Ruby
Ruby
R uby wasted no time packing up some of her things. She should have been worried about how she had gotten mixed up in this whole mess, but she wasn’t. In fact, Ruby felt downright giddy that she was about to go on an adventure with one of the hottest men that she had ever met. What the hell was wrong with her?
All she could do was chalk it up to the fact that she really never had anything exciting happen in her life up to this point. Her life was utterly boring and predictable and there was nothing that she could do about it. Sure, she tried to put herself out there—honestly, she did. But she never found acceptance and because of that, she was never really invited to join in anything fun or exciting.
When Ruby was in college, she decided that being a part of the in crowd was overrated, so she’d go it alone. She had a few friends that she’d hang out with or go to dinner with, but nothing ever happened to her. At least, not until now, and maybe that was what had her packing her stuff like she couldn’t get out of her apartment or her life fast enough.
“Ready,” she said, standing in the corner of her family room, holding her two bags in each of her hands.
“That was fast,” Luke said, crossing the room to take them from her.
“You don’t have to carry my bags, Luke,” she said. “I don’t mind.”
“It’s the least that I can do,” he offered. “I mean, I did pull you into this mess. If I just left you alone and didn’t show up on your doorstep this evening, you wouldn’t have to leave your cozy life here.” She wasn’t about to tell him that she hated her life or that it wasn’t very cozy. Ruby would keep all of that information to herself. Luke probably already thought that she was pathetic, and she didn’t need to give him any more reason to believe that about her.
“He’s not wrong,” Ranger grumbled. “But we’ll find a way to get you out of this, Ruby,” he offered. She nodded at Luke’s friend and pasted on her best smile, trying not to seem too eager or giddy about the prospect of heading out on the run with Luke.
“I trust that you will,” she said. “Thank you for agreeing to keep an eye on Millie for me, Ranger.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “I’ll need to stay here to do that,” Ranger said.
“Here?” Ruby squeaked. “Why do you need to stay here?”
“Well, Ranger and I were talking while you were packing and we think it might be best for him to hang out here—you know, let the guys who are trailing me think that we’re still here. It will give us a head start and he’ll be able to keep an eye on Millie. It’s really a good thing.” Ruby couldn’t argue with any of what Luke had just said, but she wanted to protest. She had personal things in her apartment that she really didn’t want Ranger or any other man to see.
“Don’t worry,” Ranger said, “I won’t go through your nightstand drawers,” he teased as if reading her mind. She could feel her cheeks heat that he had guessed correctly as to where she kept her girly things.
Both guys chuckled and Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “He was only kidding, honey,” Luke assured.
“Didn’t sound like he was kidding,” Ruby grumbled.
“You two need to head out. I’ll create a distraction out in the parking lot. You two need to slip into my pick-up truck and head out. Try not to let the two guys sitting in the white sedan, in the back of the lot, see either of you. Got it?” Ranger asked.
“Easier said than done,” Luke mumbled.
“What about Millie—can I say goodbye?” Ruby asked.
“No,” Luke said. “I’m sorry, but we can’t take the chance that she’ll either cause a scene or get us noticed somehow. Besides, it’s best that she knows as little as possible about where we’re going or that we’ve leaving in the first place. If they catch on that we’ve taken off, they might try to question Millie and that won’t end well for her.” Ruby hated that her friend was in danger. She hadn’t known Millie for very long, but she liked her. Ruby considered her a friend and she wouldn’t ever want anything to happen to her.
“I’ll come up with an excuse to tell her and when that fails, I’ll figure something out. But I won’t let them get to her,” Ranger assured.
“Whoever they are,” Luke added.
“I’ll be in touch soon,” Ranger promised. “We’ll figure this out.”
Luke took the keys out of his jeans pocket and tossed them to Ranger, and he did the same, giving Luke his keys. “Oh—you’ll need a key to my apartment,” Ruby said. She walked into her kitchen and found the spare keys to her front door that she kept in her junk drawer. She handed them over to Ranger and he smiled down at her.
“Love the keychain,” he said, turning it over in his big hand. It said, “Worlds Best Dad,” and was a Father’s Day gift that she never got around to giving to her father. Instead, she stuck her extra keys on it and tossed them into her junk drawer.
“Thanks,” she said.
“I’m sure that there’s an amusing story behind it, but we don’t have time for that,” Ranger insisted, “Dad,” he quickly added. She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed her purse.
“We’ll let you know when we get to the safehouse,” Luke said.
“Great,” Ranger agreed. “Let’s move.” They all headed out of her apartment and for some reason, she took a last look back as if she’d miss the place which was crazy because she had only lived there a short time. Maybe it was the fact that it was the first place she’d felt at home since moving out of her parent’s place. It might not be much, but it was hers and that felt like it counted for something.
Ruby was tired of being in the truck. It felt as though they had been driving for days, not just hours. She knew that every time she asked Luke if they were almost there yet, she was slowly driving him crazy.
“Are we—” she began, and Luke sighed.
“If you’re going to ask me if we’re almost there again, honey, I’m going to lose my damn mind. We still have another two hours until we reach the safe house that Ranger arranged for us.”
“I’m trying to be patient,” she mumbled. “But it’s already been four hours. I had to pee about an hour ago and well, I’m hungry,” she said.
“We ate dinner back at your place,” he said.
“Right, but I shared my dinner with you and now, I’m hungry again,” Ruby insisted.
“But you told me that you ordered too much food and you wouldn’t eat all of it. I thought that I was just eating what you didn’t want,” he said. God, he looked butthurt that she had lied about not wanting to eat all of the food that she had purchased. She ordered her usual and she usually ate all of it, but she didn’t want to admit that to Luke.
“Fine,” she almost shouted. “I lied. I could have eaten all of it, but I thought that it was a nice thing to do to share with you. I mean, I couldn’t sit and eat my dinner in front of you without offering you some, Luke,” she said.
“Sure, you could have,” he said. “I intruded on your dinner and while sharing half of it with me was kind, I hate that I ate your meal, Ruby,” Luke said.
“It’s not a big deal, Luke,” Ruby insisted. It really wasn’t. There was no way that she would have sat and eaten in front of him, sharing was the only way she would have eaten any of her dinner. “I wanted to share with you, so I did,” she said.
“How about I grab us some take-out on the way to the house, and we can eat when we get there? I don’t want to expose our location, but I can do a drive-thru,” he offered. “Can you wait two hours?”
“To eat, yes,” she agreed. “To pee, no.”
Luke chuckled and nodded. “I’ll find a rest stop here soon and pull off,” he offered.
“Thank you,” she said. “My bladder and I both appreciate that.”
“How about you tell me about yourself while we drive?” he asked. “It might help pass the time some.”
“Sure,” she agreed. “What do you want to know?”
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“I’m originally from New York City,” she admitted. “My parents still live there.”
“Oh,” he said. “I had you pegged as a country girl,” she said. “But New York City is a pretty big deal.”
“Yeah, I guess. When you’re from there, it’s really not. It’s just where I’m from. I never thought about it as a big deal,” she said.
“Why did you move away?” he asked.
“Honestly, because of college,” she said. “I moved to town to go to college and when I finished, I just kind of stuck around. I got my little apartment just after Alex offered me the job as his assistant and I’m happy there.”
“Yeah, it’s a nice little town,” he said. They were just outside of Chicago, and he had to admit, it felt like home.
“How about you?” she asked. “Where are you from?”
“Originally, I’m from Wisconsin, so not too far from here,” he said. “Do you get back home to New York often to see your parents?”
“Not really,” she admitted. “I mean, for holidays and stuff, but I don’t go home very often. I do talk to my mom at least once a week.”
“Any brothers or sisters?” he asked.
“Nope, I’m an only child,” she admitted. “How about you?”
“I am too,” he said. “My parents divorced when I was just a little kid, and well, neither of them remarried. My father passed a few years ago, but my mother still lives in Wisconsin. I go up to see her every chance I get. I’ve tried to get her to move down here with me, but she refuses,” he said.
“I take it that you and your mom are close then,” she said. She always wondered how that would work. She and her mother had a pleasant relationship. Yeah, that’s how she’d describe it, but she wouldn’t call them close. Her mom was great, really, but she never seemed to understand Ruby. She wanted someone more like her—popular. Her mother was voted biggest flirt in high school, and Ruby had no clue how to even begin to flirt with a guy. Her mom was also prom queen her senior year of high school and Ruby didn’t even bother to go to prom. They were like night and day, and that always made Ruby a little sad, even if her mother never said anything about their differences.
“We are,” he admitted.
“I always wondered what that would be like. My mom and I get along great, but we really have nothing in common. I mean, I don’t think that she really understands me, but I know that she loves me and that’s enough.”
“What wouldn’t she understand?” Luke asked.
“Well, she was popular in high school. Heck, my father was the captain of the football team, and my mother was the head cheerleader. They were the kind and queen of their prom court, and then I came along. I guess she just never saw herself having a kid who was a giant nerd, you know?”
“You keep calling yourself a nerd, but I don’t quite see it, Ruby,” Luke said. “I mean, you’re quirky, I’ll give you that.”
“Gee, thanks,” she grumbled. “I’m not sure which is worse—you thinking I’m quirky or being a nerd. I don’t mind it, really. I just never seemed to fit in with any group of kids, and I was fine with that. I liked being alone, for the most part. I had a few friends that I knew that I could count on, but I was always a loner.”
“Ruby,” Luke whispered, pulling her hand into his lap.
“Don’t feel bad for me, Luke,” she said. “I wasn’t unhappy. And now, I’m making new friends here.” She smiled over at him, and he chuckled.
“I hope that you don’t mean me, honey,” he said. “Because I want to be so much more than your friend, Ruby.”
“You do?” she squeaked.
“I thought that I made that pretty clear when we were making out on the sofa back at your apartment,” he said.
“Well, yeah,” she breathed, “but, you still feel that way?” she asked.
He laughed again and Ruby wondered what she had said that was funny. “It’s only been a few hours, honey. I haven’t changed my mind if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I guess I just don’t have a whole lot of experience with—well, all of this,” she admitted. “But that’s good to know.” She yawned and leaned back in her seat. “I’m really tired. Do you mind if I take a little nap?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I’ll wake you when we get to the safe house,” he offered.
“Thanks,” she said around a yawn. “At least I’ll stop asking you if we’re there yet,” she teased.
“Thank God,” he whispered.