The Core Four Series

by Stacy Borel

  If looks could kill, I would suspect that Dodger would have loved to throttle her right about now. Chunking the bat into the fence, he stormed off the field to go take a walk. Oh man, those two were going to need to settle some of their shit before we got together like this again. The family shouldn’t have to deal with their drama when we’re trying to have a good time.

  “Mace, come on!” I scolded.

  “What?” She decided to act innocent. I just shook my head, and we went on with the game.

  On our last inning, it was the girls up to bat. Annabelle was at home plate readying herself to hit the ball. On the first pitch, she landed a solid hit. It went low to the ground between second and third base to the outfield. She took off running while we all shouted and cheered. We needed her to score to tie up the game. Paul was throwing the ball back when she rounded herself out to third base. Unable to stop her momentum, her foot caught on the lip of the base, and she tripped and fell forward. Landing hard, she immediately grabbed a hold of her ankle and was wincing in pain. I went around the fence to get to my friend, but Turner was running up to her side to see what he could do. What Annabelle didn’t know was that Turner was finishing up medical school, and he was a practicing doctor at UGA Medical for sports medicine. He was kneeling by her as I jogged up to see if I could help.

  “Can you roll it this way?” he asked as he watched her attempt to move it.

  The grimace on her face said that it hurt too much. “Oh my gosh, how embarrassing! I’m so sorry for ruining the game.”

  “Hush. You didn’t ruin anything. Accidents happen all the time, plus you’re wearing flip flops, so that didn’t help at all.”

  “Turner, lecturing her isn’t helping anyone. Can you at least tell if it’s broken?” I argued.

  His jaw clenched, and I watched as he reached down and gently picked up her foot like it was a bird with a broken wing. Tenderly he felt her dainty foot before he said, “Doesn’t feel like there’s anything broken, but you’re going to have to sit out the rest of the game. In fact I think you need to go back to the house and get some ice on that before it starts swelling.”

  She swallowed and nodded at him. “Keegan, I apologize, I’m not normally this clumsy.”

  I shook my head. “No worries. I just hope that you’re okay.” Looking at Camden I asked him, “Can you come pick her up so she doesn’t have to walk, and we’ll get her loaded on the golf cart to take her back in?”

  He was just coming over when Turner took it upon himself to lift her in his arms and make the trek to the vehicle. “I’ve got her,” was all he said to me. Well okay then. The two of them took off, and I made note to ask him later why he was acting so strange. After Annabelle’s spill, we decided to call it quits before anything else major could happen. Donna wanted to go see if she could help get Annabelle home, Wrigley had a party to go to, Mom and Sarah were headed home because it was getting late, and Macie and Dodger needed to get some space before one of them buried the other in the backyard.

  I was ready to head in as well since it had been a really long day, and I wanted to put my feet up for a bit. Everyone had left, and it was just me and Camden. Meeting him out on the pitcher’s mound, he pulled me into his arms and wrapped me up in his embrace. The strength of this man never failed to astound me. There was no safer place than right here in his arms. He kissed my forehead, and I leaned my head back to look at him. The warm chocolate of his eyes sucked me in like a strong undertow, and I was drowning in a sea of him. This was my favorite place to be.

  “Did you have a good day?” he asked.

  “I had a great day. I just can’t believe I’m done. Now on to the next part of my life… being a grown-up.”

  He chuckled. “What about me, am I anywhere in those plans?”

  “Not sure.”

  “Keegan,” he said in warning.

  “I mean, you are sort of bossy, and you leave your sweaty gym socks in the middle of the floor for me to pick up.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  I crinkled my nose. “Are you kidding? Have you ever smelled your own socks?”

  “Sure I have.”

  “Okay, I was kind of kidding, and ew!” I said on a laugh.

  “You like it.”

  “If you think so…”

  “What about the rest of your life? What are you doing for the rest of your life?”

  His question took me by surprise. “I don’t really know. Obviously I’ll be applying at UGA Medical, and I think I want to work in L&D, but we’ll see where the hospital can put me. I don’t think I’m in any position to be picky about place— ”

  Camden cut me off. “No, I mean what are you doing, for the rest of your life?”

  I cocked my head to the side, and I felt him brush his fingers through my long blond waves. I tried to understand what he was telling me but then it hit me. All of the air was sucked out of my lungs and I could tell he was reading me like a book and saw the realization in my eyes. Camden let go of me with one of his arms and reached into his pocket. He dug around and eventually pulled out a ring that was to die for gorgeous. It was cushion cut with diamonds surrounding the full carat in the center. The band was petite and feminine. As tears sprung to my eyes, Camden took ahold of my left hand and held it up to his chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart as he started to speak.

  “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, Blue. You’ve accomplished your goals and achieved the first of many dreams. You inspire me every day to strive for more and do better. Not only in my own life, but in our lives.” His chocolate colored eyes dazzled with humor and love. “I’ve been waiting for this moment I think since you first walked into my apartment. You were the girl, the one who made me see everything differently. You’ve been defiant, stubborn, difficult, and an all-around giant pain in the ass.” I giggled and wiped my tear filled eyes. “But…you’ve also been challenging, beautiful, open, and the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You were made me for Blue. You’re my person. Marry me, let me show you how you should be loved for the rest of your life.”

  Oh my God was this real? Camden Brooks just proposed to me, and I felt like I was living in some alternate universe. Things like this just didn’t happen to me. Nodding my head vigorously, I did the only thing that I knew I could. I screamed at the top of my lungs and said, “YES! Oh my gosh a thousand times, yes!”

  Sliding the ring on my finger, Camden picked me up and spun me in a circle. His face was buried in my hair, and I was laughing with unrequited joy. Never in my life did I ever think that answering an ad for a roommate was going to lead me to the rest of my life. Camden filled me, every day, he showed me love, compassion, and humility. Over a year ago, I thought my purpose in life was going to be to help raise my sister, try and graduate with my class, and attempt to find happiness on my own. I’ve been blessed to find a man who selflessly supported me in every adventure I took on. It’d been quite the ride with Camden. Oh yes, he’d been full of surprises, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

  Crushing his lips to mine, he pushed his tongue into my mouth and swallowed a low moan that seeped out. His fingers threaded into my hair, and I stood on my tippy toes, allowing him to consume me in every way possible. I smiled against his mouth as he kissed me, and he grinned as well. Pecking my nose in the way that he always did, he looked down at me.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too. So very much,” I said.

  “Good I’m glad.”

  “Hmmm…” I said contentedly. “Now what?”

  “Well, now it looks like we have a wedding to plan.”

  “Yes, looks like.”

  The End

  Prologue

  Annabelle

  THE SUN SHONE BRIGHT in Athens, Georgia. I was spending the afternoon with my friend, Keegan, at her boyfriend’s parent’s house. We’d just arrived after finishing the grand “march across the stage to be handed a blank piece of paper that was supposed to represent our
diploma” ceremony. Graduating from nursing school had been a big deal, but my day was severely dampened by the fact that my parents were not in attendance. I didn’t necessarily feel alone, or like each step I took across the stage would cause me to suddenly burst into tears because nobody was here to cheer me on in the crowd. It felt more like a simmering anger down in my gut that, once again, this was a milestone I was celebrating on my own. When you’ve been an orphan since the ripe old age of sixteen, you not only start to accept the quiet, you welcome it. You learn to hold your shoulders back instead of slouched from defeat. You become strong in moments of weakness and I’ve become my own support system. On this day though, I felt like a cloud was hovering over my moment of joviality. I wanted to see my mother’s bright red hair blowing in the wind, smiling as she held a Kleenex to her reddened eyes. I wanted to see my father clapping and cheering me on as if this day belonged to only me. Instead, they weren’t here, and every fiber of my being felt saturated in sadness. I switched that emotion to anger because it felt more tangible. So when Keegan asked me to come spend time with the Brooks family, I accepted. I wanted to feel a connection, even if it wasn’t my own. I wanted to surround myself with a family. I was appreciative of her offer, that is until it wound up being a giant pain in my ass . . . or ankle as it happened.

  The Brooks family had a tradition that they played baseball every time they got together. This family took their baseball seriously, as evidenced by their boys being named after baseball stadiums. Keegan really wanted me to hang out after lunch to play. I wasn’t so sure I should have for a couple of reasons: one, I wasn’t really wearing appropriate clothing for outdoor activities, and two, I had never played baseball before in my life. However, hearing her excitement for the game is what changed my mind. It was fun watching the family pick teams, and heckling one another about who was going to win. Family dynamics always gave me a twinge of something. I wouldn’t call it jealousy, because that wasn’t the right word. No, it was more like envy. Their family unit was something I desired in my own life. Yeah, I was envious of their connection.

  As the game progressed, all was going well until it was my turn to bat. I hit a grounder and began running the bases. As I rounded third, my foot caught the lip of the base and down I went, hard. There I lay, splayed out in the dirt, and my pride sitting somewhere back at second base. Pain shot through my ankle the moment I tried to lift myself from the ground to stand. Wincing, I grabbed my leg, cursing under my breath. Son of a bitch, that hurt! Looks like fashion didn’t beat out practical today. I heard the sound of shoes crunching on the ground coming up beside me. Somehow, I instinctively knew who it was before his shadow shrouded over me, blocking the sun. My eyes ran the length of him. Up and up I glanced, taking in every inch that was Turner Brooks. I noted just how tall he really was. From this angle, he was a giant. Then again, my butt was currently on the ground in a non-graceful manner so, of course, he looked ginormous. My tummy did a little flip when I made eye contact with his crystal blue ones. He took a moment to look me over, probably deciphering what kind of idiot I really was, before he crouched down beside me.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  The deep baritone of his voice made my breath catch. I simply nodded. Keegan came running up to my other side and I turned my gaze in her direction. Her face was etched with concern. I really hated the look of pity she was giving me. Don’t feel sorry for me. Don’t ever feel sorry for me.

  “Annabelle, can you roll it this way?” Turner asked, bringing my attention back to him.

  I tried to wiggle my now tender ankle. The moment I moved it, pain sliced through my foot and I hissed. Could this day get any crazier? I shook my head. “How embarrassing! I’m so sorry for ruining the game.” I placed my face in my palms.

  “Hush,” Turner scolded. I glanced up at him, taken aback by his tone. “You didn’t ruin anything. Accidents happen all the time, plus you’re wearing flip flops, so that didn’t help.”

  I was about to say something when Keegan jumped in and spoke. “Turner, scolding her isn’t helping anyone.” Keegan may be small, but the glare she gave him was fierce. “Can you at least tell if it’s broken?”

  I peered between the two of them and watched a silent show down take place. Turner’s jaw was clenched in frustration. I couldn’t tell if it was toward Keegan or me, but I could only assume it was the latter. Of course he was frustrated with me, we were all having fun and I interrupted it because I so gracefully decided to see what the dirt tasted like. Awesome. Keegan, on the other hand, just looked confused. Turner reached out and gingerly lifted my foot, supporting it with one hand under my heel, while his other hand tenderly pressed around my ankle.

  “Doesn’t feel like anything’s broken, but you’re going to have to sit out the rest of the game.” I was disappointed because I was enjoying myself. Wonderful first impression, Annabelle. I silently told myself. “In fact, I think you need to go back to the house and get some ice on it before it starts swelling,” Turner stated.

  As a new RN, you would think that I would have thought about the ice . . . nope! I looked at Keegan. “I can’t believe this happened, I’m not normally this clumsy.” Except I really am. I could trip and fall even while standing completely still.

  The confused look Keegan held earlier was now wiped away. Her blue eyes were soft when she replied, “No worries. I just hope that you’re okay.” She turned towards her boyfriend, Camden, whom is probably the second hottest guy I’d ever seen, (we don’t need to talk about the man currently hovering over me taking first place in that category) and asked if he could come help me get on the golf cart. Just as Camden started walking towards me, two strong arms lifted me in the air and I instinctively wrapped my arms around Turner’s neck.

  “I’ve got her,” he replied as he moved us away from everyone. I had no doubt they were all looking on in confusion.

  “What are you doing? I could have walked you know.”

  He rolled his eyes. “No, you couldn’t. You already tried to wiggle it and look how far that got you. Just hush and let me get you on the cart.”

  The little butterflies in my tummy were fluttering wildly now. Turner was currently caring for me as if he knew what he was doing. I was aware that Camden owned a gym, so I imagine they all knew what to do in case someone got injured. But I felt like I was a hindrance to his game with his family. Getting a headache right between my eyes, I closed my mouth and chose not to argue, and decided to just relax until we got back to the house. When Turner set me on the overheated plastic seat, he didn’t give me a second glance as he rounded the front and slid in next to me. Turning back towards the field, I noticed the game had resumed but Keegan stopped and gave me a small wave and a sad smile. I lifted my hand in return just before Turner drove us away. Every little bump on the road jarred my ankle and I gritted my teeth to keep from whining about the pace he was driving. Surely he must know the jostling was making the injury ache. Clenching my fists in the seat, I saw Turner glance down at my hands and he let off of the gas a little, but he remained quiet. I thought he might’ve asked if I was doing all right, but he didn’t. He stayed quiet just as I did. Folding my arms over my chest, I closed my eyes and let the steady hum of the engine relax me until I felt us coming to a stop.

  As Turner shut off the cart, I opened my eyes, swung my legs out and used the back of the seat to lift myself while I held my sore leg up. He came around to me and acted as if he was going to pick me up again. This time I held my hand up to stop him.

  Shaking my head I said, “No, I’ve got it.”

  “Annabelle, I can easily carry you inside.”

  I met his blue eyes. “I said, no.” His jaw ticked and he huffed before he walked into the house.

  I gave a little hop, letting go of the seat. Wobbling, I almost lost my balance but regained control and hopped again. I made a few more jumps, grabbing on to things in the garage as I went along. A very frustrated looking Turner stood at the door to the mud room. Whe
n I finally made it to him, he looked down at me. He was already much taller than my five-foot-five stature, but when he was standing up on the step, he towered over me. As if trying to intimidate me with his size, he continued to block the entrance into the house. My leg that was currently holding all of my weight was getting tired and I desperately wanted to sit down. Grasping the door frame I gave a little jump and nearly bumped into him when I hopped inside. He stepped back before our bodies touched and admittedly I was slightly disappointed that he did. Shaking it off, I looked at him over my shoulder, hobbling my way through the narrow hall.

  “Can you show me where a rag is for the ice? I’m not comfortable digging around your mother’s kitchen.” I turned and started making my way ahead of him.

  I heard Turner grumble before he responded with, “Yeah, I’ll get one.”

  I noticed the food from lunch was still on the counters and I looked around the spacious room. Walnut colored cabinets lined a U-shaped kitchen set with a beautiful golden hued granite, and stainless steel appliances. There was an island in the middle that had a small rooster pitcher as a decoration. I reached towards it to help balance myself while Turner went to get a cloth. Everything about this place screamed country chic and warmth. If I ever moved out of my parent’s house or redecorated it on my own, this is what I’d want. The room made you feel welcome, like you wanted to sit down and eat a slice of pie and have a cup of coffee. I looked up when Turner came back into the kitchen and headed toward the freezer to gather some ice cubes. I swallowed, feeling the little butterflies making another appearance. Why did he make me feel this way?

  When we had been eating lunch, I watched him, my eyes intermittently wandered to where he’d been sitting. I didn’t want to look at him, but I felt a pull to do just that. I was curious about him. He was no doubt the best good looking man I’d ever seen. I watched him with prying eyes as he had spoken to his dad. He was calm—relaxed, but there was an undertone of unease. His blue eyes held a wealth of knowledge and the words that rolled off his tongue were that of an educated man. Turner held his shoulders high and his back straight. I’d never seen shoulders so broad. But then again, as I glanced around the table, every male in this family had the same stature. Turner came across as dominant, those waves that traveled off of him quiet and strong. It was as though little invisible crests moved through the room and wrapped around you, silently pulling you in without you even knowing it. It was unnerving.