Chapter 2
Ruby
Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
I was supposed to be traveling from New York to Florida yesterday, but I made sure to catch up on all my accounts before I left and had to push my departure back a day.
It wasn’t a big deal. I’m a hard worker, and since I planned to take the week off—no working—I was willing to do the extra effort to be stress free on my trip.
My high school friend is getting married, there are a lot of people I hadn’t seen in a while, and for the first time in a long time, I was excited about something.
I finished my work and went to the office to drop off the files I’d worked on all weekend, and that’s when my boss told me I couldn’t have the week off.
I don’t know if it was lack of sleep and extreme exhaustion, but I told him I was going.
I’ve never, not once since I started working there, even disagreed with him, much less flat-out told him no.
He told me I wasn’t going, and so I quit right on the spot.
There were no dramatics. I packed up my office and took the box all the way across town on the subway to my tiny New York apartment just to drop it in the door before heading to the airport.
None of it sank in until we were up in the air, and then I realized what I’d done.
I just quit my job. The job where I just made junior accountant.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a long flight because the more I thought about it, the more I thought I’d maybe rushed into things. But when I land, I make my way through the airport, pick up my luggage, and head to the shuttle outside.
I try to take in the beautiful scenery and let myself relax during the twenty-minute ride to the hotel, but my thoughts keep going back to what in the hell was I thinking. I don’t have the luxury to just quit my job, not without something else lined up.
I take a deep breath, rolling my luggage inside the posh hotel. It’s okay. I’ll start sending out resumes tonight. I’ll have a job before I get back into town Monday. Easy peasy.
I make my way into the hotel and take in the beautiful lobby.
I almost make it to the front desk, but a man sitting on a chair at the center of the room has me stumbling over my own feet.
He’s a cowboy, and my thoughts instantly go to Austin.
I shake my head. It’s been seven years, Ruby.
Get over it, I tell myself as I drag my eyes away from the lone figure and step up to the counter.
Check-in is a breeze. I show my ID and am given my keys.
I’m putting my wallet back into my purse when I hear my name.
My whole body freezes because I know that voice.
I’ve had dreams about that voice. I look up wide-eyed at the man that I’ve thought about every day for the last seven years.
I can only stare at him open-mouthed and take him all in.
He looks good. He’s filled out more, and he’s sexier than I remember.
He grabs on to his hat and holds it in front of him. “Ruby Sutton.”
The way he says my name has me crossing my feet because I swear I feel it all the way to my core. I start and then clear my throat. “Austin McCoy.”
He takes a step toward me, and I take a step back.
He holds his hand up like he’s going to reach out to steady me, but thankfully, he doesn’t.
I don’t know what I’d do if he touched me right now.
I’ve avoided him, and his ranch, since I left all those years ago.
I never trusted myself to go back. Even when I went to visit my mom and dad, I am usually in and out in a day—two days—tops.
I couldn’t chance running into him because I knew I’d be right back where I started, chasing after him.
And he’s already turned me away once. I’m not going to go through that again.
“You look beautiful, Ruby.”
His comment brings me out of my thoughts, and I cross my arms over my chest. “Thank you, Austin. You look good too. What brings you to Florida?”
He hesitates for just a second. “A wedding.”
My breath hitches. “You’re going to Avery and Gabe’s wedding?”
He nods.
We stand here, looking at one another, and I do my best to guard my expression. It doesn’t make sense that Austin is here for the wedding. Did he come because Becky is due with her baby soon and couldn’t travel? Regardless, I’m not going to ask him about it.
I grab on to my luggage on wheels. “I’d better get to my room. I’ll see you on Sunday, Austin.”
I barely get two steps and Austin is beside me. “Come and take a walk with me on the beach.”
Again, I stumble, and this time, Austin reaches out and holds on to my elbow. I pull from his grip. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I keep walking, my eye on the elevators. I punch the button and stand there, ignoring the man next to me.
When the doors open, I step on, and Austin does the same. I can feel his gaze on me, and I don’t even blink, staring at the gray metal doors in front of me.
“Ruby.”
I close my eyes and open them. “Yeah?”
“Look at me, honey.”
The endearment catches me off guard. I turn my head and look into his dark brown eyes. The hat is back on his head, and I try to ignore the way my heart is racing in my chest. “What?”
“Will you please take a walk with me?”
I blurt the word without even thinking about it. “Why?”