Above, the cover of my new work in progress, Make You Mine! Follow Wynn and Cole through the chaos that brought them together, leading them to their forever :)

Wyatt

The year has blown by just as quickly as it came. In truth, the good outweighed the bad, although the bad we had was officially devastating. We made it through though, and I find myself on the other side of adversity, having gained the world.

Colby and I found our ways back to one another. It wasn't easy, our paths paved with misunderstandings and hurt. But she's the piece of me that I'd been missing. I had become one helluva bitter bastard somewhere along the way, yet she found the grace within herself to take me back.

B laid claim to my heart, even before I realized it was mine to give. She's better than I deserve and more than I could've deigned to ask for in a woman. Lifelong friends turned lovers. I'll never be worthy, but I'll never cease striving to be.

"Wyatt, come grab the other end of this, would ya?" Ari shouts, gesturing toward his mammoth cooler that's undoubtedly filled to the brim with adult beverages.

"Not man enough to carry the whole thing yourself?" I ask, making my way over to a now scowling Ari, with Colby on my heels.

"Just 'cause my new coach didn't ask me to go all Hulk mode like yours doesn't make me any less manly," Ari scoffs. I grunt when I lift the cooler, bringing a satisfied smirk to Ari's face. "See, it's heavy even for He-man," he adds, nudging Colby in the ribs with his elbow.

"I dunno, Ari," Colby begins earnestly. "I think you sound a little jealous."

That's my girl.

Did I mention how much I love her?

"Whatevs," Ari grunts, hefting the other end of the cooler alongside me. "I'm just streamlined, and already formed to perfection."

"Right," Colby giggles, bringing a smile to my face.

She's thriving.

In the wake of her abundant loss this past year, she's turned all of the tragedy to triumph. Colby finished strong, graduating in the top five percent of our class, and earning an academic scholarship to A&M, enabling us to continue in school together.

I couldn't be more proud. Instead of crumbling under the pressure of her sorrows, she's met them head-on, succeeding beyond all expectation. Her quiet strength and perseverance carried her through the storm.

Tanzie would be so pleased.

We arrive at Cole and Wynn's, dropping the liquid filled brick of a cooler to the ground by their community pool. All around, our friends are gathered, preparing for our Fourth of July celebration. The summer is zipping by, so our crew is hanging together as much as we're able. I don't think any of us are quite ready to be saying our goodbyes.

The reality of moving on from this small town is daunting—moving on from friends and family, and the familiarity of our everyday routines into something wholly unknown. It's at once exhilarating and terrifying. It's also the opportunity of a lifetime, and I refuse to take it lightly. Not gonna lie though, I'm hella nervous about the things that lie ahead.

I'm staring the prospect of Division One football squarely in the face now, having been preparing daily with an amped-up workout regimen that's kicking my fine ass into even better shape. I've been working out with Cole, who's like a drill sergeant in mesh shorts.

It turns out that Ari wasn't totally off base when he called me He-man. I had to up my game if I'm gonna be competitive for a tight end position in the NCAA.

At least I won't be going it alone. Who'd have thought that heading to training camp with Cole of all people would bring relief? If you'd have told me at the beginning of the year that he would be one of my friends for life by the end of it, I'd have sworn you were mental.

But it's true. I share a genuine friendship with the guy who tried to put the moves on my girl.

He failed hard though. Ha.

Still, I'd say he's winning at life overall. The dude is married and about to become a father any day now. That's only difficult to believe until you have a look at Wynona...

She appears ready to pop.

And heaven help you if you get in her way. She's now a full week past her due date, and about ready to shank somebody. She's scary as hell right now, but maybe I would be too if I were carrying a weighty beach ball around on my stomach all day, every day.

"'Bout time y'all get here," Wynn says from her lawn chair, seated beneath an umbrella with a paper fan in hand. "I'm starving."

"I'm starting the burgers right now!" Nash barks. He and Mari are working feverishly on lighting the built-in charcoal grill with little success to speak of, but for Wynn's sake he'll classify them as 'in progress'.

Wynn and Cole's place is tiny but charming enough. We decided to gather here after a long debate between Wynn and Ari that the rest of us were smart enough to stay out of. Wynn found an irrefutable argument when she explained to Ari that she was too tired from carrying a small person around twenty-four-seven to go anywhere.

"I brought you some beer, Wynn," Ari announces. "See? Root beer in a bottle that looks like it's booze." He pops the top off, handing her the beverage and, miracle of miracles, earning a smile.

"Thanks," she says, running a hand over her protruding belly. I swear, it looks like she jammed a watermelon under her shirt.

"How're you feeling?" Colby asks, taking a seat by Wynn, and patting her shoulder.

Wynn sighs. "This baby is never gonna come."

"Any day now, foxy mama," Cole says as he exits their little place, joining us on the patio. "You can't stay preggers forever." He leans down, placing a kiss on his wife's cheek as he rubs his palm over the swell of her midriff in adoration.

A glowing smile spreads across Wynn's face, a rosy blush staining her cheeks. I never thought I'd live to see the day that Wynona would look at a guy like that.

The loaded exchange shared between them exhibits a level of intimacy so intense it makes me squirm. I smirk when I notice that everybody else must feel the same way, having found a sudden interest in their shoes or fingernails.

"You know," Nash begins. "There was that one chick who was pregnant for, like, sixty years or some shit. It can happen."

"Papi," Mari groans in irritation. "That is so not helpful right now! You get that girl some ice cream for your indiscretion." She nods in exaggerated fashion toward a sulking Wynona. "Stat, Nash!"

"On it, honey buns!" he yelps, darting into the apartment for the goods.

"I don't think you'll be pregnant for sixty years," Ari muses, seating himself on Wynn's other side and tapping his beer against her soda. "And if it helps, you're probably the best looking pregnant woman I've ever seen. You don't even look that fat."

"Aurelius Castillo, you are such a little prick," Mari spews. "You don't ever say that to a girl, pregnant or not!"

That may be so, but when I glance at Wynn, I notice that she's struggling to suppress a laugh, and failing mightily. Next to her, Colby covers her smiling lips with her hand, and Ari glances about himself befuddled by all the fuss.

"What? I said she doesn't look fat, Mar, can't you hear?" Ari presses. "I think you just—" he pauses, glancing at his shoes. "Did you just pee on me?"

Next to him, Wynn pales, her typically tanned features becoming oddly devoid of color. "I, um..."

Cole bends from where he stands behind Wynona, examining the moisture. When he rises, he looks stricken. "It's time."

"You're about to become a mama," Colby says, eyeing the fluid puddled at Wynn's feet. "Her water broke!"

"Shit," Ari mutters. "It don't smell like water..."

"Ari, you're on talking probation," Mari growls. "C'mon people, it's baby time!"

Mari's urgent plea snaps us all out of our stupor, sending us flying into action. The preparation for departure would've been comical, were it not for the fact that her contractions started almost immediately, causing all of us to panic.

I've gotta hand it to Cole, the methodical nature that makes him such an effective quarterback kicking in. He led us all through the checklist like he was calling a game, only this game has lives at stake. We ticked the items off in record time and loaded a couple of nervous parents-to-be into my truck.

"Breathe, sweetheart," Cole coaches from the backseat, his arm wrapped securely around his uncomfortable wife.

Tears fill Wynn's eyes as she manages the discomfort, but there's determination there as well.

This is it—the moment that will change everything for them.

Beside me, Colby grabs my hand, melting into my side as we make our way toward the hospital, her eyes sparkling with all of the anticipation and hope of this blessed chaos.