I hold my breath as she turns to me, expecting her to tell me she’s changed her mind. "Do you care if I freshen up a little bit and change clothes?"
I let out a sigh of relief. "Absolutely. That's fine. I'll wait right here." She takes her luggage and disappears behind the door. I stand in front of it, my arms crossed, waiting impatiently and breathe a sigh of relief when I hear her turning the doorknob.
She joins me in the hallway, and I notice that she’s changed into shorts and a sleeveless top. Her long hair is up in a ponytail on the top of her head, and I swear she almost looks 18 again.
We're both quiet as we go back to the elevator and then down to the first floor. I point and show her the direction to the back of the hotel and to the beach. We walk side by side, but I don't say anything until we have our shoes off and our feet in the sand. The sun is about to set, its light catching in her red hair, making it look like a halo crowns her head.
"How's your job going?" I ask her.
She shrugs and turns her head away from me, looking out into the ocean. "It's fine."
I nod. “You always were good at numbers.”
When she doesn't say anything, I continue, "Becky misses you. She said she hasn't seen you in a while."
She folds her hands together behind her back as we walk. "Yeah, I plan to come and see her when the baby is born. Are you excited about being an uncle?"
It's my turn to shrug. "Yeah, I'm excited. I never thought that my baby sister would have kids before I did."
Ruby's eyes turned to me. “I didn’t know you wanted kids.”
Instead of telling her that I've thought about having kids with red hair and green eyes that look just like her, I answer with, "I do."
She's quiet and subdued, nothing like the happy woman that I once knew. She bends and picks up a seashell and holds it in her hand. "How's the ranch?"
"It's good, Ruby. It's probably changed a lot since you were there. You would know if you ever came home."
She lets the shell fall from her hand and sighs. "I do come home. I see my mom and dad every few months."
I grimace. That’s not what I meant. "At one time, you would've considered the McCoy Ranch your home. You were there enough growing up."
She glances at me, and hurt flares in her eyes before she quickly looks away. "That was before I wasn't welcome anymore."
I stop walking and reach for her, wrapping my hand around her wrist. "You've always been welcome, Ruby, always."
She looks down at where my hand is holding hers. It makes me wonder if she feels the electricity between us. It's always been there even though I tried to ignore it. I can't do that now. Some of her hair has escaped from the ponytail, and it's blowing across her face. I wish that I could reach for her and tuck it behind her ear and then cup her jaw and kiss her. But I feel as if I need to tread lightly and not push her in any way, not before we can talk.
I can't get over how beautiful she is. She's ruined me for other women. I haven't even looked at anyone else. And I've stood to the side all this time wanting the best for her, even though now I'm not sure what it is she wants. But I do know after living without her for the last seven years, I will do everything that I can to be the man that she needs.
Gently she pulls her hand back and starts walking. My head drops but not in defeat. I'll never give up again. I follow behind her, and when I catch up to her, she is mad all over again. "You can't say things like that to me, Austin."
I don't even miss a beat. "Why not? It's the truth. You've always been welcome at the McCoy Ranch."
Ruby opens her mouth and then slams it shut again. She seems to be looking everywhere but at me, and then she turns on her heel. "I'm going to go back now."
I don't argue with her. The only thing saving her from having this conversation right now is knowing that I have the next several days to talk to her and hopefully convince her that I am what she needs. I follow her from a distance just to make sure she gets to her room safe.
Chapter 4
Ruby
Itossed and turned all night long. I woke bleary eyed and barely made it down in time for breakfast. A few friends were there, and I caught up with them and listened to the gossip that I had missed out on since I got to the hotel late. Some of them were going to get together today, but I had to beg off with the excuse that I had to work. When in actuality, I spend the whole day searching online for jobs. I’ve barely gotten one email sent when I receive a reply. It's obvious that my boss has blacklisted me from working anywhere in New York. Reply after reply of corporations telling me they're not interested. I'm not trying to be conceited, but my resume is a good one. Working at the firm that I left should give me a foot in the door with no problem. I spend the rest of the day searching for job openings outside of the downtown New York area. There's no way my boss’ reach can be that far.
Morning turns into afternoon and afternoon into evening. I dress carefully for the bachelorette party, and I brush my hair until it shines. I don’t use a lot of makeup at the office, but tonight I apply eye liner and mascara, giving my eyes a smoky look, and I swipe on a red shade of lipstick. My skirt is the shortest thing I’ve worn in a long time, but the itinerary said clubattire. I had nothing that would work and had to go shopping last week. Looking at myself in the mirror, I don’t look like me. I’m used to wearing suit jackets and pumps, not short skirts and heels.
I take a deep breath. The woman at the boutique said it was perfect, and I adjust my off-the-shoulder top before grabbing my purse. I turn side to side and decide to be brave. I look different, but I feel confident.
I've done my best to not think about Austin, but I'm learning that I need to give that up. It's been seven years, and not a day goes by that I don't think about him. I don’t know why I thought I could stop now, especially after seeing him and knowing he could pop up around a corner at any minute. He’s staying in this hotel, and the whole way downstairs, I wonder if I’ll run into him again before Sunday.
