Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
AMARI
OPEN INVITATION
When Ruby Starks invited me into her private world, I entered it cautiously.
That wasn’t easy for me, given the fresh, fruity scent that engulfed her and had me wanting to embrace her like she was a long-lost lover.
The way she held her robe tightly with one hand pulled me in, too, making me want to peek at what was beneath her veil, yet tiptoe respectfully around her fragile world.
Her modest two-story home was old and nondescript but as neat as a pin.
I imagined that her ancestors built the home brick by brick with the same love that most families in Farmerton put into their dwellings.
Ruby had been a wonderful steward of the residence, with its slightly worn wooden floorboards.
Despite the natural wear and tear of a house its age, it had no visible cracks in the walls or gaps between the walls and floors.
The only thing that drew my eye to its disorder was three overstuffed bookshelves with books stacked vertically and horizontally. There were so many books that some were stacked in high piles on the floor. I pointed toward the shelves as we sat at her table and ate our chili.
“It looks as if you could use a library.”
Ruby’s eyes followed the spoon I pointed toward the shelves. She smiled when she glanced into the room behind her.
“Yes. Reading is my guilty pleasure. I have more boxes of books in the basement. They’re like good friends I can’t throw away.”
As Ruby spoke about her books, her posture relaxed. Her love of learning tugged at my heart despite her potential hoarder tendencies.
“Maybe one day I could build you a home library that can store those books and lots more.”
Ruby rested her hands on her chest and held back a smile.
“And maybe a reading nook?”
“Yes, and anything else you wanted.”
She reached for my hand across the table and squeezed it, giving me one of the sweetest smiles I’d ever seen.
“I’d like that a lot, but it’s not the needful thing. There’s so much more to do around here.” She lifted her hand and waved it around the room.
I reached for her hand again and held it firmly. “A hard-working woman deserves a space where she can be pampered and catered to.”
She hid her blush behind the napkin she picked up with her free hand.
“Tell you what, Ms. Starks. When I’m done fixing everything else up, I’ll throw in your library for free. Deal?” I rubbed the top of her hand with my thumb.
She nodded.
“Deal.”
Ruby looked at me with a full-on smile that radiated brighter than the hottest sun on a Gulf Coast beach in summer.
Its contrast to the chilly weather outside made me want to promise her more little pleasures.
I sensed something sweet about her despite her somewhat tough exterior.
For now, I’d let her hide behind that wall, but the inquisitive side of me was determined to pull more from her.
Ruby removed her hand from mine and placed it back in her lap. She looked at her bowl before quickly glancing outside the window.
“Was this your grandparents’ place?” I ate another spoonful of piping hot chili.
“Yes. My parents owned it for a while, but they retired to North Carolina. When I left Atlanta, I decided to fix it up and keep it in the family.”
I remembered when Ruby moved here over five years ago.
There was some kind of buzz around town from the old biddies that she had been knocked off her high horse.
I didn’t pay attention to them at the time, because their words were mean-spirited and unneighborly in a place where community and family were taunted as our brand.
Instead of chiming in with the gossipers, I observed Ruby for myself.
As someone whose story had been misconstrued, I often wondered how she fared in a place that wasn’t always forgiving to attractive single women.
She was the epitome of grace every time I ran into her.
Her gentle and polite nature drew me in so much that I requested that Aspen be placed in her first-grade class.
That set me up to see her more often. When Ruby hinted that she needed home repair services during a morning drop off, I gave her my card and a deep discount, hoping she would take advantage of it.
To the depths of my soul, I believed that Ruby Starks had a powerful testimony. I just didn’t know what it was . . . yet.
“I haven’t had chili this tasty in years.”
Ruby looked up from her bowl and smiled, barely showing me her pretty teeth.
“Thank you. I rarely cook for others, so it’s good to know I’ve still got what it takes to feed a virile man.”
Virile?
Ruby’s suggestive word choice wasn’t lost on me. I gave her a crooked grin.
“Why don’t you cook for others?”
When Ruby didn’t frown, I sensed a crack in her wall. I wanted to ask specifically why she didn’t have a virile man in her life, but I didn’t want her to shut down completely. She reached for her napkin and wiped the corners of her pretty lips before answering.
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m a single, virile man with nothing but time on my hands, so tell me what’s on your mind.” I winked at her.
Ruby dropped her hands in her lap and stared at me so long I thought she might be frozen like the icicles hanging from the rafters outside.
“Life hasn’t always been kind. I enjoy keeping to myself as I move through life.”
When Ruby didn’t elaborate, I took it as a sign that she’d rather change the subject. I still wanted to know more but sensed it wasn’t the right time to press her.
“I can relate. About those repairs though. What exactly do you need from me?” I wiped the corners of my mouth and set my napkin beside my bowl.
“Everything you emailed me is still on the table, although I have about three more things to add. This place is falling apart quicker than I can keep up.” She stood and picked up a piece of white paper on the counter and handed it to me.
I perused the list, mentally prioritizing the tasks by the amount of time needed to complete each one, the materials required for completion, and the cost of each repair.
Ruby moved beside me and leaned over my shoulder, allowing me to inhale her alluring scent again. She pointed to the top items on the list and rested her hand lightly on my shoulder before squeezing it as she spoke. I scooted my body a couple of inches closer so I could be all up in Ruby’s space.
“In my opinion, these are the worst issues, but since you’re the expert, I want to hear your thoughts.”
Ruby’s cheek was so close to mine I could have turned and kissed her. As her eyes stayed on the paper, I snuck a quick peek inside her gaping housecoat. She wore a low-cut red lace bra that hugged her round breasts just right.
Good Lord. I cleared my throat.
“I can do that.” I lifted my eyes to hers, which glistened under the rustic metal drum pendant light in the kitchen.
Instead of looking at me, her eyes remained on the paper. When I finally redirected my attention to her list, I focused on the beauty of her cotton candy pink gel nails as they moved across the page. Like Ruby, they weren’t too fancy but were pretty enough to hold my attention.
Ruby’s overall essence and lack of awareness about the effect of her body near mine had my groin responding. Although my shirt covered my crotch, I pulled up closer to the table so she wouldn’t pick up on my arousal. My action must have worked, since Ruby continued speaking in a steady tone.
“The roof will be the biggest expense. I don’t mind, because although there’s natural wear and tear on the house, it’s paid off. What do you think about my priorities?”
For the first time since she leaned over me, she met my eyes. Ruby lifted her hand from my shoulder as if it were hot and stood straight. I held those chocolate brown diamonds momentarily before she blinked rapidly and then stepped back, holding her robe tight again.
“We’ll use a phased approach.” I pointed to the floor and the doors.
“The door casing is worn, and the floor is faded. I like this original maple plank. I’ll need to tour the rest of the house, but at first glance, we can repaint the cabinets for a few hundred.
The floors would be more depending on the materials you choose.
I drove by last week and didn’t see obvious structural compromises to the roof, so I’d start inside and then move to outside when it warms up. ”
“That makes sense.” She nodded and stepped back several more steps, giving me quick relief from her magnetic essence.
“I just want to be a good overseer of my ancestors’ legacy.
It’s been five years since I moved in. I’ve figured out how to make ends meet on my teacher’s salary.
Although I have some savings, I’m on a fixed budget, so I’ll have to prioritize where I put my money first.” Ruby bit her bottom lip in the cutest way.
“Lucky for you, I offer the Aspen Snowden school teacher discount. My little girl adores you.”
She placed her hands over her mouth and stared at the ground before meeting my eyes.
“Thank you. Aspen is so bright and such a sweetheart. You and your wife are excellent parents who raised her to have such potential.” Her soft voice made me want to reach toward her waist and pull her to me.
“My ex-wife.” I placed extra emphasis on the word ex.
“Ex.” She whispered the word with downturned eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, Ruby. Finish your meal.” I cleared my throat and set the paper down on the table, gesturing toward Ruby’s empty seat.
Ruby clasped her hands. When she finally moved toward her side of the table, I took my time observing her as I resumed my meal.