on the football team and not a douche?”

“He’s not—”

“Not like Callum and the rest of them,” I finished, because she’d said it so many times. “I find that hard to believe.”

Right on cue, my least favorite person strutted into the classroom. Mr. Football Captain and Homecoming King. Ruler of Silver Ridge High, or so the conformist sheep in our class would have us believe.

Callum O’Neal.

It was Friday, so he wore his jersey. He’d paired his red and black school colors with ripped jeans and a backward ball cap, though both were expressly forbidden by the dress code. If someone called him on it, he’d probably flash an innocent expression. Who, me?

Look, I thought the dress code was stupid too. I doubted short-shorts on girls were going to cause a riot. So sexist.

What irked me was the way Callum could simply get away with it. He was the type of golden boy who got away with everything.

Even worse, he sat down at my and Jessa’s table beside his friend, fellow footballer Tommy Pickering. Ms. Washington had assigned us all to the same table group.

“Bro!” The two boys slapped palms and did a stupid dancing shimmy like they were going clubbing, instead of settling in for a boring lecture on unreliable narrators.

Callum winked as a cheerleader sauntered by. She trailed her red nails over his shoulder, biting her lip. Not his girlfriend, because Callum O’Neal never had girlfriends. But they were still lining up in the hopes of being the first to tie him down.

“Vomit,” I muttered.

His gaze shot to me. “Hey, Z.”

“Don’t call me Z. We’ve been over this.”

“I call you Z,” Jessa whispered.

I flipped my long braid over my shoulder. “Because you’re my friend. He’s not.”

Callum stuck his lower lip out. “Z, you wound me. Why are you so mean?”

“Because you and Tommy slack off and make Jessa and me do all the work.”

“That was one time.”

“Here’s how much I care.” When I brandished both my middle fingers, making sure our teacher wasn’t looking, Callum laughed. But there was a glint of something in his eyes.

Callum was hot, and he knew it. He looked more like twenty-five than eighteen. Tall, leanly muscled, wavy brown hair. A big dumb grin that drew teen girls like purple coneflowers attract honey bees. He’s, like, the sweetest, they cooed.

Blegh. Good thing I was immune to him.

The bell rang, and Ms. Washington started class. I focused on her lecture for a while. Until inevitably it was time for group work. Tommy and Callum started talking about the party tonight and who would be there, while Jessa kicked my foot under the table.

Please come tonight, she mouthed at me.

Tommy’s shrewd eyes glanced over. “You coming to the party, Zandra?” he asked. “You should. First one of the year. Don’t you think she should come, Cal?”

Like I didn’t catch that unsubtle innuendo. Callum crossed his arms over his meaty chest with a frown, tilting his head to study his friend, then me.

The bonfire party after every football game was a Silver Ridge High tradition. The football players held it on private land, somebody’s daddy’s ranch, and it was technically invite-only. Those invites were coveted. Most of the time, you wouldn’t catch me dead at their dumbass wannabe-frat party.

I didn’t mix with football players like Callum and Tommy. This was no surprise to anyone. I was more of an outsider with big ambitions for my future. Picked my friends carefully, biding my time until Jessa and I could finally get our asses out of this small mountain town.

But Jessa was dying to go tonight because of this secret boy she liked. Didn’t she deserve that rite of passage, no matter how ridiculous?

I loved her like a sister. I’d already been rude to Callum today, so it was time to lay off. I couldn’t mess this up for her. Otherwise, what kind of best friend would I be?

My shoulder shrugged up and down. “Jessa got an invite for us. So I guess I’ll be there.”

Jessa’s face lit up.

Only to free-fall when Callum opened his big mouth. “I don’t think so.” He looked at Tommy. “Z doesn’t want to go to the party.”

“I just said I do.”

“You hate being around guys like me so much. Wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Jessa laughed nervously. “Callum, Z was just kidding around earlier.”

Smirking, Tommy punched Callum’s upper arm. “Relax, man. Don’t take it personal.”

“I’m not,” Callum said matter-of-factly. Not a trace of animosity. “But Zandra’s not invited.” He shrugged and smiled.

One point to O’Neal. For being so much more devious and petty than anyone had expected, including me.

The rest of the class had suddenly gone quiet, because of course they’d all been eavesdropping. “Damn,” someone whispered. It was the sound of my senior social status crashing and burning. Like I cared.

Until I saw the look of devastation on my best friend’s face.

“I’m sorry,” I said again. “You could’ve gone without me. He didn’t disinvite you, just me.”

“Whatever. It’s fine.” Jessa skipped a rock into the creek. “I didn’t want to go that much anyway.”

Geez, I really was the worst.

I still thought Callum was obnoxious, but I’d probably gone too far. Why are you so mean? he’d whined. I didn’t know. I would never win the title of Miss Social Butterfly. But Callum O’Neal did not bring out the best in me.

People just loved him, no matter what he did, and it wasn’t fair.

“I’m a terrible best friend. Epically bad. Please accept this offering?” Unzipping my backpack, I pulled out the Hearthstone tall-boy cans I’d brought from my parents’ fridge. “Trust me, it’s only the start of my groveling.”

Jessa snickered, accepting a can and popping the tab. “You’re lucky your grandpa runs a brewery and your house is always overflowing with so much beer they don’t keep track of it.”

“Seriously. Callum is so short-sighted. I could’ve hooked up his bros for their parties all semester.”

She arched a brow. “Would you?”

“Hell, no.”

Her mouth opened on a belly-laugh. “That’s what I thought. It’s really okay. I promise. I don’t wanna hang out with people who don’t like my best friend.” Jessa slurped foam from her can.

I dug the toe of my Chuck Taylor into the soft dirt. “That’s sweet of you.”

“Plus Leo’s going to the bonfire, and he’s mad at me.”

“Why?”

“Just…stupid sibling stuff. Trust me, you don’t want to know the gory details.”

Leo was a year younger than us and far more popular.

I knew that bothered Jessa. How her brother was having the wild and crazy high school experiences she didn’t.

He wasn’t a football player, but he had the cheerleader girlfriend and that cocky swagger.

She loved him, though. Jessa and Leo had always been close.

I was surprised they’d fought at all, but they’d probably make up in no time.

“What about your super-secret guy?” I prompted. “Didn’t you want to meet up with him?”

Her smile turned smug. “We still might.”

“Wait, what?”

She chewed her lip. “He said he’d text me later. He’s at the bonfire right now because his friends expect it. But he knows we’re at the creek, and he said he’d come hang out. He really wants to see me.”

“Won’t you just tell me who your crush is? He’s not Tommy Pickering, right? Because ew. We shouldn’t have secrets from each other.”

Jessa’s expression did something complicated. “I don’t want to keep secrets from you, Z, but some secrets aren’t mine to tell.”

Wait, were we still talking about her crush?

I laid my head on her shoulder. “Pleeeease tell me his name? This mystery is killing me. I’ll be your best friend,” I sing-songed.

Jessa laughed, seeming to shake off whatever had been bothering her. “You’re already my BFF. But I just don’t want to jinx this yet. I don’t want you to tell me you hate him.”

“Me hate someone?” I asked innocently.

She elbowed me. “He’s not the love of my life or anything. I just don’t want to go to college a virgin next year.”

“So what? I’m a virgin.”

“By choice. You’re so gorgeous, Z. Your long, straight hair and your eyes. Guys are always into you, but they’re just too intimidated to do anything about it.”

“Shut up. You’re way prettier than me. I want blond curls and an angel face like you.”

“You shut up.”

We cackled. “Fine, we’re both gorgeous supermodels,” I said, “and we’ll be breaking hearts left and right in Denver next year.

” Because we’d be heading off to college in the city.

We didn’t know yet where we’d get accepted, but we’d applied only to Denver schools so we’d be together.

Jessa would become a kindergarten teacher, while I was going for a business major.

That was all that mattered to me. Jessa and I would escape this small-town prison. She was the only thing about Silver Ridge that I truly cared about, aside from my family and all.

Jessa made a worried face. “It’s going to be so different in college.”

I held up my beer like I was making a toast. “Let’s promise to always be friends. We’ll always find a way to be in each other’s lives, no matter what.”

Jessa tapped her beer against mine. “Friends forever.”

“Friends forever.”

We sipped and relaxed for a while. Talked more about next year. The beer went straight through me, creating a pleasant buzz in my head. Even though my stomach was less happy about it. I’d been having a lot of stomach aches lately.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” I said. “Need to pee.”

“Fine.” Jessa wandered over to the bank of the creek. She’d already finished her beer and taken off her shoes. Moonlight sparkled on the rushing water. She dipped her toes in as she checked her phone yet again, wobbling like she might lose her balance.

“Hey, don’t get too close to the water. Especially while I’m gone.”

“Go on and empty your bladder, worrywart. I’ll be right here.”

“And stop checking your phone. Surprised you can even get reception.”

“I’ve got one bar.”

I shook my head. “If he’s smart, he’ll text. Mystery man would be lucky to get a girl like you.”

“Thanks, Z.” It was hard to see Jessa’s expression, but from the tilt of her head, it seemed like she was pleased.

I wandered off into the trees, zipping up my jacket to my throat. The night was dark and cold, especially in the woods, but at least the moon was half full.

Too bad I didn’t have a phone with a fancy flashlight. Didn’t have a phone at all. My parents never inventoried their beer, but they were super strict about devices and social media and stuff.

Freedom was going to look so good on me next year.

Finding a clear spot, I crouched down. “Come on,” I muttered to myself. “Hurry up and go. It’s creepy out here.”

After doing my business, I pulled up my jeans and headed back, following the rushing sound of the creek. But I must’ve gotten turned around because I came out in the wrong spot. Jessa wasn’t here, and this clearly wasn’t where we’d been standing earlier.

Thick bushes blocked me from just following the bank, so I retreated and tried to retrace my steps in the darkness.

A voice came from up ahead, talking loudly. Thank goodness. That was Jessa. Maybe she was on her phone.

But she sounded upset.

Then I heard a second voice, which made me pause in surprise. It wasn’t coming from a speaker. This voice was low, distorted by the rushing of the creek as the sound reached my ears.

Jessa wasn’t alone. Had her guy shown up? Was something wrong?

There was a scream and a splash.

“Jessa?” I started running. At first, I didn’t see her. Or anyone else.

Something in the creek caught my eye.

Jessa was lying facedown in the water, the shape of her body curved against a rock. My heart lurched. “No!” Splashing into the water, my hand reached out to grab her as the current tried to pull me down. “No, no, no. Jessa, I’m here, okay? Can you hear me?”

Somehow, I managed to get her onto the bank. Turned her onto her back.

Dark red poured from a gash on her forehead.

“Jessa?” She wasn’t responding. My shaking hands felt around for her phone in her pockets, but it wasn’t there. And I didn’t have a damn phone of my own to call 9-1-1.

“Help!” I screamed. “Anybody, please!”

But we were out in the woods. If anybody was nearby, they didn’t answer.

Jessa wasn’t breathing. CPR. My brain searched for what I’d learned in that first-aid class. One, two, three, four…

It wasn’t working. I struggled to lift my best friend into my arms. My knees banged the ground as I slipped. Could I get her to the car? That was what I had to do. Had to get her to the hospital. Her skin was so pale.

But deep down, I knew there was no way I’d make it in time.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot in the chilly night air. “Please don’t leave me, Jessa. Please.”

Don’t go.