Forty minutes later, past the tiny communities and farmland, she made the turn-off for the property. She had a slight sense of trepidation, since she hadn't told anyone about her plan to look at the place. It had been a last minute, split second decision on her part. She just needed to get away from her pain. She didn't want to stop and wait for a realtor to bring her out here; she had been waiting for too long, putting her own needs on the back burner in the hopes that someday Chad would give her the life that she wanted. A life that he would never want, no matter how hard she tried to please him.
But that was all over now. She didn't have to try to make him happy or change what she wanted to suit him. It was all about her now. And even though she knew her mother and that annoying bully from high school would think she was a loser for still being unmarried at thirty-two, Ruby was her own woman. She was going to make things work for herself from now on.
Sasha was right. Chad leaving her may have been heartbreaking, but she was beginning to think that it really was for the best. Now she would have a chance to start over. To live her life on her own terms. Maybe she would meet someone great. A man who had the same values as she did. Or maybe she never would, and she was okay with that too. She knew women in New York who’d had babies on their own, and she wasn't at all opposed to the idea. She knew that being a single mom would be hard, but everything that really mattered in life was challenging, otherwise it wouldn't be worth it. She didn't need Chad or anyone else to give her the life that she wanted. She was perfectly capable of giving it to herself.
She let out a long sigh, the realization of her own empowerment and agency making her heart swell with pride in herself. Something that had been sorely lacking for far too long.
She pulled onto the gravel road, following the GPS directions. Her four-wheel drive rental bumped over the road as she continued several miles deeper into the rural area. Finally, the GPS told her to take a right and she turned onto a gravel driveway and parked in front of a two-story Victorian era farmhouse. It was obviously deserted and in need of repair, but all the original grandeur of the building was still there.
They just didn't make built houses like they used to, she thought as she closed the door of her car. She walked toward the house, feeling a sense of the place wrapped around her like a warm blanket. The sky was low and gray, and it was growing cold in mid-December. The first snow had fallen and melted to a soggy mush, but Ruby was wrapped in a warm jacket and gloves and hat and the cold air only added to the magical sense of adventure that spiked in her as she walked up the creaky wooden stairs to the wraparound porch.
She walks to the front door. The intricately-carved original was still installed with its decorative windows. She peered through, trying to see what was within. The front hall that was dominated by a staircase. To the left was what would have been a parlor. Beyond the stairs, the hall led further into the house with several doors along the right. There was just enough light at the end of the hall to see the old kitchen. She smiled and stood back.
There was something deeply resonant about this place. Maybe it was her recent breakup, or maybe it was the new sense of empowerment running through her veins, but maybe this really was the place Ruby Wilson belonged. She walked along the porch, observing the decorative sconces along the top. There were missing spindles in the railing and it was all in desperate need of refinishing. The white paint was peeling and flaking off the clapboard siding, and it looked as if it hadn't been touched in twenty years.
But that was so charming to Ruby. It was all so old and so forgotten. It just meant that everything inside this property was just waiting for someone to come along and love it enough to restore it to its original grandeur. She walked around the back of the house and peered through the kitchen door. Inside, a 1950s style refrigerator and an old-fashioned stove dominated the space. The cabinets were falling apart and would need significant repair, but it all looked so quaint and inviting that she couldn't wait to get in there and make it all new again. She let out a deep sigh of contentment and smiled as she turned and looked at the backyard.
Beyond the house was a little chicken coop and a barn and she could imagine having fresh eggs and maybe a horse or cow for milk. She stepped down the stairs and walked through the small barnyard out into the pasture that surrounded the house. Ruby had always loved horseback riding. She could never get Chad to do it. And she herself hadn’t been since she was a child. Still, she imagined galloping through the fields and into the forest beyond. She climbed the wooden fence and dropped down on the other side, suddenly feeling like a child again.
She clomped through the unbroken snow and made her way to the other side of the pasture and climbed the fence again, starting into the forest. There were old growth oak and hickory and pine trees in the forest. And beyond the old growth trees, she found a swiftly-moving creek. She knelt in the creek bed and picked up a stone, tossing it into the water. It made a satisfying splash. Her heart was so full of excitement when she stood and started back around the property toward her car. Her phone buzzed in her purse and she pulled it out, to find a text from her sister.
"I'm glad to hear you're all right," it said.
"I'm better than ever," Ruby tapped out, taking a deep breath of the cool mountain air.
She walked along the creek, happier than she'd been in as long as she could remember. She stopped by the pond and quickly checked the other notifications on her phone. To her surprise, one of them said "Congratulations, we’ve found your fated mate."
Ruby blinked rapidly, having no idea what the heck that meant. Out of sheer curiosity, she clicked on the link and it opened a dating app for shifters. In her drunken haze the night before, she vaguely remembered signing up for a shifter dating app. Had that really happened? She heard a vehicle driving up the driveway. She shoved her phone back in her pocket before investigating her so-called fated mate. She’d do that later for kicks.
She wanted to be at the house if someone arrived and wondered why there was a car parked in the driveway. When she made it back to the car, she found the driver of the vehicle walking up the front steps of the house. He was a tall, athletic man with a striking profile and a shock of black hair. She wondered if it was the realtor or the owner. Maybe he would let her see what was inside. She hurried toward him before he closed the door.
"Excuse me?" she said loudly.
He turned and looked at her from the shadow of the building. He stepped onto the porch as she started up the stairs. His face came into the full light of day, and Ruby took a step backward, nearly tripping over her feet. She stood below him on the gravel as he took a step forward. His bright blue eyes caught the sun as they widened in shock. He wasn't the only one who was shocked. Ruby was speechless. Her heart slammed in her chest. This man was the most handsome man she ever seen, and she was used to going to parties with models and actors and celebrities. Something about him spoke of raw, primal masculinity. The kind of thing that couldn't be attained in the gym or faked. He was completely authentic.
He wore dark blue jeans, work boots, and an insulated parka to protect against the weather. He stepped closer and started down the stairs wordlessly until he was right in front of her. He peered into her face and sniffed the air. Ruby was taken aback by his behavior, still speechless. Her desire rose like a banshee and she blinked, shaking her head. She was a grown woman, not a fifteen-year-old girl. What was happening to her?
"It's you," he said
"Excuse me?"
"It's you. Corpse bride." His voice was full of surprise and confusion. "You certainly don't look like a corpse in person."
"What are you talking about?"
He pulled his phone from his back pocket, tapped several times and held it up for her. She took a step forward and shielded the screen against the sun's glare. There, to her utter shock, was a selfie of her in the bathrobe in the hotel with mascara running down her cheeks.
"Oh. My. God."
"The picture doesn't do you justice," he said, pu
tting the phone back in his pocket.
"Oh shit," she said, the memories of the night before slowly returning. "This is some kind of mistake."
"It's not a mistake. You and I were matched. You're my fated mate."
"I don't know what that even means.”
"I assume you were intoxicated when you filled it out," he said with a frown.
"You think," she said, taking another step back.
"Fate works in mysterious ways.” He shrugged.
"I guess so." Ruby didn’t know what to think. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute. All she really wanted to do was look inside the house. "So, would it be possible for me to look inside?"
"Sure."
They walked into the house and he stopped, allowing her to enter first. She stepped into the parlor and the sun streamed through the big windows and onto the old stone hearth. She walked toward it and put her hand on the mantle. Her other hand found her heart. Dust motes danced in the light. She looked up at the tall ceilings. The man, who hadn't bothered to introduce himself, stood in the doorway staring at her.
"So, who are you?" she asked, walking toward the exit.
She started up the stairs before he answered. They had a charming creak as she made it to the top floor and began inspecting the bedrooms. The upstairs guest bathroom had the most charming clawfoot tub and old-fashioned pedestal sink.
"I'm Jamison Stone. I'm a real estate developer. I was looking at this place as a potential project.”
"Then we do have something in common" she said, walking from room to room.
"So, what made you join mate.com?"
"My fiancé left me at the altar yesterday. I got drunk."
He followed her back downstairs. She looked into the study, a downstairs bedroom, and the big country kitchen that led out to the backyard. It was at least two thousand square feet. And she imagined there was a basement and a bit of attic as well. With a bit of money and hard work, the house could be a showplace again, and Ruby knew that she was the person to do it.
Chapter 5
"Well it was nice meeting you, Jamison Stone," she said, walking towards the front door.
"Wait," he said.
"Yes?"
"I was hoping that I could see you again.”
"I'm sorry, I just got out of a terrible long-term relationship. I'm not ready to start dating again. I hope you understand. Signing up for that website was a drunken mistake. I hope it isn't too disappointing for you."
She turned on her heel and walked out, her heart thumping in her chest. She felt as if she might cry. He seemed like a decent man, and maybe under different circumstances he would have been perfect for her, but Ruby just wasn't ready to put herself out there again. She could not imagine what she'd been thinking last night, but she had been drunker than she'd been since college and anything done in a state like that didn't require a rational explanation.
Ruby got behind the wheel of the car and started out onto the driveway. With one last look in the rearview mirror, she saw Jamison walking down the steps of the house. The sunlight glinted in his hair. Damn, he was a handsome man. She bit her lip, thinking what bad luck it was to have such terrible timing. Maybe in a year, when she'd lived down the fiasco of her wedding, she'd be ready to date again. But not today. Today she needed to start thinking about herself.
As she stopped at a stop sign on a deserted country road, she dialed Sasha. Her sister picked up after the second ring.
"Hi," Sasha said, her tone a mixture of happiness and concern. "I'm glad you're feeling better; I was really worried about you last night. I hated leaving you alone like that, but the babies really needed me.”
"It's perfectly fine, Sasha. You don't have to feel bad about it.”
"Are you coming over now? Mom has been over here all afternoon. She just finally left. There's a whole thing with the guests and the gifts.”
"God, I don't want to deal with any of that."
"I'll help you as much as I can. That's what matrons of honor are for."
"You have your hands full enough with the kids. I'll get my assistants to deal with it. Besides, I have bigger and brighter things to think about right now.”
"Did you get a new idea for a book?" Sasha asked as Ruby talked to her through the car speakers.
"Not exactly. I'm going to buy a house in Fate Rock.”
Sasha squealed with delight. "You're kidding. Tell me you're not kidding. Tony, Ruby's buying a house in town. Tell me all about it. Where is it? Have you already decided which one? This is really the best news.”
“I'll tell you all about it when I get there."
Ruby drove the rest of the way back to Fate Rock with a song in her heart and a smile on her lips. As soon as she got to Sasha's house, she was planning to call her realtor and have them put in a bid on the house.
When she got to Sasha's house, her sister walked out onto the porch of the small working-class house on the outskirts of town. Tony was an electrician, and Sasha was a stay-at-home mom. Even though Ruby knew they struggled sometimes, they'd always refused to take handouts or even a loan. And even though their life was not as financially abundant as Ruby's, she knew that they were happy. Even with the fancy parties and expensive vacations, Ruby truly envied them their family and their happiness. Today, though, Ruby was going to finally have a home of her own. A life that she chose. She was going to make her own happiness without Chad.
Sasha had a baby on her hip and a belly that was ready to pop. She looked happy and tired as she invited Ruby into the house. The older children were playing outside in the backyard, bundled up in winter clothes that Ruby knew were at least a year old and probably from the thrift store. She wished her sister would let her help her, but she understood that she and Tony had a lot of pride. They sat down at the kitchen table and Sasha put baby Eva in a highchair.
"So, tell me about this house," Sasha said, cutting up a banana for Eva.
"Well it's a historic farmhouse on fifty acres. It has two stories with a basement. It has a creek, and a barn and pasture. There’s a pond where I can sit and write in the summer. It's the most beautiful place. I’ve dreamed of living somewhere like this for as long as I can remember. I can just imagine spending my days in the peace and solitude of a country home. Of course it's going to need a lot of work."
"Maybe Tony could help you with that," Sasha said.
"Oh, I'm sure there would be plenty of work updating the electrical system," Ruby said, seeing the opportunity to somehow help her sister. But she knew that there was so much more work to be done, and there was only so much that Tony could do.
“That would be wonderful. Work slows down at this time of year. And this little one is going to be here in just a few months."
Ruby bit her lip. She knew her sister was having a little boy. She couldn't be happier, but with three other children and Tony's inconsistent work she knew it was going to be hard for them. Ruby had more than enough to help them; she just wished that her sister would accept more. She did plan to spoil her nieces and nephews for Christmas in the most obscene way. There was no way that Sasha and Tony could object to that.
"I'm going to call the realtor now," Ruby said. “To put in a bid at full price."
"You think that's wise?"
"I can afford it."
"But what if you can get it for less?" Sasha asked.
Ruby knew that the asking price on the old house would be far more than what her sister could afford, and she didn't want to seem wasteful in front of her so she decided to bid ten thousand less than asking. She dialed up the realtor that she'd worked with on her condo in Manhattan and asked her to put in the bid on the property.
Ruby was so excited when she hung up the phone, she was sure that she was going to get the place. Then she thought about Jamison. What if he had decided he wanted the property? She gritted her teeth — maybe she should have bid more. But he was a real estate developer. Surely he looked at dozens of properties. What were the chances that he would ou
tbid her on the one and only property she wanted? She decided the probability of that was low, so she relaxed in the living room and watched cartoons and ate goldfish crackers with her nieces and nephews.
Tony was out in the garage, working on their car. The whole family was home for Sunday. And when they all sat down for lunch at the table together, Ruby felt like she was finally part of the family that she'd been missing all this time. Chad could have his Manhattan condo and his fancy vacations. All Ruby wanted was to feel at home, loved, and cared for. That was all she really needed.
After lunch, Tony went back out to finish working on the car, and Ruby helped Sasha with the dishes. She was drying and putting away the last plates when her phone rang. It was her realtor. She answered the phone with a gasp of excitement.
"Hello," she said with a lilt in her voice.
"Ruby," the realtor started. “I've got bad news for you. You were outbid by ten thousand dollars. The other bidder came in at asking. I'm sorry, but we can bid again.”
"Offer another ten thousand," Ruby said, gritting her teeth. She couldn't believe that shifter had outbid her. It seemed so impolite, but then why wouldn't he? He didn't owe her anything. She wanted this house, though, and she wasn't going to let it go.
"There are a few more business hours on the east coast. Hopefully, we can get an accepted offer by the end of the day."
"Thank you," Ruby said. "I really want this place. It's exactly what I've been looking for."
"I'll do my best."
"You didn't get it?" Sasha asked, looking sad for Ruby.
"No. But we’re going to bid again. It's okay. I'm going to win it. The other bidder can't possibly want it as much as I do."
Not an hour later, her realtor called back.
"I'm sorry, but we were outbid again. Unfortunately, I’ve already left the office for the day and won’t be able to put in another bid. I will do it first thing in the morning if that's what you want to do."
Builder Bear (Justice Squad Book 6) Page 3