Everyone seemed to digest the words that’d just come out of my best friend’s mouth, and then we all burst out laughing in unison.
“What’s everyone laughing at?” Darby came out, grumbling.
I turned in Callum’s arms to find Darby at the foot of the stairs shoving his feet into old tennis shoes.
My brows furrowed. “What are you doing?”
Darby looked up and his gaze caught mine.
“Do you honestly think that I’m going to let my future sister-in-law run this with her ex-husband out there running the same race? The same ex-husband that likes to give her shit around every turn? The more family you can have surrounding you, the better.”
Darby’s words made a sense of calming slide through me that I hadn’t been aware I’d needed.
“Thanks, Darby,” I whispered. “That’s really sweet.”
He grunted something unintelligible. “I just hope he tries. I’m in a really bad mood because I couldn’t sleep last night—I swear to God I ate too much cake—and that motherfucker trying something would be the highlight of my day.”
A pleased little smile lit my face. “I’m sure that he’ll try.”
He finished putting his shoes on and clapped his hands. “Good. Because I’m willing to introduce him to my fist.”
Snickering, I turned when I heard the front door open and the rest of the Valentine family stroll in, even if they weren’t actually Valentines.
I smiled at Remy and Colt in particular, who were looking rather ragged. Remy also had a hickey on his neck that wasn’t the least bit conspicuous.
“Late night?” I asked the two of them.
Remy shot me an amused smile. Colt rolled his eyes.
“I’m ready when y’all are,” Remy muttered darkly. “I can’t believe y’all are making me do this. I feel like we’re in the military all over again. Getting up this early, with something that actually has to be done, is giving me hives.”
Callum squeezed my hips, dropped a kiss to the top of my head, then walked away. “I’m getting coffee and then I’m ready.”
“Coffee makes you shit,” Darby said. “And we have a half hour drive to the facility, and there are supposed to be upwards of three thousand people there. You won’t get to use the porta-potties without a ten-minute wait at least.”
Callum ignored him and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“I can’t wait to say I told you so,” Darby muttered, a smile kicking up the corner of his lips.
We all piled into our respective cars ten minutes after that. After each man—and yes, Darby being one of them, ironically—suddenly having to go to the bathroom, it put us off our schedule.
But we arrived in time, and we were standing amongst the hoard of people as the man with the microphone explained what would happen.
“We’re releasing three hundred people every thirty minutes. That should give the majority of you time to move at least two to three obstacles ahead before the next wave is released,” the man was saying. “If there are any elite runners, we’ll start those first. That first wave will be released in forty minutes…”
I would’ve continued to listen, but Callum suddenly caught my hand. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”
Darby started laughing.
Georgia, who arrived to spectate, slapped him across the back of the head. “Shut up.”
Darby tossed her a glare. “You don’t even know what I’m laughing about.”
“I know that it’s probably about something you shouldn’t be commenting on in front of his woman,” Georgia countered.
I rolled my eyes.
Callum’s bodily functions weren’t a secret to me. Nor was I squeamish on the subject. Everyone did it.
So, the fact that my man did didn’t bother me.
What did bother me was that I could see the big countdown clock that showed me that the race would begin in thirty-nine minutes.
“You got this,” Bourne said from my side. “Booth and I’ll be there.”
I grinned down at Bourne.
“What about me?” Codie asked. “And why does everyone always like Desi more than me? I’m loveable, too.”
Ace caught her up by wrapping his bicep around her neck and pulling her in tight to his chest.
“It’s because they’re hormonal teenage boys and think that they’re going to see a fight if they stay with Desi,” Ace explained.
“Oh,” Codie said. “Well, that makes sense.”
“I’m not going to get into a fight,” I countered.
“You may not,” Booth agreed. “But Callum might.”
That was… true.
“But he promised me he would be on his best behavior,” I said.
Booth laughed then. “He will be. But, just sayin’, all it’ll take is Mal saying something to you that Callum doesn’t like. He told us that this’s been brewing for weeks.”
I sighed.
He was right.
It had.
“Whatever.” I looked at the twins’ father. “You better make sure that you’re close… just in case.” I looked at the two twins. “And if Callum does start something, make sure you stay back. I don’t want you to get hurt.”