Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
“C an I get a Bud Light, please?”
The familiar voice caught Ruby’s attention, but it was Macy who was behind the bar.
Ruby had been grabbing more maraschino cherries from the back.
That voice stopped her in her tracks. From where she stood, she could see the man who had taken a seat next to Sal, but they couldn’t see her behind the shelves.
“I thought we told you not to come back here,” Macy said, glaring at the man Ruby had dubbed Blaine.
He held up his hands in surrender, flashing Macy a dazzling smile. “I came in to apologize for my bad behavior the other night.” Bad behavior. Ruby pictured the white wolf as it lunged at Rafe, at her . Bad behavior was an understatement.
“In fact, I’d love to give my apologies directly to the lovely waitress who served us, if possible.”
Ruby’s skin crawled at the way the words dripped off his tongue.
Macy’s glare deepened. She wasn’t buying anything this guy was saying. Thank God.
“It’s not possible. She’s not here.”
“And she’s got a big scary boyfriend now, so you better stay away,” Sal chimed in and Ruby rolled her eyes. Ever since Rafe started driving her to and from work, it was all anyone could talk about. For three days now the locals had wanted to ask her all about him.
She’d given them as little as possible and she certainly hadn’t called Rafe her boyfriend, but if it got rid of Blaine then she’d let Sal say whatever he wanted.
“I don’t think we’ve met. Wyatt.” The man formerly known in Ruby’s imagination as Blaine held out his hand to Sal to shake.
“Sal.” The old man offered his hand in return and Wyatt shook it with a smile.
“I’d like to buy this fine man a drink,” he said to Macy. “He’s obviously a good guy looking out for a friend.”
Sal nodded. “Exactly,” he said. “No one gets that around here.”
Macy rolled her eyes, sliding a beer in front of Wyatt and another scotch in front of Sal.
“I really would like to apologize to the waitress. I feel terrible about how I acted that night. I definitely had too much to drink, you know how that goes.”
“Oh, I know,” Sal said with a chuckle. Traitor .
“Anyway, I feel awful about it. Maybe you could tell me the next time she’ll be in. So I can talk to her.”
Macy shot a warning glare at Sal, and the old man didn’t dare speak up.
“Sorry we don’t give out that information.”
Wyatt smiled but the charm was gone. Ruby could sense the anger rolling off of him. He didn’t like being told no.
“Sure, of course, I get it,” he said, and Ruby had heard enough. She slipped back into the storage room, her hand over her racing heart, attempting to catch her breath. What the hell did that guy want from her?
She imagined the look on Rafe’s face if she went back out to ask.
He’d absolutely lose his shit.
It almost made her smile.
“Ruby, are you back here?” Macy whispered, her head peeking around the door frame.
“I’m here. Sorry, Macy.”
“Why are you apologizing for creepy men?”
Ruby shook her head. “I don’t know. That’s so unlike me. I just… I’m really freaked out.”
Macy crossed her arms over her chest, her kind eyes roving over Ruby. “As soon as he’s done with his drink, he’s out of here. I’ll make sure of it even if I have to call reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements?”
“You know my brothers aren’t going to put up with anybody’s shit.” That was true. Macy was the youngest, the only girl amongst four hockey-playing older brothers. One text to any of them would bring all four, probably armed with hockey sticks.
“Thanks, Macy.”
“No problem. You should know he’s asking about your sister, too.”
“Why? What the hell does he want to know about Lena?”
“He seems really interested in that story about how Lena knew there was a gas leak before anybody else did. About how she warned us and saved everybody.”
Right, that story.
It was another town favorite and, even though it had only happened a few months ago, it was already one that had been told so many times Ruby didn’t know what was true anymore.
All she knew was that Lena had this odd sense that something was wrong with the bar.
Luckily Macy had believed her and evacuated everybody.
By the time the fire department arrived, they said the main dining room was filled with carbon monoxide.
If it hadn’t been for Lena, everyone would have gotten sick or worse.
But why the hell would this out-of-towner care about that story?
And then she remembered that the night he groped her he’d called her Lena. Had he gotten them mixed up? Was he looking for her sister all along?
Fear tightened her chest as she thought about Lena home alone. What if Wyatt left the bar and went there next?
“Anyway, by some miracle Sal is being uncharacteristically tight-lipped about it. That free drink only got the guy so far.”
“Okay, good.”
Macy gave Ruby’s hand a squeeze. “Breathe, sweetie. You’re even paler than usual.”
Ruby laughed, the action loosening some of the tension in her chest.
“We’ll get rid of him,” Macy assured her. “You just hang out here till we do.”
Ruby nodded as Macy marched off to tell Wyatt to take a long hike off a short cliff. Ruby’s mind was still reeling with the possibilities of what this guy wanted from her or from her sister. Plus, the fact that he was a fucking werewolf and what that could mean and what she should do about it all.
She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and sent a text to her sister.
Don’t open the door to anyone.
What the hell kind of terrifying text is that?!
Sorry. Just don’t. I’ll explain later.
I’m not home anyway. I’m at Callie’s.
You are?
Yeah, she’s helping me fill out some applications for jobs I can do from home.
Like selling essential oils?
Ha. Ha. No, like medical coding and billing.
Ooo fancy.
I’m trying to help, Ruby.
I know. I love you. Stay with Callie until I get off work.
You’re freaking me out.
Good.
Ruby felt a little bad about scaring her sister, but it was necessary. She felt better knowing she was with Callie and not at their own cottage. Even if Wyatt went there now, he wouldn’t find her.
At least that was something.