Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
“Come on, bug. Time to head home.” Ruby paid Mrs. Murtree her daily rate, picked up the diaper bag, and set Haley on her hip.
Haley blew the babysitter a kiss on the way out.
“She was a sweetheart, as always. Have a good night.”
Mrs. Murtree didn’t have any clue about Ruby’s arrest. The woman only ever seemed to watch the Lifetime Channel, and Ruby wasn’t about to inform her.
But she had the feeling her other neighbors would find out soon, if they didn’t know already. There’d been some uncomfortable stares in the elevator.
The far worse thing? She’d lost her job at the salon.
She’d gotten the call the day after her release from jail. The owner of the salon—very apologetically—had let her know that they couldn’t have a stylist who was out on bail awaiting trial for murder.
Yeah, Ruby had wanted to say. No shit. But she’d been polite instead.
She understood. Of course she understood. Even though it was awful. The whole “presumed innocent” thing was clearly just a suggestion. And she figured she’d made such assumptions herself in the past.
Ruby unlocked her apartment and carried Haley inside.
The place was a mess. Usually, she took pride in keeping it tidy, even if it meant staying up late or waking up early to clean.
Ruby wasn’t about to judge somebody else for their appearance or the messiness of their living room, but she knew a calm, organized environment helped keep her mind calm as well.
Lately, she hadn’t been able to manage it.
Her mom and Aurora had been coming by with groceries and craft projects, and Devon and Chase had been popping up nearly every day. Even Lana had stopped in with hugs and cookies and moral support, though they’d avoided discussing Ruby’s case given Lana’s job at the DA’s office.
But at the moment, just keeping her smile for Haley was taking all the effort she had.
Hopefully, her clients would come back to her once this whole disaster blew over. And if they didn’t? She’d figure out something else.
That was how Ruby had dealt with the unexpected and tragic in her life.
Losing her dad, her brother, getting knocked up…
No matter how awful it had seemed in the moment, no matter how badly a new development had screwed up her plans, she’d known it was possible to come out better in the end.
It was all about looking for the opportunities amidst the mess. The rainbow between the clouds.
She set down her daughter, and the toddler immediately made a beeline for the set of wooden blocks Chase had bought her last month. Her Uncle Chase spoiled her, but it was probably just enough.
Ruby sat beside Haley and kissed her head. Haley wiggled away, not wanting to get distracted from building her tower. “You’re the best remedy of all, bug. You know that? Because you’re perfect, and I love you.”
“Luvoo, Mama.”
“Luvoo.” Ruby sighed, wiping her eyes.
Someone knocked at the door. She checked the peephole and saw Chase juggling takeout bags.
Ruby opened up, and Chase came inside. “Dinner delivery.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t.” He went into the kitchen. Chase had on a pair of workout shorts and a sleeveless tee, a backward baseball cap on his head. Every inch the jock.
“Devon must’ve told you to check up on me. It’s not necessary.”
Chase didn’t respond to that. Instead, he unpacked boxes of food on her kitchen counter. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be in a Pad Thai or a Panang curry mood, so I got both.”
“Considering how much I’ve been eating? Definitely both. I’ve gained five pounds in the last two days.”
“You don’t look any different.”
“Did you just check me out? Seriously?”
“What? I looked. That’s not the same as checking you out.”
“If you say so.” She was just giving him crap because any minute he’d give it right back. She’d missed this banter with him. She couldn’t stand the way everyone had been treating her like she was breakable lately.
Ruby got out plates and utensils. “How was work?”
He shrugged. “Fine.”
“You could share a few details. Let me live vicariously.”
“Sorry. I guess I’m a boring guy.”
“You’re reliable. But boring? I don’t think so.”
“I guarantee you’ve called me boring at least twenty times in the past.”
“You were counting? Jeez, then I was right. You are boring.”
He grinned at her. “Or maybe I’m just really good at hiding my wild side.”
Ruby remembered what Destiny had said about him after their night in jail. I can usually spot the naughty ones who want to get really freaky. It made Ruby wonder, just a little…what was Chase into?
The wondering lasted for half a second before she cracked up at herself.
“What are you laughing about?”
“Well…” She started laughing even harder. “Remember that friend I made in jail? Destiny?”
“The prostitute?”
“Don’t make that face. Don’t do the stereotypical cop thing and make assumptions.”
“I’m not. I remember her. She helped you.”
“We helped each other.” Ruby set the plates out on the table and opened the takeout containers, sticking a serving spoon into each. “Well, Destiny thought you looked like the type who…” She snickered.
Chase opened a cabinet and reached for a glass. “Who what?”
“Likes to get freaky in bed.”
Chase fumbled the glass, barely catching it before it reached the granite counter. The tips of his ears were crimson.
Ruby crowed. “Oh my god, it’s true!”
“I plead the fifth.”
“It is.” She braced her hands on the counter top and hopped up to sit on it. “What do you like to do? Dress up in costumes? Like, a doctor/nurse situation? I’m dying of curiosity.”
He pulled off his ball cap and ran a hand over his short hair. “I’m not discussing this with you.”
“Because it’s true.” She studied him. “Teacher/student? No…prison guard/inmate! With chains and everything.”
Then Ruby realized what she’d just said, and she felt her own skin flushing. She might as well have said cop/suspect. And who here would fit those descriptions?
The doorbell buzzed, saving her. “I’d better see who’s at the door.”
“Great idea. You do that.”
Ruby opened the door, her smile vanishing as she looked at the two women on the other side.
They were official looking, dressed professionally, holding a briefcase and a folder. This wasn’t a friendly social call. And they weren’t neighbors asking nosy questions.
“Ms. Ruby Whitestone?” the first one said. “My colleague and I are with West Oaks County Child Protective Services.”
Ruby’s stomach fell straight to the floor.
She felt Chase right behind her. “What’s this about?” he asked.
“We’re here to check on the welfare of Haley Whitestone. Given Ms. Whitestone’s recent arrest and the circumstances surrounding it?”
Ruby struggled to keep her composure. “But I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent.”
Chase pushed in front of her. “Let me handle this.”
No freaking way, she wanted to argue. But she hung back, waiting to see what would happen.
“We need to ensure Haley is in a safe environment,” the woman said. “That’s our job, and we have the legal authority to do it.”
“Haley is safe,” Chase snapped. “She’s with Ruby.”
“And who are you?”
Ruby was shocked by the words that came out of his mouth. “Officer Chase Collins, West Oaks PD. I’m her boyfriend.”
Boyfriend? Ruby poked Chase in the back, but he ignored her.
The woman glanced at her colleague, who made a note on her phone. “Do you live here, Officer Collins?”
“I’m here right now, aren’t I?”
Shit. What was Chase doing?
The CPS officers insisted on coming inside, so Ruby and Chase stepped out of the way. Haley had toddled over to see what was going on, and now she grabbed Ruby’s legs, hiding her face.
Chase crossed his arms. “Ruby’s mom and her brother are here a lot, too. They live nearby. Haley is well cared for. She’s loved. Ruby is a great mom, and she’s going to be found innocent because she didn’t do anything.”
The CPS officers looked around for a while. They spoke to Ruby and then tried chatting with Haley. Finally, after more questions and notes, they left.
Ruby watched through the peephole until the two women were gone. Then she spun around.
“What the hell, Chase? What was that? You’re my boyfriend?”
“I just wanted to defend you.”
“You assumed my word wouldn’t be trusted, but yours would simply because of your job title?”
“That’s how the world is. You know that.”
Ruby threw up her hands. “Now what? Those people think you live here.”
“Then let them think it. What’s the harm?”
“They’re going to say I’m a liar when they figure it out.”
“I didn’t actually claim to live here. How the hell do they know I’m not your boyfriend? Just because they’ve never seen us making out? Pretty sure that’s not a requirement.”
She didn’t want to talk about this anymore.
They sat and ate dinner in silence. Chase got Haley to try some of the spicy curry. “Hey, she likes it. Adventurous eater over here.”
This was obviously an attempt to get back into Ruby’s good graces. And of course, it was working.
“You like spicy, don’t you, bug?” Ruby said.
Haley giggled, smearing yellow curry on her high chair.
They cleaned Haley up, put her to bed, and went back to the kitchen. Chase didn’t mention going home, and Ruby didn’t either. She wanted him here. Even though she was annoyed at what he’d done, she also appreciated it.
Ruby hated that anyone would see her as incapable. As not enough. She had infinite love for her little girl. But it was hard being on her own sometimes. Really, really hard.
“Since you’re my boyfriend, maybe you could help with the dishes?”
He smirked. “I could do that. Yeah.”
After they’d finished, she opened the fridge. “You want a beer?”
“You having one?”
“Yes.”
“Then sure, I’ll have one.”
They sat down on the couch together. The apartment was quiet except for the white noise from Haley’s baby monitor.
“I feel like there’s so much coming at me, all at once.
” Ruby could barely even process this feeling.
It was terrifying. Like her entire life was spinning apart in slow motion.
“I want to protect Haley. That’s what I’ve tried to do since I got pregnant, but…
” Ruby pulled at the label on her beer. “I’ve never felt until now like I’m failing. ”
He turned to her, bending his leg on the cushion. “Hey, you’re not failing. You’re the same person you’ve always been. The same mom.”
“But I lost my job. I’ll have to move back in with my mother. In a couple months, my health insurance will end. And I could still lose Haley. What if I’m found guilty at the trial?”
“That won’t happen.”
“But it could, Chase. You know it could.”
He set his beer on the coffee table and put his arm around her. Ruby closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. He smelled nice, like forest-scented deodorant. Masculine.
“No matter what, your mom and Devon and Aurora will be there for Haley. And I will, too.”
“But that’s no guarantee. None of you are her parent or her guardian.” Ruby laughed bitterly. “I am so proud to be a single mom. But sometimes, it really sucks.”
She knew there wasn’t anything Chase could do to fix this. But it had felt good to vent a bit. Ruby started to drift toward sleep, feeling relaxed despite all the chaos in her life right now.
“I could marry you.”
“Huh?” She blinked her eyes. “I was falling asleep. It sounded like you said something about marrying me.”
“I did.”
Ruby hit his chest with the back of her hand. “Shush.”
“I’m serious.”
She sat up and looked at him. His pale eyes looked back, and he clearly wasn’t kidding.