Ace"Requesting back up at the bottoms, down by the boat ramp."I can hear Tank's voice on the radio. It seems amused, tired, and inquisitive as he requests another patrol car to come help him. I'm in the area, so I pick up the radio and call in my position. Flipping on my lights, I accelerate so that the police package in my cruiser responds. Carefully, I make my way through the bottoms, and in minutes I'm pulling in behind his car, turning off my siren.Getting out, I take in what I see in front of me. Tank's got what appears to be a teenage guy and a teenage girl leaning against the back of his patrol car. He doesn't have them cuffed, so I'm assuming it's not that big of a deal, whatever went down, so now I'm wondering why he called for backup."What's going on?"He turns to me so that we face each other, but neither of our backs are to the kids. "I was doing a round down here, making sure nobody was loitering or doing anything they weren't supposed to be doing, when I saw
AceIt's a slow night in Laurel Springs – my kind of night to be honest. When there aren't people acting insane and hell bent on breaking the law. I'm an hour away from going off shift and ready to Netflix and spend some time with Violet. We've been good since our interlude on the couch, but I'm unsure how much longer I'll be able to keep my hands off of her. She's an itch I can't scratch, a temptation I can't give into. Sitting on the side of the highway, I'm randomly clocking speed while finishing up some of the reports I have lingering from earlier in the night. A few cars have gone by about five over the speed limit, and I've let them go because it's only going to cause me more paperwork. There's something else I want to see tonight rather than a stack of reports. I'm finishing up the last paper to work on when a car goes screaming by me. I glance at the mounted radar, whistling when I see they were easily twenty-five over. Punching my radio, I call in my position and give
VioletYou know that moment in time when you realize a situation you thought was handled, no longer is? It's a moment that takes your breath away, that makes your hand fan your face as heat rises up your neck. It's the flush of awareness when you realize the man who's been living next door to you is so hot he should be on the cover of a calendar.Typically when I see Anthony after shift, we've both changed and gotten comfortable. Nine times out of ten, he's knocking on my door wearing a pair of sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt. Not that he's not a good-looking man when he's dressed for lounging, he's hot then, too.Tonight though, as he climbs out of his squad car, he looks different. On the one hand he looks dangerous. Like a badass no one would dare to cross. On the other hand, he looks all buttoned-up, too-well put together, and I want to muss the control he seems to have on himself. A bullet-proof vest rests over a black t-shirt, down into a pair of black pants. A thigh-hol
VioletThe knock on my door at eight a.m. causes my heart to pound against my breast bone. I know without a doubt that knock is from Anthony. Last night I spent way too much time wondering what it would be like to share a bed with him for real. To give him free reign over my body, and to hand over my pleasure to him. Today? I'm draggin' ass, but I'm going to do my best, to keep up with him."Morning." I give him a bright smile as I pull my door open. There's a smug part of me that's happy with the dark circles under his eyes. Maybe he had as hard of a time as I did going to sleep last night, after what we shared in the kitchen. "Morning." He hands me a to-go cup of coffee, with a soft smile. I take a grateful sip of the hot beverage and turn in a circle, feeling his eyes on me. "Do I pass inspection?" I'm wearing a pair of cut-offs and a t-shirt, but I've lifted the t-shirt so he can see my bathing suit is a one-piece. Even though his eyes are covered by aviators, I can
VioletIt's a dead day at The Café as Caleb and I sit at a booth folding silverware into napkins. It's been a week since the lake, since Caleb got pulled over. I've bided my time, but now I'm interested in how he's doing. "How are things going?"His gaze is intense before he shifts it back down to our task at hand. "I know Ace told you about pulling me over, me being drunk, and then calling my dad. That's why you said what you did when we were out on the lake.""He did, but it hasn't been my place to bring it up."He's quiet for a few minutes, and I wonder if he's going to speak about any of it to me. Blowing out a deep breath, he scratches a cheek that looks as if it has some stubble on it. When did Caleb start growing up on us? Eventually he shifts in the seat and begins to speak. "Dad and I had a really long talk.""How did that go?" I can just imagine what Mason had to say to his son."Awkward as fuck, but he said some things I've needed to hear, I guess." He shrugs
AceThis shift is taking longer than I ever imagined it could, especially after the news that Violet shared with me. I'm riding with Tank, and thank God he's driving, because I can't seem to stop texting the woman I can still taste on my lips and tongue. My imagination is wondering how far we would have taken it, had we not stopped. I'm definitely down for figuring it out. A: Want to have dinner when I get done? Maybe go dancing? Like an honest-to-God date? Not this thing where we stay locked up in either of our homes. You dress nice, I dress nice, and we let other people see us together? Would you be up for that?I know I'm up for that, I've wanted to show her off for a while, show other people who's stolen my heart, and how happy she makes me. I want to wear the smile on my face that so many of my friends wear on theirs. If anyone had asked me, I would have told them I was happy with the way things were, that it didn't matter I'm single. Fact is, it does matter. I've been w
VioletI feel like I've gone through every piece of clothing I own, but nothing feels good. Frustrated, I reach over to my phone and quickly FaceTime Leighton. If anyone can help me, it's going to be her. "What's going on?" her smiling face asks as the connection is made."I have nothing to wear for a date with Anthony," I complain, as I show her the mess behind me. "I've tried on every piece of clothing I own and nothing looks or feels right." I plop down on the bed with a sigh. "Take pity on me and help me out.""You're going out with him!" she screams."Yes," I laugh."Tonight?" She questions, more excited about this than I am, I think."Yes tonight." I roll my eyes. "Focus, Leigh.""Right," She shakes her head. "Okay, you have plenty to wear, Vi. You have dresses, jeans, everything. Where are you two going?" I can see her situate herself on the couch, her stomach more visible as she enters her sixth month. My eyes watch with a soft smile as she caresses the bump i
Ace"I'm getting dizzy." Violet giggles as I spin her around the dance floor. This particular giggle is something I haven't heard from her before, not this carefree noise that bubbles up from her throat and explodes into a sound that puts goosebumps on my forearms. She's breathing heavily as I pull her into my arms, every part of our bodies touching. I'm breathing hard too, and as we share a breath, I push her away and then bring her back in. Sliding my hand down her back to cup her ass. The song ends, and we break apart to clap. The house band that's playing announces they're going to slow it down a little bit. It's welcome, I'm getting tired. I haven't had a workout like this in a long time. "You need to sit or are you good?" I put my mouth to her ear so she can hear me over the background racket.She shakes her head, smile never leaving her face. "I'm good."A slower tune starts playing from the band on the stage, and she easily slips into my arms. The sounds of every
CruiseFive Years Later"Molly's asleep." I press my wife up against the door to our bedroom, spreading open-mouth kisses along her neck as we grind against one another. Pulling back, I push my hands up her tank top, palming her breasts, moaning as I feel her nipples peak against her bra. "I paid Kelsea her stupid-ass babysitting fee, she's gone. We're alone." I can hear the annoyance in my voice. It's been an on-going argument between the two of us, how I'd watched her for free as a kid, and now she charges us.We've been out with friends and family, had a DD, and both of us have had a little too much to drink. Her with the margaritas she likes to indulge in with the ladies, and me with the whiskey Morgan and I were shooting straight with my dad."God, I want you." She rakes her nails across my neck, down my back, and fists my shirt in her hands.I want her too. Molly is three now, born within the first two years of us getting married, and we've finally got this parenting th
Ruby"Where are you taking me?" I watch as Caleb drives through the streets of downtown. This fall night is cool as rain falls from the sky. It's not sheets like the day he shot the armed man, but a steady drumming against the roof of the Jeep."You'll see." His deep voice has a secretive lilt to it, one that I've come to know well in the year we've been together. He's not great at keeping secrets, but when he does, they're the best kind.As he turns in front of The Café, I grin. No matter what's happened inside the building or in front of it, this is still one of our favorite places to go, to be. On any given night, we can walk inside and find any number of friends or family inside. It's darkish in there tonight, but I figure maybe the electricity is flickering because of the rain storm we're in. Earlier in the day, the school had lost power.He snags a parking spot near the door. "Don't touch the door, I'll come around for you. I don't want you get wet."Since the first nig
RubySeptemberBack when I bought this dress so many months ago, I had assumed I would wear it for Valentine's Day, but because of Caleb's schedule we were never able to make a special date work. He never did take me to that dinner, but we've had so many other special moments that I truly can't complain. Tonight, however, I'm thrilled to be wearing this dress to watch him get an award for bravery."You look absolutely gorgeous." He comes up behind me in the mirror as I'm applying a layer of lipstick."You don't look so bad yourself." I turn around in his arms, helping to straighten his dress uniform.I don't think Caleb has ever looked as hot as he does right now. There's something about him being so buttoned-up that I'm loving. "It's cutting off my circulation." He pulls at the fabric around his neck."You're fine." I slap his hands away. "Are you nervous?""Not really," he says with a shake of his head. "Nerves was playing for the college football championship. This is
RubyI'm lying on my couch, re-watching some TV show I've seen a million times, trying to figure out how to get through to Caleb when the doorbell rings. At first I ignore it, not wanting to disturb my brooding, but then I hear his voice."Red?" It's unsure and soft as he knocks on the door this time. "I know I don't deserve for you to let me in, but I'm asking you to. Please?"For a moment I think about ignoring him, I think about letting him sit out there and sweat. Give him the same type of reaction he's given me, but I realize quickly one of us has to be the bigger person. That person is me, because I know he's hurting and I know he's dealt with the situation he's been thrust into the best way he knows how.Opening the door, I stand there with my arms crossed. Until I see what he's carrying in his hands.The ugliest looking cupcakes I've ever seen in my life."I finally realized why he made them, even though they looked like shit," he gives me a slight smile. "It's the
Cruise"How'd you get in here?"My dad is waiting on me, probably ready to rip me a new one, just like Ruby did. I'm so not in the mood for it tonight."You don't need to know how I got in here." He gets up from where he's sitting on my couch. "Instead, what we need to do is talk about how we're going to get you to where you need to be.""What the fuck is that supposed to mean? This is me.""This isn't you, we both know that. I didn't raise you to be a fuck face. You haven't been answering my calls, your mom's, Kelsea's, or come to find out Ruby's, so let's talk about this Caleb. What the fuck is going on?""Nothing." I grind my teeth together, not wanting to do this with him."We've done this once before son, and we won't do it again. Do you remember when your friend died? Remember when you pushed everyone away? How'd that work out for you?""How does having a murderer for a son work out for you?" I fire back at him. "Because I'm on administrative leave for committing
RubyI'm sitting in my car watching Morgan and Caleb eat through The Café window. This is what I've been reduced to. It's been a week since the shooting, and so far, Caleb's refused to see me. I went to see him the other night, and it was a bad scene."What are you doing here?" Caleb opens his door, arms crossed over his chest. "I figured me not answering any of your calls let you know I'm not up to talking to anyone right now. Including you."Not gonna lie, this hurts. Seeing him like this hurts, hearing him talk to me the way he is hurts. But I won't give up on him. I promised Kelsea months ago that I would be here if he needed me, that I could handle whatever was thrown at me."You need me," I talk against the tightness in my throat."I need to be left the fuck alone. You. Mom. Dad. You all need to leave me the fuck alone.""We won't," I shake my head standing my ground. "We won't leave you alone to deal with this by yourself.""Fine, then if you won't leave, I will."
CruiseThe July sun is beating down on the pavement as I make my drive around the streets that make up Laurel Springs. It's been a boring day, for the most part, but I'm not stupid enough to think it'll last. Lately it's been slow and I've been feeling a lot like the other shoe might drop. This nagging feeling hasn't let go for the last week, but I know eventually either that shoe will drop or I'll get over it.Rain came through over an hour ago, but it did nothing to cool the day down. It's now a sauna outside. In certain parts there's actually steam coming up off the road. Behind the sun that's moved in, you can see more clouds behind. A dark hazy threat looming in the background, more storms are moving in. The stillness of the day threatens to break wide open when they do.Because of the heat that's been baking the ground and asphalt for days, most people are inside this afternoon, enjoying the air conditioning and not wanting to have heatstroke. Probably one of the reasons th
CruiseI love the smile on Kelsea's face, love even more that I'm the one who put it there. "You excited Kels?" I grin into the rearview as we make the drive to Birmingham."So excited, like I knew you knew him." She bounces in her seat. "But I didn't really know!"Him references my college roommate Slater Harlow, known by everyone who watches professional baseball as Savage. He's a formidable force on the baseball diamond, having the best season of his career. We're not as close as we once were, because life took us two totally different directions, but we still hang out every once in a while. Typically I like to keep the fact I know him from just about everyone, because I know he values his privacy. Now though? Kels is old enough to go to a major league game, and I'm doing my best to impress Ruby."I've known him a long time." I think back to our college days, how both of us had been so damn homesick. Him more than me, since I could at least head home on the weekend. Slater w
RubyIt's a hot summer day, as I walk onto the practice field. Since school let out in early June, I've been catching up on sleep, taking a summer class, and spending as much time with the man in my life as I can. Neither Mason nor Caleb are here today. Both are on duty, so another parent has offered to help the girls practice. Karina is sick with a summer cold and me? I'm here, not sure what the hell I've gotten myself into. Kelsea and I are spending the afternoon together, beginning with me picking her up. So we'll see how this goes."Ruby!" I hear as I shield my eyes and look out along the field. Kelsea is running toward me, her backpack bouncing as she runs."Hey Kels," I greet her, a real smile on my face. She and I haven't had a ton of time with one another, but as Caleb and I have gotten closer, the same has been true for the two of us. "You ready?" I wave to today's coach as she walks beside me."I am, it's hot out here." She pushes her hair back from her forehead.Ta