I hadn’t let on that I knew his name for months, and I knew it was rude, but I worried if I used his name, I’d only expose my silly crush. Gray didn’t need to know he was the highlight of my shift. He didn’t pay more than polite attention to me. I never started a conversation because more details only increased the risks to my sanity. He was too charming, too handsome, too… much.
My cheeks heated. Why was he lingering? He’d proven me wrong about the child, and we’d exited the woods without further incident. Of course, I wanted to stay. I wanted to talk and get to know him more than anything else I had to do. But I’d already wasted enough time on my run into the woods. Ida needed her pills before breakfast. Even if she’d approve of the handsome Grayson, I couldn’t ogle the way his eyes crinkled with his smile or appreciate the way the simple t-shirt clung to the muscles of his chest. It would only delay me further.
I scooched back into the car. “I’m sorry, but I gotta get home. Thanks for running into the woods after me.”
I slammed the door and shoved the keys in the ignition. Even as I fumbled, I could feel the weight of his gaze, but I refused to look up from the steering wheel. I turned the key, and Betty gave a loud wheezing, grinding noise.
“Nooooo,” I crooned to my ancient car. “Please don’t do this to me, baby.”
I turned the key again. Another grinding noise came from the engine. Then a pop and a burst of smoke billowed out from the hood. I slammed my head back against the seat and growled.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Of course, he was still there. I breathed a sigh that came from the depths of my soul. My Uncle Adam used to call it my “world is ending” sigh. Today that didn’t feel far from the truth. Without turning my head, I cranked the ancient lever for the window. The burst of hot air from outside carried the scent of cedar, bergamot, and leather. It was a masculine scent I would add to my list of likes about this man.
“Sounds like a bad starter. Maybe a couple of other things.” I noted that his voice didn’t sound like he was man-splaining. That was nice.
“Yup,” I said, adding extra emphasis to the “p” at the end of the word. “I’ll call for a tow.”
“I can give you a lift.”
My skin heated at the idea of sitting in a car with Gray. It would be safer for my sanity to wait for the mechanic. Except there was Ida to consider. If she didn’t have the pills in my purse in the next hour, she’d be off her schedule, which could cause complications with the next dose. I loved the woman like a grandmother, and she needed me.
I turned to Gray and nodded. “That’d be kind of you. Thanks.”
In short order, I assembled my belongings and locked the old Bronco. Gray held out a hand to take the grocery bags, but I held fast. My pride had already suffered several times in this encounter. No way was he going to carry my stuff. I was not helpless. To my surprise, he just smiled and shrugged, allowing me the silly prideful move.
“Where’s your vehicle?” I asked.
Gray hooked a thumb at the road toward the strip mall. “At the gym. I can run and get it if you want to wait here.”
“Nah, let’s just get going,” I said and started walking in the direction of the gym’s parking lot. “Not like my ass couldn’t use the steps,” I muttered.
“What was that?”
“I said it’s only a few steps,” I replied and tugged at the strap of my backpack.
My calves still burned, the stitch was back in my side, but I continued because one of my many failings was my stubbornness. Uncle Adam had always said it was my greatest sin. At his direction, I’d said multiple rosaries to ask the Lord for patience, understanding, and forgiveness. As far as I could tell, it hadn’t worked.
“Here we go,” Gray said and clicked a slim remote that made the lights on a huge black truck flash.
I wasn’t into cars, but even I could see this truck was expensive. It also had massive wheels that meant the running boards came up to my hips. This was the curse of short women. Now I’d have to climb it like a monkey and further embarrass myself. Would there be no reprieve tonight?
“Let me take those,” Gray said. Before I could stop him, he pried the bags from my hands, then tossed them in the truck bed. That done, he turned and smiled down at me.
Damn, that smile did funny things to my stomach.
“Is the truck too high for you, shortcake?”
I should hate the silly name. Usually, I hated nicknames that commented on my stature. But apparently, there was no limit to the liberties I would allow Grayson to take. In fact, coming from Gray, my foolish romantic heart loved the sound of the nickname.
“I think I can manage.”
He pulled open the door and let me step past him into the open space. I grabbed the handle and tried not to worry about what an ass I was making of myself. Putting one foot on the running board, I started a countdown. “One, two, th—”
A pair of hands landed on my hips and tossed me into the truck. I pushed back the hair in my eyes and gaped at Gray.
“What the hell was that?”
Another of those staggering grins flash across his face. “Looked like you needed the help.”
I tried to sputter a reply, but Gray just winked and shut the door. He rounded the hood and got into the cab himself. “Where to?”
I bit back a sigh. “North. Take Main Street to Harker Pass.”
He drove through the quiet streets while I tried not to notice anything else about him. I was already the butt of a lot of jokes in Eagle Creek. I didn’t need my foolish crush on Gray to become public knowledge. My role as the “white trash McLean girl” was hard enough. I didn’t need to add “lovesick” to that title.
“Ruby?”
“Sorry, sorry!” He had the truck stopped at the last intersection in town. To our right, the road that wound around the lakes and toward the pricier homes and fancy resort. To the left, the pock-marked road that led to my trailer park.
“Left. Turn right at the fork and follow it till you get to the second house. You can drop me off there.”
That was Ida’s place. I’d just walk the rest of the way from her house to my trailer at Beechwood Park. Then we could end this little interlude. Because this was some kind of dream, not reality. Reality was not Gray smiling at me, calling me endearments, and using his massive hands to lift me as if I was only air.
That shit belonged in a romance novel or a dramatic TV show. It did not belong in my life.
Chapter 5
Gray
“What are you doing?”
The voice of my friend, Hunter, grated against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. I’d been so consumed with working on the truck that I hadn’t noticed his arrival, which meant I was in for a load of bullshit.
Since the first day of basic, the asshole made it his mission to get my goat. Even after we retired, and regardless of the fact I was his partner, Hunter used every opportunity to make me the butt of his jokes. We’d known each other for over twenty years, and he showed no signs of letting up.
If I didn’t love the jerk, I would have killed him years ago.
“Isn’t it obvious what I’m doing?” I grunted as I tightened another bolt.
“It looks like you’re trying to play mechanic to the poor grocery girl’s ancient truck.”
“I’m not playing at anything, Hunt. I’ve worked on vehicles since I was old enough to hold a wrench.”
I stepped back from the hood and grabbed the towel I’d stuck in my back pocket. As I wiped at the sweat and grime that had accumulated on my forehead, I turned to look at my friend.
Hunt was leaning against his own truck parked next to the Bronco, a shit-eating grin on his face. I frowned in return because that grin meant nothing good. He offered me a bottle of water, and I eagerly snatched it from his hand, downing it in seconds. The afternoon sun felt like it was
cooking me from the bottom up like my Ma’s favorite cast iron pan.
I’d been working on the old SUV ever since I’d dropped Ruby off at her house. She had been reluctant to let me work on her car. I understood her hesitation. We were acquaintances but not much more—despite my best efforts. Still, I’d insisted, and Ruby eventually relented when I’d promised to do the job before she had to work later that night. She claimed it was only because the local mechanic was always busy. I didn’t care about her reasoning, I owed her.
Or so I told myself.
“What do you want, Hunt?” I asked and handed him back the empty bottle.
“We agreed to meet at noon to go over inventory.”
“Yeah. And?”
“And it’s 1:15.”
I grimaced and rubbed the towel over the back of my neck. “Shit, Hunt, I’m sorry. I’m almost done here.”
“Gray, if you’re having second thoughts ...”
“Don’t,” I said. “We’ve had this discussion before. You didn’t coerce me into anything. I agreed. I’m all in.”
Hunter lifted a tawny eyebrow. “You sure? You’ve been skipping out on a lot of the meetings with the contractor. Even though you’re the one with the business degree, you keep telling me to do whatever I think is best.”
Hunter and I had come to Eagle Creek several months ago to help out our dead friend’s family. When Jonah’s younger sister Lucy had called and told us the Mason family was close to losing their business, we agreed there was only one logical thing to do. We’d pooled our resources and bought the Mason’s out of the business.
Our intention had been to remain a silent partner and let the Mason’s continue running the marina. But Jeff and Melanie, Jonah’s parents, were ready to retire, and they convinced Hunter and me that Lucy was not ready to run the business on her own. While we stayed in Eagle Creek to repair the business, I assumed I was only biding my time until the business recovered, and I could go back into retirement.
But six months had gone by, and I was no closer to leaving than I had been since day one. The current phase of the project was the brainchild of Lucy and Hunter. A new restaurant with a bar and outdoor seating was being built next to the marina gas station and convenience store. Hunter claimed a third revenue stream on top of the gas sales and boat rentals would help pull the marina out of the red. After I checked their estimates and projections, I couldn’t disagree.
“I’m not any use with decorating and that kind of shit, so I leave that to you and Luce. I can be more of a help with the boats and fishing gear. I know a little about that.”
“I just want you involved. I mean, it’s mostly your money that’s funding the restaurant, but you never seem to care about the progress. If you want out, just tell me.”
“I don’t. But you’ll be the first to know if I do.”
Hunter nodded and seemed appeased. “Okay, let’s get this done for your girl.”
“Not my girl,” I grumbled as I stuck my head back under the hood.
“Not yet.” Hunter laughed as I handed him a socket wrench. “Dude, you’ve had it bad since the moment you saw her.”
The heat of the day made my flush of embarrassment even more uncomfortable. He wasn’t wrong. I’d seen Ruby walking down the sidewalk on Main Street. Her auburn hair shining in the sun as she walked made me nearly crash my truck. I’d been halfway into a daydream about her voluptuous body when my inattention had forced Hunter to pull the wheel to the right.
We’d narrowly avoided a parked car, and he hadn’t let me live the incident down yet.
“Let’s get the car fixed.”
“Sure. As soon as you admit that you’ve got one serious high school level crush on the girl.”
I frowned and pointed a grimy finger at my friend. “Does that mean you’ll also talk about whatever happened between you and—”
“No.” Hunter’s face turned to stone.
I knew his expression meant I was toeing a very sensitive line, so I nodded and held up a hand in submission. “All right. Let’s drop all discussion of our non-existent love lives and get the job done. Ruby needs her car, and I’m sure Lucy is champing at the bit to show us her plans.”
Hunter nodded stiffly, then moved to stand on the other side of the Bronco’s hood. “I know you have questions about what’s going on.”
I looked up from the engine so he could see my expression clearly. “I had my say months ago. I shouldn’t have brought it up again. Your business is your own.”
“Thanks,” he said, and I could see his body relax in increments. “That means a lot.”
“That’s what family is for, Hunt.”
It took us mere minutes to finish replacing the starter and spark plugs, and it wasn’t long before I was pulling into the drive of Ruby’s house with Hunter following behind in my truck.
“Stay here,” I yelled to Hunter as I hopped out of her truck. “I’ll give her the keys. Then we’ll go to the marina.”
He nodded and lifted a hand in an abbreviated wave as he continued to talk on his cell. I assumed he was cooling down Lucy’s nerves since we were now over two hours late. She hated when things did not go according to her plans, and I was glad Hunter was taking the brunt for my mistake. Lately, I thought Lucy was acting too uptight and more than a little immature. Had she been anyone other than Jonah’s sister, I would have fired her long ago.
I’d spent years dealing with the interpersonal issues of soldiers and wealthy clients. My retirement to Florida last year meant I was leaving the drama and angst behind for a relaxing second half of my life. That plan had gone up in smoke the moment we arrived, and Lucy filled us in on her family’s problems.
I shook off the thoughts of my dramatic marina manager as I walked up the concrete steps of the tidy little brick ranch. Pots of flowers and herbs littered the stoop in varying colors and sizes. On the door was a “Welcome” sign, and two wind chimes hung nearby. It was picture-perfect, like something out of a postcard. I grinned at the homey decor and pretty flowers as I pushed the doorbell.
The door popped open almost as soon as I pressed the button. Behind the screen door stood the tiniest, oldest woman I had ever seen wearing a floral robe.
“Yes?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, I think I have the wrong house. I’m looking for Ruby?” I asked.
The woman frowned. “What do you want with my Ruby?” Her tone made my gut clench just like it used to when I got called on to answer a question in school.
“I have her car.” I gestured toward the Bronco parked in the drive. “I’m sorry. She had me drop her off at this house just a couple hours ago. I assumed it was hers.”
She blinked up at me for several long seconds. Her eyes were dark and wide behind the lenses of her glasses, and I felt myself twitch under her stare. Just as I was about to leave, she opened the door and smiled at me.
“Come in. Let’s have a chat.”
Chapter 6
Ruby
I put a ton of effort into avoiding Grayson Archer over the next few days because I did not want to relive the embarrassment of the bunny incident. I even went to the extra effort of switching my shifts with a co-worker because there was no way I’d survive a rehash of my failed rescue.
The disruption killed my ability to sleep, which made me cranky, which made work suck, which made me angry at myself for running into the woods in the first place, which meant I was in a serious funk. When I called a young co-worker a knob for putting the bread at the bottom of a customer’s bag, I knew I’d let my mood go too far.
I’d recently drained my bank account to pay off the mortgage on my trailer, so luxuries were few and far between. Most of the time, my biggest indulgence was a second-hand paperback from the local bookstore or an extra diet soda for the day. But today felt like it warranted something more. I felt like I had a black cloud over my head,
and there was only one place that would make me happy.
Fika.
The new coffee shop slash cafe was located in the old bank building at the center of town. At first, I’d avoided the place because people like Jamie and her ilk were flocking to the shop. Then I took a walk through town on a nice spring day and smelled the delicious aroma of dark roast coffee and baked goods. Before I knew it, my feet carried me into the building, and I was experiencing the best coffee and pastry I’d ever had.
I had the day off before I had to switch back to night shifts, so I decided to treat myself to a coffee and a sweet treat before driving a half-hour to the nearest Walmart for my Saturday errands. Luck was on my side when I got to town and found the cafe empty, save for the young barista at the counter. Since I had time on my hands and the weather was mild, I decided to take my coffee and treat to the park nearby.
The humidity had finally abated, and thank goodness for it, I hated the heat. Give me cool fall air or frigid winters over the high heat of summer any day. Main Street was clogged with summer tourists and day-trippers, so I have to bob and weave my way through the crowd while juggling my precious cargo. I wasn’t the most graceful woman, but I loved coffee almost as much as life itself, so I made sure not to spill a drop.
Just as I got to the end of the sidewalk, a woman with the most enormous stroller bumped my hip. I spun to avoid her, and the gaggle of sticky-fingered kids that followed her. I had to side-step to narrowly miss knocking into a pair of snowbirds that were looking in the window of a tchotchke shop.
I performed the kind of footwork an Irish step dancer would be proud of, and I was pretty impressed with myself. Until I turned the corner and ran into someone so hard, I ricocheted off them, my food went flying out of my hands. I stumbled and tried to right myself, but apparently, I’d used up all my grace on the two near misses. I would have fallen to the ground if it weren’t for a pair of quick hands that shot out and grabbed my shoulders.
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