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He planted his hand on her hip and curled his fingers into her bottom. “Oh, I already knew that.”
She laughed quietly. “You’re flirting again.”
“I’ll keep doing what works until it stops being effective.”
“Hey, Ruby,” Chelsea said. “I’m going to run to the ladies’ room. Do you want to come with me?”
Ruby felt torn. What she really wanted was to fall into Heath’s arms. But maybe it was a good idea for her to cool off. It was going to be a long night. “Sure thing.” She turned to Heath. “We’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Heath watched as Ruby and Chelsea left for the ladies’ room. “Any clue what they’re going to talk about?” he asked Nolan.
“Us, of course.” Nolan flagged down a waiter. “Any chance we can get two bourbons, neat?”
“Absolutely, sir. I’ll be right back.” The waiter disappeared into the crowd.
“Smart thinking,” Heath said, taking his seat again. “I could use something stronger than champagne.”
Nolan joined him. “I figured as much. I’m sorry that happened. Vic can be a great guy, but he can also be a jerk.”
Heath shrugged. “He’s protecting his family. Just like I am. So I figure we’re even.”
Nolan nodded and drew in a deep breath through his nose. “I’m glad you decided to come tonight. I feel bad that I shut you down the other day when you called and you wanted to talk.”
“Really? What happened to being absolutely sure that you didn’t want to talk about the oil rights?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Ever. But I feel stuck. Between you and Chelsea.”
Heath let that tumble around in his head. He didn’t want his brother to suffer, but maybe it was good for Nolan to feel stuck. Heath had felt that way for his entire life. “Chelsea and I are fine. I like her. She likes me. We don’t talk about her family. It seems to work.”
Nolan leaned forward and rested his elbow on the table, casting Heath a serious look. “I have to wonder how long that’s sustainable.”
“It’ll go away soon. And then we can all move on.” Heath hadn’t told Nolan that he’d asked Albert to file the suit against the Grandin estate. His brother had made it clear that he wanted to be kept in the dark when it came to that matter, and Heath was committed to keeping that promise. Still, he eventually wanted Nolan to know about the timing of the original survey and the issuance of the oil rights to their mother. A lawsuit, or the threat of one, might be the only way to bring that final and crucial detail to light.
A slight smile broke across Nolan’s face. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Really glad.”
“I’d like to talk about Ashley’s foundation. About the riding center. I’ve contacted an architect and he’s set to come for a site visit in a few days.”
“That’s fantastic you’ve gotten the ball rolling.” Nolan knocked Heath’s shoulder with his fist just as the waiter dropped off their drinks. He slipped the waiter a ten, then raised his glass. “To making Ashley’s dream come true.”
Heath clinked his glass with his brother’s. “I’d really like you to be involved. In all of it. It will mean more if we do this together.”
“Absolutely. You can count on me. Whatever you need.”
“Count on you for what?” Chelsea asked as she and Ruby appeared back at the table.
Nolan stood and took her hand. “A trip around the dance floor, of course.” He turned back to Heath and Ruby. “We’ll see you two in a little bit.”
Ruby eased into her seat. “They’re adorable together. They seem really happy.”
They did seem happy. Heath wondered if he would ever feel like that. Ruby certainly made him believe that it was possible. “Would you like to dance?”
She winced and made a funny face. “I sort of have two left feet.”
“It’s okay. We’ll go slow.” He stood and grasped her hand, tugging her closer to the dance floor. He wound his way through the crowd, ignoring anyone who cast him a disparaging look. He was going to dance with his date and that was all there was to that. As soon as they were out there with the other couples, Heath wasted no time pulling Ruby into his arms.
“You don’t really seem like the dancing type,” she said.
