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“And that image will be imprinted in my mind forever,” he adds.
My mouth drops as I stare at Callum and I turn to look atUncle Pierre when he squeezes my knee. His mouth has also fallen open. He turns to stare at me and then back at Callum.
“Damn,” Uncle Pierre says, with nothing short of reverence.“Damn.”
I can’t even string together coherent words after that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
YOU’VE MADE AN IMPRESSION
CALLUM
I was just trying to have an honest moment, didn’t mean to shock both Ruby and Pierre into silence. I figured if anyone wanted to know how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress, it’d be her uncle.
It’s a shame everyone missed seeing her in it, and yet, I’m not complaining about that at all.
If she’d gotten married that day, it wouldn’t havebrought her here.
To me.
She’snothere for me, but having her at my place the past couple of weeks has made that blurry.
When Jo sets down Ruby’s food and then brings out my usual, which is the exact meal Ruby ordered, her eyes meet mine and her cheeks flame brighter. It hits me how overwhelming this whole interaction must be for her. First, Peg talking about what gorgeous children we’d have and then me saying the image of her in her wedding dress is imprinted in my mind. I grimace and her eyebrows lift in question.
But then something else catches her attention and it’s like a thunderstorm covers her face in an instant. I actually grip the table to brace myself.
“Ruby?” I ask.
“What are you doing here?” Her teeth are gritted, her tone so unlike the Ruby I know, I’m ready to toss this table out of the way to check on her.
“There’s my girl,” a voice says behind me. “I’m here to bring you home.”
Everything inside me tenses.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Pierre says.
Conversation slowly halts around us.
I turn to see a guy in a tucked in button-down shirt and crisp jeans secured with a belt. His hair is parted on the side and he looks like he’d bepissedif anyone tried to mess it up. His squirrely grin is centered on Ruby and doesn’t falter even slightly at the iciness she’s sending his way.
I hate him instantly.
“Chat with me outside?” he asks, that same ingratiating smile holding steady.
“No, thank you, Junior,” Ruby says.
Her words are polite, but her tone isfuck thefuck off.
Junior’s exposed teeth clench slightly, but that’s the only change in his demeanor.
“I came all this way, babe,” he says, upping the smile another notch.
My eyes narrow on him and a growl comes out of me without warning. He glances at me in surprise. His Adam’s apple bobs as he tries to hold on to that smile, but it’s a little weaker when he turns to Ruby again.
That fucking pleases me.
“I didn’taskyou to come all this way,” Ruby says.
