The Way You Are

by Carly Fall

“So, where is he?” he asked, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Ruby’s brother was responsible for the whole mess.

  “Well, after all was said and done, it appears he had quite a drug problem and blew most of his money on that, along with a few bad business dealings. He tried to kidnap Ruby so their father would pay the ransom. Ruby’s father told me he’s sent his son to a rehab facility in Colorado.”

  “Her brother was behind this all along?” he asked again, not able to believe it.

  Joe nodded.

  Wow. That had to be some strong addiction for him to want to kidnap his own sister. Hell, he’d almost shot her. The guy obviously hadn’t been anywhere close to being in his right mind.

  “Garrett, I’ve read the report on what happened in Ruby’s apartment. You two had become lovers, hadn’t you?”

  He thought about lying, but decided against it. In the time he’d known Joe, he had realized the man never asked a question he didn’t already know the answer to. He had a feeling trouble would descend when he admitting the truth. He wasn’t supposed to sleep with the clientele. “Yeah, we were.”

  Joe sighed, pulled off his glasses, and scrubbed the lens with the hem of his shirt. “And what are your plans now?”

  “Well, we go our separate ways. I don’t belong in her world, and she sure as hell doesn’t belong in mine. We come from two different places, Joe.”

  “Does that really matter?”

  “Well, yeah, it does.” He sat up in bed. “I want the fuckers responsible for what happened to my unit. I want Group Nine. I’m a man with a mission, Joe. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t avenge the members of my platoon.”

  Joe slipped on his glasses and stared out the window for a moment.

  Finally, he gazed back at Garrett.

  “I haven’t been very forthcoming to you or any of my employees on my history.”

  That could very well be the understatement of the year. Garrett had a tough time trusting those that hid their lives from others, but he’d trusted Joe because there hadn’t been another option for him. He could have either spent the rest of his life in the shitty apartment being monitored, or he could’ve allowed Joe to take him under his wing of protection and actually do something with his life. If he’d chosen option A, he most likely would have committed suicide at some point. It hadn’t been a way to live. Either that, or he would have escaped to the mountains of Seattle and lived as a bear, but then he had to worry about being killed there as well by some damn hunter.

  Yeah, Joe had been his only option. He decided to remain silent and let the man talk.

  “Garrett, I was once in your shoes. Your unit isn’t the only governmental experiment that has taken place, and it won’t be the last.”

  His throat tightened in anger at Joe’s words.

  “It was about seven years ago. My platoon was scheduled for our annual check-ups, and we were told some of us were due for vaccines. Over the course of a few days, they called us in one by one, and I began to notice difference in those who were called in first. They became quite ill, and I watched one of them die. The only thing they’d all shared was the visit to the doctor.”

  Joe turned his gaze out the window. “I had become friendly with one of the nurses on base, and I asked her about it. She’d been very withdrawn since the procedures had begun. We went out to dinner, and she told me everything. They had been shooting my unit with different diseases: the flu, polio, chicken pox … things like that.”

  Almost afraid to move because he didn’t want to break Joe’s train of thought, Garrett tried to not even breathe too heavily.

  “I lost my two best friends to that experiment. Joel Boesel and Tim Richards. I named the horses in Arizona after them.”

  The shock of recognition traveled through Garrett as he remembered the horses—the black one, Boesel, and the white horse, Richards.

  “I decided I wasn’t going to be a part of the experiment, and she decided she wouldn’t administer the shots any longer. Together, we thought it best to go A.W.O.L. It didn’t take them long to find us.”

  Joe waved his hand in front of his face, as if to clear the air from an acrid smell. “What happened after that put me in this chair and disfigured the woman I loved. We went underground and I became obsessed with my mission of dismantling this part of the government that conducted these experiments, but I knew I couldn’t do it without cash. I borrowed money from my uncle who does quite well and I started my protection agency, using my uncle’s ties to corporations to spread the word. I hired some of my old unit, and my business flourished. The wealthy and those with power have much to hide from, many problems that need to be dealt with whether they bring them on themselves or if they are a victim of circumstance. Within eighteen months, I was able to pay back my uncle, expand my business, and I continued my mission to find others like me who had given their lives and souls to the government and have been stabbed in the back, both literally and figuratively.”

  Joe sighed and rubbed his eyes. “In my determination, I lost the love of my life, Garrett. The nurse. Ella was her name. She became my second, and even third, priority.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She’s still a part of my organization, but mainly because she has no other choice. She helps me with medical issues and is self-taught in computer hacking. She’s an amazingly smart woman.”

  He got the feeling he knew where this conversation was going to lead, but he had to be sure. “And what does any of this have to do with me?”

  “Garrett, I’m not a fool. While you were in the hospital, you screamed for Ruby, over and over. That was one reason they had to sedate you so heavily, and we knew we had to get you out of there. You made quite a fuss.”

  “Look, Ruby and I had a good time. Once I’m healed up, I’ll be ready to get back to—”

  “Garrett, have you ever been in love?”

  He swallowed hard and thought about all the women he’d been with. Love hadn’t even been on the radar. He’d never stuck around long enough to let any serious relationship develop, and he shook his head.

  “I’m not saying you are now, either, Garrett. But Ruby is obviously special to you. The man I sent to her apartment after you were shot took her statement, so I know that she knows everything about you, and accepts you for the way you are, bear tendencies and all. Don’t do what I did, Garrett. Don’t let revenge and hatred cloud your soul and keep you from true happiness.”

  With that, Joe left the room, allowing Garrett to stew in his own thoughts.

  The idea of never seeing Ruby again made him hurt worse than the bullet hole in his shoulder.

  However, could he let go of the hate he’d been nurturing for so long and allow himself to be happy? He had for a while in Arizona, but could he put it aside permanently?

  Chapter 43

  Ruby sat by the pool underneath the cabana. A light, spring breeze cooled her skin. It had been ten days since she’d found out her brother had been the one behind the kidnapping attempt, and she still struggled with trying to accept it, wondering if she could ever forgive him in the future.

  Her father had accompanied him to an exclusive rehab facility in Colorado, but had returned the day after checking him in. They had been invited up to visit John in a week’s time, but she didn’t think she’d go. She just needed more space to figure things out.

  The last night with Garrett obviously hadn’t gone as planned as she never got to say goodbye. Joe has whisked him out of the hospital the day after the shooting, and he had disappeared off the face of the Earth. The number her father had for Joe had been disconnected.

  There seemed to be no way to get in touch with him. She had at least wished to say goodbye.

  She hadn’t wanted to stay in her apartment after that night, so she’d moved back into her parents’ house until she found a new place, and a new job, too, as she’d lost her old one due to her extended absence. Her mother pushed her to spend some of her trust fund and get a ni
ce duplex in a gated community with security. Usually, Ruby would balk at the idea, but the depression that hung over her drained her, and she didn’t have the energy to argue anymore.

  In a nutshell, she missed Garrett.

  She thought she’d be able to tuck their time together away, and bring out memories to enjoy every now and then. How wrong she’d been. He’d consumed her thoughts and dreams, and she wondered if she’d just been able to say goodbye, maybe she’d feel different.

  Apparently, he didn’t feel the same way because she thought he would have reached out by now, at least to finalize their time together.

  “Ruby!” Mrs. Torn, the head housekeeper called from the house. “You have a visitor, honey.”

  She didn’t feel like seeing anyone, but curiosity got the best of her. Maybe one of her old co-workers from the library had dropped by to say hello.

  Sighing, she got up from the lounge and yanked at her shorts that had ridden up her thighs. She really needed to diet.

  Walking toward the house, she kept her gaze on the ground as she tried to arrange her face in a smile. When she looked up, she stopped in her tracks.

  Garrett stood at the door, his arm in a sling. She looked at the white t-shirt hugging his chest and the black jeans encasing his thick legs. Besides the shoulder injury, he looked healthy.

  “Garrett,” she whispered and flew over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “Whoa! Easy there, Ruby. Watch the shoulder!” He placed his good arm around her waist, held her tight, and kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  She nodded, her eyes stinging with tears of joy and sadness. This was the goodbye she’d been wanting.

  “Ruby, who’s this?” her mother asked, stepping out onto the patio.

  They turned and faced her, not letting go of each other. “Mom, this is Garrett Bloom. He was my bodyguard in Arizona.”

  Her mother crossed her arms over her chest as she studied him. “It’s lovely to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bloom. How may we help you?”

  Her mother didn’t sound pleased at all to meet him, and Ruby had learned from experience that the thicker her mother’s southern accent became, the more irate she would be.

  “I came to see Ruby,” he said simply.

  “Well, Ruby has had a tough go of it this week, bless her heart. I think it would be best if you left.”

  Her accent slowly deepened, and in another few sentences, Ruby guessed she barely be able to understand her mother.

  Ruby’s cheeks heated at her mother’s rudeness, and she wanted to crawl back into the cabana.

  Garrett grinned at her. “How about if we ask Ruby what she wants?”

  Ruby bit her lip to keep from smiling as he mother became more flustered.

  “Like I said, Mr. Bloom, Ruby has had a difficult week and I’m sure she’s still a little shaken.”

  Garrett pulled her closer and gazed down at her. “Do you want me to leave?”

  Feeling her confidence soar at the fact that someone believed in her ability to think for herself, she shook her head. “No. I want you to stay.”

  “Ruby, I—”

  “We’ll be in the cabana, Mom,” she said, turning her back on her mother and leading Garrett over by the pool.

  Garrett gazed out at the pool of clear, blue water with the water fountain in the middle of it, the pristine, thick rug of green grass that seemed to stretch forever behind it, and the rows of perfectly manicured roses. He’d seen places like this in magazines, but never in real life. The beauty awed him and he wondered what it had been like growing up in such opulence.

  “I’m glad you came,” Ruby said, taking her hand in his as they each sat down on their own lounge chair. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  He glanced down at their intertwined fingers, the rich darkness of his skin against the white porcelain of hers only putting doubts in his mind about why he’d come. Being so different, coming from such different places … they didn’t belong together.

  Then, she leaned over and kissed him, her soft lips washing him in peace and comfort, and his doubts disappeared.

  “I’m so sorry about my brother, Garrett,” she said, placing her hand on his cheek. “I can’t believe he was the one responsible for all this.” She gently touched his hurt shoulder. “I’m so sorry he shot you.”

  He grinned. Of course, Ruby wasn’t concerned with how she’d been hurt by her brother’s actions. Sweet seemed to be the only word that came to mind when he looked at her; that, and hot-as-hell.

  “I’m fine, Ruby. What about you? Are you okay?”

  She nodded, even though her eyes filled with tears. “I’m just in shock. I can’t believe he’d do this to me, and right now, I don’t want anything to do with him anymore. And I’ve been so worried about you, wondering if I’d ever see you again.”

  Her simple words reminded him of how happy he’d been during his time with her. Maybe he’d decided to do the right thing by coming here.

  “Do you really think I’d just walk away, Ruby?” he teased, knowing if hadn’t been for Joe, that’s exactly what he would have done.

  She tilted her head as she gazed at him, her stare flaying him. She knew the true answer to that, but would she say it?

  “I don’t know, Garrett, but I’m really happy you’ve come by. I wanted to say goodbye.”

  The words confused him, and churned his gut. Oh, no.

  “I don’t,” he blurted, his nerves rattling as if he were a teenager asking a girl to the prom for the first time.

  Her face contorted in confusion. “You don’t what?”

  Taking a deep breath, he decided to take the jump. He’d given a lot of thought to what he wanted his future to look like, and it seemed bleak without Ruby. He could only hope she felt the same way. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

  She sat back and looked at him. “What does that mean?”

  He shrugged. “It means I want to see where this thing between us goes.”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head, as if she were trying to understand his words. After a moment, she asked, “How does that work, Garrett? You working for Joe and all?”

  “Joe said he can help us, Ruby. We can both work for him on the protection side of his company, and he’ll help us stay hidden.”

  “What about my family? I want to see them again, Garrett.”

  “Joe said you can. We’ll make this work, Ruby. Please. Say you want to give it a try, as well. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I want this … I want to see where it takes us.”

  He looked down at their intertwined hands again, and suddenly, as he squeezed her fingers, it all seemed like everything fit together perfectly.

  “Ruby?” her father’s voice boomed from the patio. “What’s going on in there?”

  She leaned forward and kissed him again, her eyes sparkling. “Does this mean you want to be my boyfriend?”

  He chuckled. “I think I’m way past boyfriend status.”

  “I think you’re right,” she said, giggling and standing up.

  “Ruby!” he father bellowed.

  “Come meet my dad,” she said as she stood, leading him out of the cabana.

  Garrett turned the corner to see a tall, slim man with blond hair and the same emerald eyes as Ruby. He looked concerned, but then he saw his daughter and his face softened. Garrett took another deep breath, steeling himself for a confrontation. Certainly, Ruby’s dad wouldn’t want her messed up with a guy like him.

  “Who’s this?” he asked tenderly as he looked over Garrett.

  “Daddy, this is Garrett Bloom, the man who protected me last week.”

  Stewart McDermott’s face cracked into a huge grin and he stepped forward, offering his hand. “Mr. Bloom, it is an honor to meet you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you did for Ruby last week.”

  Garrett couldn’t believe he shook hands with a billionaire, and the man talked to him like they were equals. “Just doing m
y job, sir.”

  “Nonsense. You took a bullet trying to protect my girl. That is way beyond the call of duty, Mr. Bloom. I’m forever in your debt. And for God’s sake, please call me Stewart.”

  “Yes, sir. I mean, Stewart.”

  The man grinned and placed a hand on his shoulder. “What brings you here, Mr. Bloom? What can I do for you?”

  Garrett cleared his throat, unsure of how to start this conversation, so he said, “You can call me Garrett, Stewart.”

  “It will be my pleasure. Come under the terrace. Even though it’s spring, that sun feels hot as a barbeque.”

  Stewart led the way over to the table under the terrace, and the housekeeper brought out a tray of lemonade and four glasses. “Mrs. Torn, could you please flip on the misting system, as well, when you get a moment?”

  She nodded and headed back inside. Moments later, a light spray of water cooled the area, and Garrett thought about the misting system he’d grown up with—a hose.

  He took the glass from Stewart and sipped the best lemonade he’d ever tasted. It cooled him on the inside, while the mist brought down the temperature of the outside environment.

  He set his glass on the table, and noticed his hands shook slightly. You’re a goddamned Marine. Get your shit together, soldier!

  “Stewart, while I was protecting your daughter, I became very fond of her.”

  He gauged the man’s face, but the older man didn’t show any indication of what he thought of Garrett’s statement, but he quickly glanced over at Ruby.

  “Please continue, Garrett.”

  “Daddy, Garrett and I want to see where this thing between us takes us. I’m going to live with him.”

  Stewart’s face twitched, as if he tried to hide a smile. “Is that so?”

  Garrett nodded, surprised Ruby had jumped to that level in the relationship so quickly with her father. He was ready to move in with her, and he liked she felt the same. “Ruby is an amazing person, Stewart. She … she brings out the best in me. I care about her a lot.”

  “Well, I’m really happy that you aren’t declaring your undying love to each other, because that would simply be bullshit,” Stewart said, taking a sip of lemonade.