Chapter Twenty-Eight #2
“That you lugged them around.” I reach for her hand again and start down the sidewalk. “Are you sure they didn’t just keep inserting their opinion on the dresses, forcing you to keep searching until you found one they approved of?”
She shakes her head. “It wasn’t quite like that.”
I stare at her, eyes narrowed.
“Okay, it was a little like that.” She laughs. “But I needed their input. Really, I did. Your sisters are beautiful and put-together. I wanted to know what they thought about each dress.”
“And Mom?” I ask. “How was she?”
“Very sweet. She told me all about your dad.” A pulsing ache ripples through my chest. “He sounds amazing. I’m sorry you lost him.”
I nod, choked up by her concern. “He was.” I squeeze her hand. “I’m sorry you lost your dad, too. If he was anything like you, I know he was amazing.”
She leans into me, resting the side of her face against my arm. “Dash, there’s something I need to confess, and I’m really hoping you’re not too upset with me,”
I ignore the sense of foreboding in my chest. “Okay. What is it?”
She sighs against my arm. “I might have…accidentally…mentioned your injury to your mom.”
A fleeting rush of disappointment flows through me before my shoulders sag with acceptance. I wrap one arm around Ruby’s back to reassure her, keeping her tucked against my side. “It’s all right, Tinsel. I had to tell her about it eventually.”
She peeks up at me, eyes glassy. “You’re not upset with me?”
I shake my head. “Of course not. You had no idea I hadn’t told her.”
“I just know how hesitant you were to talk about it with me. But I hadn’t even considered you hadn’t told your mom. I pretty much tell my mom everything.”
That causes me to smile. “I usually do tell my mom most things, but I just…” I card a hand through my hair. “I think I’ve been afraid of letting her down. This was the sport my dad got me into, you know? If I leave it behind, it almost feels like I’ll be leaving him, and his legacy, behind.”
She’s quiet for a moment, but I know she’s thinking.
“I think your mom would understand,” she finally says. “She loves you more than she loves you playing hockey.”
I release a long breath and nod. “You’re probably right.”
She gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “You have so much to offer the world besides hockey, Dash. And you’re an incredible player, but also…
an incredible human.” Pausing to meet my eyes, she adds, “And I’m so glad I met you.
” Warmth permeates my entire being, filling me with a wild, reckless sense of longing.
This girl…she makes me want to drop to one knee right here on the street and beg her to wear my last name at every game I play from here on out.
There’s so much I could say—so much I want to say to her—about how she makes me feel, but I’m afraid if I come on too strong, she’ll ghost me once I’m back in Utah. Ruby gets overwhelmed easily, and just like my family, I can be a lot.
So, I settle for, “I’m so glad I met you, too.”
We reach the little park, where a winding sidewalk trails through a grassy area peppered with benches. Trees that look like they’ve been here for a hundred years add enough shade to make walking the path bearable, even in the heat.
We start down the path, lazily taking our time.
“How long do you have before you have to head back?”
“Only about a half an hour,” I say, regretful.
“It’s enough. After all, I’ll get to see you tonight.”
“That you will.” I let out a sigh. “But your brother will be with you, right?”
“Right.”
“So…I need to take advantage of having you alone while I can…right?”
She stops in front of me, and I gather her in my arms. “You make it sound so scandalous,” she teases. “Taking advantage of me?”
“You know what I meant.” I lean down far enough to let my nose brush against hers.
“I’m not sure I do, Hockey Boy.” She nuzzles her cheek into mine before whispering into my ear, “Guess you’d better show me.”
Something close to a growl erupts from my throat as I drop my lips to the hollow of her neck, dragging them along her smooth skin. She shudders against me, spurring me on. I let my mouth linger on her collarbone, her neck, before slowly whispering along her jaw, leaving gentle kisses in my wake.
“Dash,” she breathes.
“Hm?”
“Maybe we should get off the path?”
I glance around. There’s not another soul in sight, but I take her admonition seriously and grab her hand.
We dart behind one of the larger trees lining the path, her giggle filling the air around us.
It feels like we’re two teenagers escaping the prying eyes of our parents when I nudge her back against the tree, pinning her with my body.
“This better?” I ask, my voice dropping to the lowest possible register.
“So much better.”
Grabbing my T-shirt, Ruby pulls me down to meet her.
Our lips meet, tenderly at first. But the longer we linger, the more passion builds between us.
I brace one elbow on the tree behind her head, gripping her hip with my opposite hand to keep her rooted in place.
Her lips part, allowing me to drink her in, and I give in to the craving I’ve had all morning.
She grips my waist, fisting her hands in my T-shirt, sending my blood soaring.
Ruby’s sighs, her little gasping breaths drive me to the point of insanity. I pull back, needing to hit the brakes before I do something crazy like declare my undying love.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say instead, coasting my thumb along her cheek. “I don’t want to quit kissing you—”
“But you need to go.” She rests her hand against my chest. “Don’t you?”
“I don’t need to, but I should,” I say with a chuckle. “You have me thinking impossible things when you’re like this, Tinsel.”
“What kinds of impossible things?” Her voice catches on the word impossible.
I bracket her face in my hands, gazing into her dark oceanic eyes. “Things like moving across the country. Like adopting you into my family. Like…keeping you.”
Her cheeks flush as her lips pop open in surprise. For a few silent seconds, she only stares back.
“I don’t want to scare you.” Dread has me back peddling, and when she doesn’t respond right away, I flounder. “Forget I said all that.” I push away from the tree and take her hand in mine. “Come on, let’s get you back to your car.”
I prattle on nervously about anything and everything that doesn’t have to do with our relationship status on our way to Ruby’s car.
She answers politely, but I can tell she’s back at that tree, still absorbing the words I carelessly threw at her.
I knew showing her my hand too early would cause an issue.
I knew it and still did it.
But she hasn’t run yet. There’s that at least. Maybe I can convince her I was joking and didn’t mean a word of it. Except that I really, really did.
When we reach her car, I slow her to a stop. “Thanks for entertaining my family today. It meant a lot to me.” Why did I say that in past tense? As if she’s leaving me after what I confessed?
Oh, crap. What if she does?
“No need to thank me,” she says, not quite meeting my eyes. “I should still be thanking you. You bought me a dress, let me hang out with your sisters and mom…”
“Now they like you more than me…”
An airy little laugh escapes her. “Not possible, but we did get along great. I had a really nice day.”
Until I ruined it. She doesn’t say that, of course.
“Thanks for the walk.” I open my arms, and she comes to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I hold her tightly, burrowing my face into her hair, breathing her in. “I’ll see you tonight.”
She steps back. “See you tonight.”
I watch as she slides into her car and pulls away. On the way to my car, I remind myself that Ruby’s home is here, while mine is currently in Utah. And I can’t, in good conscience, let myself desire her this much if all we can ever have is this week. I just wish things were different.