Cruise"You seem tense," Ruby comments as we pull out of my parent's driveway.She's right, I am. There are some days I hate what I do because of the emotional toll it takes on me and the men on my team. Then there are days I love what I do because of all the shit we take off the streets. We make life safer for the citizens of the town we live in. No day is perfect, but this one was super shitty for my dad. I hate that he had to see what he had to see, and now he's gotta live with it. He'll need to process it and figure out how to not take it with him the next time he goes out on the streets."Just the stress of the job sometimes. Even though it didn't happen to me, I know what my dad's going through, and I worry about him." I shrug as I drive us along the deserted streets of Laurel Springs.At this hour everyone's closed up shop, the candy's all gone, and what's left are the reminders of a Halloween that's over. There are jack-o-lanterns sitting on steps, candy wrappers here a
RubyNovemberWhen I wake up the next morning, I feel like I'm a different person. Not only am I a different person, but I'm closer to Caleb than I've ever been to anyone else. Rolling over, I grab my cell phone, seeing I have a text from him. For a moment, I inhale the scent of the pillow he slept on, loving that now my bed smells like him.Glancing up at the clock, I see it's past ten; he's already been at work for a few hours.C: Morning, Red. You okay? You looked peaceful, and I didn't want to wake you up before I left.R: I'm good! I promise I would let you know if you hurt me. You so could have woken me up, it would have been fine.The way he commanded my body last night did frighten me, but not in the way he thinks. I've never had someone make me so aware of how another person can pleasure you so much.C: Did you like it?I contemplate lying to him. I really do. Not because I'm embarrassed at what we did, but I'm a little self-conscious at how I reacted to him. O
Ruby"Get it!"I'm not sure who's talking to me. I'm surrounded by a group of women, all telling me I need to get this dress I just impulsively grabbed and tried on."Whitney, don't pressure her if she doesn't want to," the red-head who we met at the mall, I think they called her Blaze, tells her friend."No, someone needs to pressure her, because if Caleb saw her in that? Oh my God, he'd be all over her. It'd be great for Valentine's Day. I mean he could take the skirt off and still keep the top on. Ya know, some men like that!""Hello! I'm his mother!"There's too much noise around me, but I do like the way this dress I picked up looks. It's on clearance for much less than its original price tag, and the deep pink color shows off the little bit of a tan I keep year-round. What's throwing me is the fact that it's a two-piece and where they meet in the middle, you can see a good portion of my stomach.As I listen to everyone voice their opinions behind me, I quickly take
RubyLate November"I'm warning you, my house isn't like yours." I fidget with my fingers as I hold my hands in my lap.Caleb's driving us to my parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. Because of my extended family, we're actually having it on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Which is good, since he wasn't scheduled to work today."I know, in the years I've been hanging out with friends and stuff, I've come to realize my family situation is way different than most. I'll be able to handle it, Red, it's okay."My parents are so much less laid back than Mason and Karina, they take things way too seriously when it comes to me, and let Lance run around like he has no responsibilities, or any kind of care in the world. It isn't fair, but it's what I live with. "I just hope you won't want to say fuck it with me after this."He reaches over, grabbing my hand. "I'll always want to fuck you, Red; you're hot as hell."My face flames. I'm still not used to the way he talks, even a fe
CruiseMid-December"Sorry I couldn't come and pick you up," I apologize as Ruby meets me outside the only Baptist Church in town.I had been cutting it close, working overnight. As it is, I've made it with ten minutes to spare, after going home, taking a shower, and changing into a pair of khakis and a button-down. My hair is still wet, and I didn't have time to shave, but they'll have to take me how I am."It's okay, I had Mom and Dad pick me up so I could ride back with you." She smiles up at me, leaning in for a kiss. She's wearing a modest dress with a cardigan over it, her hair half up in braid across the crown of her head, her curls a little unruly, just the way I like it. I like this buttoned up version of her; it makes me want to mess her up.It's been a few days since I've seen her, and if I let myself, I'd take what she's offering right now way too far for the church parking lot."You look tired." She runs the palm of her hand against the stubble on my face, her
CruiseNew Year's Eve"She needs to be in bed by eight," Karina tells me as Ruby and I wait for her and Dad to leave for their date.I shoot Ruby a look, before I put my hand over Karina's mouth. "Mom, I've watched my sister before, in fact, I watch her probably more often than most brothers do. I think I got this.""I know." She wraps her finger around her curl, before her eyes cut to Dad's. "It's just… I feel bad asking you to watch her on New Year's, especially when you have Ruby," she admits, looking apologetically at the both of us."I think we'll be fine." I roll my eyes. "You and Dad go out, have a blast, rent a room if you want. We got this.""Listen to your son." Dad puts his arm around Mom, pulling her toward the door. "He's got this.""I know he does," she worries again, biting on her nail. "I'm just really sorry you're spending your first New Year's together, watching your little sister.""Karina," Ruby laughs. "It's fine, I promise. We're gonna have a good
CruiseI'm wrecked as I lay panting, my head resting against the back of the couch, trying to figure out exactly where I am. If I've ever come that fucking hard, it's been a long time. When I hear a giggle, I pry my eyes open, seeing Ruby still kneeling in front of me. Her breasts are wet with me, and I wish we were alone, back in my apartment or her duplex. I would think nothing of jerking my shirt off and pressing our skin together. We aren't alone though, and we're lucky Kels hasn't woken up yet. I struggle out of my shirt, using it to clean her off, since we don't have anything around to do so. As good as I can, I stuff myself back into my jeans, before zipping, buttoning won't be happening for a while. I sigh, running my hands through my hair."You okay?" she asks, raking her nails along my stomach muscles. They contract roughly against her touch and my body instinctively wants to seek more from her.Leaning down, I capture the edge of her jaw with my fingers, holding her st
RubyFebruaryI'm nervous as I smooth the dress down my torso, examining the way it shows the bare patch of skin at my stomach. Caleb is supposed to be here to pick me up in an hour. Excitement bubbles up in my throat as I think about how he's going to play my body after our dinner reservation. I bought special lingerie for tonight, and I can't wait to show it to him.I'm finishing up my hair when my phone rings. Seeing his smiling face, my stomach immediately sinks. Foreboding hits me hard, and I know he's about to cancel."Hey," I answer, trying to sound much more positive than I feel."Red." The regret is deep in his voice, like he wants to tell me anything other than what he's about to."You have to cancel don't you?"He sighs heavily. "I do. There's been a bad wreck on sixty-five, and they've called everybody in. There's some fatalities, Ruby. Dad and I are both responding."Carefully I control my emotions, because I don't want him to know I'm upset. There's nothin
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