Rivals In Love (Love In Montana Book 4)

"Ryan, stop," yelled Andrew Walker but his best friend Ryan Ashton Wilson was running at such speed that he couldn't hear him. 

A few minutes back they put up a challenge which Ryan apparently couldn't perform and therefore he had to run around the football field twice as his punishment. Carl Reedley, another friend of theirs had challenged him to kiss the new hot girl in their class but Ryan could hardly talk to the elusive girl and introduce himself,  let alone kiss her. Carl had however kissed the girl whom Ryan had challenged him to do and so did Andrew. He was the only one unlucky enough to fail at the challenge. It was their second year at Great Falls College under Montana State University. They were into the undergraduate program in Animal Nutrition and the most popular and notorious boys in the whole batch, always up to pranks and mischief. 

"Who challenges you to kiss a weird, new girl? I'm sure I could have kissed anyone else easily," grumbled Ryan as he ran. The faster he completed the task, the better it was for him.

"Ooof," Ryan gasped as he collided with a soft something, falling down with her onto the grassy fields. The intensity of the hit made him roll with the soft cuddly thing in his arms to quite some distance. His body tingled as 1000 volts of electric charge shot up and down at the touch. He finally settled on his back, holding onto the softball, only to find that it was the gorgeous, new girl in his arms. The cause of his misfortune! Her cascading golden hair and her mesmerizing green eyes had him hooked. He hadn't noticed her from so close before and as he did now, he was simply loving it. Could he take advantage of her and sneak in a kiss? Then he would be saved from covering the football field, that too twice! 

She scowled at him. "Couldn't you look and run?" She gritted out. Ryan grinned. He couldn't lose his cool. He needed a kiss!

"You too could have watched your step, Sugar," he said, his eyes checking her out shamelessly. 

"Don't Sugar me. Let me go, you dumbas*," she said with a fierce look on her face, kicking him to get free. "Let go, a*sh*le," she said, kicking him again. 

"Hey! No calling names. It was an accident, okay?" Said Ryan, going all defensive. The girl might be beautiful but did she have an attitude problem or something? Here he was trying to be nice and all she could do was spew out venom when they were equally at fault for not watching their step. 

"I don't give a shit. Let me go, moron," she kicked him hard, forcing Ryan to give up all his hopes of getting a kiss and releasing her immediately. 

"Bi*ch," he muttered, scowling at her. 

"F*ck off," she gritted out, showing him the finger and stomping away. Ryan snorted at her, getting up to complete the rest of his punishment. It was better to run than kiss such a foul-mouthed creature!

"Ryan, all good?" Asked a grinning Andrew, as he approached a displeased Ryan. 

"Why didn't you just kiss her, man? It'd save you the trouble, " said Carl with a grin. 

"Couldn't you find someone else for me to kiss? I'd rather run than kiss that weirdo," he shrugged, going off to complete his punishment. After twenty minutes, a tired Ryan rushed into the class, drenched in sweat and feeling exhausted. He glared at his two friends determined to teach them a lesson later. The Biochemistry professor, Dr. Dick Walberg looked at him like he was some biological specimen. 

"Mr. Wilson, you are fifteen minutes late to class. Can you explain that?" He asked with a scowl, looking up and down at him with displeasure. 

"Yeah, I was looking for my lost horse, sir," he lied with a  shrug. The whole class started whispering amongst themselves. They obviously knew what he was upto but no one dared to complain. 

"Horse, here in Great Falls?" Chuckled the professor mockingly.

"No, sir. At my home in Fordsville," shrugged Ryan. He could see the new girl sitting at the first bench, still scowling at him. What was her problem? Ryan was sure that he hated her now. 

"So did you find him?" Asked the professor, looking interested. 

"Yes sir, " Ryan lied, glaring at his friends who looked guilty. 

"Go to your seat, Mr Wilson. Don't let this happen again, " warned the professor. Ryan nodded.

"Right, sir, " he promised as he sat at the last bench all alone. He was pissed off at his friends. Couldn't they have given him an easier punishment to do? 

Nineteen years old Georgia McLean was shell-shocked hearing the name of the as*hole that she had bumped into earlier. She would recognize the name of their business rival anywhere. The Wilsons from Fordsville, Montana were their arch business rivals and she was used to her dad and brothers discussing only them since childhood. 

She hated the Wilson boys with a vengeance and having been brought up at her aunt's house in Wyoming, she was saved from ever interacting with them. It was only when her mom fell ill that her dad summoned her back to Fordsville. She hated this new college but her mom needed her and she had to help being the only daughter at home. 

The class was soon over and she just realized one thing. The Wilson guy was the most popular and the most intelligent in the whole class. To her horror, each and everyone was his friend! Then who would she be friends with? Ryan strode out of the classroom with his best friends running after him.

"Ryan, wait. We're sorry, dude," said Carl, but Ryan wasn't stopping. Andrew caught hold of him at last.

"Let it go, dude. It wasn't intentional, you know it," he said. "I'll give you a beer treat tonight at my place," he promised. Ryan grinned.

"Done, " he told his friends. His twin Ryder who was studying finance came rushing towards him. 

"C'mon, Ryan, coach is already mad. He's yelling for you, " he said, dragging Ryan away for football practice. Ryan muttered curses at their coach Frederick Harrison who was a tyrant in the true sense of the word. He made them work so hard that at the end of practice, they're always incapable of even standing straight. 

"Why does he always yell? I pity his children at home," grumbled Ryan. 

"He doesn't have any. Gosh! He's not even married," said Ryder with a chuckle. 

"So that's why he's so frustrated, " chuckled Ryan as they reached the field.

"What's so funny, Wilsons? Get your lazy butts right here," yelled the coach. 

"Right sir," they chorused and ran towards the field. Ryan saw the new girl walking towards the main gate, lost in her own thoughts. 'Weirdo! No wonder she didn't have any friends,' He muttered, still, remembering her words. A spank on his butt brought him out of his reverie. 

"No girl watchin', Wilson. Eyes right here," yelled the coach. Ryder winked at him while the others chuckled. They all were treated similarly by coach Harrison and each and everyone of them sympathized with each other. The torture continued, it looked more like a military training than football! 

Afterwards they all lay flat on the football field when their coach dismissed them and went to meet their principal for their upcoming Intercollegiate Football Meet. "I can't possible drive, guys. I can't feel my limbs," said Darell, one of their team mates. 

"Neither can I, " said Ryder. 

"My whole body is numb after running twice already, " said Ryan with a groan. 

"Boys, you're dismissed. Whoever stays back will accompany me to the stadium," clapped coach Harrison, having changed out of his jersey and shorts before going to meet the principal. Horrified, they all jumped up and ran to the dressing room to disappear as quickly as possible. 

Ryder drove with Ryan lying exhausted beside him. "Why did you have to run around the football field?" Asked a curious Ryder. Ryan groaned and told him about their bet. 

"New girl? But the only new girl in your batch is the McLean girl, Georgia McLean, " said Ryder with a shrug. Ryan's jaws dropped.

"Allen McLean's daughter?" He asked with disbelief. 

"Yes, didn't you know, dude?" Asked Ryder. He knew about all the chicks at college. Ryan shook his head. He didn't know that she was their business rival's daughter. No wonder she was so bi*chy! Allen McLean's daughter could be only like him. No wonder he hated her already.

Ryder drove towards their home, Wildcreek Ranch in Fordsville, Montana. Fordsville was a small town just fifteen minutes drive away from Great Falls. Their granddad, Joe Wilson had built this sprawling ranch and they all lived together here. It was located at the far edge of Fordsville in the heart of the Rocky Mountains at the base of the Continental Divide. It was a picturesque place surrounded by mountains, fields and forests with a clear sparkling river, the Bearhead Creek running through it. 

Ryder parked his truck and the boys somehow staggered towards their rooms.