Chapter 6 Ruby
six
Ruby
Two weeks later, I'm standing in what passes for the Old Pines community center, really just a converted warehouse with some chairs and a bulletin board, listening to Devin brief everyone on winter preparations, and all I can think about is Mayson.
Does he miss me? Is he eating properly? Is he lonely, or is he back to being content in his solitude? Did I imagine the connection between us, or did the time together mean as much to him as they did to me?
"Ruby, you with us?"
I snap back to attention, finding Devin watching me with knowing eyes.
"Sorry. What were you saying about the supply rotation?"
"I was saying maybe you should tell us what's really on your mind instead of pretending to pay attention."
I glance around the room at the dozen faces watching me—convoy members who've become family over the past year. They're all smiling, some knowingly, some amused.
"I'm just distracted," I say.
"By a certain mountain man?" Devin suggests.
Heat floods my face. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ruby, you've been moping for two weeks. You check the radio every hour like you're expecting a call. And you've reorganized the supply depot three times." He leans back in his chair. "That man made an impression."
"He saved my life."
"Is that all he did?"
I could deny it. Should deny it. But these people have been through hell with me, have trusted me with their lives, and I owe them honesty.
"No," I admit. "That's not all he did."
"So what are you still doing here?"
"What do you mean? I'm here because this is where the convoy is going. This is where I need to be."
"Ruby, you've been instrumental in getting us settled. You've organized supplies, mapped out expansion plans, established protocols." Devin stands, moving to stand in front of me. "We're stable now. We don't need you here every minute."
"But—"
"But nothing. If you want to go back to him, go."
"I can't just leave."
"Why not? You afraid he won't want you?"
The question hits harder than I expect. "Maybe."
"That man looked at you like you were the only thing keeping the sun from going dark. Trust me, he wants you."
"He has his own demons. He might not be ready for me."
"Or maybe he is, and you're both being stubborn idiots about it." Devin grins. "Go back, Ruby. At least talk to him. See if there's something there worth building on."
I look around the room at all the encouraging faces. "You're all okay with this?"
"We're not going to fall apart without you. Though we'll miss your terrifying efficiency."
"And your habit of rearranging everything," someone else adds.
"And your insistence on proper inventory protocols," a third person chimes in.
I'm laughing now, tears pricking my eyes. "You're all terrible."
"We're all family," Devin corrects. "And family wants you to be happy. So go be happy with your mountain man."
I look at the radio in the corner, thinking about the signal that's been silent for two weeks. Mayson doesn't know I'm coming. I could radio ahead, give him warning, but something makes me hesitate. What if he doesn't answer? What if he does, but he's moved on?
"I'll leave in the morning," I decide. "Give me tonight to pack, say proper goodbyes."
"Fair enough."
That night, I can barely sleep. I'm excited, terrified, second-guessing every decision. What if this is a mistake? What if I'm throwing away stability and community for a man I barely know?
But then I remember the way Mayson looked at me in the firelight. The way he opened up about his crew, his guilt, his ghosts. The way he promised I'd always be welcome.
That's not nothing. That's everything.
I leave at dawn, carrying a lighter pack than before. I just have essentials, weapons, and a few supplies for Mayson. The hike back to his mountain takes three days, and every step feels like coming home.
When I finally see the cabin through the trees, my heart starts racing. Smoke curls from the chimney. Everything looks the same as when I left, but also somehow different. Brighter, maybe. More welcoming.
Or maybe that's just because I know what's inside.
I cross the clearing, climb the porch steps, and knock.
The door opens, and there he is. Mayson. Bigger than I remember, more solid, more real. His beard is trimmed, his hair cut shorter, and when he sees me, his entire face transforms.
"Ruby."
"Hi."
We stare at each other for a long moment, and I'm suddenly uncertain. Maybe I should have radioed ahead. Maybe showing up unannounced is presumptuous. Maybe—
He pulls me inside and kisses me so hard I forget every doubt I've ever had.
When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, he cups my face in his hands.
"You came back."
"I promised."
"I know, but I thought, maybe…"
"What? That I'd forget about you? That I’d change my mind?" I grip his shirt, holding him close. "Mayson, I haven't stopped thinking about you since I left. Every day, every hour, all I wanted was to come back here."
"What about the convoy?"
"The convoy is settled. They don't need me hovering. They need me to visit occasionally, check in, help with complex logistics. But I don't need to live there." I press my forehead against his. "I want to live here. If you'll have me."
"Ruby." His voice cracks. "I love you."
"I love you too," I whisper, tears spilling down my cheeks.
He kisses me like he's drowning and I'm air. Then he's picking me up, carrying me to the bedroom, laying me down like I'm something sacred.
His hands shake as he undresses me. Shirt first, then my bra. He pauses, staring at my breasts like he's never seen anything more perfect. His mouth descends, hot and wet, sucking my nipple until I'm arching off the bed.
He works my jeans off, my underwear, and then I'm bare beneath him. He's still fully clothed and the contrast makes me feel exposed, vulnerable in the best way.
"Mayson—"
He spreads my thighs, settles between them, and just looks at me. At all of me. Then his mouth is on my inner thigh, kissing, biting gently, working his way up.
When his tongue drags through my folds, I nearly come off the bed. He groans against me like I'm the best thing he's ever tasted, then his mouth is on my clit, sucking, licking, devouring.
"Oh god—"
His hands grip my thighs, holding me open, holding me still while he works me with his tongue. He's relentless, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on my clit. When he pushes two fingers inside me, curling them just right, I'm done.
The orgasm crashes through me and he doesn't stop, working me through it until I'm pulling at his hair, oversensitive and shaking.
He kisses his way up my body, my stomach, my ribs, my breasts, before finally shedding his clothes. When he settles between my legs again, I can feel how hard he is.
"Need you," I gasp.
He pushes inside and I gasp at the stretch. He's thick, filling me completely, and after two weeks without him my body has to adjust all over again. He sinks deeper, deeper, until he's buried to the hilt and I can't tell where I end and he begins.
"Fuck," he breathes, staying still. "You feel amazing."
I rock my hips and he groans, fingers digging into my ass. Then he's moving - slow, deep strokes that drag against every nerve ending. I can feel every ridge, every inch of his cock as he pulls almost all the way out before sliding back in.
His mouth is on my neck, teeth scraping, and I'm already climbing again. One hand slides under my ass, tilting me up, and the new angle makes him hit that spot that turns my vision white.
"There! Don't stop!"
He doesn't. He pounds into that spot over and over, and I'm making sounds I didn't know I could make. The obscene slap of skin on skin fills the room, mixed with our harsh breathing and my moans.
His thumb finds my clit, circling with just the right pressure, and I'm right on the edge. My nails rake down his back, probably drawing blood, and he groans like he likes it.
"Come on my cock," he growls in my ear. "Want to feel you squeeze me."
His thumb presses harder and his cock drives deep and I come apart, clenching around him so hard I see stars. Pleasure rolls through me in waves, my pussy pulsing around him, and he doesn't stop fucking me through it.
"Ruby," His rhythm breaks, getting erratic. "I need to—where?"
"Don't." I wrap my legs around him like a vice, locking him inside me. "Stay. I want you to stay."
His eyes go dark, wild, understanding what I'm asking. What I'm giving him.
"You sure?"
"Inside me." I pull him down for a desperate kiss. "Come inside me. I want all of you."
He thrusts hard, once, twice, and then he's coming deep, groaning my name against my mouth. I can feel him pulsing inside me, filling me with hot spurts, and it triggers another small orgasm that makes me clench around him.
We stay like that, him still buried inside me, both of us shaking and gasping. I can feel him softening but he doesn't pull out, just shifts his weight so he's not crushing me while staying connected.
His hand slides to my stomach, possessive, and I know he's thinking about what we just did. What might happen because of it.
"You're staying," he says, and it's not a question.
"I'm staying." I cover his hand with mine. "No leaving. No pulling out. No holding back."
"Ruby."
"I want this. All of it. You, this life, whatever comes." I meet his eyes. "Everything."
He kisses me, slow and deep, and I can still feel him inside me, feel his release starting to leak out around his softening cock. We're quiet for a moment, listening to the familiar sounds of the cabin, the fire crackling, the wind outside.
"Mayson?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for letting me in. For taking a chance on me."
"Ruby, you crashed into my life during a blizzard and refused to leave even when I gave you the chance. I don't think I ever had a choice."
"You always had a choice."
"Maybe. But it was the easiest choice I've ever made."
I fall asleep in his arms, finally, completely at peace.