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“Thanks for braving the storm. I appreciate it. I raided the fridge while you were gone. I had some homemade pasta sauce in the freezer, so I’m heating that up now. It won’t be fancy, but you’ll at least get a hot meal.”
“Sounds amazing to me.” Heath poked at the fire as the logs began to smolder and catch flame. He shut the screen, then walked over to the kitchen.
She turned and smiled at him. Had she somehow managed to get prettier while he was outside? “Red wine okay? I’ve got a cabernet and a merlot.”
“Cabernet, if that’s all right with you.”
“Nice. You like something with a little more body?” She pulled out a corkscrew and began opening the bottle.
“I suppose I do.” Heath cleared his throat, trying to keep from thinking about Ruby’s body and how spectacular it was. Her gentle curves were exactly his speed, and if he spent too much time imagining what she looked like from head to toe, he might be tempted to do something rash, like ask if he could convince her to part with some of her clothes. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You can grab some glasses. Top shelf of the cabinet next to the fridge.”
Heath rounded the kitchen peninsula and pulled out two stemmed wineglasses, then turned and placed them on the counter. This was the closest they’d stood to each other, aside from that moment in the driveway when he’d had her in his arms. He liked being near her. She smelled amazing, the softest floral fragrance he’d ever breathed in. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in soft waves, begging to be touched. Her eyes were so full of sincerity and honesty that they simply took his breath away. He was drawn to Ruby in a way he couldn’t explain. He felt like a lonely planet being pulled into a new orbit, one that left him revolving around Ruby like she was the sun. Between the weather and being with her, it felt as if he’d arrived in a whole new world.
She poured the wine and handed him his glass, then lifted hers to toast. “To being inside. Because I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be outside right now.”
He grinned and clinked his glass with hers. “As the person who went to get the firewood, I’m in complete agreement.” As he drew in a slow sip of his wine, he found himself overcome by the most unfamiliar feeling—optimism. He not only hadn’t felt that way in quite some time, he wasn’t sure what exactly it was that he had to feel optimistic about. On paper, his life was a mess. He spent his days trying to find justice for his sister and mother, and his nights all alone and wondering how he could continue this battle as a one-man army. His brother, Nolan, was certainly of little help. For now, he only knew that he was looking forward to spending the night in this cottage in the woods. With her.
“Will your animals be okay out on the ranch?”
Thankfully, he and the few ranch hands working the week between Christmas and New Year’s had taken care of it earlier that day, at the first sign of bad weather. “Yes. They’re all tucked away in their respective barns and stables. I had solar panels installed a few years ago, so even the power outage won’t impact the heaters that kick in when it gets cold.”
“That’s good to hear.” Ruby turned to look at the stove. “Oh. Water’s boiling. Time for pasta.”
“You do that. I’ll go give the fire another poke.” He took his wine and headed for the fireplace, wondering how tonight was going to play out. Dinner was a given. They’d finish that bottle of wine. Then what? He was clearly staying over, but if the power didn’t come back on, the smart thing would be for the two of them to sleep as close to the fire as possible. And if they were really smart, they’d cozy up next to each other. But as for how he was going to bring that up, he did not know. He crouched in front of the hearth and poked at the fire as it warmed his face and kept his mind racing. If anyone had told him that morning that his trip to visit Ruby would turn into this, he never would have believed them.
“Pasta will be ready in a few minutes,” Ruby said, startling him. She’d walked into the living room so quietly that he hadn’t even noticed. “I’d love to eat at the table like grown-ups, but I think it’s best if we stay close to the fire as much as possible. Even with the stove on, it’s starting to get a little chilly in the kitchen. So let’s eat right here, if that’s okay with you.” She set her wineglass down on the floor near the hearth.
He turned and looked up at her as he remained crouched in front of the fire. “I’m not formal or fancy, Ruby. I’m happy to eat wherever you think we should.”
“Okay. Great.” She started for the kitchen again, then turned back to him. “Are you coming? I’m going to need help.”
Heath straightened and followed her. “What can I do?”
“There’s a tablecloth in the top drawer of the buffet near the bar cabinet. Grab that and spread it out on the floor in front of the fireplace. We’ll have a picnic.” She pulled a pair of pretty cloth napkins and some silverware out of the drawer. “And then you can set these out. And maybe see if there are more candles in the buffet?”
“Got it.” Heath did exactly as she asked, soon finding himself rummaging through the contents of the vintage cabinet. The tablecloth was easy enough to find, but the candles were proving more difficult. In the bottom drawer, he came across something that stopped him dead in his tracks. A thick notebook labeled “Wedding Plans.” It had been one thing to hear about her fiancé passing away, but it was quite another to be confronted by evidence of their relationship and the future she’d once thought she’d have with him. He closed the drawer quickly. “I don’t see any more candles.”
“Okay. I think I have more in the front closet. We can look after dinner.”
He turned to see her standing in the living room, holding two bowls of steaming pasta. “Sorry.” He rushed over, and with a snap, he shook out the tablecloth and allowed it to settle on the floor before the fire. She handed him his bowl and they both took a seat. “This smells absolutely amazing.”
“Thanks. I hope you like it.” She took her glass in hand, then raised it for another toast. “To surprises.”
Heath reached up to take his glass from the end table where he’d placed it earlier. He looked deeply into her eyes and he toasted her in return, wondering what exactly he’d done to deserve an opportunity to spend time with such a gorgeous woman. “Absolutely. To surprises.”
“Speaking of surprises, I never imagined we’d sleep together on the first date, but I don’t see how it makes any sense to do anything but that.” She twirled the noodles on her fork and popped the bite into her mouth.
Heath froze. “Uh...”
She swallowed her food, then reached out and knocked his shoulder with the back of her hand. “Oh, my God. You can wipe that look of horror off your face, Heath. I’m just giving you a hard time again. I was only trying to say that we’re going to have to sleep in here tonight. And if we’re smart, we’ll keep each other warm.”
He exhaled, feeling grateful that she’d taken the time to clarify what she meant. They were on the same page. It was definitely the smartest solution to their predicament, aside from keeping the fire stoked. But exactly how much of a trial would it be to keep this a platonic arrangement? “I was thinking the same thing earlier. I just wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up. I didn’t want you to think I’m not a gentleman. Or that I was trying to take advantage of the situation.”
“I realize we don’t know each other very well, but you seem like the perfect gentleman to me.”
He laughed quietly. “There are a few dozen people in this town who would like to disagree with you.”
