Page 56 of Fall or Nothing

The fight was on. It was Jake’s team against Trig’s. The game soon turned intense—snowballs flying, men diving behind snow banks, and into trenches. The men all chirped and egged each other on. Laughter spread across the field as much as military commands. Snow flew everywhere, some balls landing too close to us for comfort.

Even in the chaos, my mind kept circling back to Carter’s words, overthinking every single one. Maybe this was the end.

Jake’s team wound up victorious. Carter came running up to me, cheeks red from the cold, happy and smiling, and he scooped me up, carrying me off to Jake’s truck again. My ass landed on the passenger seat, and he got between my knees.

His kisses were urgent, lips and noses cold, but I adored every second too much. He warmed his hands under my jacket and sweater against my skin. I couldn’t stop kissing him, nor did I want to ever stop, clinging to him with an aching heart. This might be one of the last times to feel everything with him.

We heard a car door slam behind the truck.

“Hello?” a woman’s voice called, followed by a baby’s cry. It startled us apart.

“Can we help you?” Carter asked. He picked me up and set my feet on the ground.

“I’m looking for Mike? Uh, Mike Triggs?”

“We’ve got a guy here everyone calls Trig. Is that who you mean?” Carter clarified.

“Yes, that’s him.” The woman’s chestnut hair thicklyframed her face. Her nose was red from the cold, her coat almost threadbare—and she held a baby carrier with a little boy inside, bundled in blue blankets.

I felt bad for her. Was she a woman he’d gotten pregnant? Trig’s reputation might have finally caught up to him.

“Can you tell me where he is? I’m his sister.”

Relief washed through me, more out of relief for her and the baby. She wasn’t a person Trig could dismiss easily.

“Autumn? What the hell are you doing here?” Trig’s gruff voice came up behind us, but I could sense the genuine concern underneath. Jake trailed behind him.

“Oh, Mike…” Her chin wobbled. She fell into his arms. “I left that no-good son of a bitch.”

Trig pulled back and gently pushed her hair aside, revealing bruises on one side of her face I hadn’t noticed before. My stomach twisted for her. I’d heard stories from Harper about her past with her abusive ex before she got involved with the sheriff, but seeing an abused woman up close was different.

“I-I need a place to stay. Just until I can get a job and daycare and get back on my feet.”

“Autumn, I live here with a bunch of guys. We’re not exactly set up for a woman and a baby,” Trig explained.

“I can stay in a motel if you have some money I can borrow. Please, I have nowhere else to go.”

“Money is tight right now.”

Jake cleared his throat, stepping forward. “Hi, I’m Jake.” He stuck out his hand, and she put hers there—both of them holding on a little too long, staring at each other.

Trig whacked Jake in the stomach. “Dude, let go of my sister’s hand.”

Jake did and took a generous step back. Autumn crouched down and took the baby out of the carrier.

“Adorable. How old is he?” I wasn’t an expert judge of these things.

“Six months. Stetson came along unexpectedly, but now he’s my whole world. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m just in a tight spot right now.” She kissed his soft, blond head.

Jake cleared his throat and stepped forward again. “I might have a solution. My family lives close to here, and I know they keep the apartment I lived in above the barn available for me at all times. They’d love to help with the baby. I mean, they’re always hounding me about settling down and having kids so they can be grandparents.” He ended sheepishly.

“That’s really generous… Jake.” She blushed and adjusted the baby on her hip.

“No offense, but she’s my family. I’ll figure something out.” Trig steered her away from the rest of us fast.

Jake kept staring after her, frozen in time, clearly completely smitten.

Carter waved a hand in front of his face, snapping his fingers. “Are you done staring at Trig’s sister’s ass? Because I don’t think you want to get on his bad side.”