“Woah!”
I knew that voice.
“You okay, Ruby?” Grayson asked as he helped steer me to a less populated part of the sidewalk.
“My coffee,” I whined. The entire cup had fallen to the street and lay in the gutter, spilling its contents into the storm sewer.
Gray chuckled. “Just be glad you didn’t end up wearing it.”
I folded my arms over my chest and glared at a woman who was letting her fat corgi eat the pieces of my pastry from the ground. “At least if I was wearing it, I might have gotten a chance for a taste.”
Gray laughed, and I turned to really look at him for the first time. Once again, Grayson Archer in daylight was more beautiful than any man had a right to be. Today, he was in a pair of loose basketball shorts, sneakers, and a faded tee with “Army” stamped across the chest.
“Since this is the second time I’ve literally run into you, let me buy you some replacements.” The grin on his face was sweet and charming, and I found myself leaning toward him despite my resolve to hide my crush.
“Yeah, no. That’s okay. I’ve got to get on the road; otherwise, the rest of my day is shot,” I said and flapped my hand in the general direction of my car. It was a lie. I had the time. I just didn’t have the fortitude to withstand more time with Gray.
“Fika’s just over there,” he pressed. “Come on. Let me buy your coffee, Ruby.”
He’d lowered his voice and stepped closer to me. We were in a small space between a light post and a cement planter, and I could smell his familiar cologne as well as sweat and the remnants of my coffee. It shouldn’t have been a pleasant mix, but it smelled better to me than my favorite spiced apple candle.
This close, I could see flecks of gold in his eyes that made them even more interesting and unique. Why wasn’t there a flaw on this man? Why couldn’t I find a misplaced hair, a crooked tooth, or a patch of dry skin? Why must he be perfect everywhere I looked? I was starting to feel like I was lost in the desert because I felt parched every time I saw Grayson.
“Fine,” I agreed. “I need the caffeine to brave Walmart anyway.”
Gray laughed and stepped back so we could make our way toward Fika again. “Well, thanks for being so magnanimous, Ruby darlin’.”
Gah, that accent. It was smooth and dark like rich chocolate, or coffee, or Maple syrup. Every time he talked, I felt enveloped by his decadent voice. It was almost as bad for my body as the flakey pastry at Fika and twice as addicting. It was a good thing my attraction to Gray didn’t go straight to my hips like the pastry did.
Gray held the door to Fika open for me, which was unusual for me, and we joined the line that had formed at the counter. I noticed a few familiar faces at the tables and in line, so I tried to keep a step away from Gray to avoid any speculation. I knew it was no use, but I made an attempt all the same.
“So, what’s after Walmart?”
Gray’s question caught me off guard, so I answered honestly, “I spend the rest of the day cooking.”
A small frown marred his brutally beautiful face. “Do you have a lot of kids or something?”
I laughed. “Sometimes it feels like it. But, no. It’s just me.”
“What are you cooking all day?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my second-grade teacher and the church deacon’s wife watching Gray and me with avid interest. I couldn’t stop the blush that crept up my neck, so I shifted my body and gave them only the view of my back. “It’s for my neighbors. Some of them are elderly and can’t cook anymore, so on weekends, I go shopping for them and throw together some casseroles.”
“Aren’t there services for that?” he asked. “I mean, I think it’s great you do it. But back in Texas, there were charities specifically for that.”
“We have those too,” I said and stepped forward in the line.
“But?” he said on a laugh. “There’s more to the story than that.”
“I can’t say.” I leaned in close to whisper. “The woman behind me in the pink cardigan is Kitty Van Wyck.”
“Okay—”
“No, don’t look,” I whispered. “She’ll know we’re talking about her.”
Gray’s eyes sparkled with humor. “But we are talking about her.”
I just rolled my eyes at him and grabbed his—very hard—bicep to propel him forward in line. “Anyway … she’s the wife of the deacon and the woman in charge of their ‘Meals on Wheels’ program. So, I can’t say out loud why my friends don’t use her services.”
“Ruby, I am the soul of discretion.” Gray put his hand over his heart. “My momma raised me better than to spread gossip.”
“Does your mom also know how you use those looks she gave you like a weapon?”
Gray threw back his head and laughed. The sound was so bright and pure that it cut through the din of the cafe. As much as I loved making him laugh like that, it also meant every eye was now on us. My anonymity, if I ever had any, was blown. My stomach immediately soured with the feel of all those curious gazes now centered on me.
Shit.
Chapter 7
Gray
Just as I suspected, spending time with Ruby was better than anything I’d done in years. Not only was she gorgeous to look at, but she was quick-witted, sarcastic, and funny. I didn’t care that I was making a spectacle of myself as I laughed loudly in the middle of the crowded cafe.
“People are staring,” Ruby said as she stood stiffly beside me.
“Who cares?” I asked. Yeah, a few rude people were still staring but most had turned back to their own conversations.
“I do,” she said. I noticed it was through gritted teeth.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized and reached out a hand to cup her shoulder. Ruby was too quick for me, though, and I ended up reaching for empty air. I just ran my empty hand through my damp, sweaty hair and followed her up to the counter.
“Hey, you’re back,” the guy behind the counter said to Ruby.
“You know me,” she said in a bland tone. “Gotta keep this figure up somehow.”
The guy blushed a little and laughed. “Well, it’s working for ya.”
Did he just flirt with her while I’m right here?
“The lady will have her previous order, and I’ll have a large cold brew with a shot of vanilla,” I said as I moved closer to Ruby’s back.
The kid—he was at least twenty years younger than me—looked shocked to see me standing behind Ruby. Good. I was just enough of an asshole to enjoy the look on his face. “Uh yeah, sure. Want anything to eat, bro?”
“Just the coffee, thanks.” I gave him some cash to cover the drinks and Ruby’s food. “Keep the change. Bro.”
He took the money from my hand and skittered off like a mouse to make our drinks, so I put a hand on Ruby’s lower back and gently guided her to the end of the counter. There was another small crowd waiting, so I moved us into a small corner between a display of knick-knacks and the bakery case.
“Are we done with the male posturing?” Ruby asked.
“That wasn’t posturing.”
Ruby laughed so quietly, it sounded like nothing more than an exhale. I found myself wondering what it would be like to hear her really let loose.
“Okay, macho man,” she said and looked up at me. “What was that?”
We were so close I could see the variations in the color of her brown eyes and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. I thought I’d made a thorough study of the fine details of her face over the months, but those freckles were a welcome surprise.
“Just letting him know,” I said.
A furrow appeared between her brows. “Letting him know what?”
“That I was the guy buying your drink.”
She opened her mouth to say more but was interrupted by the barista yelling, “Rub
y?”
Several people around us glared, and I understood why. They’d all been here well before us, yet Ruby was getting her order first. I looked around at the people and tried for a charming smile as we walked back to the counter where the barista was standing with a pastry bag and a tall to-go cup. I couldn’t help but notice there was no cold brew coffee in sight.
“Here you go, Ruby,” he said and gave her a wide smile.
“Uh, thanks, Simon,” she said and took her items.
“Sorry, bro,” he said to me. “We’re still working on yours.”
Ruby turned to me, coffee clutched tightly to her chest, “I can wait with you.”
“It’s fine,” I said and waved her off. “You have errands to run.”
She smiled, and it was the softest I’d ever seen her face. It nearly melted me in my tracks. “Thanks, Gray.”
Ugh, then she hit me with my name on her tongue, and I was a goner. This girl was my kryptonite. “Anything, Ruby,” I said.
Her smile faltered a little. “Did you mean, ‘anytime’?”
“I meant what I said.”
A blush bloomed on her cheeks. “Well, thanks. And I’ll see ya around.”
I smiled back. “Count on it.”
Without another word, she spun on the heel of her battered canvas slides and walked out the door. As soon as Ruby was gone, the conversation and noise level returned to normal. I could still feel eyes on me, but I ignored them by pulling my phone from my pocket and checking my work emails.
“… see how she made a fool of herself?”
I turned my head to look around the room for the origins of that nasty bit of gossip. There were three tables occupied by customers as well as several people in line. There was no telling where that snippet of conversation came from, but there was no doubt in my mind who they were talking about.
“… she always was trash, just like her stripper mom …”
I looked up again and noticed the woman Ruby pointed out earlier was staring at me again. I couldn’t be sure if she was the one I heard, so I didn’t say a word. I just gave her my best glare before turning my attention back to my phone—even if I would have loved to give the people assembled a piece of my mind.
I understood Ruby’s embarrassment now. After all, I’d grown up in a small town. I was familiar with the gossip and intrigue that was just below the surface. My mom had refused to marry my lying, cheating, drunk father even after he got her knocked up with me and then my younger sister, Bailey. A single mom living in the small Texas town was almost more than the conservative population could bear.
But when Gramps and Gram made it clear their daughter had their support, Mom was tolerated. No one wanted to go against the wishes of the largest cattle ranch owners in the county. Now that Mom was in control of the spread, Genie Mae Archer was one of the most respected people in the area. It was amazing to see her hold her own against the people that had considered her no more than trash forty years ago.
After I got my coffee from the sullen barista, I walked back to my truck that I’d left near the park when I started my jog through town. As I drove to the marina, I wondered if my own situation was a part of what drew me to Ruby. If the gossip in the shop was anything to go by, Ruby was the outcast in my new community. I had been the target of narrow-minded people in my youth. Perhaps that part of me was the part that fits with Ruby. Well, that, and the fact that she was possibly the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
Hunter met me in the parking lot of the marina. I could tell from the look on his face that the morning was already off to a bad start. Hunter, Jonah Mason, and I had met in army basic training and had become thick as thieves in no time at all. When Jonah died in a training accident that I witnessed, Hunter was the one to help me pull myself together. He was the one that stayed up with me when insomnia got so bad I couldn’t sleep for days. Hunt was the one that pieced me back together when I broke, and I did the same for him.
So, of course, I got out of the truck, ready to tackle whatever was bothering him now.
“Hey,” I called as I walked toward him. “You going somewhere?”
I watched as he clenched and unclenched his jaw several times before answering. “I need a break.”
I stopped and took a sip of my coffee. “It’s your day off. You shouldn’t be here anyway.”
“No, not a break just from work,” Hunter said as he ran a hand through his thick blonde hair. “I need a break from Eagle Creek.”
My gut clenched. Wasn’t he the one who had just told me I could leave and he would hold down the business? “I thought you wanted to stay.”
“I did. Do.” Hunter started pacing, and I just watched him, ready to intervene if he needed me. “I just need a break for a couple days. A week at the most.”
“Is this about whatever happened between you and—”
“No!”
I held up my hands in surrender. “Okay, but you realize why I had to ask, right? You’ve been acting weird for almost a year now. Neither one of you will talk about it, and she acts like you’re the enemy.”
“Because to her I am,” Hunter said.
I wanted to pry, but I’d made him a promise months ago that I’d leave that particular topic alone. “All right, then can you tell me what this is about?”
“Not yet,” he said and pulled his phone out to check the screen. “I’ve got a flight in three hours and just enough time to get to the airport.”
“Are you coming back?” I asked because fear roiled in my gut.
“Always,” Hunter promised. “I promised you we’d do this together, and that’s not changed.”
I nodded and slapped Hunter on the shoulder in the best approximation of a hug that he would allow. “All right, I’ll take care of things here. Be safe, Hunt.”
“Always,” he said again. “I’ll be back in a week.”
Without another word, I watched my best friend jog to his SUV and drive off. Questions, worries, and doubts swirled in my head, but Hunter was not the type to go back on his word. I had to trust that he would be back in a week like he said. And if he wasn’t, I’d hunt him down.
Chapter 8
Ruby
“Saw you had a gentleman with you the other morning.”
I ignored Ida’s bait and continued to scour the soap scum from her ancient clawfoot tub. Even though she was still capable of doing her housework, I got roped into the tasks she hated doing. Because Ida was a master at manipulating the world around her.
“I’ve never seen him around town,” Ida continued. “I’d remember a man that looked like that.”
“He gave me a ride when Betty wouldn’t start,” I said.
“Then why did he come back driving your truck? And who was the other fine-looking man?”
Blood heated my cheeks. I should disavow any knowledge of Grayson or his friend, but Ida had the skills of a CIA interrogator. She would ferret out any information I had to give regardless of my participation. As the former librarian of Eagle Creek, Ida had cultivated a vast network of ladies who were all willing to give her the dirt. She already knew the details; this was just a verification of the facts.
“I also heard you didn’t open the door for either of them. Even though you were home.”
“Which one of your spies tattled? Janice? Stella? Or was it Hiram?” I asked and sat back on my haunches. I used my forearm to push back the wisps of hair that had escaped my top-knot. Ida didn’t have AC, and I was sweating like a pig. “Actually, it doesn’t matter. Just tell me what you’re getting at.”
Ida’s wrinkled face screwed up in a pout that would make an Instagram influencer proud. “I want to hear about this man that gave you a ride and fixed your car. Take pity on an old woman.”
A laugh burst from my mouth. “You only act your age when you want something.”
“Tha
t’s the benefit of growing older, sugar. I get to blame my age for everything, and nobody’s gonna say a thing.”
She had a point.
“Let me finish this for you. Then we can have sweet tea on the porch before I leave to take my nap before work.”
“Fine. Fine.” She waved a bony hand like it wasn’t a big deal. But Ida couldn’t quite hide the satisfied grin on her face. “You know, I wish you’d find some other job than working overnight at that store. It can’t be safe to be all by yourself. Especially at that hour of the night.”
“Ida, we’ve gone over this. There’s nothing else around that I’m qualified for. Besides, I’m never by myself. There’s always at least one other person on shift with me.”
Ida scoffed. “That Jenkins boy wouldn’t be of any help in an emergency, and the Prosser girl is as useful as a steering wheel on a mule.”
“Miss Ida,” I admonished. “They’re sweet kids.”
“They are. Bless them. But I stand by my statement. Now hurry up, girl, so I can hear about these hunks.”
Ida shuffled away before I replied. Miss Ida had been my uncle’s best friend and like a surrogate family member for as long as I’d been alive. Since Uncle Adam had passed and Miss Ida’s daughter disappeared, we only had each other.
Sometimes, like today, her meddling felt claustrophobic. Just once, I’d like to keep something for myself. For six months, I’d never mentioned Gray, and the spies hadn’t discovered his existence. My crush had been mine and mine alone. Now that Ida and her cronies knew, it would become a topic of conversation for the entire town.
People would take this information and examine it, discuss it, debate it. They would decide his eligibility and my value. They would discuss our viability as a couple. The denizens of the town would pass judgment. They would propose more suitable matches. Scheming mamas and terminally single women would orchestrate meetings and introductions. He would become “the catch” of our little town.
The women of Eagle Creek wielded their social order with a firm hand. Often, I imagined them as the dowagers and society matrons in regency romance novels. Arguably, the women of the Creek could give the ladies of the ton a run for their money. A battle royal would be hilarious and a decent distraction from the reality of my status. But it wouldn’t stop me from mourning the loss of my secret.
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