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“I mean it, Tash. Get over here.”
Tasha barked and jumped to her feet. She ran towards Ruby but then ducked and did a few loops around the both of them. Travis wasn’t one for small dogs. He liked them big, a German shepherd or retriever. But there was something about the crazy little terrier. The dog’s infectious joy was hard to dismiss. Once the dog settled, Ruby turned her attention back to Travis.
“You’re still here.” Gone was the whiskey-soaked undertone. Her voice was flat, her words a statement, not a question.
He ignored her comment and got to his feet. “I didn’t think you liked dogs.”
An eyebrow shot up, and she folded her arms over her chest. “Why would you say that?”
He shrugged. “I’ve known you pretty much your entire life, and you’ve never had a dog.”
“My dad could barely keep enough food in the house to feed Ryder and me.” She looked at him as if he were an idiot. Which, now that he thought about it, he was. “We didn’t have a dog because we couldn’t afford one.” She took off her sunglasses, and he saw the old bitterness there. The chasm he’d never been able to bridge.
“I’m sorry, Ruby. I was just trying to make conversation.”
Her mouth dropped open and then was snapped shut just as fast. Her fingers closed over the leash in her hand, and she bent forward, grabbing Tasha and tethering the animal before she could run away again.
When she straightened, all emotion was gone from her face. She slowly put her sunglasses back in place. “We don’t do that anymore, Travis.” She enunciated her words slowly. “Make conversation.”
He clenched his hands into fists. “We could.” He said the words and suddenly realized how much he wanted that back. The friend thing—something they’d been way before they’d been lovers.
“No.” Ruby shook her head and stepped back, tugging on the leash. “We can’t.”
“Why not?” He wasn’t giving up. It wasn’t in his nature, and besides, there was a tug on his heartstrings so strong, it nearly took his breath away.
She glanced over her shoulder, and he followed her gaze, his gut tightening as a sliver of cold grew in the pit of his stomach. When she turned back to him, her blue eyes were clear, that beautiful mouth curved into a bitter smile.
“The list is too long for me to recite right now, Travis, and honestly, I have better things to do with my time.” A small frown touched her forehead. “Do you remember our last conversation?”
“I…” He searched her face and slowly shook his head. The past was something he’d tried hard to forget, and a lot of the bad stuff, he’d buried. He didn’t want to go back there any more than she did. And he sure as hell didn’t want to talk about it.
“Didn’t think so.” She paused as if gathering her thoughts and organizing the right words. “You don’t remember because we never had a last conversation. There was just paperwork and lawyers and cold offices. There were no conversations about anything that mattered.” Her voice dropped. “You walked out the door, and I never saw you again. Not even when…”
Silence followed her words as she regarded him with eyes like chips of ice. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, but there was still an edge there. A sliver of steel that cut to the bone. “You told me you would never leave me. Do you remember that?”
She didn’t wait for him to answer, though he remembered. Hell, it was a night he would never forget.
“It was a Wednesday. The night of the big bonfire, after you were drafted to the juniors. You told me you loved me and that you would never leave me. You said we would always be together.” She paused, her voice lowered. “No matter what.” She yanked on Tasha’s leash and turned away. “You lied.”
She left and didn’t look back.
Stone-faced, Travis pulled his T-shirt back on and watched Ruby as she jogged out of the park and disappeared down the street. He stood there for a good long while, because it took some time for his heart to slow down. For the anger and frustration inside him to abate. It didn’t go away, but it was manageable.
Mouth grim, he set off at a slow jog, heading in the opposite direction. It didn’t take long to reach the
entrance to the old cemetery that climbed up the hill overlooking the lake. He’d only been to this place twice. Once when they’d buried his mother, and the second? Well, that had been last fall, when he’d been home for a few days. He knew where he was going.
The old oak tree still stood, though by the looks of it, some branches were missing. Its greenery shaded a large area, and Travis walked to the south side, where the large Blackwell mausoleum stood, filled with many of his ancestors. His mom, however, was buried outside, a large angel marking her final resting place. It had caused a bit of controversy, he remembered that, but she’d never liked the mausoleum, and his father had, at least, honored her last wishes.
He paused as a fresh wave of pain rolled through him. God, he missed her. What would she think of the mess he’d made of things?
Beside her angel, a small gray slate stone was set in the earth. Fresh blue hydrangeas had been laid next to an old, battered blue teddy bear. A knot formed in his throat, and for a moment, Travis looked away. The guilt and pain made it hard to breathe. When his eyes eventually found their way back, he scrubbed at them and read the simple inscription.
* * *
Nathan Montgomery Blackwell
God needed an angel, and you answered the call. Though your time here was short, you will never be forgotten.
