Book Description:Mason’s life is far from perfect, but it turns out it can get worse. When his mom ends up in prison, he’s shipped off to the middle of nowhere. Apparently he’s got grandparents—parents of the father he knows nothing about. Mason’s not interested in bonding with these newfound grandparents. He just wants to survive until his eighteenth birthday so he can escape this backwater town and finally be free.
Emily is struggling to keep what’s left of her family from falling apart after a horrible accident stole her mom. She has enough on her plate with mothering her younger siblings and protecting a secret that could destroy everything, when she runs into Mason—literally. Her life doesn’t need more complications, and this distractingly attractive, clearly damaged boy promises nothing but trouble. Still, she can’t help but be drawn to him.
Mason and Emily are opposites in nearly every way, but neither can deny the attraction between them. Mason knows he isn’t good enough for her, and Emily knows she should stay away, but that doesn’t stop the pull they feel toward each other. Their tentative relationship is threatened when Mason is put in the crosshairs of the local gang and the town sheriff. Mason and Emily will have to decide what they really want—and if they’re willing to fight for it.
Excerpt:
EMILY (POV)
We spread out, for the most part working in
pairs since it was easier as a team. Mason, not surprisingly, went to
the farthest post and began working alone. And with his earbuds firmly
in place, he effectively cut himself off from the world.
A
tug on my ponytail brought my attention around to Jake, who stood
grinning down at me. Brian and Evan stood beside him. “Hey, Em.”
“What was that for?”
“I
said your name twice,” he said, folding his arms across his broad
chest. “You must have been distracted.” His eyes flicked over my
shoulder, toward Mason.
I followed his gaze, watching Mason work for a moment. “You should go talk to him. You know, as president of the service club.”
The boys shared meaningful looks but didn’t say anything.
“What?” I demanded, not appreciating their expressions. “He’s not going to turn axe murderer on you.”
“I’d rather not take my chances,” Evan muttered, and the other two mumbled their agreement.
I settled my hands on my hips and scowled. “What is that supposed to mean?”
They
shared another look, and then Jake leaned toward me, his eyes locked on
mine. “It means we don’t want to get mixed up with someone like him.
And neither should you.”
“Someone
like him?” The words came out sharper than I’d intended, but I didn’t
try to soften them. “You don’t know anything about him.”
“I
know he was arrested with Horace, so obviously he’s involved with the
White Snakes. He was probably missing his old gang from Chicago and
looking for a replacement.”
I’d
heard about the arrest, too—everyone in town had. As for him being in a
gang . . . that just didn’t fit with what I knew and had observed about
Mason. I frowned at the guys in front of me, though I directed my next
words to Jake. “So you’re basing everything off of second-hand rumors?”
Jake’s
clear blue eyes narrowed. “We don’t know why he’s here, or what kinds
of things he did back in Chicago, but I’d be willing to bet that wasn’t
the first time he’s been arrested.”
He
was probably right. After hearing the story of how Mason had met his
friend Leo, it was clear he’d lived on the dangerous side. But that
didn’t mean Mason was dangerous, or that he didn’t deserve a new start.
Jake’s tense expression loosened, and he put his hand on my shoulder. “Some people are just lost causes. That’s not your fault.”
I
shook off his hand. “I believe in letting people show their true
colors, not assigning colors to them.” I turned on my heel, ready to
march away.
“Em, wait.” The words
were almost a sigh, and I dared to hope Jake was going to apologize.
When I looked back, his face had tightened again, and his eyes were on
something behind me—probably Mason. “Stay where I can see you.”
I didn’t dignify that with a response, just headed down the fence line toward Mason.
He
didn’t notice me approaching, totally lost in his music and the work of
putting the fence together. I was only a few feet away when a sharp
curse burned my ears. Mason jerked his hand—his bare hand—back from the
barbed wire. A collection of cuts and stabs covered his skin, blood
welling from the newest one near his thumb.
My heart squeezed with sympathy. “Oh, Mason.”
He
whipped toward me, blue eyes flashing a challenge. When he met my gaze,
though, he seemed to relax. He swiped his hand against his jeans and
frowned at the barbed wire clenched in his other fist. “What? Is it
wrong?”
“No,” I hurried to assure.
“The fence looks great.” My attention shifted back to his abused hand,
and I winced. “I guess you didn’t get the message about the gloves. I’m
so sorry. I should have thought to bring extras, just in case.”
He shook his head and went back to work. “It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t. I quickly pulled off my gloves and held them out to him. “Here. I don’t need them to hold the post.”
He ignored the gloves. “Really, I’m fine.”
“Mason.”
I used the tone of voice that always got Ben and Lisa’s attention. It
was my imitation of a ‘mom’ voice, and it worked on Mason, too. He
turned his head toward me, and I gave him a stern look. “Take the
gloves.”
He frowned, looking kind
of exasperated, but he took the gloves. While he slipped them onto his
hands, I stepped closer and steadied the thick wooden post. Without a
word, he started twisting the barbed wire again.
He
worked in silence for a minute, and I tracked the motions of his hands
as he carefully wound the barbed wire around the post. I appreciated the
way the muscles down his arms rolled and bunched with the movement. It
was obvious he’d never done this before, but his determination to do it
right was unmistakable. That silent dedication was unexpected and
impressive.
As much as I was
enjoying watching him, my cheeks were starting to prickle with
embarrassing warmth, and I definitely didn’t want him to notice my
staring or my blush. Plus, I wanted to get him talking again. I said the
first thing to pop into my head. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the memo to
bring gloves. Jake sent a group text reminding everyone, but I don’t
think anyone has your number . . .”
“That would make it difficult to contact me,” he said, eyes on his work.
My
lips twitched at the nonchalant response. “Yeah, a bit. So why don’t
you give me your number so I can let you know next time you need to
bring gloves?” My heart choked, like it couldn’t believe I’d just said
that. My brain couldn’t believe it either. Heat bled into my face.
Mason
didn’t miss a beat, though. “Or I could just always bring a pair of
gloves. Then I wouldn’t need a reminder.” His eyes skipped to mine, and I
saw a spark of amusement in their blue depths. Somehow, that made me
both more and less embarrassed. I gave him my best exasperated look,
though a smile was fighting to break free. He looked like he was
fighting his own smile. After another stubborn moment of silence—and an
insistent look from me—he broke. Scrubbing sweat from his forehead, he
rattled off his number.
I hurried to put it into my phone, then tossed him a smirk. “Was that so bad?”
He just cocked an eyebrow and didn’t answer.
About the Author:
K.M. Frost was brought up surrounded by books, and has loved stories of all kinds her whole life. Romance, comedy, and fantasy are some of her favorite genres to write, read, and watch. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and graphic design.
K.M. Frost lives in Northern Utah, and is the author of the YA sweet contemporary romance, No Matter What, and the YA dystopian trilogy, Reality Dreamers. Title: No Matter What
Author: K.M. Frost
Publisher: Kimberly Frost
Published: May 2023
ISBN: 979-8987820018
Purchase: Amazon
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