by Laura Ann
Ruby leaned back in her chair as she laughed at a joke Tia told and let her eyes wander the restaurant for a moment. But her laughter died when she caught eyes with a dark-haired man in the corner who was staring straight at her.
Ruby took in a shot of air through her nose and instant fear squeezed her chest. Braedon. He was staring straight at her, their eyes locked and unmoving. Did he follow me here? Ruby could feel panic building up inside her, overrunning her common sense. She felt a sudden urge to flee, run away and never look back, but their staring contest kept her rooted in her seat.
When another patron walked between them breaking their connection, Ruby gasped for air, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Bringing her eyes back to the table, she was met with three pairs of concerned eyes.
Snow reached over and put her hand on Ruby’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Ruby nodded, unsure what to say. I can’t tell them I think Braedon is following me, they’ll probably think I’m nuts.
“You don’t look okay,” Tia said. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at Braedon, who was now studying the menu and then back at Ruby. “What was with ole long hair over there? Have you met him before?”
Ruby hesitated, before deciding to hedge a bit. “Sort of. I’ve run into him a time or two.” She shrugged one shoulder in a nonchalant gesture.
“Must have been some meeting,” Zellie murmured. “He gives me the creeps.”
Ruby felt heat creep in to her chest and face. Embarrassment that she had gone out with a guy like that traveled through her and kept her from confessing everything to her friends. Besides, she reasoned, they don’t need to be involved, hopefully, this is just a coincidence. A crazy, mixed up coincidence.
However, as their lunch wore on, Ruby was keenly aware of the eyes that continued to watch her while she ate, laughed and talked as if nothing was wrong. It wasn’t until they stood to leave that the feeling of being watched disappeared. Glancing up, Ruby saw the booth he had been in was deserted. Frantically she searched the restaurant but didn’t see anything. Relief cascaded through her and she walked with her friends out to the parking lot, grateful she didn’t have to confront Braedon.
THE NEXT DAY RUBY HAD errands to run in town, including a trip to the yarn store with Grams. After they parked, Ruby walked around to help Gram get out of the car and onto the sidewalk. Ruby had her arm around Gram’s shoulders as they approached the door to the store.
Letting go of her grandmother, Ruby reached for the door and stepped back, holding it open. As Grams walked past her, Ruby eyes flitted down the street. She froze when she saw Braedon watching her from another shop corner just a few doors down the street.
Braedon raised an eyebrow, smirked and sauntered off as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Ruby felt frissons of fear run down her spine as she watched him walk off. There’s no way this is another coincidence. When he was finally out of sight, she blinked rapidly, bringing herself back to the present. Darting inside, she pulled the door closed and stared out the window, looking to see if he would come back.
“Is everything okay?” Grams asked from behind her. Grams leaned around Ruby, trying to look out the window and figure out what was going on.
“Fine!” Ruby blurted too loudly. Taking a breath, she calmed herself down and put on a fake smile. “Sorry. Everything is fine. Now, let’s find that color of yarn you were looking for. Blue, right?” Ruby led the way to the back of the store, searching for the item they had come for.
Grams tugged on Ruby’s sleeve until she stopped. “I don’t know what’s going on, but when you’re ready to talk, you will tell me.” Gram didn’t phrase it as a question, but a statement. Then she shuffled past Ruby towards her intended target.
THE NEXT COUPLE OF weeks, Ruby found it harder and harder to stay calm. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, or where she went, Braedon was always there. She had finally gone into the police station and asked what her options were. Basically, she had none.
“A man showing up at the same places as you, but never approaching isn’t against the law. We can’t do anything unless he has threatened you or shown intent to harm,” the policeman had said.
Since Braedon had done none of those things, there was nothing they could do.
Meanwhile, Ruby’s fear grew every time she saw him and soon she was felt completely paranoid. She found herself standing at the windows, easing back the curtains to see if she could see Braedon watching her house.
Does he ever sleep? How does he always find me? What does he want? Questions swirled through her head and she felt helpless and vulnerable. She’d started to have bad dreams where Braedon didn’t just watch her, but actually grew violent and she had no idea how to stop them.
He was affecting every part of her life and she wanted it to stop but had no power. What am I going to do?
CHAPTER 4
July fourth dawned bright and sunny, the heat hitting early in the day, letting the town inhabitants know it would be yet another scorcher.
“Are you going to the barbecue?” Grams asked over breakfast.
Ruby fought down the anxiety that hit as she thought of leaving the house. Surely in a backyard full of people, Braedon can’t do anything? It’s not like he can follow me into the backyard with so many other people around. Ruby cleared her throat, shoving the thoughts aside. “Yeah. I told Piper I would. Did you want to come as well? They all love it when you join me.” She stuck another bite of oatmeal in her mouth.
Grams shook her head. “No. This old lady can’t handle the heat that long. Give Piper my love. I’ll plan on seeing them another time.”
Ruby nodded, then went back to eating.
Later that afternoon, Ruby got herself ready for the barbecue. Grabbing the salad she had made, she kissed Grams goodbye and headed out the door. Her eyes were constantly darting around as she drove across town to Nash’s apartment complex, where they were holding the party.
After parking down the street, she speed walked to the door, her senses on high alert for any unusual activity. When her knock was answered and she was ushered inside, she took a breath of relief and a genuine smile grew on her face.
“Hey, Lucy! How are you doing?” Ruby said, after setting her salad down on the kitchen counter.
“Hey, chica! I’m good, thanks. Just helping out with the food reserves.” Lucy waved her arm at all the platters and bowls she had lying around the kitchen. “Oh, thanks for bringing that salad. The buffet is in the back.” Lucy nodded her head toward the sliding glass door.
“Gotcha.” Ruby picked her bowl back up and walked over to the slider. “Need me to come back in and help?”
“Nah,” Lucy responded, her focus on the cucumber she was chopping. “I’m good. But thanks. You just go enjoy.”
“‘Kay.” Ruby headed out, the small backyard was already pretty crowded with people and it took her a minute to spot the table with all the food on it.
She smiled and said hello to several colleagues as she worked her way to the table. Once there, she rearranged some of the other platters until she could put her bowl down. Standing back, she put her hands on her hips and looked at the display.
Ruby nearly screamed when an arm landed on her back, causing her to jerk sideways.
“Whoa!” Piper pulled her arm back and held them up in surrender. “Sorry! Totally wasn’t trying to startle you. I was just going to say thank you for bringing a salad. I appreciated it.”
Ruby forced a laugh. “Sorry! Just a bit jumpy I guess.” She walked back and gave Piper a hug. “Congratulations on your engagement. I’m so happy for you and Nash.”
Piper’s smile was brighter than the sun above them. “Thank you! I can’t believe this is actually happening. I’ve read so many happy ever afters in my life, it’s hard to believe I’m actually getting my own.” Piper was the school librarian and she was often found with her eyes and nose in a book. Right now those same eyes were radiating contentment and jo
y.
Ruby felt a small prick of jealousy. Stop it. She scolded herself. Your time will come. “Well, it’s certainly been exciting to watch the two of you. I think the whole school was rooting for you, except maybe Miranda.” Ruby grinned.
Piper laughed. “Yeah ... pretty sure she’s still not happy about it.” Piper shrugged one shoulder. “But, I’m past really caring.”
“Good for you,” Ruby said with a smile.
“Anyway, I need to mingle. Thanks for coming, grab a plate and fill it!” Piper eyed the table. “Maybe fill it twice.”
Ruby laughed. “Oh ... between Nash and a few others, I’m sure there will be very little food at the end of the evening. Probably all the more reason for me to eat now.”
“True story! I’ll see you later.” Piper smiled and walked off to speak to another group.
Grabbing a plate, Ruby filled it to the brim, then walked over and got a burger patty from Nash, who was manning the grill. “Thank you, Nash. And congratulations.” Ruby gave him a smile as he put the meat on her waiting bun.
Nash smiled and nodded, his signature response, and went back to the grill.
Knowing she would get no more than that from the nearly silent coach, she walked off to find a place to sit down in the shade.
Ruby managed to find a group of chairs placed next to a hedge that was out of the blaring sun. Grabbing one of the empty seats, she dug into her food. While she chewed, she looked around at the group, noticing there were a few people she didn’t know.
An attractive, dark-haired man with a goatee stood laughing with a group of other men. Hmm ... wonder where he’s from. Her eyes wandered some more before coming to a screeching halt on a blond haired giant.
Heat hit Ruby like a sledgehammer as she looked at the man. He had to be at least as tall as Nash, making him around six foot four. His hair was a golden blond that nearly glowed in the afternoon sun. His skin was lightly tanned, just enough to let a person know he spent time outside. The angles of his face were masculine and sharp, his jaw broad and strong. She found herself noticing his light pink lips, not too big but not too small. As she wandered up over his straight nose, she gasped as she met his eyes. Although the two of them were separated by a bit of distance, she could tell they matched the color of his hair, an unusual golden tone and they were focused directly on her.
The man’s stare never moved from hers. Who is he? The thought ran through Ruby’s head. The tension between the two of them was palpable and Ruby had never felt anything like it before. The desire to stand up and walk to him became overwhelming and she almost gave in to the impulse. Just as she was sure she would either have to stand up or she’d explode, a hand landed on her arm, pulling her from her trance.
Ruby looked over to see everyone’s favorite secretary, Mrs. Merryweather, sitting at her elbow.
“How is your summer going, dear?” The plump, elderly lady asked.
“Good.” Ruby’s voice squeaked. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Good. Thank you. How’s yours? Doing anything fun?” Ruby had turned in her seat to face Mrs. Merryweather, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying over where the golden-haired man had been standing.
When her eyes came back to Mrs. Merryweather, there was a grin on the woman’s face. “Good. I’m sitting at the front desk most days. Summer school, you know.” Mrs. Merryweather glanced in the direction Ruby had looked and after a moment her smile widened.
Ruby could feel heat shooting up her chest and neck, taking her napkin she began to fan herself. “Whew. It’s warm today, isn’t it?”
Mrs. Merryweather narrowed her eyes at Ruby and nodded sagely. “Yes. I suppose it is. The shade certainly feels good.” Mrs. Merryweather tilted her head to the side. “I had a bird in my backyard once. Built a nest all by itself. Back and forth, it went, back and forth. I used to sit and watch it. It seemed so sad that it was all alone, but it had clearly decided to just move forward anyway as if it had given up hope of finding a mate.”
Ruby waited, but Mrs. Merryweather picked up her drink instead of finishing the story. Waiting until her cup was put down, Ruby asked, “so what happened?”
“Ah.” Mrs. Merryweather smiled. “I watched that bird all summer, sitting in its nest every evening, and one morning, I was shocked to find a squirrel sitting in the nest instead!”
Ruby’s eyebrows scrunched together and she frowned. “A squirrel?”
Mrs. Merryweather nodded. “Yes. A squirrel. I thought for sure that dang pest had driven that bird out, but come evening, the bird came back. And wouldn’t you know it, that bird and squirrel nestled down together and have been friends ever since.”
“Really?” Ruby’s face showed her skepticism.
“Truly. It might not have happened the way the bird thought, but nature has a way of bringing the right things together.” With a pat on Ruby’s knee, Mrs. Merryweather stood and worked her way over to Piper and Nash, obviously expressing her goodbyes.
“Huh,” Ruby said, slumping back in her seat. With a small shake of her head, she let the odd story drift away and searched again for the man.
Disappointment hit her when she couldn’t find him standing amongst the group he had been with before and she allowed her bottom lip to push out just a touch.
“Is this seat taken?” A deep, masculine voice asked from Ruby’s side.
Ruby jerked her head up to see who had approached her. Oh my ... It was him. He was even better up close, but it was his golden eyes that kept her speechless.
When he cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels, Ruby realized she was staring with her mouth open. Embarrassed, she went back to fanning herself with her napkin.
“Uh, sorry ... I mean, yes, or no, this seat isn’t taken.”
An amused smile pulled at the side of his mouth as he walked past her to sit in the seat. His large frame seemed to dwarf the small metal chair.
Reaching his hand out he said, “I’m Derrick Woodsman.”
Returning his smile, Ruby shook his hand. “Ruby Sanchez.”
“Ruby.” His voice caressed her name and Ruby felt it as keenly as if he had touched her. “Are you friends with the bride and groom?”
“Uh yeah, I work at Middleton Prep. I’m the middle school math teacher.”
Derrick’s grin grew into a full-blown smile. “Wow. I can’t say I was ever any good at numbers.”
Ruby laughed. “Well, I don’t teach the super complicated stuff. Just normal math and an algebra class or two.”
“Numbers and letters combined.” Derrick shook his head. “Never could figure out how those worked together.”
Ruby could tell her smile was too big, but she couldn’t help the happiness running through her as they flirted. “And how do you know the happy couple? I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen you at the school.”
“I don’t work at the school,” he explained. “I’m here with Steven and Rory. I’m the new director of The Center.”
“Oh! That place they volunteer at, right?”
Derrick nodded. “I’m new to the area and Rory thought this would be a good place for me to meet some people.” He shrugged one giant shoulder. “Apparently Piper said it was okay, so here I am.”
“And have you met a bunch of new people?”
Goldeyes bore into hers. “Yes. But one has been more interesting than the others.”
Those polka dancing butterflies were back and Ruby hoped he couldn’t tell how affected she was. Obviously, he feels it too! SQUEE! Ruby ducked her head at his remarks, afraid her excitement would show on her face.
“So ... The Center, huh? I can’t say I pegged you as a director over a bunch of after-school kids.”
“Oh? And what would you have pegged me as?” Derrick shifted onto his left hip, leaning his weight onto his left arm and armrest.
His movement drew him closer and when Ruby breathed she inhaled his scent. Amazingly, he smelled like the forest; piney and woodsy. Is that a cologne or is that som
ehow natural? Whatever it was, she loved it and it fit him perfectly.
“Let’s see ... “ Ruby pursed her lips and let her eyes travel up and down him. “Black t-shirt, cargo shorts, clean shaven, built like a football player ... I’m gonna guess lumberjack.”
A flash of surprise crossed his face before he threw back his head and laughed.
Ruby found herself chuckling right along with him.
Derrick wiped at his eyes as his laughter wound down. “That’s a new one. I can’t say I’ve ever been called a lumberjack before.”
Ruby grinned. “All you’re missing is the plaid, I suppose.”
Derrick laughed again. “And the ax.” He took a deep breath. “Well, I hate to tell you, you’re wrong, but I’m afraid I was a military man. Marine. Was honorably released last year.”
“Why did you quit?” Ruby asked, her eyebrows raised and head tilted to the side.
A soft blush stole across his cheeks and Derrick looked down at his hands. “I didn’t. They cut me loose when I got injured.”
Sympathy poured through Ruby, causing her to reach out and rest her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry. Had you planned to do it for the rest of your life?”
Derrick’s gaze was focused on Ruby’s hand and she quickly stole it back. Embarrassment replaced the sympathy when she realized how forward the move had appeared. “Sorry,” she said in a soft voice.
“I’m not,” Derrick responded bluntly.
Not sure how to respond, Ruby just watched him.
“Anyway, to answer your question. I don’t know. I liked being a Marine, but there were some pretty rough times, not sure if I would have kept at it my whole life.” He ran his fingers through his hair, eyes looking out towards the crowd.”
“Understandable,” Ruby responded, watching his profile.
“Would you possibly be interested in going to dinner with me sometime?”
Ruby couldn’t have stopped the smile that crossed her face any more than she could have stopped the sun from shining. “I think I would like that,” she said softly.
