by Layla Holt
“I believe you two can make a success of it,” Dean said.
“Ella is worried about coping with the baby and the new business,” Jonathan said. “But we’ll manage it. I know we can.”
Dean was impressed with the passion with which Jonathan spoke. But more than that, he liked the plans that he and Ella had for the café.
A tinge of envy came over him. Jonathan and Ella were so young and so grounded. They knew what they wanted and they were willing to take risks to get it. How did some people get love so right and others like he and Ruby had to go through peaks and valleys before they settled?
Still, he couldn’t complain. His dreams were back in place again. His future did not look as bleak as it had looked months ago.
He and Jonathan talked a bit longer before he had to go back in time for his shift.
As they shook hands, Jonathan held his gaze. “I haven’t mentioned any of this to Ruby. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. Can we keep it quiet until we’re sure about the funding?”
“No problem,” Dean said, his admiration for Jonathan going up another notch.
RUBY LEFT THE CAFÉ earlier than usual and asked Jonathan to close up for her. She needed to go home, pick up Leah’s custom order and deliver it to her. She smiled all the way home, knowing that she would find Dean home.
She turned off the engine but did not bother to remove the key from the ignition. As she’d thought, Dean was already home and in the living room mini studio. He was solid like that. If he said he would be somewhere at a particular time, that’s where he was unless something urgent came up.
Dean made her feel safe. He made her world stable with him in it. She hurried up to the front door and pushed it open. Ruby stood at the entryway of the living room and watched him. He hadn’t heard her car or the front door open.
In his untucked white shirt with its sleeves folded and the top button undone, he looked sexy in a disreputable, sinful way. Every nerve in her body hummed and wanted to pinch herself to believe that his heart belonged to her.
He must have felt her eyes on him because he looked up from the camera. He looked up and gave her a smile that made her heart rate kick up a notch. “Hi sweetie.”
“Hi sweetie,” she said and went to him.
He kissed her lightly on the mouth and enveloped her in his arms. She let out a sigh as she sank into his body, the hard planes of his muscles enfolding her.
“How was your day?” Dean said, still holding her.
“This is the best part so far,” Ruby said.
He chuckled. “I feel a duty to make it better.” He held her jaw and neck with his hands and tipped his head to kiss her.
A surging tide of heat enveloped her as he deepened the kiss. Dean had a way of kissing her that erased everything in her mind except the bolts of sensation rippling through her body.
“How am I doing?” Dean murmured what seemed like hours later.
“This is where your true gifts lie,” Ruby said.
He adopted a wounded look. “I feel like the rest of my talents are unappreciated. “
“You’ll survive,” Ruby said. She moved back from his hold. “I have to love you and leave you.”
“Where are you off to?” Dean said.
“To deliver Leah’s order. I managed to wrap it up yesterday,” she said.
“She’ll love it. Do you want me to take you?” Dean said.
He was also about to finish and if she took him away from his work, it would mean another extra day and Maisie was waiting on the photographs.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine,” Ruby said.
Leah’s jewelry was already packed in a jewelry box and in five minutes, Ruby was on her way to Glenn Acres. She would miss finding Dean at home after work, but then a lot of things were bound to change. The couple who had shown interest in the café had not said anything yet, but Ruby was still hopeful.
Then she would have to make major decisions but she felt no anxiety about it. Slowly she had come around to the idea of leaving New York. She had accomplished everything she had wanted to. The thought of moving to Lockwood permanently did not frighten her.
Dean was the reason why. She would be happy wherever he was. Ruby was also excited about her jewelry business. She felt like a bird perched at the edge of a cliff about to fly off. She’d forgotten how it felt to be happy and at peace.
As she branched off towards the Cohan home, Ruby stared longingly at the North road that circled to Dean’s land. One day, that would be her route home. The only sounds to be heard in Glenn Acres was the chirping of birds and the gentle swirl of the wind.
Ruby’s plan had been to go straight to Leah’s cottage but at the last minute she decided to pop in and say hello to Mrs. Cohan.
She was glad she did, when Margaret opened the front door herself and her face lit up when she saw Ruby.
“Ruby! What a pleasure, come on in,” she said and held the door open.
“Just for a minute. I’m on my way to deliver the bride’s jewelry,” Ruby said.
“Oh, how fun,” Margaret said. “We went for a last fitting for Leah’s wedding dress earlier today.”
Margaret had done that for her as well. Her mother had been out of town and she had stepped in and gone with Ruby to try on her wedding dress one last time. “I’m sure it was nice for Leah. I was grateful when you went with me. It feels good to have someone assure you that you look pretty.”
Margert touched her arm. “You were beautiful and so was Leah.” She let out a large sigh as she led the way into the living room. “Would you like some tea?”
Ruby shook her head. “No thanks, let’s just sit and talk a while.”
Margaret sat with her hands arranged neatly on her lap. “Leah and I can’t seem to form a friendship. I’m at my wits’ end. I’ve tried everything I can think of but...why am I dumping all my troubles on you.”
“It’s fine Margaret,” Ruby said, glad that they hadn’t lost the ability to talk once the initial awkwardness was over. “She probably just needs time. You’re all wonderful people but nonetheless, a little intimidating for a new comer.”
Margaret glanced at her sharply. “You didn’t have a problem fitting in with us.”
“No, but I had years to know all of you,” Ruby said with a smile.
She and Dean had met in high school and had been friends for a long time before they began dating. It was different for Leah.
“Everything happened too fast for Leah. Her life has been a whirlwind in the last two years. She got pregnant, left Lockwood, had a baby, came back to Lockwood, got into a relationship with her baby’s dad, became a fiancé, a daughter-in-law to be, a sister—”
“Okay stop,” Margaret said with a laugh. “I never thought of it that way. That girl has had a lot on her shoulders. She’s actually a rather strong young lady.”
“She is,” Ruby said. “And now I really do need to get a move on. Leah will be wondering what happened to me.”
They both stood up. Margaret smiled. “Thank you for dropping in. I’ve missed your friendship.”
“Me too,” Ruby said.
They went to the front door.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Margaret said.
“I won’t,” Ruby said and with a wave she went to her car.
She drove back the way she had come and took a left turn to the cottages. There were at least three cars on the driveway front of the picturesque houses. She parked hers behind Lance’s BMW and inhaled deeply.
Butterflies filled her stomach at the thought of coming face to face with the brothers.
“Buckle up buttercup,” Ruby murmured to herself.
She took the jewelry case from the front seat and got out of the car, and strode to the front door. Before she could knock, the door flung open and Leah stood smiling holding a gorgeous blond hair little boy.
“Awwww, is this Matt?” Ruby said, her nervousness forgotten. “He is so cute.”
Matt grinned, looking adorable wit
h only two teeth at the front.
“He loves attention,” Leah said and ushered her in.
She’d been to the cottage before but now it had a lived-in look with baby paraphernalia strewn around. It looked homey.
“You just missed Adrian. He just left to go and shower in his cottage,” Leah said as she placed Matt on a rug with his toys.
That surprised Ruby. “You live in different cottages?”
Leah grinned. “Yes, until after the wedding. We want to do things the right way after we botched things up the first time.”
“Speaking of the wedding, here you are. I hope you like them,” Ruby said and handed Leah the box.
Leah smiled as she opened the box. She sighed as she looked at the pieces. “They’re more beautiful than I expected.” She ran her finger over the necklace and then raised her glance to Ruby. “Thank you.”
Ruby grinned, relieved. It was always nerve wracking to wait for a client’s reaction to a custom order. It could go the right way or it could go very very wrong. “You’re welcome.”
Ruby stood up. “Thank you for trusting me with your wedding jewelry.”
“Are you leaving without saying hi to Adrian?” Leah said.
Ruby made a face. “To be honest, I don’t really mind. I don’t want to spoil the rest of his evening.”
Leah’s face flushed. “He doesn’t mean—”
“I understand completely. If Dean was my brother and someone hurt him, I’d be the same. Maybe worse,” Ruby said. She meant what she said but Adrian’s coldness still hurt.
He and Dean were especially close and as a result, she had developed a friendship with him.
“He’s thawing,” Leah said and picked Matt up.
They walked out together. Just before she got into her car, Adrian emerged from his cottage, his wet hair matted to his scalp. He walked towards them without hesitation.
As soon as Matt saw his dad, he raised his hands and shouted ‘dad’. Adrian picked him up and kissed his forehead with a look of adoration.
He turned to her. “Ruby, how are you?”
She smiled. “I’m fine thanks. You have a gorgeous boy there.”
Adrian shifted his gaze to Leah. “He takes after his mother.”
A soft look came over Leah’s face as she gazed at her fiancé and son. A longing for what they had, came over Ruby.
“Tell that brother of mine that it’s bad manners not to return calls,” Adrian said and smiled at her.
Ruby’s heart squeezed. It was a small step but at the same time, a huge step. Adrian knew that she and Dean were seeing each other. “I will.”
Chapter Eighteen
The next two weeks were a whirlwind of activity as the wedding got closer. Dean found himself being Adrian’s right-hand man, doing what Lance should have been doing. He didn’t mind but he missed Ruby. They snatched a few minutes together here and there, but he was always rushing off.
But the rush was over now, and he and Ruby could spend as much time with each other as they wanted. It was a beautiful spring day for a wedding. Dean remembered thinking the same thing on the morning of his wedding.
Pangs of loss came over him and he pushed them away before they got hold of him. It was Adrian and Leah’s wedding. A time to celebrate and be happy. Their family had expanded by two. Matt was officially going to be his nephew. Dean hurried into the shower, his mind on the day ahead.
He wasn’t hopeful that Ruby would come to the wedding but he understood. He remembered attending his sister Megan’s wedding at St. Luke’s church. He’d been physically ill as he was swarmed with memories of his own wedding day. Ruby had a reason to be wary of going to the same church.
Dean wore his groomsman outfit, a charcoal suit, white shirt and black bow tie. He grabbed his phone and typed a quick text to Ruby.
Morning sweetie, hope you had a good night. I might not get to my messages all day. Talk later. Stay safe. I love you.
He read what he had written. His finger hovered over the delete button. He loved Ruby, there was no doubt about it. But he hadn’t said it to her since she’d come back and he didn’t know if saying it via text the first time was the best thing. Too late, he thought as he hit the send button.
All the groomsmen were meeting at Adrian’s and when he got there, there were three strange cars. He checked his phone one more time and smiled when he saw a message from Ruby.
I love you too.
All air left his lungs. He stayed in the car just staring at the message. She loved him. He wanted to shout it to the whole world.
Deep male voices greeted Dean when he stepped into the cottage.
“It’s a good thing you gave up the best man’s job,” Lance said. “It needs someone good at keeping time.”
Dean thought of the previous week when Lance had had excuse after excuse. Adrian draped his arm around Dean. “Leave it. It’s not worth it, I promise.”
Sean emerged from the bedroom buttoning his shirt. He and Dean bumped shoulders and he did the same with Mike, Adrian’s friend from college. “Where’s Jaime?” he said.
“He’s next door, chatting up the bridesmaids,” Lance said. “I should be there.”
That’s who the other cars belonged to, Dean thought. “How are you doing man?” he said to Adrian.
His older brother smiled. “Good,” he said and pulled Dean to the side. “A little nervous to be honest. I’ll feel a lot better when it’s over.”
“What are the chances of that happening again? Leah is different. She knows what she wants and if she didn’t, you’d know it before today. Those things don’t come as a surprise, it’s just us who choose to ignore the signs. Don’t think about that.”
Adrian let out a loud exhale. “Thanks.”
“Let’s go get you a wife,” Dean said.
RUBY CHANGED HER OUTFIT for the third time and promised herself that it was the last one. She wore a pleated halter dress with a layered skirt and paired it with a pair of red heels. She’d spent close to an hour holding up her hair at the top of her head.
She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and pulled out the pins. She didn’t like the style she had painstakingly copied from a magazine. She shook her curls lose and ran her fingers through her hair. It would have to do.
The ceremony had already started and she had a fifteen-minute drive ahead of her. Her hands started trembling the nearer she got to St. Luke’s. When she got there and parked her car, her hands were not only trembling but she was sweating in bucketfuls.
She looked at the entrance of the church, decorated in gold and emerald green, and wanted to weep. Seeing St. Luke’s looking so pretty with ribbons draped across the wide entrance took her to that Saturday morning four years ago.
She hadn’t made it to the church but she had been there the previous evening to look at the décor. Their theme colors had been merlot, peach and sage. She looked at the time. Twenty-five minutes late. The temptation to turn around was strong.
She thought of Dean, throwing a glance at the entrance every few minutes. She had done that to him once, she would not do it again. She inspected her face in the mirror. Her eyes were a little swollen. She couldn’t do anything about that now and she didn’t want to wear her sunglasses.
If she did, everyone would think she was trying to be incognito. Ruby grabbed her clutch bag from the passenger seat and dragged herself from the car.
Ruby wanted to groan with every step she took towards the entrance of St. Luke’s. She had walked countless runways, including the most difficult ones. A church in Lockwood was nothing.
Not even if the whole congregation was staring at her and murmuring amongst themselves as she walked in. Not even if they were pointing her out to their friends who did not know her.
She would hold her head high and walk in as if she was a regular guest. Not the bride who had been a no-show four years ago.
Ruby gave herself a mental shake. They probably wouldn’t even recognize her. Four years was a l
ong time. Other things had happened. More scandalous things.
She was dissuaded of that notion as soon as she walked into the church. It seemed as if she had entered not too long after the bride had made her grand entrance. Ruby could have kicked herself. Her modeling experience kicked in. She held her head high, put one step in front of the other.
Her gaze caught Father Martin’s and he smiled at her. She smiled back. Someone stood up from the front pew and waved her over. Mrs. Cohan. Ruby would have preferred one of the back pews but she had no choice but to go and sit with the family.
DEAN WAS SO PROUD OF her. Proud of the way she had strode into the church, unflustered by the stares and murmurs. He’d wanted to hug his mother when she had stood up and beckoned Ruby to sit with the family at the front. Grateful to his sister Megan for squeezing Ruby into a tight hug.
Now, he could protect her himself. He tightened his arms around her as they danced to the slow ballad. They were worse than the bride and groom. They had not danced with other partners and were content in their own bubble.
Ruby stretched her hands over his shoulders and smiled at him. He felt so lucky. As if he had won the lottery of life. He didn’t care whether they ever got married or not as long as she was in his life.
“It was a beautiful wedding,” Ruby said.
He nodded. “With beautiful guests.”
She laughed. “I love dancing with you but my feet are killing me.”
“I know a nice quiet place outside,” Dean said and led her off the dance floor.
The air was refreshingly cool outside and she inhaled deeply and fanned herself. Dean led her around the ballroom to the back garden. He found a bench and they sat down side by side and held hands.
“Thank you for coming,” Dean said quietly. He squeezed her hand. It would have been easier not to. “You’re very brave.”
Ruby sighed. “I wasn’t very brave when it was my own wedding.”
Dean angled his body to face her. “I think you were, sweetie. Maybe that’s what you needed to do at that time. I’d hate to imagine if we had gone ahead with the wedding and then regretted it. That would have been doubly worse.”