Rubies And Boots (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots)

by Danni Lee Nicholls

  Samantha gave Jonah a wide berth for a while, but after an hour and a beer, she loosened up and began shamelessly flirting.

  Jonah took in the spectacle while making sure he spent equal time with each young woman. His mom and dad made small talk with other parents, while everyone kept a sharp eye on the mingling. He could almost read his mother’s mind. Did he prefer brunettes over blondes? He seemed drawn to the redheads in the crowd. Was there one girl he had singled out?

  Jonah enjoyed the beauty and laughter for a couple of hours. By nine, he was exhausted. In Sunrise Creek, his days would be winding down by now, and he’d be enjoying a campfire in the crisping late summer evening with a beer and honest friends. Making the rounds in his backyard was becoming harder than herding cows. Smiling hurt his face.

  Even though the purpose of this evening’s party was never discussed during the event, it was openly displayed by the young women sashaying around the pool and acting as if they liked each other, while every one of them was competing for his attention.

  By ten o’clock, Jonah was finished with the spectacle and simply wanted to go back to his room and fall into bed. His father had retreated an hour ago. Jonah stepped into the house.

  His mother followed him. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m drained, Mom. Back in Montana, I’m getting ready for bed by now. I’m used to early hours.”

  Jonah was surprised when his mother nodded her understanding. “Yes, I can see how that might be the case. Can you hang in there for a couple more hours, though? You can sleep in tomorrow. This will be the last social event I expect from you.”

  The carrot dangled in front of Jonah. “All right,” he said. “I’ll hang out, if you promise you won’t put me through another bachelorette party.”

  His mother gave him a look of faux tolerance. “I promise.”

  Jonah returned back to the patio and mingled, but with every tinkling laugh or refill of iced tea, his thoughts roamed to Ruby. He longed to have her beside him for some touchstone to his real life and his real love.

  He glanced up at the back of the house, where his parents’ bedroom light was on. His father was up there, recuperating. How could he help his father slow down and prepare for retirement and keep Ruby close?

  Jonah stayed downstairs until the last guest left the party just after midnight. With the car pulling away from the house, he turned back to the patio and felt the need to help the caterers clean up as thoughts of Ruby entered his mind. Then, he remembered the young Hispanic woman with whom he’d tried to converse, and her embarrassment over his attention. It would be best if he let them do their job.

  The light to his parents’ room was dark now. With a quiet “good night,” he escaped up the stairs and checked his phone—one text from Ruby, wishing him a good night. She was heading to bed. Angst filled him as the conflict within him raged. It wasn’t fair for the two of them to be apart.

  His thoughts stopped. Could he live without Montana if he had Ruby? If Ruby came to Texas, they could have a weekend ranch and a place in the city. They didn’t have to live in University Park or near his parents. There were plenty of beautiful neighborhoods around Dallas. He could buy her a waterfront home on Long Cove where the lawns slanted toward the water. If she lived on the lake, she wouldn’t be homesick. He would have to spend his week in the office, and his job would require a great deal of travel. Still, they could manage.

  Jonah sat on the edge of his bed as the quiet house left him without distraction. Was he thinking of marrying Ruby? One of the puzzle pieces slipped into place. Everything about her was colorful and vibrant. The girls who’d flounced around him tonight were tedious and pallid.

  What about Montana and his dream of becoming a rancher? He should’ve known this day would come, when he would need to either sacrifice his family or his dream. Perhaps it would’ve been better to never have let the dream go so far. That’s what his mother had been trying to say all along. Maybe she was right.

  As the morning hours turned to dawn, anguish overrode Jonah’s soul. Even now, surrounded by his large and opulent bedroom, all he wanted was the raw artistry of Sunrise Creek and Ruby by his side.

  Twenty-Six

  Four days later, a cooling September breeze blew through the Jumpin’ Bean. Ruby was counting out the till when Bert sauntered up to her window.

  Ruby studied him. “I hope you don’t want a cup of coffee,” she said. “I’ve just closed everything up.”

  “Nah. This weather sure took a dip, didn’t it?” Bert glanced up at the sky.

  Ruby nodded her agreement.

  Bert turned back to her. “I came by to see if you’ve heard from Jonah. Curtis told me his dad had a heart attack and he had to head back to Texas. He didn’t know when he was coming back. I thought you might have some idea.”

  “He hasn’t said.” Ruby kept her voice even in spite of the rising panic.

  “Well, don’t you worry none,” Bert said. “He’ll be back.”

  Easy for you to say, Ruby thought as she tried to fight her own doubts about Jonah’s promises of returning.

  Bert continued, “I watched the two of you at your sister’s wedding reception. You’re definitely a couple.”

  Ruby took comfort in Bert’s observations, and she softened. “Thanks for saying that,” she said.

  “How’s your sister doing?” Bert asked.

  Ruby knew he was asking after Lexie. “Which one?”

  “Lex. Curtis already told me that Emmie’s doing well.” He gave Ruby a knowing smile.

  Ruby sighed. Maybe it would be easier if she played Bert’s gossip game instead of always trying to resist. Besides, she didn’t really have anything to hide.

  “It’s been quiet in the house since Lexie left,” Ruby confided. “I miss her.” A new melancholy filled Ruby, adding to the weight of her sorrow around Jonah’s departure.

  “I’m glad she’s still working at the feed store,” Bert said.

  “Yeah, me too. My mom sees her all the time.”

  “I was in there the other day, and she seemed a little subdued.”

  “Lexie?”

  “Yeah.”

  Ruby played back her memory to see if she could recall her mother mentioning a change in Lexie’s demeanor, and she remembered her mother’s concern about Lexie becoming more solemn. Ruby had chalked it up to hopeful maturation. “I suppose that’s to be expected,” Ruby said. “I mean, now she has to worry about juggling her own household and work.”

  “And Josh. She’s got to juggle Josh. I swear, that’d be a full-time job,” Bert said.

  Anger and anxiety mixed in Ruby’s stomach, although she wasn’t sure why. Did she need to defend Joshua now that he was a member of the family? No. Still, she hedged. “Well, any marriage will take some adjustment.”

  “True,” Bert said. “When Patty and I got married, she threatened to leave me once a week for about a year.”

  Ruby gave Bert a cheeky look. “Imagine that.”

  “We worked it all out, though. We’ve been married over thirty-five years now.”

  “Congratulations.” Ruby’s compliment was heartfelt.

  “Thanks.” Bert turned as he waved. “Give your sister my best,” he said.

  “Will do,” Ruby replied. She noticed that Bert’s good wishes didn’t extend to Joshua, but she said nothing.

  Twenty-Seven

  The following day, Ruby sat at her kitchen table, sharing her laptop with her neighbor, Joanie. They were working through the finishing touches on the paperwork for the creation of the homeowners’ association. Ruby looked over the final document with pride, and she grinned at Joanie. “If the feedback I’ve gotten from others in the neighborhood is any indication, I think this will go well.”

  Joanie agreed. “Is everything set for next week’s meeting?”

  “I believe so,” Ruby replied.

  Joanie stood to leave. “Let’s keep in touch. If you hear anything, let me know, and I’ll do the s
ame.”

  Ruby walked Joanie to the front door, but they were interrupted by a knock. Giving Joanie a quick hug, she opened the door to see Lexie. Her bottom lip was split and bleeding, and her left eye was puffy and red with the beginnings of discoloration. Tears streamed down her swollen face. A bruise was forming on her jaw.

  Ruby’s heart quickened its pace as she reached for her sister and pulled her into the house. “What happened?” she asked. “Were you in a car accident?”

  Lexie slowly shook her head as she started to cry in earnest. “Josh … Joshua … he hit me.” She broke down into racking sobs as she fell to her knees on the floor.

  Ruby’s anger erupted like fire from the belly of a dragon. “That stupid—”

  Joanie placed her hand on Ruby’s shoulder and shook her head. “Not now,” she whispered.

  Ruby dialed back her white-hot anger and got down on her knees next to her sister.

  “How can I help?” Joanie whispered.

  “You already have,” Ruby replied. “I’ll call you.”

  Joanie nodded as she quietly slipped through the back door.

  Ruby willed the dragon of her anger to retreat, and it did her bidding. There would be time for that. Joanie was right. Lexie needed her to be calm. “What happened?” she asked as she cradled Lexie.

  Lexie leaned against her sister. “Are you the only one home?”

  “Yeah. Everybody’s at work until five.”

  “Okay,” Lexie said. She picked herself up off the floor.

  Ruby helped her to the couch while taking in the bruising on her sister’s face. “Let me get you a tissue and some ice.” She had another idea. “We need to take some pictures first.”

  Lexie nodded slowly. Ruby saw the trace of fear in her little sister’s eyes, and the dry heat of her fury returned. She chased it back into its hole. Already Ruby’s calm demeanor was paying off. She needed to stay rational.

  “Don’t worry,” Ruby said. “You’re safe now.”

  Lexie winced as she tried to nod. Ruby grabbed her phone and took pictures before making an ice bag and wrapping it in a towel. She dabbed her sister’s lip with tissues and was grateful to see the bleeding had stopped.

  “Tell me what happened,” Ruby said as she helped Lexie settle in on the couch. Her sister began to shiver. Ruby wrapped her in the throw as Lexie placed the ice bag against her eye.

  Lexie’s teeth began to chatter. “Is the door locked?”

  Ruby hated Josh for instilling such instant fear into her sister. But she breathed through her own emotions and rose to lock the door. “Yes.”

  Lexie swallowed again, her words coming out in a raspy voice. “Josh came home this afternoon with a wad of cash. I don’t know how much. It had to be into the thousands. We’ve been scratching a living out of my paycheck since we moved to our little house, and it’s been hard. When he showed up with all this money, I asked him where he got it.” She paused as she pulled the blanket around her. “I’m so cold. Can I please have some of your specialty hot tea?”

  Ruby nodded and rose from the couch. She went through the motions of boiling water and made a mix of tea leaves before straining it into a cup and adding the right amount of sugar. Ruby was glad for the task. It gave her focused work that made her feel capable in the middle of such emotional destruction.

  She handed it to Lexie, who took a sip before letting out a sigh. “Thank you,” she whispered. “It helps.”

  “Good. I’m glad. Now, go on.”

  Lexie continued, her voice a little stronger. “I asked him where he got all of this money, and he told me it wasn’t any of my business. And I told him it was my business, since I was his wife and I was paying all the bills.” She took another sip of tea.

  Ruby noticed her sister’s hands were shaking.

  Lexie put the mug down. “I know people in town think he deals drugs. I didn’t believe it. Anyway, I kept asking him about the money, and he got mad and left the house. After he took off, I started going through his things, and I found a stash of marijuana and another drug, although I don’t know what it is.” Lexie shuddered. “I didn’t hear him come home, and he caught me going through his things. That’s when he—” She took in a deep breath and began to hyperventilate. “—he exploded.”

  Ruby’s nerves jumped with pain, sorrow, and rage. How dare Joshua McPherson lay a hand on her little sister. Above all, she wanted to make him pay—now! She kept those emotions far away and focused on Lexie. She took Lexie’s cold hand in between her own warm fingers. “You need to say this. What did he do?”

  Tears came to Lexie’s eyes. “He hit me.” She sobbed.

  “He did more than hit you once. What else did he do?” Ruby asked, caught between the need to know what happened and the desire to run from such pain. She watched as her sister’s eyes grew wide with fear.

  “He pushed me up against the wall and raised me off the ground by my throat. I couldn’t breathe.” Her words came in a rush. “He told me if I ever told anyone what I had found, he’d beat me until I was nothing but a bloody spot in the woods.”

  Ruby’s eyes were drawn to Lexie’s neck, where the red imprint of fingers was beginning to show in welts. Ruby pinched her lips together before speaking. “We need one more picture, Lex. Can you stand it?”

  Lexie nodded. Ruby snapped an image of her sister’s neck before watching Lexie pick up her tea with shaking hands, spilling the warm liquid over the throw. “I’m sorry,” Lexie whispered.

  Ruby shook her head. She was shocked at Lexie’s apology. When did she become so sorry for something so small?

  Lexie raised the mug to her lips and took a deep drink.

  “Where is Joshua now?” Ruby asked. She needed to make sure that Lexie was kept safe, and she thought about the guns locked up in the closet at the end of the hall. Her mind traveled to the consideration of her own pistol, which was stashed in her room.

  Lexie flinched. “I don’t know,” she said. “He left after that.”

  “We’re going to have to call the police,” Ruby said.

  Lexie’s eyes grew large. “No! If we call the police, he’ll come after me.”

  “If we don’t call the police, he’ll come after you,” Ruby reasoned.

  “You know how this will go,” Lexie replied. “The police will come and get him, and he’ll be put in jail, but his folks will bail him out before the day is over.”

  “I don’t think so,” Ruby said. “He’s out on bail now. Once he’s arrested for domestic abuse and drug possession, all bets are off. He’ll be sitting in jail for a while.” But she had another fear. “Lex, if you don’t call the police, he may call them and say the drugs belong to you.”

  Lexie’s mouth dropped open.

  Even though she wanted to scream with anger, Ruby kept her voice calm. “No one in town is going to believe that. Still, the claim would have to be investigated, and it could make your life miserable for years. If you make the call, he’ll be the one picked up, especially after the police see your face.”

  Lexie shook her head and her voice wavered. “It won’t be long enough to keep me safe. Besides, I have to go back.”

  Fierce determination erupted in Ruby, mingling with the shock from Lexie’s words. “Back to the house? Whatever for? You can’t even be thinking of living with him again.”

  “No. It’s not that. I have to go back and get my kitten. I couldn’t find Spicer when I left. I think Josh let him go outside, and I can’t leave him. Josh will kill him.” Lexie’s eyes filled with tears as fresh sobs broke from her.

  “Okay. We’ll go back and get the kitten, but first, let’s call the police and have them meet us there. We can’t do this alone, Lexie. Even you must see how foolhardy that would be.” Ruby leveled her gaze at her sister as her own heart beat to a quiet and steely resolve. “It’s either that or I’m taking my pistol.”

  The look in Lexie’s eyes hardened for a brief moment and fused with Ruby’s own unrelenting determination before it pa
ssed.

  Ruby remained silent, and she stilled her breathing. She studied Lexie. Her sister might be silly, but she wasn’t stupid. She would see the need to have police there in order to give her time to find her kitten and maybe grab a few other things from the house.

  Lexie put down her mug. “Are you sure that Joshua will stay in jail?”

  Ruby offered a quick and silent prayer that her words would be truth as her mind jumped ahead. “Long enough for us to figure out what to do next,” she said. “We may need to get you out of town for a while. How would you feel about that?”

  Ruby hoped Lexie would agree. It would allow her to stay safe while putting plenty of distance between her and Joshua, making it more difficult for Joshua to sweet-talk Lexie into going back to him.

  “I don’t know. Where would I go?” Lexie asked. Then she shook her head. “Right now, all I can think of is Spicer.”

  “Fair enough.” Ruby handed her the phone. “You need to make the call.”

  Lexie took the phone with a shaky hand, and she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Joshua is going to be so mad.”

  Ruby heard the cascading fear in her sister’s voice as she took in Lexie’s bruised face and bleeding lip. She placed her arm around her. “Yes, I think you’re right about that. But we’re up to that challenge.” She pulled Lexie close. “You’re not alone, Lex, and as a family, we can face anything, even the anger of Joshua McPherson. We will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe.” She smiled. “And your little Spicer.”

  Lexie blinked away her tears, and with trembling fingers, she dialed the emergency number.

  Ruby gritted her teeth as her sister talked to the 9-1-1 dispatcher. She hated Josh McPherson for every ounce of pain he’d caused her sister and her family. Yes, he would be in a cold fury over Lexie’s decision to turn him in, but he was no match for the heated dragon of Ruby’s anger. Ruby would focus all of that energy in doing two things: making sure Lexie was safe, and keeping Josh McPherson locked up for as long as possible.