by Freya Barker
“He means for real,” she says solemnly as the first tear breaches her lashes and rolls quietly down her cheek.
“WE’RE BREAKING GROUND next week,” Al grouches, bumping his fist on the table. “But we can’t do a damn thing if we don’t have a permit in place.”
“Calm your tits,” Pops says, elbowing his friend as they pour over the blueprints for the addition these two plan on building onto the farmhouse. “Your son-in-law says he knows someone on the council who can speed it through.”
I look at Stacie beside me on the porch swing Pops and Al installed last week. She’s chuckling, one hand on her belly, as she listens to the two old coots go at it. It’s nothing new.
Since Al moved back to town, those two have become the best of friends, even as they bicker every chance they get. Pops put the idea to buy Stacie’s place by the river in Al’s head. The selling point had been when he pointed out how much the girls enjoyed fishing there, and he’d probably never be rid of them. Al promptly put in an offer, just as Pops expected he would.
And when Al noticed one day, when they were grabbing a bite at the diner in Cedar Tree, that Pops seemed sweet on the widow Henderson, he went straight over to her table and put the charm on. It got Pops so mad, he forgot about staring at her from a distance every Sunday morning for months, walked up to Al, shoved him out of the way, and asked Mrs. Henderson out to Tuesday night Bingo in Cortez.
The two are a constant entertainment, the girls adore both of them, and other than their good-natured interfering; we love having them around.
This addition was their baby as well. Born just minutes after we announced our family would be expanding. For once the two agreed that we’d need more bedrooms, and they’ve been running with it ever since, only needing our input when it came to the actual design. All the practical stuff: the architect, the contractors, the permits, has been taken care of by them.
Good thing too, because since Stacie bought into the firm, adding her name to the awning, life has been pretty hectic. We’ve barely had time to ourselves, even since the wedding.
So tonight, since the girls are on the mountain, riding the ATVs with Ben and camping in his living room, I plan to take my girl out.
“Come on.” I take her hand and pull her up from the swing.
“Where are we going?”
“Watch the sunset,” is all I tell her.
“Truck’s loaded, boy,” Pops says with a wink as I guide Stacie to the pickup. He’s responsible for the pile of blankets—it’s still pretty damn cold when the sun goes down in April—and the picnic basket underneath the cover on the back.
Stacie sits quietly in the passenger seat as we head north on the highway, deeper into the mountains. Not far from Pops’s fishing hole is a small dirt road that runs up to a small spring fed lake. Pops apparently discovered it a few weeks ago when he went exploring with Edith Henderson. I don’t even want to know what the two of them were up to, parking on the side of a pristine lake watching the sunset, but I was grateful for the tip.
“It’s gorgeous here,” Stacie says, looking around her as I back the truck right up to the edge of the water.
“Stay here, I’ll only be a minute.” I slip out of the cab and quickly drop the tailgate, remove the cover, and smile when I see Pops even added a pile of pillows. A cooler with drinks, a basket with food, and he even thought of bug spray, even though we’ve hardly had any so far.
I help Stacie climb up in the back, and wait until she’s comfortably installed herself before I get up too.
“Are you comfy?” I make sure, handing her a bottle of water while I grab myself a beer.
“It’s perfect. Sit down.” She tugs at my sleeve and I lift it over her head.
We sit like that—our backs against the cab, pillows behind us for comfort, blankets covering our legs against the cold—until the sun disappears behind the mountain peaks.
Then I slowly undress my wife, kiss our son in her belly, and in a nest of blankets and pillows, make love to her under the stars.
THE END
A WORD FROM KT
I am blessed with some of the most amazing friends in both the book world and real life. My circles are filled with incredible, strong women, much like Stacie. My book friends allow me to let my imagination fly and dream things I never thought possible, no matter what the obstacles. Everything in my book world traces back to being introduced to Tricia Daniels, who is one of the most resilient women it has been my honor to call friend. From that relationship all my bestie book friendships are forged: Trisha, Angie, Niki, and Patti. You have all faced adversity and have come through with your armor tarnished but your hearts intact. I love you all.
To Christine, Chris, and Diane, my real life cheerleaders. You have faced devastating life challenges and come out stronger than you ever thought possible. We’ve laughed, cried, and drank together to get through the good times and bad. You have supported me and been excited as this book journey unfolds, which is rare among real life friends. I love you with all my heart.
What is there to say to the world’s most persistent mentor? Freya, you amaze me daily and if I ever grow up; I want to be you. I adore you, your words, your spirit, and mostly your incredible heart.
KT
A WORD FROM FREYA
When it comes to thanking folks, there is no other person for me to start with than KT, a woman who has become an essential component of my writing career in more ways than one. Not just a co-collaborator, but an engine, a motivator, a teacher, a sounding board and a friend. I love you to bits.
Joanne, who not only provides the necessary daily chuckles (the woman can be hilarious) and fabulous friendship, but she also very expertly does the final clean up of our stories. But more than anything else, Joanne keeps me humble, a task that can be challenging at times with one as strong willed as I am. Love your face.
My girls, I cannot ever forget my girls, most of who have been by my side for the past three years and then some. Catherine, Pam, Deb, Debbie, Lena, Sam, Nancy, Chris, all of you have given your time to help me put out book after book, and there simply aren’t sufficient words to tell you how important you are. I adore each and every one of you.
A special thanks to Carey and Trish who jumped in and gave Ideal Image some fresh scrutiny before it was sent to final edit.
My Barks & Bites, a team of amazingly supportive and encouraging people I am grateful for every single day.
I have a posse, a group of book industry friends I can always rely on. We share books, smiles, laughs, tears, hugs and some of us even tattoos. I love all my peeps—so much.
My family and home away from home—Dana Hook—who freely gives her love, opens her house, donates her office and shares her family with me at the drop of a hat. I love you and yours so hard.
My family at home—always supportive, putting up with my ridiculous schedule and picking up the slack when I drop it.
You have my heart.
Freya
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Freya Barker inspires with her stories about 'real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. She is the author of the Cedar Tree Series and the Portland, ME, novels.
Freya is the recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None,” and was a 2016 Kindle Book Awards finalist for “From Dust”. She currently has two complete series and three anthologies published, and in addition to this Snapshot series, is working on a collection of Northern Lights novels. She continues to spin story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
Stay in touch!
https://www.freyabarker.com
https://www.goodreads.com/FreyaBarker
https://www.facebook.com/FreyaBarkerWrites
https://twitter.com/freya_barker
or sign up for my newsletter:
http://bit.ly/1DmiBub
KT DOVE GREW UP, AND still lives, in the Midw
est. At an early age she developed a love of reading, driving the local librarians crazy, and would plan plot lines and stories for her favorite characters. KT received degrees in English, Speech/Drama, and Education. And yet instead of becoming an English teacher as planned, she opted for an unexpected HEA.
Now married, a mother and still an avid reader, she stumbled upon the Indie author movement and became involved on several levels. Never in her wildest imagination would she have thought she would co-author a book. With the support of her family, she took the plunge, adding writing to an already busy literary existence.
She wouldn’t have it any other way.
Stay in touch!
https://www.facebook.com/KTDove/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16344207.K_T_Dove
ALSO AVAILABLE
SNAPSHOT Series
SHUTTER SPEED, #0.5
By Freya Barker
FREEZE FRAME, #1
By Freya Barker & KT Dove
Also by Freya Barker:
NORTHERN LIGHTS Collection
A CHANGE IN TIDE
A CHANGE OF VIEW
PORTLAND, ME, Novels
FROM DUST, #1
CRUEL WATER, #2
THROUGH FIRE, #3
STILL WATER, #4
CEDAR TREE Series
SLIM TO NONE, #1
HUNDRED TO ONE, #2
AGAINST ME, #3
CLEAN LINES, #4
UPPER HAND, #5
LIKE ARROWS, #6
HEAD START, #7