Poison Me

by Checketts, Cami

  “No way.” He shook his head. “Not until you talk to me.”

  She folded her arms. “What could we possibly have to talk about?”

  Michael gave her a crooked smile, but she saw pain in his eyes. “We’ll make something up.”

  He captured her elbow and escorted her to a nearby bench. Birds chirped around them. The breeze lifted strands of hair from Ruby’s forehead as she breathed in Michael’s clean, manly scent.

  “Are you doing okay?” he asked.

  “No.” She sniffed, darting a look at his face. “I miss Anne.”

  “Oh, Ruby.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I’m so sorry about your friend. She was a wonderful person.”

  His steady heartbeat and broad chest comforted Ruby for one perfect moment before she pulled away. She twisted her hands together in her lap. “She was wonderful.”

  Michael swallowed, watching Ruby. “I know it’s hard losing someone you’re close to,” he said gently.

  She sat up straight. Jealousy darted through her nervous system. “Like Jezebel?”

  “I was thinking of my parents and my brothers, not Jezebel.” His firm mouth twisted into a scowl. “You were thinking of Don.”

  Ruby’s soul filled with despair. “You know nothing about me or how I think.”

  “I know a little bit,” Michael drawled, offering her the grin that won her over as a teenager. “I know you like mayonnaise better than Miracle Whip.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes, but her insides quivered at the knowledge that he remembered something about her from so long ago.

  Michael continued, “I know you hate it when men whistle at you.”

  Ruby grunted, catching a smile before it slipped out and betrayed her. “That doesn’t happen much anymore.”

  Michael’s gaze warmed her soul. “Then the men are blind.”

  She had to smile at that.

  He edged closer. “I know on warm July nights you like to snuggle on a rowboat, in the middle of Glendale Reservoir, under a starlit sky.”

  Ruby lowered her head to hide the pink inching up her face.

  Michael cupped her chin with the palm of his hand, lowering his face within inches of hers. “I know that when I kiss you, your eyelids flutter like you’re having a good dream.”

  A dream she’d had many a time since their last kiss. Ruby reached up to touch his face with her hand. He slowly lowered his head to hers. Her heart thundered in her ears and hope blossomed.

  Suddenly Ruby recoiled. What was she doing? She yanked her hand from his cheek and turned away from him. Studying a sturdy oak tree, her heart thundered in her throat.

  Michael released her and whispered, “You can’t have changed so much that none of what I knew about you is true anymore.”

  She harrumphed.

  Michael gripped her shoulders, positioning her so she had to look at him. “We were so close once, Rubes. I still care for you.”

  She stared into his eyes, her body trembling beneath his touch. She ached to press her lips to his and reveal how much she cared. “It’s been over fifty years since we were close,” she said finally.

  “And whose choice has that been?”

  Ruby pulled from his grasp and leaped to her feet. “You were the one who said you couldn’t raise a baby. You were too young. You needed to see the world. It was always all about you.” Thank heavens he’d given her a reason to be angry—she’d almost confessed her regrets and longings.

  Michael stood slowly, his shoulders rounded. “I was a jerk. For one night I was a jerk, and then I begged you to forget what I said. You’re the one who would never listen to my explanations. You’re the one who betrayed me and married Don. You’re the one who needs to forgive and move on.”

  Ruby slapped Michael’s cheek as hard as she could. He had no right to tell her what to do. He didn’t understand that she could never forgive him. If she did, she’d have to forgive herself for ruining Michael’s life, her life, and their son David’s life.

  Michael shrugged off the blow. “You’re right. I was selfish. I was immature. Please forgive me, Rubes. Give me another chance. Now that Don and Jezebel are gone, we could tell everyone the truth. I’d love to be a father to David, a grandpa to Jake and Brinley, a great-grandfather to Trevor and—”

  “No!” she said angrily. “Never.” They’d kept up the lie for too long. To reveal it now would only cause pain to those she’d tried to protect. And there were other lies that could be revealed if she let Michael into her life. “No one will ever know the truth. If Jake or Brinley ever find out, I swear I will—”

  Michael closed his eyes. “Forget it, Rubes. I won’t tell our secret. I haven’t for the past fifty years.” He paused, but she didn’t reply, so he squared his shoulders and said, “You know, some of us don’t hold a grudge for over fifty years. The Lord could help you forgive if you let Him.”

  Ruby glared. “Don’t tell me what the Lord can and can’t do. I’ve forgiven you, but that doesn’t mean I have to forget what you’ve done.” Or what I’ve done. Why couldn’t she let the pride go and give him another chance? She ached for the happiness only he could bring.

  Michael hung his head. “I know you used to love me. I wish we could at least try again. Maybe you’d find something in me, a piece of the boy you once loved.”

  She held up a trembling hand, praying he couldn’t see past her facade. “I don’t care about that boy or starting over with you. Just promise me you’ll never speak a word of this to Jake or Brinley.”

  Michael held her gaze. “I’ll never tell them.”

  Ruby couldn’t take his injured look for one more second. She pushed past him, speed-walking down the trail. If only she could change the past. If only she could let Michael know how much she had ached for him after all these years.

  Chapter Seven

  Ace Williamson paced his eight-by-eight-foot interior cabin aboard Voyager of the Seas. He felt sandwiched between the wealthy exterior suites on the luxurious cruise ship. Someone pounded on the door. Ace opened it. “Quiet, you moron.”

  Willy Moore, his repulsive partner, slunk into the room. The grotesque thickness of Willy’s upper arms and barrel chest were enhanced by a tight T-shirt that read, “Don’t need a license for these guns.” Arrows pointing to Willy’s biceps outlined the words.

  “Why are you wearing that shirt again?” Ace asked.

  A flicker of a smile crossed Willy’s eyes. “I like this shirt.” He closed the door behind him, glancing at the wet bar behind Ace. He rarely dared meet Ace’s gaze. “I think they’ve found out about us.”

  Ace shook his head. “That’s not possible. I’ve been careful.”

  “I heard some of the crew talking in the hallway.” Willy chomped on his gum with each word. “They’re supposed to watch us at the poker tables.”

  Ace jammed a hand through his hair, narrowing his gaze at Willy. “It’ll be fine. We’ll get off at Cozumel in the morning and ferry over to the mainland.”

  Willy punched a string of gum with his tongue and then sucked it in with a loud pop. “What are we going to do then?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll figure out something. Something better than— I’m sick of this.” Ace exhaled, gesturing around the windowless cabin. “Pulling small-time tricks and never making enough to be where I want to be.” He tried to pace the length of the room, but Willy was in the way. Ace jerked open the bathroom door. “Give me a minute.”

  The small mirror reflected the surfer’s image he’d been striving for—bleached hair, turquoise eyes, and an even tan. He grunted with disgust. If he couldn’t earn some decent money, his good looks would be of no benefit. He massaged his upper vertebrae with long fingers. As he stared into the mirror, an idea came.

  Ace flung the door open and faced Willy. “We’re going to find Don.”

  His accomplice’s forehead puckered and he stopped snapping his gum. “The old guy who ratted us out back in Vegas?” Willy’s hands clenched into fi
sts. “That might be a bad idea. If I ever see that guy again…” He tossed his large head. “I’ll kill the sucker.”

  “Can you control yourself until we get his money?”

  “He’s got money?”

  Ace nodded. “Lots of money. One night he got plastered and bragged to me about how he and his son invented some kind of gadget, then sold out to Apple. He claimed his kid and grandson are loaded.” He licked his lips, dreaming of touching millions of dollars. “After we rough Don up a bit for turning us into the cops, we’ll find somebody he cares about, threaten them, and get enough money to do whatever we want. You can open that hamburger joint on Bora Bora.”

  Willy smiled, his thick fingers relaxing. He focused on Ace for a second before glancing away. “What will you do?”

  Ace shrugged. Unlike Willy, he had no dreams. He’d left his hope for happiness and a worthwhile existence back in Vegas, after he’d betrayed the only woman he’d met worth caring about. “I’ll make sure we get enough so I can do whatever I want.”

  “What about the girl?”

  Ace paused. Willy had an uncanny ability to bring her up whenever Ace thought about her.

  Chanel. He could still picture her dark gaze searching the casino until she located him. The ray of light from her smile when their eyes met each night. Forever burned into his mind was the birthmark next to her eye that gave her an out-of-the ordinary appeal. Her firm body was now forever out of his reach. He kneaded his neck with his fingertips. Chanel, his lost dream. She probably hated him. He didn’t know if he could blame her if she did.

  “What about her?” he asked from between clenched teeth.

  “Maybe she went somewhere with Don since he saved her from the cops. I’d like to find her too.” Willy licked his lips, watching Ace’s reaction. “She’s probably ticked at you, but I could give her a little attention.”

  Ace straightened, flames racing through his veins. “Don’t you dare touch her. You understand me?”

  Willy turned away, studying the industrial carpet. “You’re not my boss,” he muttered.

  Finding strength beyond his own, Ace grabbed Willy’s shirt and slammed the huge man into the wall. “You’re the reason she hates me.” He swallowed hard, aching to strangle the thickness out of Willy’s neck. “Don’t you ever touch her. There won’t be anything left to start that hamburger joint if I find out you went looking for her.”

  Several seconds ticked by. Even though Willy could’ve crushed Ace, he didn’t struggle or try to defend himself.

  “You even think about her again,” Ace went on in a low voice, “you’ll be in prison so fast any thoughts of women will be a daydream to you. You understand me?”

  Willy glared at Ace’s chin and then nodded. “Got it.”

  Ace released him and stepped away. “Stay low for the rest of the night. If you find anything valuable, take it. We’ll be off the ship first thing in the morning.”

  Willy twisted the door handle, then blew a bubble and popped it. He didn’t look at Ace. “Got it.”

  “And get rid of that shirt. People are going to remember a shirt that stupid. We don’t need to be remembered. Throw the thing in the trash.”

  “Got it.” Willy skulked through the door and slammed it behind him.

  Chapter Eight

  Armchair aerobics was in full swing when Jake entered the retirement center’s open commons area. As usual, he was dressed in a wrinkled shirt and loosened tie. When he winked at Chanel, she lost her concentration. The music kept playing, but she stopped calling out the next move to the class. The twenty participants watched her expectantly, until Ellie followed the direction of Chanel’s dreamlike stare.

  “Woo-hoo. The man of my dreams is here. Hey, Jakey.” Ellie gestured him into the room. “Come join us in our misery.”

  Ruby turned and smiled at him. “Hello, sweetheart.”

  Jake moved to his grandmother’s side. He kissed her cheek, retrieved a chair and a set of five-pound dumbbells, and pumped his eyebrows. “Don’t know if I can keep up, but the view would be worth the embarrassment of being outdone by Aunt Ellie.”

  Ellie hooted. “Nobody can keep up with me.”

  Chanel flushed. She attempted to ignore the recent star of her dreams, both day and night. “Okay,” she said. “Bicep curls, slowly now—up for one-two and down for one-two.”

  “Did she say curl your woo-hoo?” Marissa asked.

  Ellie chuckled. “No, but it sounds like more fun.”

  Chanel shook her head. It was anyone’s guess if Marissa really misunderstood what people said or if she simply wanted to make Ellie laugh. Chanel was just grateful they weren’t bickering anymore.

  “Slow down, Marissa,” Chanel said. “That’s it. Nice and strong. All right, Ellie, looking good. No, Ellie, don’t stop because I complimented you. We’ve got two more reps in this set.”

  “Flipping Nazi,” Ellie muttered to Jake.

  “I heard that,” Chanel said.

  “Stop complaining,” Ruby admonished. “You make it harder.”

  “That’s right,” Chanel said before Ellie could start a fight with Ruby. “A positive attitude makes exercise easier.” She talked the class through three sets of bicep curls without glancing at Jake, but when they moved to triceps kickbacks, she couldn’t resist any longer. He looked so cute sitting in the chair, his long legs and arms jutting out at odd angles as he tried not to throw the too-light weights. He caught her eyes on him and grinned.

  “This is tough,” he said to Ellie.

  “Tell me about it,” she muttered. “‘A positive attitude will make exercise easier,’” Ellie mocked Chanel. “Whatever. She’s a freaking slave driver.” Ellie rested the hand weight on her lap and flexed her arm. “But would you look at the results?” The skin on the underside of her arm succumbed to the demands of gravity, but a small biceps muscle rounded out the top.

  Jake tapped the muscle. “Ooh, Aunt Ellie. That’s nice. We men like a firm woman.” His eyes flitted to Chanel.

  “Don’t I know it,” Ellie said.

  Chanel wondered if she could blush any harder. “Okay, ladies. Set the weights down and we’ll stretch those arms.” She caught Jake’s gaze on her as she led the stretching routine.

  When the class ended, the women clapped for themselves.

  “Great job today,” Chanel said. “Tomorrow we’ll concentrate on legs.”

  Several women groaned as they filtered from the room.

  “I hate her leg workouts,” Ellie said. “But I wouldn’t mind the misery if I could have legs like hers.” She jabbed a finger towards Chanel.

  Jake lifted his eyebrows and lowered his voice. “Every woman wishes for a body like that.”

  Ruby snapped her fingers at him. “Jake Merrill, I did not teach you to be crude. Stop embarrassing Chanel.”

  Chanel turned away. They could talk about her all they wanted, but she didn’t need to be gawking at them the entire time. Was Jake really interested in her or did he flirt with every female who was semi-attractive? She reminded herself that smooth-talking men were not her flavor.

  She straightened the weights and bands in the rollaway container, then pushed it into the closet. She didn’t worry about organizing the scattered chairs in the beautiful room, since maintenance would restore things to perfection within the hour. She switched off the CD player hidden in the closet, scooted out of the space, and shut the door.

  Sensing someone behind her, Chanel spun around. Jake was centimeters away. She lost her balance, and when she reached out to steady herself, her palms connected with his solid, warm chest. She quickly removed her hands.

  “Great workout,” he said.

  She giggled like a teenager. “Bet you worked up a sweat.”

  Jake grinned. “No, but I am now.”

  Ellie cackled. “This is better than the movies.”

  “Yeah, and all we can see is his backside,” Marissa agreed.

  “That’s not a bad side,” Ellie countered. />
  Ruby stepped forward. “You two leave them alone.”

  Jake turned, staying close to Chanel, and looked at Ellie and Marissa. “You two are a nightmare.” He rested his hand on Chanel’s lower back. Her entire body tingled.

  “Don’t talk about your grandma and Rissa that way,” Ellie said with a wink at Marissa.

  Marissa giggled.

  Jake and Ruby both tossed their heads in disgust.

  The home-health nurse, Tracy Pullman, walked into the room, and everyone’s attention refocused. With golden blonde hair and startling blue eyes, she filled out her nurse’s uniform in a way most people only saw on their big-screen television. She squealed when she saw Jake. “Dr. Merrill. Oh, wow, imagine seeing you here.”

  Tracy rushed to his side, and he allowed himself to be dragged away from the group. He glanced at Chanel, but it was little comfort as she watched Tracy drape herself over him.

  “You work here, Tracy?” Jake asked.

  “Yes. I’m at the hospital in the morning, then here at the old fogies’ home every afternoon.” Leaning into Jake, Tracy fluttered her long, and hopefully fake, lashes. “Aren’t these old people just darling?”

  Ruby grimaced. Marissa frowned. Ellie whipped off the sweatband decorating her forehead and chucked it in Tracy’s direction.

  The nurse didn’t appear to notice the ladies, or the harmless flying object, as she tugged on Jake’s arm. “You just have to come with me to see one of my patients. She’s having repeated headaches and I’ve tried everything I can think of. I sure could use your advice. You know your stuff better than any doctor I’ve ever met.”

  “I bet babies scream for their mamas when they see her coming,” Ellie said when they were out of earshot.

  “Too bad men don’t.” Chanel watched Tracy lean into Jake and giggle loudly at something he said. Chanel massaged her birthmark.

  Ruby looked compassionately at her. “Don’t worry about Tracy Pullman, sweetheart. Notice how he’s leaning away. He wouldn’t be interested in someone who acts, or flaunts herself, like that. He’s just being nice to her.”