Chapter 45
Ruby
THE LATE-AFTERNOON sun stretched low over the ocean, spilling copper light across the garden, the deck outside the Bar every car that turned in, every crunch of tires on gravel.
“Congratulations, babe.” Rio pulled me into a hug, the faint sweetness of strawberries clinging to her hair. “From the outside, it looks the same, only brighter. It’s always been beautiful, and now with the fresh paint and new slates, it’s even more so.”
“Thanks. I know.” My voice came out steadier than I felt, as though I could will my nerves into composure. “Wait until you see inside. I had the ground floor repainted and redecorated the upstairs entirely.”
“Can’t wait.”
Next to her, Owen’s gaze traveled slowly over the inn. His hand was anchored firmly around Rio’s. “It’s the perfect spot,” he said, his eyes shifting from her to me. Their wedding date was set to December 15th, right here at my inn.
“Beats your basement, right?” I laughed.
When Rio first told him she wanted the wedding here and suggested he should see the place, he’d only shrugged and said as long as he was marrying her, it could be anywhere—even their basement.
Owen chuckled, his gaze soft on Rio. “Is there anything you two don’t share?”
“Some things,” she said, her brows lifting in a playful arch.
“You’ve got a special place here, Ruby,” he said.
I swallowed around the knot in my throat—a mix of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. So much anticipation, I could barely breathe. “Thanks. Go on in. The Bar vendors who’d pulled through for me; my mom and Alan, my Aunt Amy.
Even the four cabin renters I’d invited to attend.
The scent of roasted garlic and fresh pastry wafted from the open deck doors, where servers I borrowed from the Bar & Grill operator carried trays of wine and small bites.
Soft music drifted from speakers placed throughout the property, from the reception to the deck and garden, the light posts and string lights glowing as dusk settled in.
My mother leaned in as she passed, her eyes skimming over me like she was assessing a centerpiece. “You could’ve worn something brighter, it’s a party,” she half-whispered, though her hand squeezed mine before she moved on.
“Don’t listen to her,” Evangeline chimed, sweeping past in a simple black dress, arms full of greenery.
The dark fabric made the flowers and her chestnut hair blaze brighter.
“You look perfect, and this color brings out the blue in your eyes,” she added, winking before handing the arrangement to Lani, who hurried down the hall toward the Bar & Grill’s inner doors.
Evangeline had arrived early, her van packed with arrangements for the entire place.
Lani, Sandra, and I had spent an hour trailing after her, setting them just where she wanted.
The reception area filled with the hum of voices as guests mingled and waiters wove through with champagne trays.
To the left, laughter drifted from the hall leading to the Bar & Grill, where finger food was served.
To the right lay the quieter side—the breakfast room, empty at night but finally open again for mornings, and my office, its quiet chaos politely locked away.
Daphne appeared, a rare vision in a deep green dress that hugged her figure. She’d abandoned her usual uniform of jeans and boots for the night, and her dark hair, normally tied back, fell loose in soft waves down her back.
“Who knew you cleaned up this pretty?” I said, hugging her.
“You did, but you forgot,” she replied. “You and the inn both look beautiful, Ruby.”
“Thanks.” My hand flew to the back of my head where I’d pinned my curls up, loose spirals already slipping free.
We grinned at each other, and then she was swept inside with the rest.
This fullness, this noise, was proof that the Coral Bay Inn was alive again. But even with everyone here, I felt the hollow tug of absence.
My heart was beating a name that was yet to arrive.
“Hey, not here yet?” Evangeline reappeared, stopping next to me, shoulder to shoulder, watching over the driveway. “Did you invite his parents?”
“I didn’t want to ambush him. It’s enough that my mom is here.”
“Good call,” she scoffed, making me smile too.
Since that night at Eve’s—when I finally broke down, confessed everything to myself and my friends, and then texted him—I hadn’t spoken to him. Just words on a screen. Words carved from my heart and sent to him.
I’d texted because I needed the words clear and written, not tangled up in my mouth.
I wanted to hear his voice telling me that I wasn’t too late and that he still loved me, but some things weren’t meant for phones.
I wanted to see his eyes when I’d tell him how much I loved him.
I wanted him to see the words live on my lips, after I’d denied him of them for too long.
And until then, every breath, every beat of my heart was waiting for him.
Lani stepped out to find me still lingering alone on the steps after Eve had gone back in. “Everyone’s inside,” she said gently.
“I’m coming.” I glanced at the time on my phone. I knew the flight times by heart, knew how long the drive was. He was cutting it close, but since my mom and Alan, and especially my aunt, were older, I’d had to start earlier.
I went inside and mingled with my guests, moving from one group to another. My staff buzzed with excitement over the full house we’d be having soon, my vendors complimented the upgrades, and my friends wrapped me in hugs.
“Look at you,” Rio said, sweeping a hand at the polished wood and candlelit tables. “You make it look like you run an actual inn or something.”
I snorted. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“Ruby, it looks new without losing its original charm,” Aunt Amy said in her hoarse voice when I approached her. “Congratulations on a job well done.”
“Thanks—”
“And your mother tells me that a very handsome friend of yours helped.”
I bit back a groan. Amy was one of the pillars of gossip in the small towns along the coast, not just the one she lived in.
Even if the news wouldn’t interest anyone outside Coral Bay, she had that twinkle in her eye like she’d just struck gold.
She could’ve been a great columnist or an investigative reporter if she weren’t a caterer.
“He’s not here now,” my mother said, joining us with Alan. “He’s back in Houston,” she added quickly, her words clipped like a dart thrown in my direction.
“He has work there,” Alan said gently but meeting her gaze evenly. With them being the same height, the stare-off was at eye level. His tone implied, it has nothing to do with Ruby.
Did he know she was blaming me for my dad checking out on us? Probably. But there came a time when you had to let your mom live with her own regrets, not carry them for her.
I looked at her. “For once, you’re right, Mom,” I said before she could load another shot. My smile was polite, my voice low. “He went back because of me. But everything else you try to pin on me? Don’t.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my aunt forcing back a smile, giving me a quick half-wink. My mom looked between me and Amy, biting back whatever retort she wanted to fire.
“Enjoy the food,” I said with a bright smile before moving toward the next group.
Joe from my staff clinked a glass, calling for me to say a few words. I nodded, holding up a hand, still in the middle of a group near the reception desk.
And then I saw him.
Across the room, beyond the laughter and the clinking glasses. Sebastian.
No grand entrance, no fanfare. Just there. In a suit. His gaze locked on mine, and it was like the room emptied of everyone else.
We started walking at the same time, weaving through the crowd until we met in the middle—surrounded by people, yet somehow all alone.
“You’re here,” I whispered, my throat clogged with relief and a torrent of emotion. My body sparked back to life.
He half-smiled, one corner of his mouth tipping up. “Someone had to make sure the roof held.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes from his. The dark-olive tie caught the light, highlighting the hazel flecks in his deep brown eyes.
“Speech,” someone called, from what felt like outer space.
Sebastian stepped closer, the back of his hand brushing down my arm, and gave me a small wink and a nod toward the front of the room. A silent push forward, a promise he was here.
I went to face the crowd, my heart galloping yet calm at the same time.