The 2014 R.L. Mathewson Chronicle Collection by R.L. Mathewson

people crying and hyperventilating in the precinct had claimed. Actually, she’d be willing to bet that it was actually ten times worse, but she knew the mind had a way of protecting people from horrifying events by dulling memories so that they could function without breaking down.
                As she picked up her makeup bag and packed it, she couldn’t help but shake her head in disgust. She’d known better than to trust Jason and Trevor on their own, but she’d let the excitement of attending Book Bash and seeing Jamie and Nick distract her. Normally when they went on vacation she kept an eye on Jason, making sure that there were no buffets within a fifty-mile radius and if there was, she’d normally kept him distracted with sex to keep him out of jail and off the eleven o’clock news.
                She’d known that Orlando had buffets, a lot of buffets, and she’d planned on keeping Jason distracted at the signing by talking about his possible promotion, but….well……..she’d spotted Tina Reber walking into the hotel and she may have completely forgotten that Jason even existed, never mind was in danger of causing a state of emergency. Zoe had spotted Mrs. Reber and turned her attention away from her husband to watch the authors walking inside and Trevor and Jason had taken advantage and snuck off, but they hadn’t gone far.
                An hour later, just as they were stepping into the large room that held Book Bash, her phone had started to ring. Without looking, she’d taken it out of her purse and held it out for Jason, too distracted by all the authors in one room to answer the phone. When the phone had chimed a minute later, letting her know that she had a missed call and had a voicemail, she’d realized that at some point her husband had snuck off. Her stomach turning with dread, she’d pulled her phone out, hit the play button for the voicemail message and closed her eyes, cursing the Bradford appetite to hell and back.
                Now, Jason and Trevor were going to have to work off their debt to Jared by working weekends for the next two months while every Bradford alive rushed to go to Orlando to hit the buffets before the family was placed on the banned list again. The family had just got off the banned list less than a year ago and already twenty-five Bradfords were banned from Orlando, Florida and in some cases, the entire state. It was only a matter of time before the state officials and the restaurant owners realized that all the incidents were connected and issued another family ban, which was why every Bradford male was in a rush to get down here.
                “Is my razor out there?” Jason yelled over the sounds of the shower.
                With a sigh, she grabbed the razor that he’d left in his duffle bag and headed for the bathroom, wishing that she’d at least got the chance to meet one of her favorite authors yesterday to make this trip worth it. Knowing that Jason would do whatever it took to make it up to her, she shrugged away her disappointment. She also loved Jason too much to stay mad about this. She knew that he hadn’t done this on purpose. He’d been looking forward to returning next year with the kids as much as she had so-
                “Thank you,” Jason said against her lips, his wet body suddenly pressing against hers, getting her clothes wet as he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up.
                “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly as she struggled to think straight, but it was kind of difficult to do with Jason nibbling on her earlobe in the way that drove her crazy as he carried her over to the bed.
                “Getting an early start on my apology,” he whispered as he dropped them onto the bed and……..

Part Three
                “We have to go,” Haley said, panting slightly as she grabbed onto his shoulders and