ponytail, his muscles. Travis had similar, but also slightly bigger build. His muscles came from hard work at his father’s junk yard. She heard he could pull a motor out of a car himself, though she didn’t see how that could be possible. He didn’t have any tattoos (that she knew of) and most of the time he kept his short, black hair covered by a baseball cap. He was very similar to Mac, but also completely different. For one, he definitely spent more time fixing his car that parading it around like Mac did his. He was definitely quieter than Mac, which was cute Ruby had to admit, but the early bird always gets the worm in Ruby’s mind. If he really wanted her to go out with him instead of Mac he should have taken his head out of the hood of his car and come over to ask her, but she wanted to know what kind of reason he would give for why she shouldn’t go out with Mac.
“Tell me what you mean? What does he do that’s so dangerous?”
Travis looked flustered. “Hey, I’m just trying to help you out. Just watch yourself with him.”
He won’t be doing anything to me that I don’t want him to do , Ruby thought. She looked forward to being alone with Mac even more now. There was nothing that made her want to do something more than when people told her she shouldn’t.
**Keep Reading for a Preview of one of the Extra Bonus Stories**
The Soldier’s Baby (Look Inside Preview)
~
“Can I get you anything else?”
The barista grinned as she punched the order into the register decorated with a string of tiny Christmas lights. The varying colors were punctuated with gold plastic bells and sparkling red ribbons. There was a miniature poinsettia next to the tip jar.
“No, just the tea, thanks,” I said, struggling to open the bag at my side while keeping its strap properly balanced over my shoulder. My new winter coat had a ruffled collar that, while undeniably trendy, already got in the way more times than I’d care to count.
As I searched for my wallet, I was well aware of the line forming behind me. I pulled out pamphlets and crumpled receipts, shoving them into my coat pocket so that I could dig further down into my bag. I muttered an apology to the girl at the register. She nodded with an over enthusiastic smile, but there was no mistaking the tension beginning to form in the air. Having worked retail during the holiday season in my early twenties, I understood how waiting customers could make her shift miserable. But of course my wallet was at the very bottom of my bag.
“Here,” I said, finally handing her a ten dollar bill. She gave me my change and the receipt.
“And your name?”
“Claire.”
“Alright, we’ll call you when it’s ready.”
Luck suddenly on my side, I was able to snag a small table against the window looking out onto the square and the towering Christmas tree adorned with cascading rows of white and blue lights that pulsed with life against the dark backdrop of early evening. It was a beautiful night, some stars actually visible beyond the orange city lights, and not as cold as it had been the last couple days. A group of young people walked past the window, huddled together and blowing puffs of white steam into the air. A child tugged on his mother’s sleeve, perky and wide-eyed as if he’d just heard her mention Santa Claus.
I sighed, running a hand over my stomach and glanced a table over. That was where we had sat together, before he left. We had made jokes about how we were trapped right below the over-compensating air conditioner. Somehow, even with the cafe running heat, I still felt a little cold.
“Claire!”
I jerked up at the sound of my name, my heart jumping at the possibility of him being early. But it was just my tea. I bit my lip, scolding myself for getting so foolishly worked up. Leaving my purse on my seat, I darted over to the counter to grab my drink. I topped it with a single shake of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey. I looked at the