“She’s coping just fine.” Enjoying the one-on-one with the removalists, I bet.
Dad frowns. “Do me a favour, you two, and sweep the upstairs here for me. Make sure I haven’t missed anything.”
“Sure thing.”
He nods, spinning as he backs away and leaves.
“What’s the real issue?” Colt stares straight ahead, focused on the lush arching oaks that line our back boundary, providing privacy from the neighbours.
“Mum confronted me about sneaking out last night.”
“And?”
I frown at my handsome brother, noting how tired his resigned gaze is. “And, I think she’s unreasonable.”
“You snuck out when she wanted you to stay home. What did you think she’d do?”
“Has she spoken to you?” I cross my arms over myself, fingers diving into the soft angora of my slouch sweater.
“No.” Colt raises both arms, linking his fingers atop his head. “I wouldn’t worry about what she said. You know she’s all bark and no bite.”
“Her bark is worse than her bite,” I grumble.
“What else?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what else is there? Mum’s attitude has never put you off in the past, so something else must be bothering my delicate little sister.”
“I’m not delicate,” I snap.
“Much.” He peers around his flexed arm to lay a cheeky grin on me. “How did Mum know?”
“Libby’s mother.”
“The old grapevine, eh?” His blue eyes zero in on the boundary before he drops his arms with a laden sigh. “You’re pissed that Libby ratted you out.”
“You don’t know that she did.”
“What exact words did our mother use?” he challenges.
I drop my hands, choosing to stare into the empty bedroom while I answer. “That Libby told her mum she had a great time out with me.”
“She ratted on you,” he affirms.
I suppose she did. “Why would she do that?”
Colt shrugs. “Who’d know. Why do you girls do half the things you do?”
I take a step toward the railing and set both hands on top. My focus finds a fantail hopping across our pristine lawn, little tail sweeping left and right as it moves.
“Honestly, sis,” Colt says quietly beside me. “I worry about you.” He turns, one elbow resting on the railing while he stares me down. “If you can’t handle the heat from the people you call your friends, then you’ll find life becomes quite difficult once we’re in Hicksville.”
“Change is a good thing, Colt. It forces us to find stability in ourselves and trust our instinct.”
“Perhaps,” he muses. “But I don’t think this will be the peaceful change you expect.”
I tilt my head and frown. “Why not?”
He takes a moment to answer, rolling his lips before he speaks. “Arcadia may be new to us, Lacey. But we aren’t new to Arcadia.”
I push away from the rail and twist to watch as he stalks out of the room.
We aren’t new to Arcadia? What on earth does he mean by that?
The rock in my gut tells me I’m about to find out—whether I want to or not.
Want to keep reading?
Pick up where High Horse leaves off in GOOD GIRLS, the first in the Arcadia High Anarchists series!
GOOD GIRLS: Arcadia High Anarchists #1
Meet the country boys who’ll turn Lacey’s world upside-down!
ALSO BY MAX
Visit Amazon here: amazon.com/author/maxhenry
STANDALONE
Malaise
Tough Love
Echoes In The Storm
DARK TIDE SERIES (Rock star)
Down Beat
Amplifier
Bottleneck
ARCADIA HIGH ANARCHISTS (Mature YA)
Good Girls
Bad Boys
Rich Riot
Loyal Love
COMING SOON
Done Deal
TWISTED HEARTS DUET (New Adult/Age Gap)
Desire
Regret
Trust
FALLEN ACES MC SERIES
Unrequited
Unbreakable
Tormented
Existential
Misguided
BUTCHER BOYS SERIES
Devil You Know
Devil on Your Back
Devil May Care
Devil in the Detail
Devil Smoke
RED HOT READ NOVELLAS
One More Night
Playing with the Boss
Lady Killer
Physical Therapy
THE MUSIC
Listen to the songs that encouraged the book here: https://spoti.fi/3hjLX59
“Got You (Where I Want You)” – The Flys
“Meanwhile Back in the City” – The Presidents of the USA
“Stay and Decay” – Unlike Pluto
“Want What You Got” – The Beaches
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and bred in Canterbury, New Zealand, Max now resides with her family in beautiful and sunny Queensland, Australia.
Life with two young children can be hectic at times and, although she may not write as often as she would like, Max wouldn’t change a thing.
An avid lover of stories from a young age, she enjoys nothing more than to get lost in the pages while the characters dictate what direction she takes. Her favourite genre to write is young/new adult and the events in her stories may or may not be related to real life experiences (only she will ever know for sure).
In her down time, Max can be found at her local gym brainstorming through a session with the weights. If not, she’s probably out drooling over one of many classic cars on show that she wishes she owned.
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