You Rock My World

by Juliana Stone

  The kid looked to be about nine or ten and was sporting a Red Wings T-shirt. Travis recognized the look on his face. Heck, it was one he’d worn more times than he cared to count when he was younger. It was a big deal for a young kid to meet someone in the pros. Hell, he’d had the same look even after he’d been drafted.

  “You a Red Wings fan?” he asked casually, looking down at the boy, who was now joined by a girl about the same age.

  “We both are,” she answered for them. “Caleb told me you’re Travis Blackwell, but I don’t think you are.”

  “No?” Travis smiled and let Tasha down. “Why’s that?”

  “Because Travis Blackwell doesn’t have a dog?” She looked at him with a duh expression on her face.

  “Where’d you hear that?” Surprised, he took a step closer.

  “I saw it on ESPN. They were interviewing Travis, and it was when the president was picking out his dog, and they asked Travis if he had one, and he said he didn’t have time for a dog.” She pointed to Tasha. “And if I’m not mistaken, that’s a dog.”

  Christ, this kid has spunk. Reminded him of another female he knew.

  “You’re right about that. This is Tasha. And she’s not my dog.” He winked. “Because during regular season, I don’t have a lot of time to look after a pet.”

  “See?” The boy poked the girl in the side. “I told you it was him.” He shoved her out of the way. “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

  “Well, if that’s true,” Travis said, “first thing you have to learn is you shouldn’t shove a lady.”

  The kid shrugged. “She’s not a lady. She’s just my sister.”

  He chuckled at that. “Fair enough.”

  “Oh my goodness. Have my kids been bugging you? I’m so sorry.” A harried-looking woman holding a baby on her hip stopped beside the kids.

  “Mom,” the little guy exclaimed. “It is Travis Blackwell.”

  “Oh…I…” The woman seemed confused.

  “The goalie for the Detroit Red Wings?” The boy was disgusted with his mother and tugged on his T-shirt, emphasizing his words.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again, glancing at Travis. “I don’t really follow sports. That’s my husband’s thing, and he’s down with a nasty summer cold, and the kids have been looking forward to the rides and stuff all week and—”

  Her cell phone rang at the same time the baby on her hip began to cry. She fumbled in her pocket and scooped out the phone, but it fell through her fingers and landed on the grass.

  “Shit,” she muttered.

  “Mom, that’s the S word!” The look of horror on the little girl’s face was comical.

  “Here, let me.” Travis meant to bend down and grab the phone, but the woman handed him the baby instead.

  Travis didn’t do babies. Not little ones. Or big ones. Hell, not even ones that could balance on a hip and look you right in the eye. But what was a guy to do? He looked at the baby and realized she (pink was a dead giveaway because there wasn’t enough hair for him to decide otherwise) wasn’t crying anymore. She was studying him with curious eyes, and before he knew what was happening, the little thing grabbed for his aviators and pulled them off.

  “Hey, you,” he said, eyeing the baby. “Those are mine.” He tried to snatch them back, but the baby giggled. He stopped his hand midway, and she stopped giggling. Until he tried to grab them again, and the giggling started. Before he knew what was what, he was playing a game with a little human, and the two other kids joined in.

  He finally managed to snag the glasses from the little girl’s chubby hands, which set off a new round of giggles, when he glanced up and felt his world melt away.

  Ruby was watching him from a few feet away. A small piece of artwork was clutched against her chest, and the expression on her face made his heart ache. It was a mixture of pain, sadness, and something else.

  Aware that people had gathered a few feet away, some with their phones out, trying discreetly to get his picture, he turned back to the woman, who was thankfully done with her phone call. She took the baby from him, murmuring her thanks, and when the older kids asked to get their picture taken with Travis, it was Ruby who was there, taking Tasha from him. Offering to take the photo.

  She accepted the mother’s phone and took several pictures, obliging a few more folks brave enough to ask for a photo. The entire exercise took less than ten minutes, and when the folks got what they wanted, Travis and Ruby were left alone with each other.

  “I see you bought something.” Travis had never been good at small talk, but he needed to say something, because right now, the game had changed. Again. He couldn’t read Ruby, and that bothered him more than he cared to admit.

  She showed him a black-and-white photo of an old barn with white-washed walls and a muted red door. It was old Americana, both poignant and wistful. An ode to a simpler time that was fast disappearing.

  “I thought maybe for my back porch.” Her eyes slid away, and he took a step closer, pretending to study the photo closely.

  “I like it. I’m sure it will look great for wherever you have in mind.” He was stumbling over his words, but like an idiot, he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I haven’t seen your back porch, but…”

  Her head shot up. Shit. He’d done something wrong, and now he’d ruined their afternoon.

  “No,” she said eventually. “You haven’t been to my home because we haven’t been friends in years.”

  As if sensing discourse between the humans, Tasha chose that moment to jump to her feet and start barking like a maniac. The little animal ran full circles around Travis and Ruby, dragging her leash before they could grab it. By the time she was done, her sides were heaving and her tongue lolled out of her mouth.

  “Did you make dinner plans?” Ruby asked, bending down to scratch between Tasha’s ears.

  “I did. But if you’d rather head home, I can take you.” Had the day gone down in flames when he wasn’t looking?

  Ruby grabbed Tasha’s leash. “I’m hungry.”

  Travis had been so sure she was about to end their day together that it took a few seconds for him mind to process what his ears had just heard.

  “Okay, let’s go.” He held out his hand.

  Four or five of the longest seconds of his life passed. Sweat pooled at the back of his neck. This was worse than the conference finals when his team was up by one, the clock was ticking, and he faced three forwards from the opposing team streaking down the ice.

  One hundred times worse.

  He held his breath, never in his life as unsure as he was in this moment.

  And then she took his hand.

  Chapter 16

  Ruby Montgomery hadn’t gotten to where she was in life by hiding behind someone else. By being a coward or avoiding complicated situations. She reveled in confrontation and loved being right. When her mother left, she learned to stand up for herself because no one else would. It was in her blood to fight, and she came by it honestly, her handy right hook included. Good old Irish blood, she’d been told by her pugilist grandfather before he died. She thought of her mother, something she hadn’t done in years, and just as quickly shook the memory of that weak, selfish woman from her mind.

  It must have skipped a generation.

  Which was why she wasn’t used to feeling like this. She was being a coward. She was hiding behind the men sitting across from her.

  But for the moment, she was okay with that. For the moment, she needed to regroup and get her head screwed on right. Seeing Travis holding that child had been like a knife to the chest. It was an open wound that had never healed, and she hadn’t realized until now just how painful it still was.

  Maybe she should have just kept her butt in Crystal Lake where it belonged, because coming here had to be a mistake. She didn’t want to remember the pain, because along with the pain was the other stuff. The love.

  God, was it too late to save herself?

  “Darlin’, you lo
ok way too serious for a gal whose had at least half a bottle of that lovely Pinot Grigio. Everything okay?” Tim’s slow Southern drawl shook her from her thoughts, and she sat up with a smile.

  “Yes. I’m good. Just taking it all in.”

  They’d come back to the marina, and like the coward Ruby now acknowledged she was, she’d pretty much hogtied Dalton and Tim and convinced them they needed to come aboard the Black Note for dinner.

  Of course, Travis most likely had something else in mind, but he graciously agreed and insisted the men join them. He’d taken the boat onto the lake, and they anchored in a spot that afforded them a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Thick, lush forests as far as the eye could see, covering hills and valleys and blanketing them in a deep green. They’d had a lovely meal of grilled steaks, fresh summer salad with strawberries, caramelized pecans, and goat cheese, as well as baked potatoes and jumbo shrimp to start. The wine was expertly paired, and the dessert, chocolate mousse with cinnamon and nuts, was to die for.

  Well, Ruby was going to assume it was to die for, because truthfully, she’d spent most of the time monopolizing the conversation and pushing her food around her plate. The wine-to-food ratio wasn’t in her favor, and that probably explained why she was feeling a bit light-headed.

  “The view sure is something,” Tim said, winking and then nodded toward Travis and Dalton. The two men were on the other side of the boat discussing motors and horsepower and something about a rotor.

  “How long have you and Dalton been together?” she asked, curious about the pair, deftly changing the subject.

  Tim wasn’t fooled—she could tell—but he played along, and for that, she was grateful.

  “Well, we have officially been a couple for coming up to three years. Unofficially? We’ve been together for almost fifteen. Next week is our anniversary of the uh, first time we…danced the dance, so to speak. It’s partly why we’re up here. Early anniversary trip for a memory only the two of us acknowledge.”

  “Unofficially?” Ruby asked. Tim made no effort to hide who he was, and as far as she could tell, neither did Dalton. Both men seemed very secure and happy.

  “Unofficially, Dalton was married to his high school sweetheart for seven years. I met him and his wife when he was transferred to Springfield for work, and they moved into the house beside my mama’s bed and breakfast.”

  “Oh.”

  “Uh-huh. Yep.” Tim shrugged. “It was all quite scandalous when the truth came out. My mama didn’t talk to me until last year, when she came down with breast cancer. I guess being sick was enough to erase the embarrassment of her only son having an affair with a married man. Either that, or she didn’t want the hired help getting all up in the more delicate matters and such. She’s a real Southern woman and doesn’t like anyone to see her unless she’s made up to the nines.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ruby said softly.

  “Oh, don’t be. We’re all fine now. In fact. Miranda, Dalton’s ex-wife, is one of our closest allies. I mean it is the South. We love eccentricity. We practically kneel at its altar. But some things are still coming slow. Some folks still believe that there is only one kind of love, and anyone who isn’t checked off in that narrow box is an abomination. They think that we’re sex fiends or something, like that’s all we have time for. Good Lord, if I had as much sex as some folks think people of my type do, I’d never get anything done. Hell, I wouldn’t even be able to drag this cute little butt out of bed, I’d be so exhausted from all the sex. I mean, really. I’d like to ask those folks how someone like Ellen gets around to taping her show every day with all the non-hetero sex going on.”

  Ruby smiled at that, her eyes drawn once more to Travis.

  “I know you and your man have had some difficulties.” Tim stared at her.

  She yanked her head back.

  “Your husband told me told me it’s complicated.”

  “Ex-husband,” she corrected. “And yes, it kind of is.”

  “So are the two of you…”

  “No. We’re just…I don’t know what we’re doing but whatever it is isn’t permanent.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because, like you said, it’s complicated.”

  “Complicated is just a word people use when they don’t know what damn word to use.”

  “But it covers a lot of bases.”

  “It does.” Tim paused. “But it’s also a word to hide behind. What is it you want, Ruby?”

  “To be happy.” She didn’t hesitate. “To not struggle every day trying to find it.”

  “Darlin, there is no clean, easy road on this planet that will lead you to true happiness. That’s the God’s truth. But there is a path carved out of the earth, out of the dirt and stone. That path is full of potholes. Deep, malicious craters filled with all sorts of nasty things.” He shook his head. “We all hit ’em. Try as we do not to. It’s inevitable. But the real winners in life and love are the ones who get out of those potholes. The people who move forward no matter what. The trick, though?” He winked at her. “The trick is to get to your final destination with someone you love at your side. Someone who was in those potholes with you. Someone who helped dig you out. And maybe that someone was responsible for some of those holes. That can happen. Maybe they were even responsible for the big ones. But that’s life, isn’t? It’s messy and confusing and, yes, complicated. If it weren’t, we’d all be bored to tears. Am I right?”

  She didn’t know what to say, so she stayed quiet.

  “We all have the power to make change just as much as we have the power to change. Life has a funny way of bringing us all full circle. You just have to make sure that when you hit your next pothole, that someone beside deserves to be there. ’Cause he’s the one who’ll lend a hand and help get you out.”

  Tim’s words brought tears to her eyes. And, feeling silly, she sniffled and leaned over to hug the man.

  “I’m so glad we met,” she whispered.

  “Me too, darlin’,” Tim said with grin. “I plan on visiting your spa soon. Travis says it’s real nice.”

  “Anytime. I mean it.”

  Dalton cleared his throat, and Ruby and Tim got to their feet. “Travis is going to bring the boat back in. We should get going.”

  The sunset painted the dark horizon with streaks of red and gold as they pulled back into the marina. The stars were just coming out, and the water was calm. There were several boats moored nearby with lights on, including the boat that Dalton and Tim were renting. The four of them exchanged numbers and said their goodbyes…

  And then there was just Ruby and Travis.

  The look in his eyes made her body shudder. She was hot. And cold. And so damn jittery, she had to put down her wineglass. The air between them was thick, full of the past and more than a few potholes.

  “It’s not too late. Barely gone nine. We can pack up and head back to Crystal Lake, or I can make us some coffee and we can enjoy the night.” She felt the power of his dark eyes on her. It was a tangible, real thing. So real, it felt as if he was touching her. So real, it made her knees go weak.

  A month ago, she would have pushed back. She would have told Travis to pack the car and take her home. Who was she kidding? A month ago, she wouldn’t have been here. But maybe a month ago, she was stuck in one of the potholes Tim had talked about. A deep one. Maybe Travis had just pulled her out. Because truthfully, she hadn’t felt as alive as she did right now, in this moment, here with him. Not for a long, long time. And for once, she was going to set aside the past. For once, she was just going to be.

  “I’m going to have some more wine, if you don’t mind.” Ruby moved past Travis and grabbed the open bottle. She poured the rest of it into her glass and then took a seat on the back of the boat so that she could look out at the water. The breeze had picked up, but she wasn’t cold anymore. In fact, she was hot, and more than a little bothered.

  Decision made for him, Travis grabbed a cold beer from the cooler and joi
ned her. He didn’t sit too close. But then he didn’t sit far enough away for her to be able to ignore the pull either. She wondered if he felt it as strongly as she did. He grabbed a remote, and music filled the air, making her smile as she relaxed against the seat.

  “The Eagles,” she murmured. “Good call.” It was her favorite band ever. “You really did think of everything.”

  “It’s all in the details.”

  She nodded. “It is.” She took a sip of wine. “Where do you live when you’re not here? When you’re not playing hockey?”

  He didn’t seem surprised by the question and shrugged. “I have a condo near the arena. Had a place in LA that I bought on a whim, but I sold it last year. I think I slept in that house maybe two weeks out of the entire five years I owned it.”

  She knew the whim because Google was her friend. The whim’s name was Ursula, and she was a Swedish model who’d made the cover of Sport’s Illustrated three times. The swimsuit edition.

  “I’m surprised,” she said after a while. “About the condo.”

  “Yeah?” He leaned back. “Why?”

  “You never seemed the type to settle in the city. At least not in a condo. I guess I pictured some fancy estate out in the suburbs.”

  He was quiet for a few moments. “It’s just a place to put my head at night. I guess I don’t really think of it as home. I’ve always thought of buying something else when I was ready.”

  “Ready? For what?”

  His eyes were unreadable. The hairs on the back of Ruby’s head stood on end, and her heart started racing.

  “For a family.”

  He seemed surprised at his own words and looked away, his gaze drawn to something on the water.

  “When will you be ready?” Sweet Jesus. Had she really spoken the words aloud? It was the sight of him earlier, holding that baby, that had her insides all knotted up.

  Travis looked back, and she swallowed thickly. Yep. Her mouth had somehow acted on its own accord, and now everything was on the table. Could he see the yearning in her heart? Hear the want that colored the air between them? Feel the ache in her soul? The one that had never gone away?