Chapter Six
Gil
AN HOUR LATER, WE STOOD in The Pinnacle's ballroom as the crowd filled the space for the festival finale. Ruby's hand was warm in mine, her black cocktail dress showing off curves I'd spent the weekend learning. Auburn hair twisted up, green eyes bright with nerves and champagne.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
"Better than okay." She squeezed my hand. "Ready."
That was my girl. No more hiding. No more running.
The buffet tables lined one wall, staff making final preparations.
Pink and red uplighting washed the walls, candles flickering on tables, heart garlands strung from the ceiling.
The live band played soft jazz—saxophone weaving through conversation—while guests mingled with champagne.
The room was warm from the crowd and celebration.
This was it. In a few minutes, the whole town would know we were partners. That Ruby Flynn was coming home.
Evelyn Hartwood swept onto the small stage, microphone in hand. Twenty years of working rooms like this, and I'd never felt this exposed. This wasn't a business presentation. This was personal.
The crowd quieted.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all for joining us tonight to close out Lovesbury's first annual Valentine's Festival!"
Applause and cheers filled the room.
"Before we enjoy this wonderful dinner, I want to share the results of our fundraising efforts. As you know, all proceeds from Friday's bachelor auction, plus this weekend's vendor sales, raffles, and activities, have been going toward our veterans' center."
She paused for dramatic effect. The woman knew how to work an audience—I'd give her that.
"I am thrilled to announce that together, we have raised four thousand, two hundred dollars!"
The ballroom broke into applause, louder than any before.
I caught sight of several older men near the bar—military bearing evident in their posture despite civilian suits—openly moved.
One wiped his eyes. The fundraiser mattered, not just for the roof, but for giving these men a gathering place. A home.
"The roof will be repaired, the heating system upgraded, and we'll have funds remaining for new furniture in the community room!"
More cheers. Ruby's hand tightened in mine.
"Now! Our buffet dinner is ready. Please, help yourselves! And during dinner service, we'll be recognizing each of our wonderful bachelor couples!"
The guests began moving toward the buffet tables.
"Come on," I said quietly to Ruby. "Let's get some food."
We filled plates—prime rib, roasted vegetables, twice-baked potatoes, standard catering fare—and found a table near the windows. Ruby picked at her food, her chef's eye cataloging every choice.
"What are you thinking?" I asked, watching her push a carrot around her plate.
"That this is good," she said carefully. "But the vegetables are overcooked. They should have color, texture—these are mushy."
"What would you do differently?"
Her face transformed. "Better cuts of meat. That sauce is masking flavor instead of enhancing it. I'd do a red wine reduction with actual depth, maybe rosemary from the resort gardens." She gestured at her plate. "And the plating... in three months, these same ingredients would look like art."
"In three months, you'll be making them look like art," I said.
Her smile was radiant.
Evelyn began calling up couples, each getting brief recognition and applause. Ruby barely touched her food after that, too nervous. I watched her twist her napkin, bounce her knee under the table.
"Hey," I said quietly, covering her hand. "We've got this. Together."
"Together," she echoed.
Evelyn worked through several more couples. Then her voice rang out: "And now, our Bachelor Number Two—The Sizzling Silver Fox himself, Gil Pruitt, and his winning bidder, Ruby Flynn!"
Cheers and whistles rang out—louder than for any couple before.
Ruby stood, pulling me up with her. We made our way to the stage, her head high, her hand firm in mine.
Evelyn's smile was satisfied. "Now THIS pairing has been particularly interesting to watch unfold."
Laughter rippled around us. Ruby smiled, at ease.
I took the microphone from Evelyn. Scanned the gathering and spotted him—Danny Flynn in the back, his face emotional and eyes bright. Our gazes met. He gave me a single nod.
Ruby lifted her free hand in a small wave. He pressed his hand to his heart.
I turned back to the microphone, Ruby tucked against my side. Emotion hit hard.
"You all know Ruby Flynn." My words came out rougher than I'd intended. Had to clear my throat. "Know what her family built here. What they meant to this community."
The room fell quiet, listening.
"Know what it meant when she lost the lodge six months ago." I paused. "What it meant to watch that legacy change hands."
Ruby's hand tightened on mine.
"When I bought Flynn's Lodge and transformed it into The Pinnacle, I wanted to honor what the Flynns built while creating something sustainable for the future."
I had to stop, swallow hard. My carefully prepared business speech evaporated. This wasn't about property value or market positioning. This was about making things right.
"But something was missing. Someone who understood what hospitality really means. What it means to make people feel like family, not just customers."
I looked at Ruby now, met those green eyes, and the words came easier.
"Ruby will be executive chef and full partner at The Pinnacle's new restaurant opening this summer."
Murmurs of approval rippled through the audience.
"She'll have creative control, profit-sharing, real partnership." I paused. "And the restaurant will be called Flynn's Table."
Ruby pressed both hands to her chest, eyes going wide. She hadn't known—I'd been waiting for this moment to tell her.
My voice was barely steady. "She has the talent—Le Cordon Bleu training, years in professional kitchens, the passion for food that her parents taught her."
Had to stop again. Breathe.
"And The Pinnacle will have that Flynn spirit again. Through her kitchen. Through her vision."
I looked out at the crowd, found Danny again.
"Ruby's coming home."
The response was immediate—applause, some people rising to their feet. Several longtime residents wiping their eyes.
"And personally..." I looked only at her now, let the rest fade. My tone dropped, went rough. "I fell for her about five seconds after she started talking about food in my kitchen Friday night."
Pause. The emotion was almost too much.
"Took me the rest of the weekend to realize it, but yeah. This is real."
Ruby's tears spilled over even as she smiled and laughed.
I pulled her against me and kissed her—not chaste, not tentative. My hand slid into her hair, her mouth opening under mine, claiming her in front of the whole town. Let them see. Let them know she was mine.
The ballroom erupted. Applause, whistles, cheers, people on their feet.
When I pulled back, Ruby was crying and laughing at the same time.
"Flynn's Table," she whispered. "You're really naming it Flynn's Table?"
"Honors your family while making it yours."
"It's perfect. You're perfect."
Then movement—Danny pushing through the crowd, his face wet with tears.
Ruby flew down the steps. He caught her, pulled her tight against his chest. Neither bothered to hide their tears.
"I'm so damn proud of you, Ruby-girl." Danny's voice cracked. "So damn proud."
"I love you." Ruby's words were muffled against his shoulder.
"I love you too. Always have. Always will."
He held her for a long moment, his hand cradling the back of her head like she was still eight years old and he was still trying to figure out how to raise his brother's daughter.
The whole room watched this healing, this family coming back together. I stood on the stage, giving them space, watching with my own eyes burning.
When Danny finally released Ruby, he turned to me. I stepped down, extended my hand.
He pulled me into a hard, brief hug instead. His grip was fierce—a father protecting his daughter, a man entrusting me with what mattered most.
"You take care of her," Danny said, his voice thick. "She's everything to me."
"I will. I swear it."
"And thank you. For all of it." His eyes held mine. "For seeing what this place could be. For giving her a real chance. For making things right."
I nodded. He'd trusted me with his mountain. Now he was trusting me with his girl.
Danny pulled back, gripped my shoulder once, then returned to Ruby for another quick hug before stepping back into the crowd.
More applause. Several people approaching with congratulations.
"I TOLD everyone that auction was divinely inspired!" Evelyn's voice rang out over the microphone. "Love was definitely in the air!"
Laughter spread through the gathering.
We spent the next twenty minutes accepting congratulations. One of the veterans gripped my hand hard. "Thank you. For the fundraiser. For bringing the Flynns back to the mountain. It matters."
"It does," I agreed.
Ruby accepted hugs from people who'd known her since childhood, her face glowing with genuine happiness.
After a while, Ruby leaned close.
"Can we get some air? Just for a minute?"
"Absolutely."
We slipped out the back terrace doors. The February cold hit immediately, but the covered terrace had heat lamps glowing overhead. The sun was setting beyond the mountains, painting everything pink and gold.
Ruby walked to the railing. I followed, pulling her back against my chest, wrapping my arms around her.
"Flynn's Table," she said softly. "I can't believe you chose that name."
"Seemed right. Honors your parents, honors Danny, but makes it yours to build."
She turned in my arms, looking up at me. "Thank you. For all of it. For not giving up on me even when I was awful."
"You weren't awful. You were hurt and scared and protecting yourself the only way you knew how." I brushed a tear from her cheek. "But you're not scared anymore."
"No." Her smile was radiant. "I'm not. I know exactly what I want now."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"You. This. A life worth living instead of one frozen in the past." She rose on her toes, kissed me softly. "Building something new that honors what came before. Partnership with someone who sees me—really sees me."
I kissed her instead of answering—tender and thorough, tasting champagne and her.
When we broke apart, breathless, snow had started falling.
"We should talk timeline," I said. "Three to four months to hire staff, finalize menu, soft opening before summer season?"
"That works. And Rise & Grind..."
"Becomes Flynn's Table Catering. Keep your established following, expand the business."
She leaned in, eager. "You've already thought this through."
"I'm a businessman. It's what I do." I pulled her closer. "And I want you to move in. Officially. Not just staying at my place—our place. Your name on everything."
"When?" she asked softly.
"Whenever you're ready. Tomorrow. Next week. I'm ready now."
She laughed. "Tomorrow might be rushing it."
"Then next week." I kissed her forehead. "I meant what I said up there. This is real. Not casual, not temporary. I'm building this life with you."
"I know." Her voice was soft. "It's real for me too."
We stood like that as the snow fell heavier. The party continued inside. Finally, Ruby pulled back with a smile.
"We should go in. People will talk."
"They're already talking."
"Fair point." She grinned. "But I want to enjoy the rest of tonight. Dance with my partner. Celebrate our future."
I took her hand. We walked back inside toward the warmth and light, toward the music and the town that was becoming ours, toward the life we were creating—not separately, but side by side.