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“Which one?” she quipped lightly, though her stomach had fallen like a stone. She angled for a better look. The other guy definitely had a hockey butt.
“The fellow who was asking after you.”
“That’s Travis,” she replied with a scowl. What was he doing here? Why was he still in Crystal Lake?
Raj’s smile vanished in an instant. “Oh. Well.” He shrugged. “His butt’s not that nice.”
“Yes,” Ruby said, tearing her gaze from Travis and settling it on Raj with a frown. “It is.” She paused. “You said he was asking after me?” That surprised her, considering their run-in at the park.
Raj slowly nodded. “He asked Mira if you had your lunch in the restaurant, and she told him no, not usually, but today you were lunching in. We haven’t seated them and can certainly turn them away.”
“No.” Ruby cleared her throat and attempted a smile even though the thought was tempting. But that would be rude. And childish. She had no idea why Travis had decided to come out to the spa for lunch, but she certainly didn’t care. “Tell Mira not to seat him anywhere near my table.” She cocked her head to the side. Her chef had Mondays off, and in fact was on holidays until the weekend. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you took off with…” She frowned and thought hard. “Johnny?”
“Frankie.”
“Oh. What happened?”
Raj sighed. “He’s much too much of a drama queen for me. Second day in and all he did was whine and complain. The thread count on the bedsheets
didn’t meet his standards. The food was too heavy. The wine too continental. The bloody bloke is a gym rat. What the hell does he know about wine?” Raj swore under his breath and smiled at a customer as she walked by. When she passed, he shrugged. “I decided to catch up on some paperwork and try a few new recipes once the lunch crowd is finished.”
She kissed him once more, aware that Travis’s eyes were fixed on her. She didn’t have to turn around to know this—she felt his gaze like a hand against her cheek. She hated that he still pulled a reaction from her. Hated that her weekend had been filled with thoughts of him, of their past and all the pain and heartache that went along with it.
He didn’t belong in her life anymore—he’d walked away. She had to focus on that. She had to remember that. She had to not care.
And she didn’t. Not one bit. She was going to forget he was here and have a nice lunch with her perfectly lovely boyfriend.
Ruby headed for the alcove near the back of the restaurant and spied Chance perusing the lunch menu. He’d already ordered calamari, and she kept a smile in place even though she wanted to scream. She hated calamari. The taste. The texture. The smell. Even now, her stomach rolled.
Chance glanced up from the menu as she settled in across from him. They hadn’t talked since their argument over Travis, and he seemed a bit quiet. Fine. She got that. Her gaze dropped. She knew she should relax and work to smooth things over. But calamari?
His eyes followed hers, and he swore. “Damn. I forgot.”
“It’s okay.” She pasted a smile on her face. She could do this. She was a big girl. A grown-up. She could ignore the plate in front of her.
“I’ll ask the waitress to take it away.”
“No. I’m fine.” She reached for the glass of pinot grigio. At least he’d gotten that right. Inwardly, she winced. What the hell was wrong with her? Since when was she so damn petty? Chance was a great guy. Everyone said so. Sharon at the bakery gushed over him. Janelle at the dry cleaner asked Ruby every week to let her know when and if he was available. Heck, even her brother didn’t mind him, and he minded most people.
But she knew the reason, didn’t she? With some effort, she pushed all six feet four inches of Travis Blackwell from her mind. “So,” she said brightly, gazing across the table. “What are you having for lunch?”
The two of them enjoyed a spectacular meal. Chance had the beef short rib with avocado salad, while Ruby, a creature of habit, asked for a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese, ham, and onion sandwich. It was comfort food, but today, she needed it.
They talked about nothing important, the weather (hot and sunny for the week), the latest Hollywood blockbuster (how many superheroes were there?), and local construction (was the damn bridge ever going to be finished?). Ruby had just begun to relax when Chance set aside his plate and tossed his napkin. His gaze settled on Ruby, his eyes holding hers for a long time. Long enough for their waitress to clear the plates and bring coffee. To set down the dessert menu. Long enough for the silence to scream louder than words.
“Should I be worried?” Chance finally asked.
Ruby automatically shook her head. She knew what he was talking about. “No.” Because it was true. Chance didn’t have to worry about a thing. Travis might still get under her skin, but then, he always had. There was nothing more to it than that.
“You sure?”
Ruby sighed and leaned forward. She grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it. “I’m sure. Travis was a part of my life a long time ago, and, yes, there’s history there. Some good. Some bad.” Her throat tightened. “Some really bad. But it’s over.”
She sat back in her chair and brushed away crumbs from her lap. “I feel nothing for him.”
Chance nodded behind her. “He’s headed this way.”
Ruby’s smile faltered, but she quickly recovered. “That’s fine.” She reached for her glass of water and realized it was empty. Her hand was still hovering over the empty glass when Travis stopped by their table. Dressed casually, his handsome dark looks complemented the beige trousers and plain white T-shirt.
