Chloe Morgan's Blog, page 6

Pick Me, Handsome Cover Reveal

Check out my Cover Reveal for Pick Me, Handsome. This is a sexy book about a single mom who has sworn off rich men. And then unknowingly falls for a billionaire.

Blurb:

It’s all about the money. 

Maybe for some, but I’m not interested. 

I’d rather work with my hands than spend the billions my father left behind. 

The only thing that interests me is the apple orchard he left me. The old thing needs work, and I plan to make it beyond successful. 

What I didn’t expect to find between the rows of juicy red apples was a yearning for more. 

A beautiful single-mom teacher shows up to take her kiddos on a tour of the orchard and I feel things I haven’t felt in a long time. 

Mine. 

Every cell in my body wakes up with a desire for the strong, independent woman that I want to rock my world. 

She’s not into rich guys at all. Fine by me. I look like the gardener anyway. 

My secret is safe. For now. 

I’m not interested in the money. All I want is the girl.

Fan Pricing Ends- Take Me Back

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I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting, well-developed and have chemistry. The story is interesting, well-written, with a happily ever after.

I���ve always been a sucker for second chance books but what makes this better is Clay fighting for his wife Beth and their child. I can���t imagine all the heart ache Beth went through and to finally say enough is enough and to take off. It���s amazing how he was able to see through the haze and make it right. I loved every moment of this book and I just know you will too.

Can love get a second chance after it all seems to fall apart? Great story that will take you on a emotional rollercoaster. Another story you will not want to miss.

As the saying goes - no one can make you change, until you want it for yourself! This is what this book is about. It brings us Clay and Beth. They are both married to each other, but with Clay's work and his drinking, Beth is fed up. She divorces him, however, their son needs treatment and both parent's signatures are required. When Clay realizes what he has chosen to give up, he buckles down and vows to get his family back. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. This was the story of a man who has pretty much hit rock bottom in his life and realizes he has to make changes. The author did a fantastic job of presenting the characters and their relationship. The epilogue was fantastic and provided a great conclusion to the story.

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Take Me Back Chapter 1

99�� FAN PRICING until Friday, August 7th at MIDNIGHT




















Chapter 1
Clay

After a long night at Thrills, the club I used to work at, I went to my hotel that I call home and crashed with no expectation of the morning and every intention of sleeping half of the day away. And then the phone rang, the sound louder than expected, but only because I���d fallen asleep with the damned thing on my pillow.

It continued to ring while I fumbled, trying to get my hands and eyes to work. I���d really pulled a hard one the night before, and the only reason I answered the phone was that I hoped it was Beth.

���Hello?��� My voice was thick with sleep, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

���Hey, Clay.��� My best friend since childhood, Zane Ballard, had a tone of concern in his voice. ���Did I wake you up?���

���Yeah, and I hope it���s good news. I didn���t set the alarm because I didn���t want any annoying sounds waking me up.���

���Shit,��� he said. ���I called to see how it went this morning.���

���How what went?��� I pulled the covers up around my neck and closed my eyes.

���Are you kidding me? You forgot, didn���t you?���

���Forgot what?���

���Your custody hearing, Clay. For Jack?���

I sat up in bed, my heart pounding. ���Fuck, what time is it?���

���Jesus, Clay. You have got to grow the fuck up, man. Your son needs you.���

���And I don���t need a dad talk, but maybe some other time.��� I felt bad enough already.��

���What you need is a good kick in the ass.��� Just because Zane was Super Dad didn���t mean I���d perfected the game.��

���Yeah, well, I���m sure Beth is going to give it to me. I���ll call you later. I���m heading there now.��� I hung up the phone and glanced at the time. It was nearly eleven. If I hurried, I could catch her before she left. Maybe the court was running late.

I shot to my feet and looked around on the floor for something to wear that didn���t smell like stale beer and cigarettes. I went to the closet and found a button-down with sleeves that would hide my tattoos, then grabbed the first pair of dress pants I could find. They were the ones Beth had bought me for the Christmas photos I had wrecked with a black eye, and since she���d canceled the photoshoot, they still had the tags on them. I ripped them off and slipped into them, surprised at how good they fit.��

I brushed my teeth and tried to do something with my hair, which was a little longer than I liked it, giving it a shaggy look around the ears and collar. After masking the alcohol that had permeated my pores with cologne, I grabbed my keys and headed out to the car.

My dark green 1968 Pontiac GTO that I had fixed up with my father years ago was one of the only things besides my son that no one could take away from me. I only hoped it would last long enough to give it to him and that it would start for me.

Thankfully, she roared to life, and I was on my way in no time.

Minutes later, I arrived at the courthouse and parked in the first available spot. I was still yawning when I killed the engine, and a quick peek in the mirror told me I had better get more alert before going inside.

No judge would find me worthy smelling like a brewery and looking like I slept in a gutter, but the previous night had been particularly rough with everything that happened. But my temper had gotten me fired once again.

The courthouse entrance had a caf��, and it was not too busy, so I decided to stop there and order a quick cup to wake myself up.

���Can I get a coffee, please? Black.��� I threw down some money and hoped they poured fast. ���Better yet, could you load that up with sugar?��� I needed all the help I could get.

The barista put the cup down and took my cash. ���Thank you, sir.���

���Keep the change.��� I grabbed the cup, which thankfully had a lid, and turned it up as I started towards the hall. ���Fuck, that���s hot.���

���Yeah, they serve that stuff hot now. Can you believe it?��� The feminine voice was like a song to my ears.

I turned to see who was talking to me and it was a blonde I���d seen at the club the night before. ���The girl with the tall boots,��� I said, pointing at her. She and her friends had requested three songs, and I had happily obliged. Being a piano player, it was my job to entertain.

She gave a little giggle. ���Yep, that���s me, and you���re the asshole who threw a glass through the window. I heard you got banned when they threw you out.���

���And fired. But in my defense, I thought it was a wall. I only hoped to smash the glass.���

���Yeah, well, what happened? Did they lock you up too?��� She had that whole sexy librarian thing going for her, but I had to get to court and had no time to chat.

���No, I actually have a hearing. I should go before you get me in more trouble.��� I gave her a wink, doing my best to flirt, but she only laughed.

���I���ll see you around. Maybe next time, you���ll be sober.��� She laughed as she walked away, and I didn���t think for a minute she was laughing with me.

I had become a joke, and she was just another reminder.

As she walked down the hall, I tried to avert my eyes from her sway. I had to get to court and hoped there were delays. That was the only thing that was going to save me.

When I turned around to go to the courtroom, I found Beth standing just feet away. I didn���t know how long she���d been standing there, but I could tell it had been long enough.

Even though she looked like she wanted to put my head through a wall, she was still the most beautiful girl I���d ever known.

With her long, natural honey-blonde hair, and big blue eyes���that were burning a hole in me���she had a wholesome look that stole my heart the very first time I saw her.

���Did I miss it?��� A lump formed in my throat. I���d fucked up.

���Was she your ride?��� Beth put her hand on her hip.

���No, I was on the way to court, and she stopped me to ask the time.���

Beth glanced up at something over my head, and I turned to see a large clock on the wall. ���Well, did you tell her that you didn���t know how to use a clock either? Because you missed it.��� She walked past me.

I tried to keep up as she power-walked to the doors. ���Wait, Beth. So what happened?���

Beth huffed the way she always did when she was aggravated with me as she kept walking. She pushed the door open and left the building.

I had to stop her. I had to know. ���Beth, please. When can I get Jack?���

She spun around and pulled her lips in tight as if she wanted to cry. ���You can���t. It���s done, Clay. We���re done. You lost your son. I hope whatever you���re chasing is worth it to you. Because you just paid one hell of a price.��� She stormed down the steps, and I went after her, still not quite understanding what she meant.

Jack was my son. How could I lose him? ���What do you mean I lost him?���

���Are you that clueless? I���ve been telling you to straighten up until I���m blue in the face, and now you want me to spell it out again? I won sole custody. Which means he���s mine and you don���t get any say in his life. And since you didn���t show up to fight for him, I don���t have to let you see him. And even if I let you spend time with him, you���ll have to call and make arrangements.���

���Beth, how could you let that happen?��� I didn���t understand how she could let the judge go that way. She should have spoken up.

That only angered her more. ���Me? I let this happen? All you had to do was show up, Clay. Just one morning, you needed to be a father to our kid. But you couldn���t even do that. Tell me, did you forget all about it? Or did you just get so drunk you couldn���t wake up on time? Better yet, save your excuses, because I don���t care anymore.���

I never thought she���d take things this far. I figured she and I would work things out. We had been getting along, and things had been fine. Or so I thought. ���Beth. Baby, I���m sorry, I������

She held up her hand to keep me away. ���It doesn���t matter. It���s done. Me and Jack are both better off without you.���

���You can���t do this to me. You aren���t that kind of person to keep me from our son. Come on, Beth. We���re not these people.��� This was the type of shit that happened in movies and on television or to the couple down the street but not us.

We were made for each other. She had always said so. I thought she was going to be with me forever, but I could handle being without her if I had to. But my son? ���It���s my right to see him.���

Beth wiped a tear. ���I can���t trust you, Clay.���

���I���m still the same person you fell in love with, Beth.���

���That���s just it, Clay. You are still that immature boy I fell in love with. And I needed you to grow up, and you haven���t. And at this point, I don���t think you ever will. Me and Jack needed you to be a man, a father. But it���s too late.���

���Give me a chance. I���ll do better. I swear, Beth. Don���t take him from me. Please?���

���It���s done. I���ve given you a chance, Clay. I���ve given you years of my life and months of Jack���s. I hoped you���d grow up, and I stuck by you, but you���re too busy breaking shit in bars to care about either of us. And God only knows what you did in Vegas.���

���I didn���t do anything. I swear. When I came back, I told you I wanted to work shit out.���

���And then you pulled the same shit a week later.��� She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

I had made sacrifices too. ���I had a chance in Vegas. I had a job offer at a nice club, and I gave it up to come back to you. But you filed for divorce anyway.���

���Maybe you should have just stayed there and made it easier on all of us.���

She walked away as those words sank in and produced tears. I quickly wiped them away as I watched her go. Then I sank down to a bench as my knees went weak.

How could I have let this go so far? I meant for things to get better. I wanted them to, but she had left me, and I spiraled again. But I never thought she���d stop me from seeing Jack.

At eight months old, he was growing fast, just starting to reach the fun stage of learning new things. He was already pulling up on things and crawling all over the house, but would I miss his first steps? His first day of school?��

Would I even get to see my son again? Could she really do that to me? Just take him and keep him from me?

And that wasn���t the only thing that hurt. Deep inside, I ached because Beth wasn���t who I thought she was either, and I had lost them both.

I scrubbed my face with my palms and went out to the car before anyone could get close enough to see.

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Take Me Back Cover Reveal

Check out the sexy cover for Book 2 in my A Vegas Bad Boys series, Take Me Back...

My bad reputation used to be cool��� not so much anymore.

My life looks like an old country song.

The wife left. Took the kid. My career is doing nothing special.

And I���m living in a bottle.

But I refuse to think this is forever.

Something inside of me knows without a doubt that my first love is my only love.

I can make this right and put my family back together.

My past might threaten to haunt me, but there���s nothing I wouldn���t do to get my wife back.

Including changing everything about me.

Funnily enough, no one is asking that.

Time to wake up and take back what���s mine.

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You guys have loved MY UPTOWN GIRL!

Check out some of the reviews below and don't forget that FAN PRICING ends at midnight!

99�� FAN PRICING ENDS SOON

This was a great book to read. The main characters Amara and Fulton are likeable people. Even with Fulton's gruffness, you know he is a good hard working person. Amara doesn't want to survive on her parents money but rather doing it on her own. She does have a slip but realizes that she needs to be her own person.

Never know where love will be found. Great story of fling turning into true love. You don't want to miss this one.

My Uptown Girl by C .Morgan is an emotional, touching, captivating and steamy romance story of Fulton and Amara. An instalove romance that you will��enjoy��reading!��

Amara and Fulton will take you on an emotional roller coaster in this slow-burn romance. The book captured my attention on the first page and it was hard to put down. The storyline is engaging and will tear at your heartstrings.

Awesome Read, Loved it, will keep you turning pages can't wait for more from this author.

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Chapter 1 My Uptown Girl

99�� Fan Pricing until MIDNIGHT, July 17th




















Chapter One
Fulton��

The first few drops of rain landed, making little wet spots on my faded threadbare T-shirt. The thinner the shirt, the quicker it dried. At least, that was what I told myself. I didn���t wear my good shirts to work. They would just get snagged, torn, and covered with grease and god knew what I came into contact with on an average day.��

The few drops turned into a lot more. Big heavy drops splattered on the deck, and instead of a couple of wet spots on my shirt, my shoulders were getting soaked in the rain.��

I gave my head a good shake, trying to remove the water from my hair that was clinging to my forehead. I needed a damn haircut. I lifted my shoulder, wiping the sleeve against my cheek in a futile move to try and wipe the water from my eyes so I could see clearly.

���Got it,��� I grunted, pulling the lobster trap onto my thirty-three-foot lobster boat.��

Stanley Gilbert, my best and only friend and righthand man, opened the trap and pulled out the few lobsters that were inside while I got the bait ready to throw in the pot. He quickly banded the few lobsters we managed to catch after making sure there were no females and they were the right size. The rope was dipped in the steam before I hung the bait and threw it over and quickly grabbed the last pot on my string.

���Last one,��� he shouted, looking up at the sky. ���We are cutting it close today!�����

���Good, because this weather is about to open up and give us hell,��� I said, working quickly but paying attention. One little mistake and I might find myself going over the side.

We worked well together. I baited the pot before I threw it overboard. We had worked together so long, we didn���t need to talk about what we were going to do. We just did it. That meant we had lots of time to talk about everything else under the sun.��

With the last pot set, the hard part was done.��

���Anyway,��� he said, picking right back up where he left off before we started pulling the string. ���I think I have to get one of those big ones.���

���Big ones?��� I asked, trying to remember what it was he was talking about. Stanley tended to ramble about the weirdest shit. It was hard to keep up with the way his brain worked. I usually let whatever it was he said go in one ear and right out the other. I didn���t have the brain space to hold all of the useless information inside.

���Those remote thingies, you know? Because I lost mine. Weren���t you listening to me? I need a new one. I can���t watch TV, except for that one boring channel. That���s kind of an emergency in my world.���

I moved around the deck, securing my equipment in preparation for the trip home. Normally, Stanley would spray the deck while I drove the boat in but not today. I was only half paying attention as I moved about, which was dangerous, but it couldn���t be helped. My focus was on the dark clouds making their way inland. My poor boat couldn���t handle much and I really didn���t feel like becoming fish bait.��

���Yes, I was listening,��� I answered, knowing if I didn���t say something he would pester me about his remote for the next hour.��

���Have you ever lost your remote?��� he asked.��

As it turned out, he was going to regardless. He was unfazed by the ominous clouds. I supposed that was a bonus to being a bit flighty.��

���No,��� I said, wiping the back of my hand over my eyes once again.

���It sucks. I was forced to sit and watch a couple of guys wearing suits and rambling on and on about shit happening on the other side of the world. Like I give two shits about that. They had stupid pictures that didn���t even make sense flashing behind them. They were so boring.���

���That���s called the news, Stanley. People like to know what���s happening around them. They watch the boring news to be informed.���

���Stupid. Can���t change it.���

I shook my head and kept working. Stanley wasn���t the smartest bulb in the box. He was smart about anything related to fishing, but book smart, he was not. I used to call him Bubba until he told me he didn���t like that nickname anymore. I didn���t want to insult the big guy and refrained from doing so, but in the back of my mind, when Stanley talked, I thought about Bubba the shrimper in that movie.��

���It���s good to be informed,��� I told him. ���It gives you something to talk about with other people. It���s called conversation.���

���It���s boring. I wanted to watch racing. I can talk about racing with others.���

���If you didn���t want to watch the news, you should have gotten your ass up and flipped the damn channel.���

���I don���t know where the buttons are. They don���t make TVs like they used to. I���m just going to get me one of those big thingies.���

I nodded, knowing we had worked through his latest crisis. ���You do that. You know, there is one other option.���

���What���s that?���

���You could look for the remote. It isn���t like someone came into your shithole house and stole just the remote to your TV. Retrace your steps and find the damn thing.���

He slapped the lid down over the lobster bin. ���I did.���

���I���m sure you did.���

���I looked in the shitter. I looked in the fridge and I looked on the couch. It isn���t there.���

���Maybe look under the couch or under the cushions,��� I suggested. Sometimes, I felt like I was talking to a child.��

���Shit,��� he said, looking up at the sky. ���Looks like we are getting one hell of a storm.���

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. ���No shit, you think?���

He turned and frowned at me. ���I didn���t think you were serious.���

���Come on. Let���s get this shit tied down. I need to get ahead of this.���

We worked fast, but it wasn���t fast enough. It started with the heavy rain pounding the deck and splashing up. My bibs were slick, the rubber-like material squeaking as I moved. A gust of wind came through, sending the ocean spray over the deck, washing over my feet and nearly knocking me on my ass.

���Shit!��� Stanley shouted, diving for the lid to one of the lobster-holding tanks that had obviously not been secured.��

���Get it!��� I yelled at him over the howling wind.��

Another gust nearly toppled me to the floor. I spread my legs wide to hold my footing, waiting for the wave coming in to pass under us. It was a lot bigger than I anticipated. The boat lurched to the side, the topless bin dumping out the lobster we���d worked so hard to catch.��

���Fuck!��� Stanley shouted, trying to pick up the lobsters that were making a break for it.��

���Leave them! We need to get out of here!���

���I���ll secure the bins. Get your ass in there and get us home!���

I scrambled to get my footing, my muck boots slipping over the deck that was covered in an inch of water. I got myself to the wheel, fired up the engine, and headed inland. I struggled against the waves and the wind that were determined to tip over my boat. I refused to give up. I fought hard, knowing a capsize would kill us. Fishermen lost their lives every year to storms.��

It was my own fault, I silently lectured myself. I knew better than to gamble with the weather. It could come up on you with no warning, and Mother Nature moved a hell of a lot faster than my tired old boat. But a man had to gamble if he wanted to put food on the table.

Stanley came to stand beside me, holding on as we bounced up and down, thrown back and forth as we moved over the turbulent waters. I didn���t want to ask him what the damage was behind me. I could tell by the look on his face it was bad. Some days, it just seemed like all the forces of evil were against you. Today was one of those days. With sheer will and a refusal to give up, the harbor came into view.��

Stanley slapped me on the back, all three-hundred pounds of his giant body in the slap. I jerked forward, holding myself upright by holding on to the wheel. ���Good job, Captain Fulton.���

���That���s Mr. Hannes to you,��� I replied with a small smile. ���We���re alive.���

���Hell yeah, we are. I thought we were goners there for a minute.���

I didn���t say it aloud, but I did too. ���We just lost any money we would have made today,��� I told him, my voice grim.��

���It���s all good,��� he said in his usual nonchalant way. ���After a good storm, there will be all kinds of fishing to do. Hell, if we���re lucky, some of the competition will have boat problems and all the lobster will be for us.���

I said, knowing that would never happen. ���We can���t afford to keep losing money.���

I navigated my boat into the harbor where all the other smart captains had already moored their vessels. There was a sense of relief and dread as we limped along. I had nothing to sell, but I was alive. My luck could not get any worse. No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when the engine choked and sputtered.��

���Oh, not again,��� Stanley groaned.��

���Don���t you die on me,��� I whispered, throttling down to give the overworked John Deere engine a little break. ���Come on. We���re almost home. Just a little more.���

���Do you think it can hear you?��� Stanley asked.��

I turned to look at the guy that was about an inch shorter than I was at six-four, but he had a good hundred pounds on me. He was the epitome of a big oaf. ���Do engines have ears?��� I asked dryly.��

���Fuck if I know. I���m not the one talking to the damn thing.���

I shook my head again, something I found myself doing a lot when I spent time with Stanley, which was every day for a good twelve to twenty hours a day. ���Maybe you should rub it. Give it a kiss or something. Coax the old girl in.���

���Who?���

���Not who. The engine. Shit, man. How do you forget what we are talking about a minute later?���

He shrugged a beefy shoulder, moving to the side of the boat in preparation to jump onto the dock. ���Because I don���t really pay much attention to you. You ramble a lot.���

I groaned, remembering he couldn���t help it. The guy was wired just a little differently than everyone else. It was why I loved him and why he drove me absolutely crazy some days. My poor boat limped along, but thankfully, we docked. Stanley tied it up while I took care of the last things on the boat. The storm that had kicked our ass offshore was right on our heels.��

The rain was just starting, a precursor to the fury that was blowing in behind it. ���Let���s go get a drink,��� Stanley said.��

���I probably shouldn���t.���

���Sure, you should. What else are you going to do?���

���Wallow.���

���We���ll wallow together. We need to talk about you getting a new boat. That thing is going to sink one of these days and I���m not a great swimmer.���

���I don���t know if I can afford to buy myself a beer, let alone a new boat. She���s solid. It���s just that damn engine that needs some help.���

���Then buy a new one.���

���Sure, you got the twelve grand or so that I will need?���

He chuckled. ���All right, all right. I���ll buy you a beer. Damn, you sure are needy.���

I wasn���t needy, but damn if I wasn���t tired of getting shafted every time I turned around. A guy needed a break now and again. If shit didn���t change, I was going to find myself a captain without a boat.��

99�� Fan Pricing until MIDNIGHT, July 17th

My Uptown Girl Cover Reveal

Check out this sexy cover for My Uptown Girl.

We come from different sides of the tracks.

But we have one thing in common���we both work hard for what we want.

Even though I try my damnedest to keep my heart closed up, there���s something about her that commands me to snatch her up and steal her breath.

To let her fully into my life, no matter how different our backgrounds are.

Her rich father is helping her open a restaurant and she���s hoping to serve some of the lobster I���ve caught to her new customers. I���m all for it.

The electricity between us has me taking one step back and three forward.��

This is the woman I want beside and beneath me for the rest of my life.

But her father thinks I���m riffraff. And he just might be right.

Maybe if I just keep things professional, which is almost impossible.

Heat blazes in and out of the kitchen as we try to work together, and I���ve got one thing on my mind.

Owning every part of her.

No matter what her family or anyone else thinks about it.��

This woman is my uptown girl.��

Check out what people think…

AMAZON







Hey there friends, thank you for all that you are saying about my new book. I'm so thrilled to be back. BTW, 99cent Fan Pricing will end at Midnight

"As soon as it hit My Kindle I couldn���t put this book down.. I enjoyed every single moment. Zane and Tara started off in an unconventional way. VEGAS never stays in Vegas no matter how much people say and love always wins out a single father can have his HEA"

"A great sweet love story that is great to relax with. Great characters that will make you fall in love with them."

"This is a smooth read of a romance between the two main characters who have baggage and miscommunication to sort through. There is chemistry, drama and love. "

"Zane heads to Vegas to meet up with some buddies. He meets Tara there. What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. This book has a great plot, great characters with great chemistry."

Read Chapter 1 of Tell Me No Lies

READ CHAPTER 1 OF TELL ME NO LIES







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Chapter 1
Zane

As I entered the trailer at the Clover Oil Field on the outskirts of Williston, North Dakota, I dusted off my boots. ���I���m taking a break,��� I yelled at my crew in my gruffest voice. ���Don���t bother me unless someone is on fire.���

I slammed the door so hard the walls rattled, stirring up the fine layer of dust that clouded the air and the office. It was impossible to keep the place clean. Everything was dusty, and it was so thick you could write your name on every surface.

I often wondered what was getting into my lungs, but there were worse hazards to worry about in the oil field I���d called my home for the past ten years.

I���d worked my way up to foreman after starting out as a floor hand, and while I had one of the best crews of damned fine men, there were always a few bad apples to make my morning rough. Like the lazy ones, the careless ones, the homesick ones. But worse than those guys were the types who liked to run their mouths. The big talkers, the prideful. Those were the ones who usually got the raw ass the easiest, and after an early morning, I just needed a break from them all, especially since we���d all been living on top of one another without a woman in sight for the past two months.

What better way than to call home and talk to my little girl, Mila? She was the only girl in my life other than my mother, and at five years old, she was the center of my universe.

Before I even dropped my ass into the chair, which again caused a cloud to rise around me, I pulled out my phone and hit the magic button. As I waited for my mother to answer the phone, I closed my eyes and imagined what my life would be like if I didn���t have my parents to help me.

Lord knew my sorry ex-girlfriend, Heather, wasn���t going to help. Not that she could do anything from a prison cell. She had gotten herself in a string of trouble. Drugs���both using and trafficking���writing hot checks, and even shoplifting. All while she was supposed to be caring for our daughter. While I worked hard to make a living, putting myself in danger so she didn���t have to, she chose to anyway. I guessed the life I had to offer wasn���t the excitement she wanted.

Who knew a one-night stand with the girl I���d crushed on in high school could lead to so much drama? When she ended up pregnant, I tried to do the right thing, and for a while, I thought it might work out. I���d go through it all again, the lying and the cheating, just to have my daughter.

It turned out that I wasn���t the only man in Heather���s life. Not that it shouldn���t be expected from a woman who blew her dealer just feet away from where our infant daughter was strapped into her car seat. And as if that wasn���t enough to make me want to kill her, she had to get caught doing it, becoming the talk of the town and the shame of my parents. That was when the cops found the pills in the car, the pills she had driven all the way across the border to get for her boyfriend, using my daughter���s car seat as a hiding place.

Before I could get another sick thought about killing the woman, my mother���s sweet voice came to rescue me from hell. ���Zane!��� she said, sounding surprised as if I didn���t call every single day at least twice. ���How���s your day going, honey?���

���It���s going, Mom. Where���s that little angel? I sure need to hear her voice.��� It had been a long stay at the man camp, and even though I wasn���t but an hour away, I couldn���t leave my post. Not until the job was done.

���She���s trying to talk her Pop-pop into giving her real paints. He���s trying to figure out a way to get out of that one without caving in and making you mad at him.���

I laughed. My Mila could drive a hard bargain. ���Tell him good luck. He���ll need it.��� He didn���t stand a chance.

���I think he���s hoping you���ll be the bad daddy and tell her no so he won���t have to. He���s already given up on Bad Nana.���

���I���ll talk to her about it.��� I could already hear Mila giggling in the background.

���Here she is,��� said my mother.

Mila got on the phone, and her sweet voice was like the clouds parting on a rainy day. ���Hey, Daddy. Are you taking a break?���

I scratched my stubbly chin. ���You know it. I had to call my girl and make sure she���s not trying to talk her Pop-pop into buying her real paints when she knows she���s only supposed to use crayons and finger-paints.���

���But I drew a masterpiece, and my finger-paints didn���t come with magenta.���

���What do you know about magenta?��� I asked. Shouldn���t her color options be limited to primary at this stage in life?

���It���s like hot pink, only a little darker. And I need it for the flowers.���

���Why don���t you just paint them pink?���

���They aren���t pink, Daddy. They are magenta. Trust me. It���s going to be a masterpiece.��� Everything she painted was a masterpiece in my eyes, but as her skills advanced, so did her desire for better instruments.

I ran my hand through my hair and closed my eyes, imagining her in her favorite pair of sparkly leggings and the princess costume she���d gotten too tall for. She wore them nearly every day unless we could talk her out of it. ���Can���t you just use your crayons? I bought you the big box you wanted.���

���Yes, but masterpieces don���t come in crayons, Daddy. They are painted.��� Her voice wasn���t whiny at all. It was very matter-of-fact, which made it even harder for me to keep from melting even though I had to disagree.

���That���s not true, honey. Art comes in all kinds of mediums.���

���Well, I���m sick of mediums. I am ready to move up to larges.���

I laughed at her confusion and could imagine how serious she was about her art, and at such a young age. What did I have to look forward to when she got older? She was going to be a handful. But so worth it. ���We���ll talk about it when I get home.���

���Okay. When are you coming home?���

���When the job is over.����� It was supposed to be a few months with only a week break in the middle, but I didn���t want to make her unhappy. I never wanted to do that. ���I love you, Noodle. Put Nana back on the phone.���

���I love you too, Daddy.��� She raised her little voice. ���Nana!��� I could hear her footsteps as she scurried away.

But it wasn���t my mother who got back on the phone. ���Hey, son,��� said my father. ���Did you ever make up your mind about that trip we wanted to take Mila on? It���s only for a week. She���s restless here. And with her school letting out in a few days, we just thought it would be good for her.���

I had forgotten all about them wanting to take her to the Animal Kingdom amusement park a few hours away. My mother had mentioned it the last time I called, but I wasn���t sure anything was definite. ���Yeah, I think it will be okay. Just the amusement park?���

���Well, there���s a smaller preserve on the way. We���re talking about doing the drive-through tour, but we���ll keep the windows up. I won���t let any lions eat her if that���s what you���re worried about.���

There were other predators to worry about, but I wasn���t afraid of anything. My father would keep her safe, and Mom managed to keep me alive as a kid. Somehow. I was a rambunctious boy, and some might say I never outgrew it.

���Just have fun. I wish I could come with������

A ruckus occurred at that moment, and from the sound of the wailing, I could tell it was bad. ���Emergency! I have to go!��� I ended the call and rushed out of my chair and to the door, where I could already see the men gathering through the window.

���What is it?��� I shouted to one of the men nearby.

���I���m not sure,��� he said as we both made our way over to the rig in a hurry.

He stopped behind the other men, but I pushed myself through. ���Back up!��� I shouted, the crowd parting as I peeled them away.

As the men parted, I could see the newest floor-hand���s face as he tried to pull his arm free of the machine it was stuck in. ���Help me!��� he cried. ���It���s broken, I can feel it.��� The young man���s name was Lee, and he had just turned twenty-one a week ago.��

���Don���t move!��� I said. His arm was wedged in the inner workings of the machine that I couldn���t even see from the outside. ���Where is the medic?�����

���He was across the field. He���s on the way.���

���Tell him to hurry the fuck up!��� I wasn���t going to have someone sit there and die on me while that pompous-ass medic was taking his sweet time.

���We hit the emergency shut off,��� said my best driller, Jake. ���I think we stopped it just in time. I told him not to reach in there.���

���He stuck his hand in there to get a tool that fell in,��� said Pete, the oldest of my roughnecks. He had been around the fields longer than anyone in the camp. ���He���s going to have to take the damned thing apart if he wants to get that arm out in one piece.���

���Crack it open,��� I said, wishing I���d used better words. The man began to panic. ���It���s going to be okay, Lee. Don���t panic.���

The motor hand, whose name was Hank, came running over with his tools. ���I���m going to need your help, Boss,��� he said to me.

The medic arrived, taking immediate action. ���We���re probably going to need a tourniquet,��� he said. ���I have one. Let���s get it around his arm before we undo anything. The pressure is most likely keeping him from bleeding out.�����

I nodded. ���Can you see what���s going on?��� I asked Hank, wondering if he had gotten a better look. I didn���t want to look into that machine. What I had seen already was enough to bring any man to his knees.

���I have a pretty good idea.��� He popped open the safety shield, which did fuck all to help, and we could see the blood and twisted bone.��

I winced, trying to keep a straight face as not to upset the man any more than he was already. He had turned pale and was beginning to fade out on us.

���Stay with me,��� said the medic. His name was Tony. I didn���t have the best relationship with him, but at times like this, I was glad we had him handy.

���Ambulance is on the way,��� said one of the men from the back. ���They said they���re five away.���

���That���s good,��� said Tony. ���How long until you can get him free?���

As the man began to sag, putting pressure on his already fucked up arm, Jake held on to him.

���Someone is going to have to pry this,��� said Hank. ���I���m not sure I���m strong enough, and I have to make sure this piece here doesn���t shift.���

���I can���t,��� said Tony. ���I���ve got to get the arm free while you do it.���

���I���ll do it,��� I said. ���Give me some fucking air first.���

I had the men back away as I prepared to help Lee, hoping we���d keep his arm intact in the process. It had damn near been ripped off. If not for the fast action of the other men, it would have been.

���Okay, on three.��� Tony, Hank, and I exchanged nods.

���I���ll count.��� I prepared myself and took a deep breath as we worked together to get the job done. ���One. Two. Three.��� I pried the part as Tony pulled the man���s arm free, and thankfully, all went as planned. The men hurried to lay him down in the break station as they waited for the ambulance.

Letting loose a long breath, I got up to dust off. I had to call my superior and let them know about the incident.

I went to the trailer for some privacy. I hit the call button and wiped my gritty brow where the sweat and dirt had combined, making me my own mud mask.

���Zane Ballard,��� said Earl Douglas before he even said hello. ���I do hope you���re calling to tell me that progress and production are up.���

I clenched my jaw. I hated to tell him what had happened but I knew the best way was to just say it. No beating around the bush like a pussy. ���Actually, sir, there���s been another accident.���

���Another one? That���s two this month.���

���Yes, sir.���

���How is he?��� His stern tone was his way of asking if the man was dead.

���He���s alive. It���s serious, though. He���s probably going to lose his arm if he makes it.���

���Who is he?���

���Lee Reynolds. He���s a rookie roughneck. He put his hand in a machine to fetch a tool that fell in it.���

���Jesus Christ,��� said the man under his breath.

���Yeah. It���s pretty bad. One stupid decision, and he���s messed up for life.���

���Was the machine up to date on its maintenance and inspections?��� All Earl really cared about was a lawsuit.

I always made sure my field was working in tip-top shape. ���Yes. We had to crack it open to get him free. It was a stupid mistake on his part.���

���A mistake that is costing us time and production, not to mention however much else in a settlement. His fault or not, we get to pay for his stupidity.���

And arms, I wanted to say, but why would the man give two fucks about my crew? They were my responsibility.

���It���s been a long job. The men are pent up, and they need a break. I���ll see to it they have one.��� I was about to go out and shut the entire operation down for the day. There was no way we could start up again.

���Give them the rest of the day off. I���m going to send you a replacement. Go home. Come back in a few weeks.���

���A few weeks?��� I wondered for a moment if I was about to lose my job.

���Make it a month. And then I want you to come back and make sure this never happens again on your watch. I know it���s not your fault. But I have to take action.���

I breathed a sigh of relief. My daughter couldn���t have an unemployed father. And I didn���t want to have to move her. Williston was where it was at in the industry and I wouldn���t make the kind of money I made anywhere else this close to home.

���Yes, sir.��� I hung up the phone and wiped my brow. The only light in the darkness of the day was the fact that I could go home and see Mila. She would make everything better.

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