Ruby had always been inspired by his drive, his need to succeed and despite what had happened between them, she still felt a sense of pride when she thought of them. She leaned closer to listen to better hear him speak, focusing on the gleam of excitement in his eyes that never ceased to amaze her. She’d always been drawn to him when he started talking about the future and his place in building that. That magnetic pull hadn’t diminished over the years and that in itself was comforting.
“I can’t imagine you wanting to stop. Not after all the work you put into it.”
* * *
Nor could Simon but when things had gone wrong between them, he had considered it. The last thing he wanted to do was make anything that would give him more money. He couldn’t imagine being without Ruby and saw no way to fix it other than hiding away from the world.
Luckily his family and Tyler had stood behind him and held him up, encouraging him to keep going. They’d also convinced him that things could always get better. It all depended on your perspective and how you dealt with the hand you’d been given. Or as he preferred to think of it, the hand he’d dealt himself. Eventually he’d come to grips with how life had turned out and his part in it.
It was back then that Simon had realized what he wanted to do to ease his guilt over the mistakes he’d made with Ruby. Help people less fortunate than himself. Which was what Ruby had been doing ever since he’d known her even if she’d chosen animals over people.
“With the way things had gone, it was a very real possibility for me. I had a plan and it’d gone wrong. Time for a rethink on my part.” Simon gazed at her intently, wishing she would look at him, want him like he wanted her.
“So, tell me then. What did you end up doing?”
“We sponsor kids with computers who’d never have a chance to own one otherwise. Tyler came up with the idea to build simple, kid friendly laptops that get handed out at school to those that don’t have them. So far we’ve managed to get into quite a few schools across the county and it’s going well. We were lucky growing up. Our folks could afford them. Not everyone has that so we step in where we can.”
“I had no idea.” She gave him a smile and turned back to the food.
“We don’t shout about it but we do it because it’s right. We also have programs that help vulnerable kids on the street. Homeless programs where they can get a meal and a safe place to sleep along with some friendly advice. We train them to help others if that’s where they think they want to go to give back too.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’m glad to hear it.” She made herself busy by opening the food containers avoiding his gaze. “I’m starving.”
Tyler came out with napkins and plates. “Been looking forward to this all day.”
Simon backed away from the conversation, already planning his next step. If Ruby didn’t want to talk about them, fine. He’d find another way to make it up to her. “So, tell me how things are going at the shelter. Everyone settled in well?”
A smile curved her lips. You could always guarantee talking about her beloved animals would put a light in her eyes. “Yes we are. Things are going better than I imagined. Oh, some of the animals are still unsettled but generally, everyone is doing well. It’s so good to not have the thought of being kicked out over our heads. I can actually relax more and do what I do best. Look after the animals. And we made our target.”
“That’s great to hear. But I knew you would. I’m so glad that worry is off your shoulders.” Simon handed her a napkin. “Listen, if you ever need anything, you can let us know. We like to help out where we can. Don’t we, Tyler?”
“Sure do. And you’re a friend so we like to help you more than most.”
Simon shot Tyler a look – he knew Simon wanted more but friends was better than nothing. For now. Her face remained blank which Simon didn’t take as a good sign. Maybe he should have shut up and kept things on a friendly basis. Left the money out of it.
“I think what you’ve already done has been more than enough. Which reminds me, I still owe you a date.”
“Two actually. You still owe me two dates which I will claim soon.”
Ruby looked up and met his gaze. There was something there. Longing or loneliness. He couldn’t be sure because she ducked her head before he could decide.
“Mom wanted to know if you’d like to go over on Sunday for dinner. Her and Dad haven’t seen you for ages and miss you heaps. Her words.”
Ruby swallowed and rubbed her throat. “Won’t that make things awkward?” She watched as Tyler grabbed more food and headed back inside mumbling something about getting drinks.
“Why? Aren’t we still friends?” He swallowed the bitterness the word conjured in his mind. She glanced up, a tinge of color on her cheeks. “Despite the fact I’ve never wanted anyone like I still want you, if all you’re prepared for is friendship, then I’ll take it. We’ve known each other forever. My folks miss you. Simple. Come to dinner.”
Ruby tucked a dark curl behind her ear. “No pressure?”
“No pressure.”
A wobbly smile surfaced before becoming a decent more relaxed grin. “Okay. Sure. I’ve missed them too. What’s the address?”
Simon shook his head. “I’ll pick you up on Saturday. And bring the dogs. Mom will be over the moon.” He looked up as Tyler came back out with three bottles of beer clutched in his hand.
“Time to celebrate I think.” He grabbed a bottle, twisted the top off and handed it to Ruby before taking one for himself.
Tyler held his dripping bottle up. “To old friends getting back together again and a better future.”
Simon held back a sigh of despair and gave his friend a blank stare. He just hoped he’d manage to keep Ruby in his future. There were no guarantees and she hadn’t made much of a comment when he said she was the only one he’d ever wanted. If friends was all she wanted, how would he manage to move forward?
Chapter 15
What did he mean, a better future? Simon was up to something, she knew it. Ruby rolled over in the bed and came face to face with Ziggy. The little dog had taken to sneaking up in the middle of the night and snuggling on her pillow. “You, madam, are supposed to be on the floor in your own bed with the rest of the ferocious beasts.”
Her cell pinged with a message. She picked it up. Tyler’s name came up. What does he want this time of night?
Tyler. Hey Ruby, I wanted to say something without Simon around. Is it too late to call you?
Ruby. No, I’m having trouble sleeping.
Seconds later her cell rang. She pushed the button and held it to her ear. “Hey, what’s up.”
“Sorry to call so late but I need to get something off my chest. It’s been killing me and Simon insists he’s to blame too. Not a good excuse but we’ve been arguing over it for years.” He blew out a breath.
“Spit it out, Tyler.”
“Back when we sold that first program, it was me that wanted to keep it quiet.”
Unease prickled up Ruby’s spine and she shuffled up to a sitting position. “What do you mean?”
“It was me that said to keep it quiet from everyone, you included.”
“Why would you do that?” She held her fingers over her lips to stop herself from cussing at him.
“I don’t know. My only excuse was what happened to a friend of mine. He came into some money and all these new friends came out of the cracks. Pretty soon he was alone again and broke.”
Ruby closed her eyes. “And you thought I was that kind of friend?”
“Truth is, I wasn’t exactly thinking, I was too busy freaking out. Think about it, Ruby. What would you do if someone offered you four billion dollars after being dirt poor for all of your life?”
“Freak out.” She bit her lip.
“Yeah, exactly. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. More that I didn’t trust myself. It blew my tiny little mind, let me tell you. I figured if we could at least get the contracts signed and speak to a proper finance pl
anner before we told anyone, we could cope with it. Kinda take the pressure off, you know?”
“And did you? Cope?”
“Nah. My mom wouldn’t speak to me for weeks. She cried her eyes out when she heard about what we’d achieved on the news. I made her feel the worst kind of parent and that took a lot of time to heal. After everything she’d done for me. Raising me on her own and all, it was the stupidest thing I could’ve done. I hurt her real bad.” He huffed out a labored breath. “And Simon lost you over it.”
Ruby brushed away the tears and sighed. “Simon could have argued with you, Tyler. He has to take some of the blame too.”
“He did argue. Maybe not as much as you’d like but he wasn’t happy about it. But in the end we were a team and had to agree on everything. It’s how we always worked. Thing was, the company buying the program wasn’t supposed to announce anything until the papers were signed. They promised us and we were going to tell you once the deal was done. They stuffed up which ruined everything.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Ziggy turned around in a circle and snuck into the curve of Ruby’s hip.
“Give him another chance. Tell Simon you forgive him. The poor guy is head over heels in love with you still. There’s never been anyone else for him.”
She sniffed and plucked at the edge of the bedsheet. “I don’t know what to do. So much time has passed and we’re both very different people now.”
“No you’re not. Trust me, you’re not.”
By the time they disconnected the call, Ruby’s head was spinning. She dropped her cell on the bedside table and snuggled down again. She would struggle to sleep even more now. Her mind would churn over Tyler’s words again and again. She’d argue with herself and second guess Simon’s motives even though Tyler had told her what happened and why.
She thumped the pillow and closed her eyes. Ziggy shuffled up by her head.
Hot doggy breath washed over her face. Ruby sighed. It was hard to be cranky with her. She had such a sweet nature and only in the last few weeks had started to trust people more. When she thought about it, it was Simon Ziggy was trusting. She’d gravitated to him from the moment they first met.
A silly grin creased her lips. Truth be told, after what had just happened, she was feeling the same. No matter how much she tried to be angry with him, she no longer was. He’d made a stupid mistake and she’d taken it badly. But that didn’t mean she had to make him pay for it forever. He knew she couldn’t be bought even though he’d slapped down a ridiculous amount of money at the fundraiser. Thank you, Tyler.
She touched Ziggy’s head and the little black pug nestled down with her face tucked into Ruby’s neck. “He’s trying so hard, Ziggy. I have to give him credit for that.” She pulled the blanket up over her stomach and stared at the light of the moon over the ceiling. “He knows I can’t be bought.” She sighed. “Admittedly the fundraiser was a pretty good attempt to make me sit up and take notice but that’s because that’s for the dogs. Simon knows that’s the quickest way to my heart. Sneaky guy.”
She never did get angry at Tyler for his part in that plan either. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
The next morning when the alarm went off, a dull throb pulsed behind her eyes. Her sleep had been filled with fractured dreams of animal cruelty, fundraising balls with animals as waiters and images of her beloved shelter being snowed under, making it impossible for her to get to work. It didn’t snow in Sausalito. At least not since she’d been born. She’d kicked the blankets off during the night and chills now wracked her body. Ruby shivered and pulled the covers back up, tucking them under her chin. She didn’t feel well at all.
A wet tongue licked her nose and she forced her eyes open. “Ziggy.” The little dog whined and did a turn around the bed, staring her in the face. She needed to go outside.
Ruby pushed off the blankets and sat up. Her head swam making her feel dizzy. She held the side of the bed until the feeling passed. Holy crap. What was wrong with her? She stood, one hand on the bed, one on her stomach which threatened to revolt. Had she eaten something bad last night? She hadn’t had a bad taco for years. Why now?
She stumbled out to the kitchen where the dogs waited impatiently at the back door. Ruby opened the door and let them out. She leaned on the door frame, her head spinning and her stomach lurching. When the dogs had done their business and come back inside for breakfast, she shut the door. They all sat watching her expectantly.
“Guys, I feel terrible.” It took her longer than usual to get their food ready. Multiple times, she had to stop and lean on the kitchen counter, gripping the edge to keep herself upright. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and die. Eventually she got them all fed and stumbled back into the bedroom.
She collapsed on the bed. What the heck was going on? She’d never felt like this before. Was it bad food or had she picked up something? She grabbed her cell and texted Simon before she could overthink it.
Do you feel ok today? Think the food might have been bad.
She added a vomiting emoji, sent it and closed her eyes as a cold sweat broke out over her face and she gagged. Ruby only just made it to the bathroom in time.
Afterwards, she lay on the cool tiles, too exhausted to crawl back to her bed. Her cell pinged with incoming messages which she ignored. When two calls went unanswered, she tried to rally herself back to bed but lifting her head started off the uncomfortable sensations all over again. Better to stay down where she was than risk starting the vomiting off again. She pressed her flushed cheeks to the cold tiles and willed away the horrible feeling of dread sweeping over her.
She closed her eyes and drifted off into a sweat induced sleep.
“Ruby.” Something touched her cheek. “Ruby, wake up.”
She forced her eyes open and stared through bleary eyes into Simon’s face. Surely she wasn’t back in her dreams. No. That wasn’t right. She’d texted him.
“Simon.” She reached out a hand and gripped his fingers.
“Hey, let me help you up.” He leaned down and scooped her up and carried her back to her bedroom. With gentle hands, he lay her on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “Relax.”
“I feel terrible.” Nausea rolled in her stomach again and her chest burned.
“I know. You look ghastly too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so pale before.”
“Thanks.” She snorted out the word, half laughing because of the way he said it and half crying because she felt so rotten.
He sat down on the side of the bed. “Tyler and I feel fine. I’m thinking you’ve picked something up along the way. You’ve had a huge few weeks. With the massive push to rehome those animals and the move to the new property, you’ve been overdoing it. Burning the candle at both ends.” He disappeared for a moment and came back with a damp cloth. He wiped it over her face and she sighed.
“I’ve called a doctor and I’ll wait with you until he gets here.”
“Yuck.”
“Stay there and let me go see to the dogs.” He squeezed her hand and left her alone. Ruby drifted off again.
She woke to the dogs barking and someone shaking her shoulder. Through aching eyes, she saw Simon leaning over her, an older man hovering behind him.
“Ruby. Hey, Rubes. Wake up. Doctor is here.”
“Miss Costello. I’m Doctor Sweetman. Simon tells me you’re not feeling very well.”
She blinked and screwed up her face. “Feel like crap.” Even her throat was starting to burn like it was on fire. She swallowed and wished she hadn’t. Razor blades came to mind. What the heck was wrong with her?
The doctor raised an eyebrow at her before he took her wrist. “When did this start?”
“Woke up like it. Threw up, can’t stand without feeling like I want to fall over.” She paused for breath. “General crappiness all over.” She winced, wishing she hadn’t spoken at all. “And I ache everywhere.”
The doctor put down her wrist. “I see. Let
me listen to your lungs for a moment.” He sat on the edge of the bed and put his stethoscope on her chest and listened, his face a mask. “A bit of a tell-tale rattle in there. Let’s take your temperature too.” He waited until his thermometer gave a beep and checked the reading. “I can take a swab of your throat but I suspect you have the flu. I’ve been getting a few cases in every day so it’s going around.”
When was the last time she’d had the flu? Forever ago. “Yay, me. I don’t have time for this.” Her voice had gone croaky. She glared at him, daring him to take it back and tell her she was fine.
“We never do. Sadly, these rarely hit us when we’re ready. I also suspect that you’re one of those people who’s always on the go. So it makes sense that you’re going to be even less inclined to take care of yourself.”
She frowned at his comment which hit too close to home, and swallowed before she answered. “Give me a script and I’ll deal with it.” Her voice came out raspy.
He laughed. “Oh dear me. That’s not how it works I’m afraid. I can give you something for the aching joints but in reality, the best thing for you is rest.” He stood and glanced over at Simon. “Do you have any sway with her, Simon? Perhaps convince her that bed rest is the only way forward unless she wants to end up in hospital.”
“I’ll do my best. How long should she be down for?”
“Oh, I’d say at least three or four days at best. Some people need longer but that’s about average. The problem is that if Ruby pushes herself, there’s a good chance of a relapse and she’ll really have something to deal with. People die with the flu all the time and we see it getting worse every year, sadly. Better in my opinion to take the chance to get over it now and not risk a relapse or further infection which could end with you in hospital in ICU.”
Second Chance Billionaire (The Billionaire's Club Book 1) Page 10