TankI turn around, ready to face whatever this fight is going to be. "So this is it, huh?" She questions, hands on her hips, lips pressed into a firm line. Blaze is fucking pissed, and I can't say that I blame her. "We're gonna have it out now? After all these months of walking on eggshells with each other, you're finally going to let me have it?""Do you really want it?" I take a pull off the beer in front of me. "Be careful what you're askin' for, sweetheart. Make sure you can handle it.""I think I saved Stella today and I showed you how important my job is for the world at large. That should count for something."She's right, it does count for a lot, but there's always going to be a fear I have after seeing what I saw. "You didn't see what I did," I argue.Blaze gets in my face. "And you didn't see what I did when you were in that truck, Trevor. The difference between us? I told you after it happened, I told you how scared I was, I shared my feelings. You've been tight-l
Blaze"You asked me once why I do what I do and I told you it was because I just like to help people. I haven't been totally honest with you, and I feel like I need to be. If we're going to go headlong into this 'new' relationship of ours, then it needs to be with the truth being shared between the two of us."I have his attention now. "Nothing's going to change how I feel about you. I understand why you love your profession and I support you totally in it. This isn't going to be a problem between us again, Blaze. I swear."I take his hand in mine, relishing the energy and comfort I take from the simple touch. "No, I know, but I still want to be completely honest and more than anything I feel like it's time. I've never told another person this story," I admit. I do my best not to think about this part of my life. "Now you're starting to scare me," he lets go of my hand and palms the back of my neck, bringing my gaze level with his. "But if I'm the person you've decided to trus
TankThe next morning, we both wake up somber and apologetic toward each other. "I'm sorry about how everything played out yesterday," I hold Blaze's head on my chest, running my fingers through her soft hair. "What happened was not at all how I meant for things to go, but if it got everything out in the open for us, then I'm willing to be thankful."She's quiet for a few moments before she kisses my bicep, then raises her eyes to meet mine. "I regret us regressing back to saying mean words to one another. We could've had a peaceful discussion if we wouldn't have been so hot-headed, but like you, I'm glad it's all out in the open. I've wanted to tell you about Annabelle for a long time, but I didn't know how to approach the conversation. With my parents acting like she never existed and I'm an only child, I never know how to tell anyone about her.""Do you want to tell people about her?" I ask. I've been up for a long time watching her sleep, going through the memories of us bein
TankMy heart beats a steady rhythm in my chest as I stretch, feeling the pull of muscles at my legs. It feels good, better than I thought it would. I move my neck form side to side, trying to get the tension to loosen. My stomach is tight with nerves, and I'm scared to death I won't be able to pass this final test to get back onto the Moonshine Task Force. "You ready?" Holden asks.Am I? I'm not sure. I know I'm not ready to fail, but I'm scared to death I will. Once before I did this, I can do it again. "I'll be right beside you," I hear, my gaze shifting to the right. Renegade is there, wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt, just like me. "We're gonna do this together.""You don't have to do this," I'm overcome with emotion I didn't know I had."I do," he shakes his head. "No man left behind, ever, and you're my brother. It'll be my honor to run this course with you. You're going to make it."I can't believe how lucky I am to have the people I do in my life
Tank"Congratulations," I hear as soon as Blaze comes through the front door. My heart explodes with happiness as she runs to me, hopping up in my arms. "Thanks babe, I can't tell you how excited I am.""When do you get to start?""Tomorrow," I put her down, smacking my hand against her ass. "I filled out all my paperwork today. I'm good to go back on rotation tomorrow. Renegade and Tank will be burning up those backroads at zero nine hundred. So your lead foot better watch out.""Fuckin' speed trap artist," she grumbles as she stands on her tiptoe, kissing me on my jawline."If you'd obey the speed limit, there wouldn't be a problem."She knows I'm right, but she shakes her head anyway. "I'm gonna go change out of this uniform. It was hot today," she fans her hand in front of her face.It was hot today, but I honestly didn't care. I was too excited to be back in a police car, even if I did have to transport Leighton with Holden. That situation is really odd, and if I
Tank"So how does it feel?"I look over at Renegade, not able to keep the smile from spreading across my face, or the joy out of my voice as I answer. "To be back? It feels fucking amazing."He laughs as he takes a drink from his to-go mug of coffee. "It's awesome to have you back. I like Ace, but you're my best friend."I'm letting Renegade drive, which is totally unlike me, but they've all asked me to be honest with them, and I admitted to Holden it would be best for me to wait a few weeks. I need to do a couple of pass-through's on the bottoms before I'm ready to drive the road myself. It's nothing like PTSD, but there's a nervousness I can't explain, even though I've tried. Everyone seems to understand and for that I'm grateful. "I know, I love Blaze, don't get me wrong," I stretch my leg out, pleased at how it feels. "But I'm glad to have someone else's company for a while."He nods in agreement. "Same. I love Whit and Stella, they are my life, but I enjoy coming to w
TankI tug at the collar of my dress shirt as I stand outside the courthouse, surrounded by friends, family, and coworkers. There's a part of me that doesn't want to be here, but there's also another part of me that knows I need to be here. I have to see justice be served. More than anything, I deserve to see justice served."You doing alright?" Blaze asks as she stands next to me, her hand on my arm.Glancing down at her, I take in the dress she's wearing. Conservative, not her normal wear, and she has her hair pulled back in a pile of curls on her head. She looks nothing, if not sophisticated. Beside her my family stands, and then the guys from the Moonshine Task Force. "I'm good," I clear my throat. "Want this over with so we can truly move forward.""It does feel like there's a dark cloud hanging over us in the form of Brooks, doesn't it?" she puts her arm around me, leaning into my chest."Yeah," I answer truthfully. "It's the unknown. I don't want to ruin the kid's l
Blaze"It's too cold to get in that pool," Whitney and Trevor's mom, Mona, yells at Ryan as he dips his feet in the shallow end of the pool in their backyard. It's been hot all day, but as night falls this time of year, it usually gets cold."He's gonna catch his death of cold," she mumbles as she watches him not heed her warning."Whatever, it got up to ninety today and it's almost April. Hell," he takes a drink of the beer in his hand. "It's damn near summer."I glance at Whitney, who shakes her head laughing when she sees Trevor making his way over to Ryan, sticking his feet in the pool too. I'm not sure what the two of them are talking about, but we're rewarded with their deep laughs as they both throw their heads back. I love their friendship.I'm holding Stella in my lap, facing outward so she can see all the goings on. In the past few weeks, she's started to become more animated and to show a little bit of personality. She smiled at me the other day and I thought I'
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