“You guys are obviously a weird couple.”
“And I hope we stay that way.” I tapped my credit card on the counter. “Five minutes after three o’clock in the ice cream shop. It’s important.”
“I’ve got it,” Cherise assured me. “Weirdly, I’m invested in this now. If you get shot down, I’m going to take it personally.”
“You and me both.”
I WAS IN MY USUAL SPOT NEXT TO THEcashier cage when the elevator opened for Ruby on the main floor at three o’clock. She smiled at Cal in greeting. He was near the archway by design. Since he’d lost out on the pool, he was helping through the sheer goodness of his heart. Well, that and the fact I was his boss and could give him terrible shifts. I was grateful regardless.
“All alone today?” Cal asked Ruby as she passed.
She shrugged. “Olivia was going to come with me, but she got held up in the boardroom. She’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Well, have something sweet for me.” Cal winked at her. When he looked up at me, amused, his smile disappeared in an instant. “Or for yourself,” he added.
Ruby was in her own little world so she didn’t answer. She looked directly at me as she passed. “Are you watching again today?” She sounded exasperated. “You know I can get to and from the ice cream shop on my own safely, right?”
I shrugged. “Maybe I’m here to watch my baby. Have you ever considered that?”
“You’re just so weird.” Despite her words, she smiled. Deep down, she liked it that I was always here to make sure she was safe for her afternoon ice cream fix. She never came out and said it. I could tell, though. “Just so, so weird.”
“Good thing you like weird, huh?”
Her tone was taunting. “I never said that.”
I forced myself to stay where I was even though my natural instinct was to chase her. “Have some real ice cream,” I ordered her back as she rounded the corner.
“Yeah, I think I’ll refrain from bouncing off the walls this afternoon.”
I sighed as I watched her go. She was so much work. She was worth it, though. When had I realized that? Maybe before our drunken night. When I looked back at what had happened, I recognized things that hadn’t been apparent at the time.
The first was that I’d been attracted to Ruby for a really long time. Sure, it started when we were teenagers and I was too young to do anything about it. Teenage lust had given way to adult flirting, and through the years we’d built a solid foundation. It wasn’t just friendship either. It was more than that. A lot more.
When Ryder had been in command, I didn’t dare ask Ruby out. I probably wouldn’t have anyway even if he wasn’t such a formidable figure. At the time, I needed to sow my wild oats. I had specific ideas in my head for how my life was going to go. If I didn’t engage in at least some of it, I always would’ve wondered.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t angry at myself for wasting time where Ruby was concerned. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to realize she owned a significant piece of my heart. Was some of that the baby? She was convinced of it. I wasn’t, though.
I mean … I was going to love my baby. I felt that to my very marrow. I was going to be a good father. I had a great role model for that. More than that, though, I was going to be good to Ruby. I wanted to dote on her, fall all over myself to be a goofy romantic. I wanted to go to the movies with her and have quiet dinners in her suite.
I wanted to do it all.
The realization had come slowly, but there was no doubt what I felt when I looked at her. I was falling in love. Heck, maybe I was already there. I couldn’t drop the L-bomb just yet, though. I had to get Ruby where I was. This was the first step.
I remained in my spot until Cherise marched into the casino. The flowers were so heavy she had them on a rolling cart. The balloons spread so wide it looked as if she was about to set up for a party.
I grinned when I saw her.
Her eyes sought and found mine.
I pointed in the direction of the ice cream shop, and she nodded. I’d showed her a photo of Ruby before I left her shop, so she knew who she was looking for.
My pace was deliberately slow as I followed. I needed to give Cherise time to deliver my gift to Ruby. When I finally arrived at the ice cream shop, I secreted myself behind the big fake ice cream cone and watched as Cherise approached Ruby.
As usual, Ruby was in her regular booth. She had a small bowl of plain frozen yogurt in front of her and was scrolling her phone. I had no idea what she looked at when she was lost like she was now, but it took Cherise clearing her throat twice to draw Ruby’s attention.
“Ruby Stone?” she asked, even though she knew who she was looking at.
“Yes.” Ruby’s forehead creased in confusion as Cherise hefted the vase onto the table in front of her. “What’s this?”
