Ace

by Laramie Briscoe

  Here I got a piece of my life back, a part of me that Brent had tried to crush. I persevered, and continued with an education he tried to take away from me. Thanks to this classroom and the things I learned here, I began the path to reclaiming myself and finding out exactly who Violet Miller truly is.

  “I hope you all have continued success in whatever it is you choose to pursue, and I’ll be seeing you all around.” Karina gives us a wave. “That’s all I have for the final class. Congratulations everyone.”

  The group of us begin to pack up and exit the room. As I make my way up there, Karina stops me. “Violet, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Sure, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She waits for the last person to leave. “I just wanted to say thanks for suggesting I try that dating app. I’ve been on a few dates. Nothing to write home about, but I’m hopeful.”

  “See, I told you there was life after getting your heart broken!”

  “So what are you planning on doing?”

  I think about what she’s asking me. “I have one more class to take to finish this Associates. I’m gonna finish it and then apply at the county attorney’s office. I saw where they were advertising for paralegals. Leighton won’t be working at Ernie’s forever I’m sure, and I really only enjoy working there because of her. It’s time for me to make some changes and grow up. I have you to thank for a lot of that.”

  “Nonsense.” She shoves my last paper in my hands. “You deserved this A, just like you deserve everything you’re getting in life right now. I’ll see you around at The Café, for as long as you’re there, huh?”

  “Yes, and here, give me your number. I’d love to keep getting tea with you.”

  As I leave this classroom that’s meant so much to me, I’m leaving with a huge smile on my face, and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I’ll be fine, I’ll have friends, and I’ll learn who I truly am. All with the help of the amazing group of people I’ve met in Laurel Springs.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Ace

  Christmas

  “Is it okay that we decided to wait to exchange gifts until we got back here?” Violet asks as she enters my side of the duplex. “It seemed so private, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that in front of your parents.”

  “No, I’m okay with that.” I pat the couch beside me, beckoning her to come sit beside me.

  “You know this couch has held a pretty special place in my life since we made out on it that one time.” She cuts her eyes over at me, desire and passion in them.

  “Oh really?” I chuckle, slipping my arm against the back of the couch, pulling her closer to me.

  “Yeah, that night was one of the first nights I felt like I could be myself with you, and you got me so hot.” She closes her eyes.

  “You got me hot too, but let’s not talk about that right now. We’re supposed to be exchanging gifts.”

  “Okay.” She sighs. “You wanna go first?”

  “How about we go together?”

  “I’m good with that.”

  She hands me what looks like a gift certificate of some type, and I hand her my small box that I wrapped by myself. It’s apparent that I wrapped it because it looks like Stella helped me. We both eye one another. Then we dig into the gifts.

  I open the envelope and see two gift certificates for skydiving, and she jingles the keys I gave her at me, her eyebrow raised.

  “I’ll explain first, then you explain.” I duck my head. Back when I’d thought of giving her this, it’d seemed like a great idea, but now that she doesn’t understand what they are, I’m kind of second-guessing my idea. “They’re keys to this place. I want you to move in with me when you feel like it’s a good time. I want to move our relationship to the next level, and I want you to trust me enough to give me that part of you.”

  Tears slip from her eyes, and I’m confused. I didn’t think this was one of those gifts that would make her cry. “Bad idea?”

  “No,” she sniffles. “Perfect. The reason I gave you two gift certificates? You know I’m scared of heights. Remember Gulf Shores when I wouldn’t go parasailing with all of you? I know you love things that push the envelope, that give you a thrill and that’s been me, but this is symbolic. With you by my side, I’m not scared of anything. I feel like I could do anything as long as you’re right there next to me, Ace,” she uses my call-sign. “And I’d be proud to live with you, to share your life, and to go skydiving with you. If you’re with me, there’s nothing I won’t face.”

  This beautiful, perfect, amazing woman – she’s come so far. In the blink of an eye, I’m across the couch, cupping her jaw with my hands, devouring her lips with mine. “You’re the most amazing, fearless, badass woman I’ve ever met in my life and I can’t wait to experience this adventure with you.”

  The smile she gives me transforms her face. “I can’t either. There will be times when I test your patience, because that’s who I am, but please don’t ever give up on me.”

  “Never,” I vow. “I’m never giving up on you. I know what it’s like to have you. Somebody will have to rip what we have from my cold, dead hands. I mean that with every fiber of my being.”

  Together, in the colored lights of the Christmas tree we put up together, we snuggle on the couch. Both of us letting tears fall, making whispered promises to each other, and it’s the best Christmas I’ve ever had. No one could have given me a better gift than what I got.

  Her.

  Violet

  A Few Days Later

  “This shit is legit.” Caleb looks at me wide-eyed. “That table over there just gave me a twenty-five dollar tip. On a thirteen dollar bill.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I turn my head to stare at the table of older women. They give me five, if that.

  “I could get used to being a waiter.” He gives me a grin as he adjusts his apron. “I could take the whole place for you if you needed me to.”

  “Settle down, you stick to your own section and stay out of mine. You’re about to get on my bad side.” I give him a scowl. “And newsflash, those ladies only gave you that tip because they want you for your body.”

  “He’s seventeen,” I throw over at them as I deliver food to the table where Leighton, Holden, Ransom, Anthony and his parents are sitting at.

  “Can you believe this?” I cross my arms over my chest, Leighton and I sharing a look. “He’s raking in the dough.”

  Holden, takes a bite with one hand while he feeds Ransom with the other. “Hey, when ya got it, ya got it. Don’t be a hater.”

  Leighton and I both give him a glare. “They gave him twenty-five dollars.”

  “What? The penny pinchers gave him actual paper money?”

  “Yes.” I take Anthony’s coffee cup and give him a refresh, setting it down a little too hard. “It’s ridiculous.”

  “What’s ridiculous” – Anthony clears his throat – “is you two getting salty over a seventeen-year-old kid making more money than you do. From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, the girl he’s talking to over there, he’s taking out on a date next week.”

  Leighton and I whip our heads around. “Oh she’s cute,” we both say at the same time.

  “Well if he’s trying to take her out, I’ll cut him some slack, but it’s still not fair.” I lean in, taking a bite of the bacon that Anthony is putting up to my mouth. “I gotta go, but I’ll be back to check on y’all in a few minutes.”

  “Violet,” Ellen’s voice is quiet with the loud group she’s sitting with. “Are we still on for the craft show later on today?”

  “Yes,” I answer, a smile on my face. “I get off here in about an hour, I’m gonna head home, take a shower, and then meet you out there. It starts at two, right?”

  “Right. I’m excited to spend some time with you.”

  “I’m excited to spend time with you too.” And I realize how true that statement is.

  “Is it the one at the high school?” Leighton asks
as she takes a bite of a biscuit.

  “Yup,” I answer, filling her coffee cup up to the brim.

  “Could I tag along with y’all? I really need to get out of the house. I went last year, and I loved a lot of the stuff I saw. From what I remember, they have really cute baby stuff too.”

  Poor Leighton, she’s not used to being cooped up in the house.

  “I have no problem with it.” I laugh. “Can Holden handle Ransom on his own?”

  “Considering she handles him on her own while he’s at work, I’d say he owes her an hour or two,” Ellen mumbles as she takes a sip of her tea.

  Leighton and I giggle as we both look at Anthony’s mom. “Okay, now I see where you get your smart mouth from.” I reach over the table, high-fiving his mom.

  “Alright I really gotta go, but I’ll see you out there. Leigh, want me to pick you up?”

  “If you don’t mind.”

  “We’ll meet you there, Ellen.”

  And as I lean in, giving Anthony a chaste kiss, I love the way his arm comes around my waist. I love the way he silently lays claim on me there in front of everyone.

  “Love you,” he whispers.

  “Love you too.”

  Making my way back over behind the counter, I top off the coffee of all the men sitting there, before I start filling out my tickets. Caleb comes over, asking me if he’s doing his tickets right. I take a look at them, nodding in affirmative.

  “Good job, bud. So are you really taking that girl out next week?”

  Caleb’s face turns bright red under the stubble on his cheek and chin. “Trying to. I fucked up before, Vi, messing with those girls who wanted one thing and that was it. She’s a good girl, and she’s heard about my reputation. It’s up in the air.”

  “You’ll be fine, Caleb, and she’ll realize what a great person you are. We all mistakes, but we can always come back from those mistakes.”

  His eyes roam my face as he leans against the counter. “You think so?”

  “I know so. How else do you think I survived a shitty marriage and met the man I love now? Mistakes teach us what the good things are in life. They’re necessary but they aren’t forever.”

  “Here’s hoping.” He tosses a dishrag in my direction and I watch as he walks over to the girl.

  She smiles up at him, turning her body toward his. He’s respectful, doesn’t crowd her, and helps her put her jacket on. I watch as he follows her out, and then gaze around at the inside of The Café, completely content with my life. It’s abuzz with life, laughter, family and friendship.

  I realize that’s what this place has come to be for me. The epicenter of the life I have now, not the afternoon my husband came through the door and beat me. He may have smothered me, but he didn’t put out my fire.

  And maybe that’s the best lesson I’ve learned this year.

  That fire burns bright, and I have no doubt that Anthony Bailey and the town of Laurel Springs will continue to stoke it.

  That’s what happens when you find your person and you find your home. When you find both in one spot? That makes you an incredibly lucky person.

  And no matter how unlucky I’ve been in the past, right now, I’m the luckiest person I know.

  EPILOGUE

  Violet

  New Year’s Eve

  “Abs of steel, did you eat the cookies?” I glare at him from the kitchen of my side of the duplex.

  Next month we’ll be packing it up so I can move into his side, but right now, I’m thinking about banishing him.

  “Those weren’t for me?” He gives me an innocent look.

  “Not the whole container, what am I supposed to take to Holden and Leighton’s?”

  “There’s a package of Oreo’s up in the cabinet. I mean nobody’s gonna give two shit’s, Vi. They were amazing, by the way.”

  Unbelievable. “Okay, but when we get there empty handed you can tell everyone you ate all of them.”

  He struts over, opening his arms up to me, crushing me to him for a hug. “I’ll tell them it was all me, nothing to do with you. I’ll brag about how good they were, and then laugh inside because they won’t be able to eat them.”

  “You’re awful.” I laugh, slapping him on that fuckin’ ridged stomach of his. Which I still can’t figure out how he maintains.

  “Only awful for you.” He dips his head, kissing my neck for longer than necessary. He licks a path to this one point I’ve found to be erogenous and then he nips slightly.

  “Mmmm,” I respond in kind. “We can’t stay here can we?”

  “Nope, we gotta go to the bonfire,” he moans right along with me. “After the bonfire though, we can do whatever you want.”

  “Then that’s definitely what I’m looking forward to.”

  “Who knows.” He shrugs as we put on jackets and grab a blanket, since it’s a cold night. “Maybe we’ll have a little celebrating to do.”

  I’m confused, but Anthony is secretive like that sometimes. “Whatever you say.”

  But as he helps me into his truck, my mind is racing, wondering what the hell he’s thinking.

  * * *

  Laughs and drinks are flowing in turn, except for the ones who’ve been tapped to be designated drivers, as the group of us crowd around the bonfire at Holden and Leighton’s. She wears Ransom on her chest, keeping him away from the smoke as much as she can, but we can all tell by the way he kicks his feet and makes noise, he loves being around the group.

  “What are we doing?” Trevor asks as he sits in the circle, Blaze in his lap. He takes a drink of his beer. “Someone said something while we were eating about saying what we were thankful for this year and what we want for next year.”

  “I’m down for that.” Anthony has a seat and pulls me into his lap as well. God, I love when he does that. I get to be surrounded by two-hundred pounds of man who smells like the outdoors and a musk that’s all his. “You start Havoc, since it’s your house.”

  We all turn to the leader of the team. “This has been the best year of my life, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. I’m thankful for every bit of it. What I want for next year? To figure out where that moonshine is coming from within the school. That’s the number one thing we get to work on, on Monday morning.”

  Leighton gazes up lovingly at her husband. “I’m thankful for the man sitting next to me, the baby strapped to my chest, the friends who surround us with nothing but peace and love. What I’m looking forward to is being this one’s Mom and finishing my degree. I don’t want to leave Ernie’s because I love it, but it’s time.”

  I feel a stutter in my heart as she says those words. She’ll leave, and hopefully I will too, but there’s a fear I’ll stay, because there won’t be anything better for me out there.

  “I hope Dad uses the dating app and profile I put on his phone.” Caleb chuckles as he looks over at his dad. “This summer I’ll be leaving, I have to start football practice and I don’t want him to be alone. It’s time he had some love in his life that didn’t come from his right hand.”

  “Oh my God.” I snort as I look at Mason’s face. Those two have a relationship I’ve never seen a parent and child have.

  “Good talk, son.” He takes a drink of the sweet tea he has in a tumbler. “I’ll have you know, I’ve been getting messages for over a week. I’ve been looking at them, but I can’t make any promises. I’m just glad you came back to me, and when you leave, I’ll deal with it. I’m more excited about where life is taking you, and how proud I am of you.”

  They embrace, and I feel tears stinging my eyes. This whole group loves each other so much.

  “I think I speak for both of us” – Renegade puts his arm around his wife – “in saying that we’re hoping to get a little more sleep in the next year. No more getting up through the night, no more teething, potty training is almost done. We’re looking to thoroughly enjoy the next year.”

  Whitney nods. “And of course, my wish is for Alabama to win the championship; we were
fuckin’ robbed this year.”

  Laughter sprouts up again because everyone knows how much Whitney loves her college football.

  Trevor has a sweet smile on his face as he gazes at Blaze. He pushes her red hair back from her shoulder, resting his head on it. “I can’t believe we’ve kept this a secret from all of you, but we’re gonna roll into the New Year with a huge change.”

  All of us are looking around at one another, wondering what he’s talking about. They flash their left hands to us, and in that moment, we all see the wedding bands on them.

  “You got married?” I jump up to get a better look.

  “Yeah.” Blaze grins, “A few days ago. We just got a wild hair and decided to go for it.”

  I hug her as the rest of the group shouts congratulations and gives out hugs. “Y’all are crazy.” I shake my head laughing.

  When I turn to walk back to Anthony, I stop, because he’s on one knee in front of me, holding out a ring box. “Am I crazy too?”

  Ace

  My heart is pounding within my chest, the muscle beating against the bone, as I try to remember the speech I’ve prepared.

  “I had a million things I wanted to say to you.” I lick my lips, adjusting my body from where I’m kneeling on the ground. “But right now, I’m damned if I can remember any of them. All I know is that I love coming home to you, waking up to you, watching you make your dreams come true. Hell, Violet, I love you – everything about you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. I want you to know what a real marriage is, what a real man can make you feel like. Do me the honor of letting me share my life with you. Marry me?”

  She drops to her knees in front of me, tears streaming down her face, and she whispers the most perfect word I’ve ever heard.

  “Yes.”

  And in that moment, she makes me the happiest man in the world.

  THE END

  Preorder Menace Here!

  Thank you so much for reading “Ace”! If this was your first book of the Moonshine Task Force, I encourage you to look the other’s up. “Renegade” is a personal favorite, although I think “Menace” is going to take the cake!