by Layla Holt
A smiling woman in uniform served them coffee and then withdrew. After a discussion with Leah, the chef left, inviting them to take their time drinking their coffee.
“I can’t wait to see the jewelry you’re making for Leah,” Maisie said.
Ruby smiled. “You can come by the house after Sunday and see the pieces I have.”
“I’d love to,” Maisie said. “Even if I should just look and not be tempted to buy. I love anything sparkly.” She made a face.
“It’s a woman thing. We all love jewelry.”
“Why after Sunday?” Leah asked.
“I’m going to New York on Saturday for an audition,” Ruby said.
“Now that is what I call living!” Maisie said.
“Not as glamourous as it sounds,” Ruby said. “I promise. Anyway, I have a few collections of jewelry. I’ll come with them.”
“Do you have like an online store?” Maisie said.
“Maisie does websites and all that fun IT stuff,” Leah said in a dry tone. “Please don’t get her started.”
Ruby laughed. “It’s in the works. It’s been my plan for ages. I’m actually planning on working on that while I’m here in Lockwood.” She got an idea. “If you want to, I can hire you to do my website.”
Maisie’s eyes widened and then she shook her head. “I don’t want you to feel like we’ve squeezed you into a corner.”
“Not at all,” Ruby assured. “You’d be doing me a favor. I’d like to think that I’ve done something towards that end while I’m here.”
“She’s good at it,” Leah said.
Maisie grinned. “In that case I say yes. Do you have pictures of your pieces?”
“No. We’ll be starting from zero,” Ruby said.
“You could ask Dean. He takes the best pictures,” Leah exclaimed. “But of course, you know that.”
“He does, but I don’t want to bother him. He’s already done so many favors for me,” Ruby said.
“When it comes to taking pictures, there’s no bothering Dean,” Leah said.
Ruby laughed. That was true. Dean would take pictures all day if he could. She sometimes wondered why he hadn’t pursued his obvious love for photography.
“It will be so much fun. My head is already buzzing with ideas,” Maisie said.
Their enthusiasm was catching. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to get to go to New York and bring back the rest of her jewelry.
They made arrangements to meet the following week.
“By then I’ll have selected a few themes for you to pick from. Something classy...like you,” Maisie said.
“Thank you,” Ruby said.
Chapter Nine
“How did the wine tasting go yesterday?” Dean asked as they drove towards Glenn Acres.
The plan was to pop in at his parents’ home and have his father sign some documents. Dean had promised that it would not take long and Ruby could wait in the car if she wished.
They hadn’t had a chance to talk in the evening as they’d received an influx of customers after four. Dean had come in for his shift just as the group of college kids came in and other than a quick kiss, they hadn’t spoken at all.
“It was fun,” Ruby said with a smile. “The cake was yummy. And I met Leah’s best friend. Her name’s Maisie.”
“I know Maisie,” Dean said.
“Oh,” Ruby said. Lockwood was indeed a small town but how was it that she didn’t know Maisie if Dean knew her.
“Her father is Mr. Jacobs, my parents’ driver,” Dean explained.
She knew Mr. Jacobs and she knew he’d lost his wife a few years earlier. She hadn’t known that they’d had a daughter. “I know Mr. Jacobs. He’s driven your mom and I several times,” Ruby said, memories surfacing to her mind.
“Mom liked going shopping with you,” Dean said with a laugh. “She said you had an eye for fashion.”
Ruby smiled, pleased by that description. She loved clothes and accessories and she liked throwing together combinations of pieces to come up with unique outfits.
Glenn Acres was just as she remembered, if not better. She had always vowed that one day she and Dean would live in a place like Glenn Acres. Their own paradise, surrounded by lush trees and acres upon acres of green grass. And acres of woodland and you could even throw in a creek with fat swimming trout.
Ruby’s insides quivered as they drove through the gates and into the splendor that was the Cohan home.
“It’s still so beautiful,” she said her voice filled with awe. She had never seen a stately home as gorgeous as the Cohan home was.
It was a perfect blend of hominess and grandeur. It was just as she remembered. High arched windows framed by winding vines. Dean brought the car to a stop in front of the house.
“I won’t be long,” he said and reached in the back seat for a black folder.
“It’s fine, take your time,” Ruby said.
She noted that Margaret Cohan had added more giant-sized pots of plants on the porch, fronting each side as you approached the front door. Dean disappeared through the heavy front door and shut it behind him.
Left alone with not a movement anywhere and the darkness quickly falling, Ruby shivered and felt like a total coward. An overwhelming urge to go in came over her. Before she could change her mind, she flung the car door open and jumped out.
Somehow, her shaking legs carried her all the way to the front door. She gripped the knob and slowly pushed it open, her heart pounding hard against her chest. Once, she had been at home here and now, her hands were wet with sweat. She stepped into the foyer just as Margaret Cohan was coming down the stairs.
Their gazes met. Mrs. Cohan’s step did not falter and her facial expression did not change. Ruby tried to smile. Her lips refused to cooperate. They stuck together as though someone had fused them with glue.
Mrs. Cohan reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped, her unblinking eyes on Ruby. The four years had changed her. She had wrinkles around her eyes that had not been there before but rather than age her, they gave her an ageless look. Ruby wondered how many of those wrinkles she was responsible for, after the wedding was cancelled.
Facing Mrs. Cohan, it hit her all over again what a terrible decision she had made four yeas ago. She had hurt an innocent woman. A woman who had shown her nothing but kindness and love in the years they had known each other.
A sob caught in Ruby’s throat. She covered her mouth to stop it from escaping. Margaret Cohan had never been a small woman but now she looked petite and a little frail. Ruby longed to go to her and fold her in her arms. But that was not Mrs. Cohan’s way.
She was a proud woman. The last couple of years had been hard on her but despite her frail looks, she was a strong woman. She was the glue that held her family together. Ruby did not miss the wary look in the other woman’s face. It hurt that she had become a person to be cautious about.
“I’m sorry,” Ruby blurted out. She did not know what else to say except to apologize.
Mrs. Cohan did not break her stare and did not speak for a few seconds. “Why didn’t you say something Ruby, instead of running away?” Her voice trembled the slightest bit. It wasn’t angry or accusing, just filled with pain.
Fresh tears formed in Ruby’s eyes. “I was foolish and selfish.”
Margaret sighed. “What’s done is done.” She took a step closer to Ruby. “My concern is now. I don’t want Dean to be hurt again. It took him a long time to heal and at one point, we didn’t think he would.”
Ruby shook her head even before Margaret finished speaking. “He won’t. I’m only here to oversee my parents’ affairs.”
Margaret stared at her intently. “Who are you fooling Ruby? I hear how Dean talks about you. He’s back right where you left him four years ago.”
Ruby lowered her gaze. He wasn’t alone. So was she.
“Please leave if you have no intention of being with him. Leave now. He can’t handle another heartbreak, and honestly neither can we.”
She couldn’t tell Margaret what she wanted to hear. That she was going to leave Lockwood. She couldn’t leave. Not yet. She was torn in two. A part of her clung to the past and wanted to have a taste of what might have been between her and Dean.
Margaret took a step to her and touched her arms. “I’ve missed you Ruby. You were like a daughter to me.”
She couldn’t stop the sob that broke out from her, shattering the silence in the house. Margaret pulled her forward and they held each other. After a moment, she patted Ruby’s shoulder and without another word, she left.
Ruby turned and blindingly opened the front door and stepped out. She went to the car, slipped in and allowed the tears to flow unabated. It would have been far better if Margaret Cohan had been angry and harsh with her.
She hated herself at that moment. Her heart ached for the woman who had lost a friend and a potential daughter-in-law, it ached for the girl who chose a career over love, and for a man and a family that had loved and accepted her, and it ached for a mistake that could not be rectified, and pain that could not be undone.
Ruby heard footsteps and quickly mopped her face.
Dean opened the door and slipped into the driver’s seat. “Sorry that took longer than I thought.”
“It’s okay,” Ruby said. “I popped in for a few minutes and said hello to your mom.”
He stared at her. “Really? She didn’t say a word. How did it go? It wasn’t as bad as you thought?”
It was worse, she wanted to say. Instead she attempted a smile and diverted the question. “She looks frail.”
“She’s better now,” Dean said. “Hard to imagine but its true. It’s been rough for her and you know she doesn’t talk about her troubles much. She’s good at wearing a brave front.”
Everyone said that about Mrs. Cohan but she had never been anything but open with Ruby. They’d had several heart-to-heart talks and she’d always told Ruby what she was feeling. They’d had a connection that ignored their age difference or their status in life.
In Mrs. Cohan, Ruby found a mother figure and a friend all rolled into one. In Ruby, Mrs. Cohan found a daughter she could confide in and a non-judgmental friend.
“Now is confession time,” Dean said. “I offered to cook dinner for you but I don’t have a single tomato or onion. Or any groceries for that matter.”
Ruby laughed softly, glad to change the topic. “Lucky for you, the grocery store is still open.”
He pinched her nose lightly. “You are the best date.”
She made a face. They teased each other lightly all the way back to town. If there was a word to describe Dean, it would be fun. She could be marooned with him on an island with nothing for entertainment but endless sand and she would be okay.
He held her hand as they walked from the parking lot to the grocery store. She craved his company, but curiosity had also made her quickly accept Dean’s offer for dinner. For one reason only. Dean was fussy when it came to washing dishes but he could not cook.
He could barely boil water. As worried as Ruby was for her stomach, she looked forward to sampling his cooking.
In the aisles, she hung back and let him do all the selecting from the hundreds of products on display.
“What are you planning on cooking?” she asked, curious by the ingredients he was picking up.
He shot her an adorable smile that made her want to grab his neck and pull his mouth to hers.
“You have to wait to see,” he said and continued filling the shopping basket.
She followed him and peered at the prices. “The prices are unbelievable. It’s like they’re giving away their produce, compared to the prices in New York,” Ruby said.
“Another reason to come back to Lockwood,” Dean said without looking at her.
Her heart galloped in her chest. She pushed away thoughts of staying in Lockwood. It was too soon and too frightening to think about making permanent decisions. Ruby followed him to the cashier and after paying, they made their way to the parking lot.
In the car, she stole a glance at Dean and a quiver of attraction went through her. Dean represented all that was good in life. He devoted a lot of his hours at his law firm to pro bono work. He loved hard and he was loyal and devoted. And he made her heart explode in her chest just by looking at her.
So why had she allowed fear to cloud her judgment and lead her to making an impulsive decision?
Dean brought the car to a stop outside his apartment building and killed the engine. “We’re home,” he announced brightly.
Bittersweet memories came over Ruby as she got out of the car. She had already started moving into Dean’s condo and had brought over some of her clothes. Dean went to the trunk of the car and took out the shopping.
What had he done with her clothes? Had he burnt them? That wasn’t Dean’s style. Maybe he’d given them away to the thrift shop.
She followed him into the building and into the elevator. This would have been her first home. Would they have moved by now, four years later, or would they still be living here? Maybe not, especially if they’d had a child or two.
“What are you thinking about?” Dean asked. “You looked so far away for a few seconds.”
Ruby smiled. “You don’t want to know, trust me.”
Dean merely smiled, and offered her his arm when the elevator came to a stop.
He hadn’t changed a thing in the last four years. The pale-yellow seats looked just as she’d left them. The pretty brown rug under the coffee table that she’d helped Dean pick out. Everything was achingly familiar and homey.
“I’ll get started on dinner,” Dean said. “You can look around.”
Ruby dropped her handbag on a chair, kicked off her shoes and padded to the bathroom down the hallway. She looked at the master bedroom further down the hallway, longing to go in and poke around. She didn’t and instead entered the bathroom.
Ruby approached the sink slowly, disbelieving over what she was seeing. Her make-up and hair combs were just as she had left them four years ago, arranged around the sink. She picked up a pale pink lip gloss and held it up. She didn’t know what to think at seeing her things as she had left them. It meant that Dean had not lied about dating and, if he had, he certainly hadn’t brought a woman home.
“I’M IMPRESSED,” RUBY said to Dean after a sumptuous meal of spaghetti and spicy sauce. She patted her stomach.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Dean said. “It’s not fun cooking for yourself. Drink?”
“No, I’m good. Water will do. I’d like to help wash up,” Ruby said, getting up from the dining table.
“I’ll wash, you rinse,” Dean said.
She carried the dirty dishes to the sink and filled it with hot water. She moved to the side when Dean joined her. He folded the sleeves of his shirt, dipped his hands in the hot water and let out a sigh. A memory came to Ruby then and before she could stop herself, she dipped her hands in the water.
Their hands found each other and they intertwined their fingers together. Everything in her went still. All she was aware of was Dean’s masculine fingers curling around hers, sending sparks from her hands to the rest of her body.
She raised her gaze to look at Dean. She swallowed a lump in her throat when she looked into his eyes. Fear trembled through her. His mother’s words came back to her.
Please leave if you have no intention of being with him. Leave now. He can’t handle another heartbreak, and honestly neither can we.
Dean lifted her hands from the water and pulled her to him. He slid his hands around her waist and she curled her hands around his shoulders. He slanted his mouth over hers and as soon as their lips touched, she was lost.
It was not a gentle, unsure kiss. It was demanding and she gave right back, desperate to get back what they once had. He tasted of the flavored water he had drank after dinner, mingled with his natural masculine taste.
He deepened the kiss, taking her along with him, making her forget the warning
s from his mother, what they had lost and the fear she felt when she thought of the future.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Dean whispered.
It was the tone of his voce that brought her back to the present. The raw emotion in his voice. It frightened her. Margaret Cohan’s words jumped to her mind again. Dean was right back where she had left him four years ago.
Ruby broke the kiss and placed her hands on his chest. His look was questioning.
“Can we take it a little slower?” she said.
He loosened his hold and then dropped his hands. He smiled. Understanding. “Sure. I’m sorry for—”
She placed a finger on his lips. “Don’t apologize.”
Chapter Ten
“Morning Liz,” Dean said leaning over the reception desk as he smiled at the middle-aged sweet woman who worked reception at Access Security.
She glanced at her watch. “Is it still morning? This day is going to be a long one.” She looked up. “Morning handsome. Oh, and my niece is in town and she doesn’t have any plans for the weekend,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
“Does she look like you?” Dean said.
“She’s dark-haired,” Liz said.
“In that case no,” Dean joked. “I prefer blonds.”
Liz was always trying to set him up on a blind date. If it wasn’t with her daughter, it was with a niece of a friend of a friend.
“You are never serious,” she scolded. “I don’t understand you and Max. You’re easily the two most handsome men I know and yet you don’t have girlfriends.”
When she put it like that, they did sound like a sorry pair. If she knew the details, she’d feel worse for them. He was still in love with the woman who left him at the altar and Max was in love with his best friend’s little sister, a married woman who lived in Italy.
“Don’t give up on us Liz,” Dean said.
“I won’t. One day, you or Max will say yes,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. “He’s in the back, servicing some of the cars.”
“Thanks,” Dean said and sauntered across the reception area to the back.
