WHEN THEY RETURNEDto Denver, Ruby made a stop at the TCA office to catch up with Lucas. She tossed him a new set of dice she’d picked up back in Texas, a habit she'd developed as a kind of reparation for teasing him about his DND hobby. The dice clattered on his desk, and he added them to his growing collection. He offered her a brief smile and a quiet "Thanks."
Lucas hadn’t said much beyond that, but he mentioned their next hunt would involve a potential thermophile in Wyoming. “Take tomorrow off,” he advised, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You’ll leave the morning after.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand. “No buts. If you even try to complain, I’ll forward the karaoke video to the entire department.”
She slunk out of his office without another word. Back when the TCA was still experimenting with her herbal cigarettes, Lucas had slipped her a blunt (with her knowledge, of course.). They thought maybe it would help take the edge off of her anxiety and the overwhelming dread she faced every day. Instead, it had given her a manic energy that ended with her screaming Sweet Caroline alongside a bachelorette party, a professional golfer, and three scuba diving instructors.
Ruby met Jonah the next morning in her hotel lobby. He juggled a muffin and a coffee, his jaw freshly shaved and dark blonde hair pulled back neatly, catching the early sunlight as it filtered through the large windows. He was dressed morecasually than usual, though it suited him— dark jeans, a fitted gray jacket over a soft black t-shirt, the kind that looked simple but expensive. The scent of roasted coffee beans mingled with the faint lemon polish the hotel staff had used on the marble floors, and for a moment, she hesitated by the front desk, trying to get a grip on the knot of nerves tightening in her stomach. She had spent an embarrassing amount of time deciding what to wear, tearing through the small closet in her hotel room before settling on a light sweater, denim skirt, and boots.
“How were your flowers?” she asked.
“Overwatered,” he grumbled. As she drew closer, his eyes flicked up and down, taking her in. “You look perfect.”
Her heart stumbled in her chest, an unexpected hitch, but she pushed it down. She could count the number of people who had genuinely complimented her on one hand. “Oh yeah?” she challenged, arching an eyebrow.
“Yes.” His grin broadened, a playful gleam in his eyes. “You’ll fit right in.”
She rolled onto the balls of her feet “To where?”
He shook his head. “Still a surprise.”
“So we’re really doing this, huh?” She cleared her throat.
He smiled, his eyes lighting up in that way that made her pulse flutter. “Oh yeah, we’re doing this.”
Jonah’s hand rested gently on the small of her back, guiding her toward the hotel’s parking garage. His truck sat waiting, and as they approached, the familiar creak of the door echoed as he pulled it open for her.
She climbed in, feeling her uneasiness settle as Jonah shut the door behind her. There was something about this morning, about the soft hum of anticipation that crackled in the air between them, that made her feel more self-conscious than she’d been in years. It was ridiculous—she was a grown woman who’dfaced down far worse than a date, or whatever this was, but here she was, stomach in knots, palms slightly damp.
Butterflies didn’t seem like the right term for it. Butterflies were sweet, fluttery things. What she felt were more like big-ass moths banging around inside her ribcage, heavy and clumsy and impossible to ignore.
When she was younger, she’d barely had the chance to date. By twenty, her father was threatening a shotgun if her boyfriend didn’t propose. After that, dates had become a relic of the past. Her husband hadn’t believed in them, calling them a waste of time and money. His idea of a romantic evening involved a meal she cooked, followed by mediocre sex and him falling asleep on the couch watching a game.
“All juiced up?” Jonah slid into the driver’s seat, his movements smooth as he tossed his coffee cup into the holder. “I’d hate for you to miss the riveting action I have planned.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Am I a battery?”
The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. “You know what I mean.” He mimicked the action of pinching a joint between his fingers, bringing it to his lips in a mock drag.
Ruby buckled her seatbelt. “I did not smoke weed this morning, no.”
The wooden box was hidden away in the bottom of her suitcase, locked away for today and hopefully for good. Her mind was clear, and for the first time in a long while, she wanted it to stay that way.
Jonah blinked. “I meant your, uh, little cigarette things.”
She shook her head with a snort. “Yes, Jonah. I’m good to go.”
As they merged onto the road, she relaxed into her seat. They chatted about a new book release from an author Ruby liked, then veered into Jonah’s latest addition to his flower garden, laughing about how much time he spent getting the soil right.Ruby found herself sinking deeper into the comfortable rhythm of their exchange, the truck cruising down the streets while they pointed out quirky things they saw along the way. For a moment, it was just them—no TCA, no missions, no heavy pasts. Just them.
Ruby glanced out the window as they pulled into a small lot. “We’re actually at a car wash?”
“We are,” he confirmed, pulling up to a silver box and rolling his window down. The machine beeped as he selected an option, sliding his credit card through the reader.
Ruby tilted her head, squinting. “Because your truck is dirty?”
“Nope.”
Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, trying to figure out his angle. “Then why—”
