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“Yeah, a bit.” Ruby shrugged. “But Macy doesn’t have anything planned for Oak Valley until July, so the timing is perfect. You know how she is, she needs to get her hands into something and if it’s not an event, it’s everyone’s business.”
They shared a laugh, June warming up to her partnership not just with Ruby, but with the head of the town.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
Ruby’s face softened, her voice losing the business-edge it’d taken on. “No, not really. You could try scraping by, making the changes you need to make. But June, the numbers you gave me are past the point of scraping by. You need something big. Go big or go home, ya know?”
June sighed and finished her drink. “You’re right.”
“I know.” Ruby gave her a wink. “This is my job, but I’ve got you. Trust me. I’ll talk to Macy tomorrow when I see her at the town meeting, since she somehow roped me into joining the town board.”
“Sounds like something Macy would do,” June laughed, and played with the edges of her sweater sleeves. “I’m surprised you have the time, I heard you were converting a school bus, getting married, building a business, and taking care of your mom.”
“Being busy’s a trauma response and I’m really good at it,” Ruby drank her milkshake. “But my mom’s doing better, Colton’s been a huge help with the bus, and the wedding… Well, that’ll be small so I’m not too concerned.”
“I’m so glad to hear about your mom. I—I know we’ve never been close, but… Well, I know your mom’s strong. She’ll be just fine.” June gave Ruby a smile, wishing she hadn’t finished her drink so she could do something with her hands.
“Honestly? I’m sorry about that. School was weird, especially in a small-ass place like Oak Valley. We should’ve been friends, given how close Colton and Dragan were. But I just… I don’t know, I never really fit in and always found making friends awkward.”
“Really?” June looked at her. “I feel the exact same way.”
“No shit. How did we not know this?”
June laughed. “I mean, we were both so involved with our own stuff, you know? And you seemed, I don’t know, good with being alone.”
“That’s… That’s how I saw you!” Ruby laughed. “You were always top of every class and such a nerd. And June, you’re stunning. Every guy wanted to be with you. I just thought you thought you were too good for us small-town folk. But Anna is our mutual friend and she assured me you were kind and dealing with a lot.” Ruby shrugged and drank her shake while June reeled from this new information.
“I—No, not at all. I just always felt out of place. It was hard to make friends. And after my parents died… I don’t know. Nothing made sense. I thought it better to keep my head down.”
Ruby nodded. “Believe me, I understand. I’m so sorry about your parents. I grew up without a dad and once I graduated high school, I would send money home to my mom. But I needed to get out, to find something of my own.”
“Yes! That’s exactly it.” June smiled at her potentially new friend. “I went to college for English and have been running my parents’ bookstore, but I want something else. Something that’s mine. But I also don’t want to give up on what they left me.”
Ruby placed her hand over June’s. “You won’t have to.”
June smiled at her new friend. Maybe, just maybe, everything would work out.
21
Through the window in Archer’s kitchen, Dragan watched as Michael and Lucas played with his friend’s dog, Chief, the brown lawn wide open between the farmhouse and Deer Creek. Archer had invited them over for a last minute dinner, the weather on the verge of cooperating. It was brisk out, but not too cold when chasing the giant pit-bull andGerman Shepard mix. Twilight was coming to an end and they would be joining everyone else inside the house. He turned around and could hear Archer in the living room being sweet on Kasia, and he rolled his eyes when he caught Arch giving her a wink.
They were laughing about something, everyone a little boozed up. Loose and happy. Dragan smiled as his mom’s laugh rang heartily through the room, the crackle of the fireplace mixing with the low croon of Sinatra. He always imagined this was what a large family would look like. He knew Archer had always wanted this for himself. While Dragan’s house was always oppressively quiet from tip-toeing around his dad, Archer’s had always been so because it was just him and his elder parents. They’d passed away when they were eighteen, and Archer joined the Marines to get away.
“So how are things with you, Archer?” Leon asked. “What have you been working on?”
“Not sure how much Dragan has told you guys,” Archer took a sip of his red wine, “But Dragan and I are meeting with investors this week for the app we’ve been working on the last year.”
His family turned to him, shock creasing their faces.
“Wait, what?”
“What app?”
“Dude, you didn’t even graduate college. I didn’t know you knew how to code?”
His siblings were the harshest, but Dragan had kept his head down for so long he barely registered their comments. He hadn’t told them anything, hadn’t planned to unless it sold. He couldn’t face more disappointment.
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” he glared at Archer. “But last year we started working on an app that notified users of upcoming local elections. We’ve been QAing it, testing it, and Colton got us a meeting with some investors and a CEO who might buy.” He sipped his whiskey while his family stared at him. “Anyway, who needs a refill?”
