With all my strength, I came to my feet and hoisted her over my shoulder. Then, taking a deep breath, I slipped my oxygen mask onto her. Gaining significant ground, I carried her toward the entrance until I could no longer hold my breath. I had to stop and take in some of the oxygen. Gently, I removed the mask and filled my lungs.
Again, I slipped the mask onto her as we moved through the darkness. It was only a few steps before I felt a sharp slicing pain rip through me. Paralyzed, I dropped Ava to the ground. My eyes began to sting and water, as I gasped for breath in the gassy tunnel. Searching for the cause of the intense pain, a metal prod came to my forehead. That’s when I realized we had been detected by a roboguard. Its sharp claw had pierced my side and was relentlessly drilling into me.
Now, dangling above the ground, my mind was beginning to fog. I had to think through the confusion of the gas and the searing pain in my side. I didn’t stand a chance against a robot. Nor did Ava. All I could do was kick and try to pry myself from its grip. I had no weapon. I couldn’t reach my pack. It had fallen from my back when I was viciously impaled. As I kicked at its head, I felt my side rip even more fiercely. I pushed myself from its chest until I had no strength left.
As my ears began to ring and darkness began to fill my vision, I dropped to the ground. Just like that, it had let me go. I lay there breathlessly, trying to find my sight. Frantically, I felt around for Ava. There was nothing but empty ground. Was it all for nothing? Had the roboguard dropped me in exchange for her?
That’s when I heard her muffled voice. “Noah … Noah come on.”
As I regained my vision, I looked up to see her standing there with a handful of wires. Somehow in our struggle, she had gotten to my pack and grabbed my knife, disabling the robot. “The guards taught me what to do when they started malfunctioning last year,” was all she said as she grabbed my hand. “What’s going on, Noah? What the hell’s happening?”
I didn’t have time to explain, “Come with me. If we’re lucky, I’ll tell you later. We’ve got to get to the dock.”
Once again, we trudged through the dark passage until the moonlit night opened before us. As the cool fresh air filled our lungs, we sprinted across the prison yard, through the open gate, and down the path. All the living beings on the island had now disappeared. I could hear the planes high above the clouds, letting me know that our time was up. I couldn’t even take the time to check my watch. If we didn’t get to the dock in the next few minutes, we would be obliterated along with everything else left on the island.
As we approached the dock, I saw the silhouette of a man peering out from behind the periscope. Urgently, he was waving us onward. It was the moment of reckoning. Either we would make it onto that sub, or this was the last time I’d ever see my girl. If it was, I wanted it to be a memorable goodbye. I took one last look at my girl and smiled. “I love you. I have loved you since the first summer I spent with you. You are my sweet Ava Grace.” Then, running with her in my arms, I brought her lips to mine and kissed her like it was our last.
The shouting voice shook me from what might be our final goodbye. Pulling the documents from my bag, I waved them in the air hoping against hope that they would let her board with me. “We’re here!” I shouted. “We’re here!” With adrenaline coursing through me, I grabbed her by the hand and confidently presented her to the officer. Instantly, I recognized him as one of my father’s friends. My father stepped out from behind him. “I took the liberty of going over the boarding papers with my friend, Peter. You know, I’ve watched you kids over the years. I was hoping someday Noah would finally be brave enough to introduce us. Nice to finally meet you, Ava.”
Without even checking the documents, they escorted us aboard and closed the hatch. Within minutes of submerging deep into the ocean, shaking permeated the water. That’s when I knew it was over. It was a terrible realization that I was going to have to tell Ava about her home. About her parents. About the place she grew up. It was tragic. It would be a hard story to tell. But, my mind found peace in knowing that in the middle of it all, she was safe. She was with me and I would spend a lifetime taking care of my girl. My sweet Ava Grace.
THE END
FOLLOW JULIE SOLANO & TRACY JUSTICE
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THE STORY
* * *
EVAN GRACE
ONE
Kara
ONE MORE STEP would mean certain death, or at least that’s what it felt like as I stood outside The Whiskey Bar. Why did I allow my mother to set me up on a blind date? Oh, I know—because for the hundredth time she told me I needed to get back on the horse, after my very short engagement.
Who sleeps with someone the night of their engagement party? Oh, that’s right, Ben did, and with my best friend, no less. That was two years ago and last I heard she got pregnant, and he was already banging someone else—before she even pushed their baby out. I dodged a bullet there, and for her, I say what goes around comes around.
I swear I’m not bitter or unhappy with my life, but I haven’t been very trusting of the opposite sex—which has made it hard to want to date. I honestly think I’ve had two, maybe three dates in the last two years. It’s also been a little over two years since I’ve had sex.
I step inside and let my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Walker is supposed to have blond hair that’s a little long on top. He’s got brown eyes and lightly tanned skin. He is also supposed to be tall and wearing a blue button-up shirt.
Mom met him during physical therapy for a knee injury. He’s her physical therapist and she went on and on how good looking he was. She showed him pictures of me when she told him we should meet. He told her I was beautiful but maybe he just said it because he didn’t want to hurt my mom’s feelings. What if he’s not even going to show up?
Fuck, this was a mistake. I should just turn around and walk out. Nope, I just need to get this over with. It’ll be two hours tops and then I’ll go back to my apartment and binge-watch Schitt’s Creek for the fifth or sixth time.
I look around and don’t see anyone matching Walker’s description, so I make my way toward the back hallway to check myself in the mirror in the bathroom one more time before he gets here—if he shows up.
I set my purse down on the bathroom counter and dig my makeup bag out of it. A couple of swipes of my neutral colored lip gloss, and some powder and I stuff them back in the bag. I run a hand over my sable colored locks—thankful my loose curls still look soft and bouncy. I chose a lavender wrap dress that accentuates my curves, and I have them. My tan wedges make my legs look longer than they are.
I pop a mint into my mouth, sucking it hard and then chewing it up and swallowing it. I take a deep breath and head out toward the hostess stand He’s not here yet—I glance around the bar area and don’t see him.
My phone says he’s five minutes late. I’ll sit at the bar, drink a glass of wine, and if he’s not here when I finish it, then I’ll go home and pretend this didn’t happen. I pull out a stool and sit down, setting my clutch down on the bar.
“Hey, what can I get you?” The bartender comes over to stand in front of me.
“Do you have Moscato?” He nods. “Okay, I’d like a glass, please.”
He disappears and I pick at my thumbnail; it’s a bad habit, I know, but I’m anxious. The bartender sets my glass down in front of me. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing. Let me know if you need anything else.” He moves down the bar to help someone else.
I take a healthy swallow and set my glass down. I stare blindly at the TV because I don’t want to keep looking at the entrance. No need to draw unnecessary attention to myself.
My glass is half gone when I feel someone come up beside me. “Kara?” His voice is velvet smooth and when I turn to face him, I swear my heart sto
ps beating. In front of me is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. “I’m Walker.”
“Uh… hi.” Oh god, I’m speechless right now. Like an idiot, I hold out my hand for him to shake. He smiles and then places his large hand in mine. If this were a romcom, the music would be starting right about now. “It’s nice meeting you.”
Walker doesn’t let go of my hand, keeping it firmly in his. “Sorry I was late. My dog refused to come inside, and I spent ten minutes bribing her to come in.” Oh, I love dogs. “Should we get a table?”
“Yeah, that’d be great.”
He helps me down from my stool and signals to the bartender. “Can you have her wine added to our dinner tab?”
“Sure thing,” the bartender says.
Walker knocks on the bar two times and then leads me to the hostess stand. “Hi, table for two, please.”
I don’t miss the way the hostess practically faints when she looks up at him. I kind of want to tell her I get it. He laces his fingers with mine as she leads us to a table by the fireplace. It’s definitely romantic.
Out of the corner of my eye, I check him out. His dress slacks are grey and hug what appears to be a very fine ass. His blue dress shirt is fitted and the sleeves are rolled up to his forearms. The cologne he’s wearing is spicy and woodsy—it wraps around me like a warm embrace.
We reach our table and he slides my chair out for me. I take my seat and he sits across from me.
“I’m sorry, but you’re really fucking beautiful.” My face immediately heats up. “The pictures your mom showed me did not do you justice.”
“Th-Thank you. Mom spoke very highly of you.”
Our waiter comes and tells us the specials and takes our drink order. When the waiter disappears, Walker smiles at me. I swear when he does my heart stutters in my chest. “What kind of dog do you have?”
He pulls out his phone, swipes across the screen and then hands me his phone. “Swipe left—that’s my girl, Chloe.”
“Chloe?” The boxer is adorable. She’s brown with a black face and a little bit of white on her nose.
“My niece insisted she looked like a Chloe.” Walker smiles.
I can’t help but smile at him before continuing to look at his photos. There are photos from her as a puppy to more recent ones. I turn to the last picture and want to drool. Walker isn’t wearing a shirt. God he’s a perfect male specimen. His tan, lean muscled chest is on display showcasing that definitely takes care of his body; he’s got an array of black and grey tattoos that go from his shoulder to his elbow in intricate patterns, and maybe someday I’ll get to look at them a little more closely.
He’s covered in sweat and appears to be laughing as Chloe licks his face. I hand his phone back to him. “She’s adorable.”
“Thanks, she’s my spoiled brat. So, your mom says you’re a photographer. What kind of pictures do you take?”
Our waiter interrupts us, delivering our drinks, and then taking our orders. We both order steak and potatoes. We continue to talk after the waiter takes his leave.
“Tell me about your photography.”
I take a sip of my wine. “I take any kind of photo, really. I do newborn babies, families, engagement, weddings, and senior portrait photography. I’ve been doing it for five years and love it. I try to keep up with the latest trends. I have a little studio downtown right across from Bentley’s Bakery.”
“That’s great. I’d love to see your work. I’ll tell my brother and sister-in-law if they need photographer to look you up.”
I smile. “Thank you, that’d be great. My studio is called Captured Moments and I have a Facebook page if you want to check it out or have your sister-in-law check.”
He smiles and picks up his phone. Walker types away on it and then holds it out to me. “Is this yours?”
I lean in and nod. “Yeah, that’s mine.”
“Well, now you have another follower.” He sets his phone down.
“Thank you. How do you like being a physical therapist?” I shake my head. “Gosh, that was a stupid question. Of course you like it, otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to school for it.”
Walker grabs my hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. Every time he touches me, I swear I tingle all over. “It wasn’t dumb. I do love it and honestly, I changed my major sophomore year from education to physical therapy. I played baseball until my sophomore year but tore my ACL. The therapist I had after my surgery was awesome and, I don’t know, I just changed my mind.”
“Well my mom says you beat her up, but it was worth it. She wanted to start hiking with her little posse again.”
Our waiter brings our meals. I lean down, inhaling the delicious scent—when I look up, I find Walker smiling at me before cutting into his. Conversation halts as we both dig into our meals. “This is the best steak I’ve ever eaten,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I’ve never eaten here, but I heard good things,” he says before taking another bite.
When our plates are cleared away a while later, I drink the last little bit of wine and excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Like a gentleman, he stands up and pulls my chair out for me. “I’ll be right back.” Once I reach the bathroom I do my business, and then wash my hands. I pop another mint into my mouth and fix my lip gloss.
I hope he’ll say yes when I suggest going somewhere for coffee and dessert. I head back out to our table and see he’s already paid the bill. He stands up. “Do you want to grab coffee?”
I smile and shake my head. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
Walker wraps an arm around my waist and leads me out of the restaurant. “Do you want to follow me or leave your car here?”
“Um… I actually took an Uber so, I’ll just grab another when we’re done.”
He squeezes my hip lightly. “I could give you a ride home too, if you want.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Shit, he’s nice.
“Of course I wouldn’t.”
We reach a dark grey Ford Explorer and he opens my door for me. I climb in and he shuts the door. The inside smells just like him and again makes me tingly. It’s worse, but better when he climbs inside—he’s causing my brain to short circuit in the best possible way. Eminem comes through the speakers when he starts the ignition, but he turns it down.
“I’ve had a really great time so far,” Walker says as he starts driving us toward the coffee shop.
Is it crazy that I want to tell him that this is the best first date I’ve ever had? Instead of saying that and possibly scaring him off I just smile. “Me too.”
TWO
Kara
AFTER WE GRAB our coffees, we walk hand in hand over to a little loveseat in front of the window. I take a sip of my coffee and then turn toward Walker. “You said you have a brother. Is he older or younger?”
“Weston is older, he’s thirty—I’m twenty-eight, if you wanted to know how old I was.” He winks at me, making me smile. “He and Heather have been together nine years and married for six. Their oldest, Hope, is eight, and Wes is five.”
I smile. “I always wished I had siblings, but my dad passed away when I was two. Mom just never remarried.”
“I’m sorry about your dad. My parents are both still alive, divorced, which sucks, but they’re friends now, which makes it easier for them to be around each other. My stepdad, Allan, is a really cool guy. He’s a detective with the Moline Police Department.” He takes a drink of his coffee and stretches his arm across the back of the loveseat and begins playing with the ends of my hair.
“Do you want something sweet?” My eyes widen because I realized how that just sounded. “Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that.”
Walker throws his head back laughing and I can’t help it but to join in. We both stop laughing as tension builds between us — is it sexual, oh most definitely. He nods slowly, and gives me a smile that makes me feel tingly. “I could go for something sweet.”
“I’ll be right back.” I get up and go to
the counter, ordering us a couple of cake pops.
I carry them back to the loveseat and sit down. I pull a pink one and chocolate one out of the bag. “Birthday cake or double chocolate?”
He pinches his chin like he’s thinking about it. “I’ll take chocolate.” I hand it to him, and he looks at it. “What is it?”
“You’ve never had a cake pop? It’s basically cake and frosting mixed together and rolled into a ball dipped in frosting. Just pop the whole thing in your mouth.” I shake my head as, yet again, my cheeks heat up.
He holds his up. “To an amazing night.”
I tap mine to his. “To an amazing night.” I pop it into my mouth and moan as the sugary goodness melts on my tongue.
Walker follows suit and nods as he chews it. “That was really good.” He smiles and I laugh; he’s got chocolate all over his front teeth. “What? Do I have something on my teeth?”
“No, not at all.” I cover my mouth to stifle my laughter.
He turns to the two older ladies at the other table. “Excuse me, do I have something in my teeth?” Walker smiles wide and both ladies chuckle at him, shaking their heads. “I’ll be right back.”
I check out his ass as I watch him walk toward the bathroom. He’s got a great butt, his dress pants showcase it, making my mouth water. A minute later he comes out and sits back down next to me.
I turn toward him. “I’m just curious, why did you agree to a blind date?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Normally I’m not a fan of the blind date thing, but the way your mom talked about you…made me think you were someone worth meeting. I won’t lie: when she showed me your picture I knew right away that I wanted to meet you. Why did you agree?”
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