Chapter Ninety-Four
Ruby
Several Days Later
The office smells like sawdust and coffee. And pastries. I’ve decided that's the official scent of construction work. That, and adhesive, and whatever combination of cedar dust and sweat Xavier manages to carry with him every day.
Mr. Cole sits behind his desk with invoices spread across every available surface, reading glasses low on his nose as he marks something with a pen. Its normalcy helps for a minute.
Until I remember I didn’t wake up in my own house this morning. I woke up in Xavier’s. He doesn’t ask if I want coffee anymore. He hands me my mug before I have a chance to make it myself.
He doesn’t ask how I like my eggs. He cooks until there’s no hint of runny yolk and just enough pepper because that's how I eat them.
My shampoo sits beside his in the shower. My toothbrush is next to his. There’s a drawer in his dresser with my clothes folded inside.
Squirt doesn’t even hesitate anymore. He trots straight to the blanket at the end of his bed every night like he’s claimed the spot as his own.
When it’s just us.... Everything feels easy. Comfortable. Natural. Like we’ve slipped into a life neither of us meant to build, but neither of us questions anymore.
Then someone else walks into the room. One of the guys. His dad. Ben wandering into the kitchen in search of coffee. Sam grabbing leftovers out of the refrigerator. And something changes.
Nothing obvious. Nothing anyone else would notice.
He still smiles at me. Still asks if I slept okay. Still makes sure I’ve eaten. But the little things disappear.
His hand doesn’t settle at the small of my back when we move around each other in the kitchen. Our shoulders don’t brush as often. He leaves a little more space between us. He becomes... careful. Like whatever exists between us is only supposed to exist when no one else is looking.
I don’t think he’s embarrassed by me. I think he’s terrified of everyone seeing us as a couple. And the problem is… that’s no better.
I’m halfway through answering emails when Mr. Cole clears his throat. “Ruby.”
I glance up. “Yeah?”
He holds out a folder. “Need this taken to a job location. Travis needs to sign.”
“That’s easy enough.”
“Over at the Harper house.”
I slip the folder into my bag. Okay, not so easy. For whatever reason, Lindsey rubs me the wrong way, but I won’t let Mr. Cole down. He’s had my back since day one. “I can run it over.”
His gaze lingers on me longer than usual. “You sure? I was going to ask you to take it to Lewis.” He’s in the back singing off-key to whatever song plays on the local radio station. Very off-key.
The question isn’t about the errand. I understand that immediately. He’s concerned about my safety and whether I feel comfortable going somewhere without an escort. At this point, I’d go to the dentist to have a minute to myself.
“I’ll text you when I get there.” I snatch my purse off the back of my chair. “I’m not disappearing into the wilderness.”
One side of his mouth twitches. “Good plan.”
“I’m going to stop by the vet clinic also. I need to get some supplies for Squirt.” I grab my keys and send Xavier a quick message.
Me: Running an errand for your dad. Stopping by vet clinic after.
His reply comes back almost immediately.
Xavier: Text me at each stop.
Protective. Concerned. Comforting. Dangerously comforting.
I shove my phone into my pocket before I can think too hard about why that makes warmth spread through my chest.
The drive across town is uneventful.
Lukewarm air filters through the vents while I tap my fingers against the steering wheel, trying not to think about shattered glass or handwritten notes or the fact I woke up in Xavier’s bed this morning and nobody acted surprised by it.
Temporary. That’s what this is supposed to be, even if it stopped feeling temporary somewhere along the way.
Brookhaven Veterinary comes into view a few minutes later, and I pull into the gravel lot. The bell above the clinic door jingles as I step inside.
The familiar mix of antiseptic, shampoo, wet fur, and livestock feed settles around me. It isn't unpleasant. Just... unmistakably a veterinary clinic.
The receptionist smiles. “Hey, Ruby.”
“Hi. I was hoping to grab a few things for Squirt.”
“Dr. Hannah’s will be out soon.”
I nod my thanks and glance toward the treatment area as the exam room door swings open.
Dr. Hannah Carter steps out first, jotting something on a chart before handing it to the receptionist. My dad follows behind her, tugging his jacket back on.
I blink. “Dad?”
His head comes up. “Ruby?”
“What're you doing here?”
“Brought one of the sows in this morning.” He hooks a thumb toward the exam room. “Thought she'd picked up an infection.”
I glance at Hannah. “Is she okay?”
“She will be.” Hannah smiles as the faint hint of peppermint filters through the air. “We caught it early.”
“After she argued with me for ten minutes,” Dad says.
She arches her eyebrows while tilting her head to the side. “I encouraged you to bring her in.”
“You called me stubborn.”
“You were.”
“I was gathering information.”
She laughs while retrieving a peppermint from her pocket and popping it in her mouth. “I’ll have your medicine ready in a minute.”
Dad hooks two fingers beneath the brim of his faded cap, tipping it back. “Yes, ma’am.”
She rolls her eyes, smiling as she disappears toward the treatment area.
His grin fades as he studies me. “You alright?”
The question catches me off guard. Not because of what he’s asked. Because apparently everyone can tell lately. “I’m fine.”
His eyebrows lift. “You look tired.”
“I’ve had a long couple of days.”
He jerks his head toward the front door. “Walk me out.”
I turn my attention to the receptionist. “Tell Dr. Carter I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Cold air brushes across my face as we step into the parking lot. Dad stops beside his truck instead of climbing in. “You wanna tell me what's going on?”
My stomach tightens. “Nothing's going on.” Shit. Where would I even start?
“Ruby.” One word. Twenty-four years of parental skepticism packed into two syllables.
I sigh. “Things have been stressful.”
“This about work?”
I shake my head.
“The boy?”
Heat rushes into my cheeks as I glance over my shoulder. This is Brookhaven. Even the buildings have ears. “What boy?”
Dad gives me a look. “The one you've been mooning over since high school.”
“Oh, my God.”
“You think people didn’t notice?”
“I was hoping they didn’t.” Jesus. This is worse than I thought. Are people taking bets on when I’m going to realize Xavier isn’t going to commit? How humiliating.
“Well...” He scratches the back of his neck. “...you weren’t exactly subtle.”
Heat continues to ride up my neck and cheeks. “This is a mortifying conversation.”
“For you, maybe.” He nods his head as I lean against the side of his truck because standing up seems like too much effort. “You care about him.”
Not a question. And it’s pointless to try and lie to my dad. “Yeah.”
“And?”
I stare across the gravel lot. “It’s complicated.”
“Usually is.”
A breeze changes direction. The sharp smell drifting from the garbage bin hits me all at once. My stomach rolls hard enough that I press a hand against it.
He clasps my shoulder as the lines on his forehead deepen. “You alright?”
“I’m fine.” The answer comes too fast. Too automatically.
Before he can say anything, Dr. Carter pushes through the front door carrying a small paper bag. She spots us. “You forgot these.”
Dad takes the medicine. “You saved me another trip.”
She smiles. Then looks at me, a crease forming on her forehead. “Is everything okay?”
“The smell hit me.”
She nods knowingly. “There’s nothing like the smell of garbage the day before pickup.”
“Yeah.”
“It gets almost everybody.”
“Are you sure that’s it?” Dad looks unconvinced. “Are you sure you’re taking care of yourself? Eating? Getting enough sleep?”
“I've eaten.” The scrambled eggs from three hours ago threaten to revolt and prove my statement to him. “Just tired.”
“Okay.” He kisses the top of my head and whispers, “Just be careful with your heart, kid.”
Something catches low in my chest. Because that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do. The problem is.... It stopped working somewhere along the way.
He squeezes the back of my neck once. “And for the record…. That boy’s been looking at you like you matter for a long time.”
Before I can answer, he’s around the driver’s side and driving to the back to pick up the sow.
Hannah stands on the sidewalk holding another paper bag. “This one’s yours. Food sample, treats, flea preventative, and the probiotic we talked about.”
“You didn’t have to do all that.”
“I know.” She smiles. “I wanted to.”
I peek inside. “You always send people home with this much?”
“Only the ones I like.”
I laugh. “I’ll try not to abuse the privilege.”
“You’d better not.” She winks and returns to the clinic where my dad is picking up one of his pigs.