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On top of that, she had exactly twenty minutes until she was expected downstairs for Lisa Booker’s massage.
Her nostrils flared as the aroma of sweet butternut filled the air, and she tossed her reading glasses onto her desk when Jaylene set down a generous bowl, along with a spoon and two large biscuits.
“Your brother’s here,” Jaylene said and stepped back.
Great. Another distraction.
She was trying to decide between a blue-based gray and a green-based gray. Then there was the clay color she liked. Or maybe she should stick with an earthier tone. She bit her lip, concentrating, and reached for the bowl. Right now, she didn’t have time for Ryder and his problems. Lord knows she had enough of that stuff in her own life.
“Tell Ry I’m busy. Tell him to grab some dinner in the restaurant, and I’ll stop in after I’m done with the massage.”
“Why don’t you tell him yourself?” Ryder slid into the leather chair in front of her desk and grinned.
Shit, was Ruby’s first reaction. Her second? Surprise. Her brother looked—she blinked, just in case there was lint or something in her eyes. But when her vision cleared, her first impression was the same. Ryder looked damn good.
“Thanks, Jaylene,” she murmured, pushing the catalogs aside. She opened her drawer, searching for the aspirin bottle she kept handy. Stress and lack of sleep had finally caught up to her. The headache that had been threatening all day was knocking on her door, and she just needed to get through a few more hours until she could kick back with a glass of wine and try to forget it all. She grabbed two small white pills, popped them in her mouth, and swallowed them down with a big gulp of water.
“You look like shit,” Ryder said, leaning back and threading his hands behind his head. He was dressed casually. Plain white T-shirt, beige khakis, and tan deck shoes. His hair was clean, the russet waves thick and curling around his ears. His blue eyes were bright, and his handsome face looked rested. He was still on the thin side, the sharp cheekbones and jawline attested to that, but there was definitely something different about him.
“Thanks,” she replied. “For once, you don’t.”
He laughed. And for one moment, Ruby’s heart melted because it was a genuine, full-bodied laugh—a sound she hadn’t heard in a very, very long time. She found herself smiling as she watched him, her hectic, stressful week fading away as she caught a glimpse of the brother she used to know. The one she missed so much, it hurt to think about. She couldn’t help it. The hope she kept buried deep inside burst to life and warmed her from the inside out. It made her smile wider, her eyes misty and her throat tight.
But Ruby wasn’t stupid. They’d been down this road before. Many times, in fact. Such was the cycle of an addict. They got clean. They got better. They went to work. Had relationships. Good relationships. Some that even lasted a significant amount of time. But then something gave way. A small crack no one noticed until it was too late. The crack split open, swallowing everything good and whole until there was nothing left but a shell. They were back using, and all the they’d accomplished slid into the gutter.
“What’s up?” she asked lightly, watching her brother closely. The siblings stared at each other in silence until finally Ryder shrugged, that small smile still tugging on the corners of his mouth.
“I got a job.”
Again, that small fire inside Ruby flared. He’d been without work for over a year. Ever since he’d been fired from his last job—working for her. She tried not to be too gushy—her brother didn’t like that. She leaned forward. “Ryder, that’s amazing. Where? What? Give me the details.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“It is, and you know it.” When was the last time he’d done something without her pushing him into it? Without her making the phone calls and scheduling the appointments? She’d been carrying his load for so long, she forgot what it felt like to have him take the initiative.
Something flickered in the depths of his eyes, and she could tell he was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? He had a checkered past. There was no getting around that. A lot of ups and downs. In and out of rehab. Booze, pills, weed, and who knows what else. Her brother had had so much potential. So much to give this world, and it hurt her heart when she thought of all he’d lost. Especially the things he didn’t even know he’d lost.
He held her gaze and then looked away, clearing his throat a bit, and brushing imaginary lint from his shirt.
“It’s in the city.”
“Traverse?”
He nodded. “I’ve been fooling around with my portfolio.”
She was surprised. “You’re taking pictures again?”
“I, ah…” He rolled his shoulders and settled back in the chair as if biding time, searching for the right words. “I was organizing the back room and came across some of my stuff. It got me thinking about how much I loved photography. I don’t know. Maybe it’s fate or something like that, but I saw an ad for the tourism board in Traverse City. I spent the last few days taking shots around here and emailed them in. They called this morning with the offer. I didn’t even have to interview, which I guess is a good thing. They must have been desperate.”
Ruby was up and out of her chair before Ryder had a chance to say anything else. She wrapped her arms around her brother. “They’re not desperate,” she whispered fiercely. “Your talent, your eye behind the lens is incredible. You’ve always seen things no one else does.”
Blinking tears from her eyes, she exhaled and then slowly untangled her arms from around Ryder.
“There’s just…”
“What?” She frowned, her heart sinking. There was always something, wasn’t there?
“It’s Traverse City. There’s no bus, and I don’t…well, the old Civic is on its last legs, so I was kind of hoping we could work something out. I thought maybe you could cosign so I could get new wheels. My credit’s not so good.” He looked away in embarrassment.
