Late Saturday afternoon, Kit had a chance to see what Hawk had meant about teamwork.

When Bull announced that he and his brothers planned to celebrate the solstice today with combat games, Kit had politely mentioned that solstice was two days ago. And what were combat games anyway?

Bull had simply laughed.

Shaking her head, Frankie told him she was a civilian and staying home to taste-test a new recipe. Kit had planned to help her until Hawk showed up to get Aric.

Her son. Playing war games.

Like she’d let him do that without her to supervise. Uh-uh.

Hawk had loaded her and Audrey, the noncombatants, into his pickup. Everyone else piled into the truck bed for the short drive down the dirt road to the forested area.

“This is crazy,” Kit muttered. She and Audrey were sitting in camp chairs in the pickup and holding umbrellas because—of course—it was pouring rain.

Aric would be fine. He was bundled in a dark sweatshirt, heavy jeans, with a camo stocking cap on his head.

After the four brothers, JJ, Regan, and Aric had loaded mini-water balloons into belt pouches, they’d jogged into the forest.

“It is crazy,” Audrey agreed.

Kit glanced at the blonde. “You could have played. I wouldn’t mind.”

“I join them for games I enjoy. Sneaking around in a muddy forest in the rain? I decline.” Audrey snorted. “I’m a librarian, not a soldier.”

Kit grinned and leaned forward, trying to see what was going on. What with the rain and the murk of the forest, she could only catch mere glimpses of the combatants.

As far as she could tell, the adults were going easy on the children—but not much. Her boy was holding his own, and Regan was excellent.

Except the girl had been caught by Bull, and he’d sat her down beside a tree and was tying her wrists. “I can’t believe he—” Kit squinted. “Is that toilet paper?”

“Isn’t it funny?” Audrey laughed. “Gabe said it’s Aric’s turn to save someone. The last couple of times, Regan rescued him, but now he knows what to do.”

“Oh, won’t he just feel amazing if he gets her free.” What a lovely way to build up her boy’s confidence.

Kit watched Hawk send Aric creeping forward. Sneaking around a forest kind of looked like fun. “I’d like to try. Maybe. When I can actually move.”

Audrey gave her a sympathetic smile. “You’ll have a chance. They love games like this. The snowball wars last winter were great—and I got surprisingly good at tactics.”

Tactics? “Is a war different from a snowball fight?”