Shades of Summer (The Haunting Ruby Series Book 1)

by Joy Elbel

  By the time Zach arrived at ten, I was nothing more than a walking zombie. There was plenty of time to eat and get dressed but I stayed wrapped in bed until the last possible moment. He was pulling up to Rosewood in a red Dodge Neon as I stumbled out the door in my bare feet. I stopped on the porch just long enough to pull on a pair of socks and slide into my sneakers. As I walked to the car—graceful as always—I tripped over my untied laces and took a digger right into the gravel. Zach flung open his car door and flew to my rescue. As usual.

  Splayed out on the ground, my hands and knees crushing into the stony drive, I felt a pool of tears threatening to spill out onto the dusty drive. Tears of pain, exhaustion or embarrassment—I wasn’t sure which they were. Regardless of the reason, I didn’t want to get up. I wanted to stay there, face to the ground, so he wouldn’t see my eyes. I couldn’t let him see. Then, I felt a muscular forearm link around my waist from behind, pulling me gently upward. At least he was behind me. It gave me time to dab at my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie.

  “Hey, are you okay?” He snaked around to meet me eye to eye and the worry on his face almost made me break down and cry right there in front of him. But I couldn’t do that—that was something I swore I would never do. Zach was so nice to me. I barely knew him but he was always there when I needed him. It would kill him to know that he was the reason I was in danger. He could never know the truth. I had to collect myself and I had to do it fast.

  “I’m fine. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Which was the truth, just not the whole truth.

  “You look exhausted. Why don’t you just stay home and get some sleep? Andy will understand.” He carefully brushed the dirt from my hands and then from the knees of my jeans. And my heart skipped a beat.

  The last thing I wanted was to spend the day in my bed—not after the horrendous events of last night. As tired as I was, spending the day at the shelter with Zach was the only thing that would keep me sane.

  “No. I want to go with you. I’ll feel better once I get out and start moving.”

  He looked doubtful but agreed. “If you change your mind, let me know. I can take you home at any time, you know. All you have to do is ask.”

  “I know,” I said, “Thanks.” I felt like death but managed to give him a smile anyway. He opened the door for me and waited for me to get in. Gorgeous, charming, loves animals, and he’s a perfect gentleman. The positive traits just kept piling up. I settled back into the seat happy to get away from the house but even happier to be spending the day with him. Even so many hours away from bedtime, though, I was apprehensive about what would happen when I was alone in my room again tonight.

  I spent the morning working alone in the cat room which afforded me the opportunity to pull myself together somewhat. Zach had more important things to do than scoop litter boxes. I learned that he wasn’t just a volunteer there—he was one of the few paid employees and that morning he would be assisting Andy during the spay and neuter surgeries. Andy hired him because of his interest in the field and gave him opportunities to learn everything he could. Zach downplayed it by saying that all he really did was hand over the tools as Andy needed them, but I could see a look of pride on his face. Humble, too. If I were keeping a pros and cons list of why I should like him, Zach wouldn’t have a single checkmark on the cons side. Oh, except for the fact that he was making my dead boyfriend jealous enough to want to hurt me.

  For lunch, we got some burgers and fries and drove back to the shelter to eat. It felt more like mid-August than early June so we spread our food on the picnic table out back and enjoyed our lunch. Zach talked excitedly about the morning’s surgeries and I filled him in on every detail of my litter box duty. The warmth of the sun and the sound of his laughter eased my worries about the night before. After eating, I hit my second wind so I wasn’t even tired any more. He turned what started out as a miserable day into an afternoon that I didn’t want to end. Something told me that every day spent with him would have the same effect on me. Why did he have to be so perfect? Even ultra-critical Shelly hadn’t found anything wrong with him or I would have heard it by now.

  After lunch, our task was to give some of the dogs their baths. This made me nervous. “I don’t think I’m the right person to help you, Zach. I’ve never really been around dogs and to be perfectly honest, the bigger ones actually scare me.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m positive that you’re the one.” His smoldering eyes said he wasn’t just talking about bathing dogs anymore. “Come on—I have the perfect dog for you to practice on.”

  The way he looked at me made me weak in the knees. Momentarily, I contemplated what it would be like to actually date him. Not that it was even a viable option, of course, but a girl can dream, can’t she? Not this one, apparently. Just thinking about Zach caused bad things to happen to me. Time to stop dreaming about something that could never actually come true.

  I followed him into the kennels where he grabbed a leash and collar from one of the numerous hooks on the wall. A medium-sized terrier eyed him excitedly as Zach approached the door to his kennel. As soon as he was sure that he was the lucky one, the dog jumped around eagerly, his tiny bobbed tail wiggling back and forth. Once secured on the leash, Zach led the dog out to where I stood.

  “This is Luck. He was tied to a dog house and left behind when his owners moved. He stayed there with no food or water for days before the neighbors finally noticed him. He was half dead by the time they got him here. But with some love and a whole lot of kibble, he recovered. Luck was on his side—that’s how he got his name. The thing that’s amazing about these animals is that even though most of them are here because people hurt them in some way, they haven’t lost their ability to trust. Or to love. They don’t give up on people the way people do.”

  I knew he was talking about the dog, but it felt like his words were meant for me as well. He knew nothing about my past or how it was affecting me now, but it certainly seemed like he did. I felt an odd sense of compatibility with him, like maybe we were meant to meet. Was that possible? What was I thinking? Even if it were true, I had other issues to deal with.

  Luck jumped and barked excitedly as Zach led him to the back door. “I think it will be easier to do this outside today. We usually do it indoors but I don’t think he’ll be complaining much. Grab a pair of rubber gloves from under the sink—I don’t want that cut on your finger to get infected. Oh, and grab the doggie shampoo, too.”

  Supplies in hand, I followed him out the back door. He attached the garden hose while I awkwardly attempted to keep Luck occupied. As soon as the first trickle of water began to flow, the dog ran to it, his pink tongue lapping at lightning speed. When he was done drinking, Zach turned on the warm water and began hosing him down gently. If dogs could smile, Luck would be putting the Mona Lisa to shame.

  Zach turned off the water and showed me how much shampoo to use. As I lathered Luck, he stretched and flexed like he was getting the best massage in the world. Maybe dogs weren’t so scary after all. He was behaving so wonderfully that I forgot that I was supposed to be securing his leash. Luck, on the other hand, knew the instant I let go.

  Suddenly, the soapy wet dog was running wildly through the grass, tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and flopping in the breeze. Zach dropped the hose and ran to catch him. It was hysterical to watch and I burst into laughter as Luck led him in circles around the yard, eluding him just before certain capture. The excited little terrier ran at top speed toward me and picked up the garden hose in his mouth. Water sprayed in every direction as he ran through the grass with it gushing full blast. I got a good soaking just as Zach secured a firm hold on the dog’s collar and the chase ended.

  All three of us stood there panting—them from the chase, me from gut wrenching laughter. I was soaked from head to toe, my thin tee shirt nothing more than a sheer film clinging to the tank top underneath. My jeans were dripping wet and I felt like I’d just peed myself. Zach fared no better. He
peeled off his soggy tee and tossed it onto the picnic table. I felt my cheeks flush hot as I saw the magnificence hiding underneath it.

  His shoulders seemed broader somehow, and the muscles in his chest were carved perfectly as though sculpted by Michelangelo himself. His skin was smooth over his rippled stomach. Two words to describe it—six pack. And I’m not talking beer. I felt like a little boy sneaking his first look at his daddy’s Playboys.

  He wasn’t self-conscious at all. But who would be with a body like that? I was so busy checking him out that I was shocked to look up and find him doing the same to me. There was a moment of steamy tension as we locked eyes, breathing heavily and staring at each other like hungry wolves. Thank goodness for Luck whose barking brought us both back to reality.

  We washed the soap off hurriedly and dried him as best as we could. Once Luck was back inside his kennel, Zach turned his attention back to me. I struggled to look into his eyes and not at his chest even though I knew they were every bit as dangerous.

  “You’re drenched. I have a clean pair of sweats and a tee shirt in the backseat of my car. They’ll be big on you but you’re welcome to wear them if you like.”

  “That’s sweet of you but you’re wet, too. You should take them. I’ll be okay,” I declined politely, all the while pondering why the thought of wearing his clothes was so appealing to me. It was probably just because I was cold. The sun was shining with all the warmth of summertime but the chill of the wet fabric was too much. I shivered slightly, hoping he wouldn’t notice. No such luck. Did he have to notice everything about me?

  “You’re not okay—you’re covered in goose bumps. My pants didn’t get as wet as yours did and I can go without a shirt. I get hot faster than most people anyway so I’m comfortable.” He really didn’t look as cold as I felt and the idea of him being hotter than everyone else was no stretch for my imagination.

  “Okay, if you don’t mind.” I was nonchalant about it but I was getting colder by the second and could think of nothing other than being wrapped up in anything he happened to offer me.

  “I’ll be back in a minute.” Zach ran to his car and returned carrying a pair of black sweats and a gray tee.

  “Here you go. You can change in the restroom.”

  He led me to a tiny room with barely enough space for a toilet, sink and hand dryer. I quickly stripped off the wet layers and tossed them into the sink. Just my luck. The water soaked the whole way through and my bra and underwear were just as wet as everything else. But for once in my life, I had a brilliant idea.

  I turned on the hand dryer and aimed it at my underwear. The dryer was incredibly loud but the air spilling from it was heavenly. It would take a few minutes but my plan seemed to be working. Once the bottom half was sufficiently dry, I aimed my chest at the dryer and pushed the button for more warm air. As the motor once more ramped up into full gear, there was a knock on the door. “One minute,” I called.

  The door opened anyway and there was Zach, shocked and shirtless, staring at me in my underwear with my chest thrust forward.

  “Oh God, I’m so sorry! I thought you said ‘come in’! I…I…I’m so sorry.” He threw his hand over his eyes but the damage was done—he saw me in my underwear! He pulled the door shut behind him and I heard him yell a strong obscenity once he was out.

  I was never so embarrassed in all of my life! No boy had ever seen me like this before! I had a hard enough time just changing with other girls in the locker room after phys ed. My own stepmother had never even seen me unclothed. Once the initial shock wore off, I checked to see which bra and panties I even had on. Please don’t let them be the ones with cartoon cats on them!

  Surreptitiously, I glanced down to take a peek. I was exhausted when I got dressed this morning but somehow I managed to pick out a matching set made of black lace. Even on a good day, they hardly ever matched so I was at least thankful for that. Oh, but what kind of girl wears black lacy underwear? Would he think I was a slut? Back in Trinity, someone started the rumor that Lee and I were sleeping together while we were still in middle school. I would simply die if some kind of rumor got started here, too.

  Rocked with humiliation, I hurriedly threw on Zach’s tee and knotted it to one side so it didn’t hang down to my knees. Thankfully, the sweats had a drawstring waist so I cinched it hard and triple knotted it—I didn’t need to walk out and have them fall down around my ankles. They were about six inches too long so I cuffed the legs. I looked like hell but anything was better than having him see me in my underwear. At this point, I didn’t want a single square inch of unnecessary skin to be showing.

  When I walked out, Zach was coming out of Andy’s office. He was wearing a shirt now and a grim look on his face. The shirt was most likely borrowed from Andy since it was clearly at least two sizes too small.

  “I’m gonna take you home now, Ruby.” I looked at my watch. Two o’clock, two hours early. Did I look so horrible that he had to get me out of his sight immediately?

  I didn’t argue, I just nodded and stuffed my wet clothes into the plastic bag he offered me. Neither of us spoke. He just drove. When we got to Rosewood, all he said was “same time tomorrow” and pulled out of the drive with his foot clearly jamming the gas pedal. He couldn’t get away from me fast enough. And maybe we were both better off that way.

  8. Complications

  The next nine days without Rachel were excruciatingly painful. Zach and I spent every day together at the shelter speaking to each other only when we absolutely had to. I really enjoyed our time alone together that first day but now I was counting down the hours until Rachel would be back. Friday came slowly but things started to feel more normal when I had the constant hum of her voice to drown out my thoughts.

  After a successful morning on litter box duty, Rachel sat on the floor, brushed Fancy, and casually asked me what I was doing on Saturday. She didn’t even seem to notice the rift between Zach and me and I prayed that I could be so blissfully ignorant. I had no plans and I hoped she would suggest shopping, a mani-pedi, or something else girls did without boys involved.

  “Boone and I are going to see a movie at the drive-in and Zach was hoping you would join him so we could all go together.” Now I realized that she wasn’t as ignorant as she pretended to be. How much did she know? “His treat, of course, because he said he owes you that much.”

  I played dumb. “What does he owe me for?”

  “I don’t know, he won’t tell me. He said you would know what I was talking about.” She put down the brush and stared at me. “I don’t know what happened when I wasn’t here but you guys aren’t speaking to each other and I don’t like it. Do you think I like carrying on conversations all by myself?”

  As a matter of fact, I truly thought she did. I thought it was best not to admit that, though—the look in her eyes suggested that she just might sling that brush at my head if I answered her honestly.

  So I chose to skirt the issue. If Zach hadn’t told her what happened, I sure wasn’t going to. I was still mortified every time I thought about it. “What movie are you going to see?”

  “Don’t know, don’t care. The important thing isn’t the movie, it’s the atmosphere. The drive-in is the hang out spot for the summer—everyone will be there. You can meet some more cool people and we can show you who you want to avoid at all costs. Plus, they have the best popcorn you’ll ever taste. Please say you’ll go!”

  “You’re pathetic when you beg,” I teased.

  “I know! You can’t say no to this face, can you?” She stuck out her bottom lip in a wildly exaggerated pout. “Please come! Hurry up and say yes before my face freezes this way!”

  “Okay, okay!” I couldn’t resist her. Rachel was just as charming as her brother—in a totally different way, of course.

  Zach seemed at ease on the ride home so I assumed he already knew I said yes to the movie proposition. When we got to Rosewood, Rachel suggested a girls-only shopping trip for Saturday and I agreed instantly
. I gave her my number and she promised to text me a time. I breathed a sigh of relief that the horrors of the past week were over and went inside the house feeling better than I had in days. Humiliation aside, seeing me in my underwear removed any attraction he may have had to me. Inviting me to the drive-in was his way of saying, “sorry I find you repulsive now but here’s your consolation prize.” Of course I always knew it was just a matter of time before he felt that way but there was still the tiniest piece of me that thought I might be wrong. My true consolation prize was the fact that my insane hope that I could actually be with Zach was gone now and Lee would be able to rest in peace.

  I woke up refreshed and relieved after another nightmare-free night. There hadn’t been any supernatural activity since the disturbing events nearly two weeks ago. After that night, I convinced myself that I’d had some sort of lucid dream. It was much easier to lie to myself than to believe that the haunting was real. But all of that was over now and I was excited to go shopping with Rachel and absolutely thrilled to be going to the drive-in. For the first time in my life, I felt, well, normal. I wasn’t going to be hanging out in a cemetery—I was going to see a movie. And not alone either. I would actually be with friends.

  Rachel picked me up at noon and we drove to The Village. I hadn’t been there since the day we moved to Charlotte’s Grove and I was way overdue for some shopping. I was itching to find some new summer clothes and especially to find the right outfit for that night. I’d never gone shopping with someone whose opinion I trusted before so the fitting room experience was way more fun than going with Shelly. We went into store after store trying on enough pieces to clothe a third world country but still found nothing we liked.