KarinaOctoberI'm beyond intimidated as I walk with my hand tucked into Mason's along the family section of the football stadium. This week we'd gotten the call that Caleb would be playing in the Auburn game and everyone who could in the MTF is with us. That includes Whitney, Ryan, and Stella. Part of my intimidation is watching this game with Whitney."Remember last time we were here?" She smiles over at Ryan as he carries Stella, wearing a cheerleading uniform. She's got stickers on her cheeks and carries a pom pom in her hand."I do." he gives her a look that says they only see each other."Yeah we have a lot in common with that." She hits elbows with me."We do?"I know zero about football, and I have a feeling I'm way out of my element with the rest of them, including Stella. Pretty sure Stella knows more than I do, but I also know I wouldn't miss Caleb's debut for the world."Yeah." She gives me a grin. "I was pregnant last time I was here, too. Like close to pop
KarinaNovemberSchool is routinely kicking my ass. Even though I've just passed my three-month mark in the pregnancy, I'm not feeling much better than when I started, and I'm still getting sick on a regular basis. It doesn't matter, though, the show must go on and I don't want to take time that I don't need yet. Because the due date is around the first week of May, I'll more than likely be taking maternity leave at Spring Break, so I don't want mess with any of the plans I already have. It's taking me longer to finish grading papers and make lesson plans. Pregnancy brain is really a thing, and I'm suffering from it, all the time. I'm finding more often than not, it's easier for me to get things done at school, so I'm staying a little later than normal every night. The librarian keeps the library open since she does work too, and I've been finding going in there with her helps keep me on task. Grabbing my laptop and my water bottle, I close up my room and head to the front of th
Karina"You don't have to do this," I plead with him, trying to think of ways to get him to leave me alone and walk out on his own. I'm sure there are countless possibilities, but right now I'm coming up with nothing. The only thing I'm worried about is making sure my baby is okay. The baby we just announced that I'm having to our friends and family."No, I do." His hand shakes as he holds the gun on me. "You don't understand, I've been planning this for a long time.""What?" I'm confused as I hear him speak. His brows furrow as he looks at me, and it's almost as if I can see him arguing with himself, trying to decide if he wants to tell me the truth. A part of me doesn't want to know, because then it gives me hope. Hope that I'll make it out of here alive, and that he doesn't plan to kill me. If he's going to tell me everything, it would make sense he'd want to get rid of any evidence, but if he's not going to harm me, then why would he tell me anything? My stomach drops as h
Karina"Can you cut this off of me?" I ask Mason after he's laid me down in our bed. His eyes flash to the hospital bracelet I'm wearing, and I can tell it annoys him as much as it annoys me. I don't like the reminder of what went down earlier today and honestly could do without anything ever reminding me again. After the hospital had pronounced me and the baby, which after some testing they told me they think is a girl, were okay, Mason had brought us home. "I'm so sorry this happened to you," he whispers as he cuts it off, rubbing at the irritation the plastic edges had left on my skin."Look at me." I give him my most stern teacher's voice. "This wasn't your fault. He was an unhinged psychopath who thought he'd get away with potentially killing kids. This isn't you, Mason. This is him.""You could have died," he argues.Grabbing his chin with my fingers, I force him to meet my eyes. "You could have too. What if he'd turned the gun on y'all? What if he'd decided to go d
KarinaApril"Are you ready?" I ask my two guys as they both shuffle into the kitchen, both wearing suits. "Damn, don't y'all look good?""I need help with this tie, Dad." Caleb holds his tie up in his hands.Mason motions for him to bring it over. "Who does this for you when you're at school? You wear a suit to the game.""My roommate, Slater," he answers. "He's there on a baseball scholarship. We're keeping each other out of trouble.""Well, at least someone's there to keep you under control." I run my hand over my stomach, grimacing. Baby girl is dropping and my hips feel it like no other. "You okay?" Mason asks as he eyes me."I'm fine," I assure him. "High heels may not have been the best idea, but I want to look like my old self today. Especially on Easter." I curl my lip up. "But I may have to change into flats."Mason finishes up Caleb's tie. "Someone told me that you might have to, and they also gave me a heads up on a pair of shoes you wanted." He winks at
MenaceMayThere have been four days that have been the most important in my life. When Caleb was born, I joined the Moonshine Task Force, married Karina, and now this moment. When our daughter entered the world."Caleb should be here in the next fifteen minutes." I read the text I just got from him so Karina knows what's going on. "There was a wreck on I-65 and he got stuck in the traffic coming home. I told him we won't let anyone else meet her until he does."Karina looks up at me, smiling. "Sounds good, I want him to be the first."This woman, looking at me the way she is, has blown my mind today. After waking up at three a.m. with her water breaking, she went through seven hours of active labor, refusing to call anyone until it was time to start pushing. She didn't want anyone to have to wait around on her. By the time I called Caleb, I knew he wouldn't be here in time, but I figured that saved us all from some major embarrassment. I'm a hundred percent positive he didn'
VOLUME SIX:CRUISECruiseFive Years LaterSeptemberIt's a rainy night in Laurel Springs as I pull my Rubicon into one of the only empty spots in front of The Café. For just a moment, I turn off the ignition and sit, still amazed at how many people can fit inside. My rookie year on the MTF, Ernie passed away and Leighton had used her business smarts and degree, purchasing the place that meant so much to all of us. Ernie had no family, and her stepping in to keep an important part of the community alive had brought us all closer together.We'd had an old-fashioned type of barn raising. People from two counties over in each direction came to help us remodel and expand The Café. It's now doubled in size, with updated everything, and I knew from talking to Havoc that Leighton was doing very well for herself. So well, in fact, she'd brought Brooks into the business two years ago, and they have become a formidable team. Once their family name was known for moonshine. Now? The Strat
Ruby"This is me." I point to the duplex I'm renting while trying to figure out how to live on a first-year teacher's salary. It's not as easy as I assumed it would be back when I was still in the dorms taking classes.He chuckles as he pulls his Jeep into the gravel lot. This Jeep is the manliest thing I've seen. Completely blacked out with all the bells and whistles anyone could ask for. The glow of the dashboard is blue, and the contrast between the light, his coloring, and those soulful brown eyes of his is almost my undoing as we sit here in the dark, alone."Why the laugh? I know it's not much." I'm slightly offended by the way he's reacting to where I live. And really disappointed."I'm not laughing at you, Ruby." He grips the steering wheel with those long fingers of his, causing his forearms to flex tight. "It's just that back in the day, a couple of my co-workers lived in this duplex before they fell in love and got married.""They allow women on the Moonshine Task