Ruby Ink (Clairmont Series Novel Book 1) (19 page)

She needed a new lipstick, breath mints, and a bottle of Excedrin. It was only a coincidence, Ruby insisted, that she picked up a newspaper while in Daley’s Drug Emporium. The brick building had been standing for six decades. Outside were a worn wooden bench, an old-fashioned Coke machine, and the only pay phone left in Nickel Springs. If Ruby remembered right, the bench bore several carved hearts: T. L. and the initials of whatever boy had Tandy’s eye at the time. Inside, old man Daley, who’d once been young man Daley, (though not in Ruby’s day), pointed a wobbly finger at her. “Hey, you’re her… that pretty Vasquez girl.”

“I am, Mr. Daley. It’s nice to see you. I didn’t know you…”

“Were still alive?” he said, laughing.

“Not at all.” She smiled. “I just thought maybe you’d retired to Florida.”

“Nah, that place is nothin’ but God’s waitin’ room. But I am surprised to see you. Got that Clairmont boy with you?”

His memory was crystal, even if the timeline wasn’t. “No. We’re… we haven’t been together for ages.”

“Huh. Seems more like yesterday. Aaron, right?” He nodded at his own confirmation. “That was tough, what happened to the mom and dad—those kids gettin’ left like that,” he said, trailing off. “The boys, they were a good-lookin’ lot—wild but good-lookin’. The girl, she was a sweet thing, different from those roughhousers.” He shook his head. “Anyways, Aaron, he was a good kid. ’Cept… except until something happened. Can’t recall what though.” He laughed again. “Guess that’s why they don’t let me fill the prescriptions around here anymore.” Restocking toothbrushes, he peered sheepishly over the rim of his glasses. “’Course now that you mention him, I haven’t seen Aaron Clairmont in ages. What ever happened to that kid?” he asked as if Ruby were responsible for the answer. His yellow-toothed smile widened. “Well, I suppose it’ll come to me. But I am sorry to hear about the two of you. I do remember how smitten that boy was.” From a cash register as antiquated as him, Mr. Daley rang up her purchases. “That’ll be $16.26.”

Handing over Stefan’s credit card, Ruby didn’t look him in the eye.

The wise thing would be to go back to Abstract Enchantment and barricade herself in the suite. Everything had been so different in California. Everything wasn’t this. The newspaper peeked out from the paper bag. Buying it was an impulse, like scratching an itch. After idling for a time, staring at the bench, the Coke machine, and the almost extinct pay phone, Ruby continued on a compulsive path. She opened the newspaper and found the colorful ad for
Incontro: romantic atmosphere in an elegant country setting
. That’s what the town’s new restaurant was promoting. Then Ruby was on her way, just to see for herself. Could Nickel Springs really offer upscale dining in an elegant country setting?

At a glance, it seemed so.

The restaurant was dark. That was good, she thought, slipping onto an end-cap barstool and ordering a glass of red wine. The seat offered a covert view of the dining room. Incontro delivered what was advertised: romance and elegance. Good sense whispered in Ruby’s ear—
note “check” and “check” and leave…
But she couldn’t take her eyes off the cozy tables for two and a charming outdoor view. Incontro didn’t sit on Butterfield Lake, but a remote pool-like pond. Through a large window, Ruby saw strings of lights twinkling across a patio, perfect for moonlight dancing. Music played, and guests swayed with the sexy rhythm. Paper lanterns continued down a path to a distant dock. It was shadowy there, obstructed by the couples dancing. Ruby craned her neck to see. A lone man looked out toward the view. She looked back and forth, surveying the rest of Incontro. Ruby didn’t see anyone she knew.

She bowed her head. “What the hell am I doing?” Opening her eyes, she sipped her wine and breathed. “Well, I suppose I’m enjoying a glass of wine and a change of scenery before heading back to Stefan.” Her irrational behavior, it was one last glance at the past. And it was silly. All of it. She was engaged to a wonderful man. It was exactly as she’d told Alec. She was looking forward to their future. And this… this was nothing more than a foolish, albeit necessary, bump in the road. It was to be expected, returning to a place with so many memories, Aaron showing up on top of them. Through clearer eyes, Ruby looked around the stranger-filled room. She felt better—for a moment.

A feminine touch met with her shoulder. “Hi, Ruby. Wow. What, um… what are you doing all the way out here?”

Ruby jerked fast toward the sound of Shauna’s voice, knocking over her wine as she went. There was a flurry of action, the bartender swooping in to mop it up, Ruby apologizing. He waved her off and she turned, facing Shauna. She’d come from the ladies’ room behind her. The woman was exquisite in a figure-flattering emerald-green dress, a step up from her already appealing work wardrobe. “Shauna,” she said breathlessly.

“I, um… I’m surprised to see you here. Is Stefan with you?”

“Stefan… no. He had some meetings, said he’d be busy until late.”

A crinkle formed on her smooth dark forehead. “There wasn’t anything on his calendar. We talked briefly earlier. He asked me to let him know if I… Well, never mind.”

“Surely you just missed a scheduled meeting. He was adamant about his agenda. In fact, Stefan felt so bad he sent flowers.”

“I, um… I’m sure that’s it.” Shauna offered a blank look. “Did, uh… did you like the necklace too?”

“You knew about them, the flowers and the necklace.”

Shauna’s pearly smile deflated. “He… Well, Stefan… he just asked if I thought you’d like the necklace.”

Ruby nodded. “And the flowers… I guess it would make sense that you ordered them.” She sat up taller, wondering if Shauna had done Stefan’s jewelry shopping as well. There was a non-committal shrug from his executive assistant. Ruby let it go. She didn’t want to sound like the probing, insecure fiancée. “It’s the thought that counts, right?”

“Absolutely,” Shauna said. “Seriously, Ruby, he’s such a busy man. And I have to say, since the two of you met—well, it’s not really my concern, but I’ve never seen him so
aware
of another person.”

Ruby grappled for a change in subject. “So this place, it seems like Nickel Springs has come up in the world since I lived here.”

“Oh, yes! It’s perfect. Or maybe I’m having such a great time, it just seems that way.” As Shauna went on, Ruby felt her forced smile sag. “It’s a first date. You know how they can be, tense… uncomfortable. But this one’s going incredibly well. He’s a surprisingly good conversationalist, though it’s hardly his best asset.”

“A first date,” Ruby repeated, self-comforting with the notion that surely Shauna and her date hadn’t bonded.

“Aaron Clairmont. Do you… Oh, right. You do know Aaron. He mentioned that. You two knew each other when you lived here.”

Ruby blinked hard, her gaze bumping around the room. “You could say that.”

Shauna touched her arm in a girlfriend kind of way. “I don’t suppose you could give up any Aaron Clairmont tips?”

Like what? He’s a good dancer but great in bed, so either way, just let him lead… Or, on the other hand, be wardrobe wary. If you happen to wear a too short skirt to some “friends of his” barbecue, he may drag you off to the bathroom just to raise his objection… Of course, he’ll end up fucking you hard right over the sink, whispering in your ear… “Just a little demonstration of what every guy out there is thinking…” It will leave you breathless and shaking and feeling safe in some bizarre way you never imagined…

“Ruby?” she repeated, smiling anxiously.

“No… there’s nothing I can tell you.” Awkward glances passed, Ruby having to bite her lip to keep from asking,
“Don’t you have a son at home you need to take care of…?”
It was rude and none of her business. “Enjoy the rest of your evening,” she said.
Enjoy it when Aaron takes you home to his bed…

“Thank you. I will.” Shauna sashayed through the dining room, Ruby watching the head of nearly every man turn.

“Miss… can I get you another glass of wine? Miss…?”

Ruby looked wide-eyed at the bartender. “Make it a double vodka, straight up. And keep them coming.” Small sips turned into bigger ones as Ruby watched Shauna glide out of the dining room and onto the patio. She kept going, heading toward the dock. When Shauna approached the lone man, Ruby sucked in an audible breath. Before, the distance, the shorn hair, and a sports jacket hadn’t connected. He turned. Shauna’s finely boned arm wrapped around Aaron’s waist as his arm slipped over her shoulder. In the time it took for Ruby to clear a few teary blinks, Shauna had coaxed him onto the dance floor where she swayed, carefree and comfortable, in Aaron’s arms. From there, crowds seem to part and Ruby was privy to a birds-eye view.

Wonderful
.

They made a stunning couple, Aaron’s football-player stature and her runway-model figure. The woman had a Beyoncé head of hair, draped sleekly around her shoulders. Aaron held her close, his hand riding along her skin where the sexy keyhole dress back gave him good access. Ruby smoothed the dark skirt she wore, fussing with a simple cotton blouse—it was a stunningly basic composition compared to Shauna’s designer ensemble. Ruby watched them laugh, Shauna saying something that struck him as humorous. Aaron had an infectious laugh, though he used it sparingly, making it more special.

Ruby stared while her mind drifted. She knew how Aaron’s arms felt—the heat, the strength. She could imagine Aaron and his date skipping dinner and heading straight for the nearest bed. Or maybe he’d just fuck her in the Incontro parking lot. Damn, it had been seven years. In that time, Ruby had never been confronted by this reality because… well, because prison put a nice barrier between Aaron and a social life. But now… now things were different. Aaron was going to sleep with this woman. And he wouldn’t be doing it in any parking lot. Not if that part of Aaron had been honest. Not if those moments were real. It wasn’t his style. He might fall in love with her, or she with him. Surely his past sins wouldn’t cut into Shauna the way they did Ruby. Before long, Aaron Clairmont would belong to someone like her.

Ruby’s gaze veered. A tear dripped into her glass, setting off a ripple of tiny vodka rings. Her thoughts spiraled, remembering the most intimate moments she and Aaron had shared. Ruby wrapped her arms snuggly around herself and closed her eyes, stupidly indulging in the depth of each memory. She shook her head. There was no way Aaron could have faked that. It was inconceivable—no matter what else he had done.

Ruby’s attention jerked back to the live-action scene, which only bullied her imagination. She envisioned Shauna’s long painted nails unbuttoning Aaron’s shirt, how she’d look wearing the wrinkled cotton button-down the next morning—sexy and inviting all over again. Ruby’s stomach took a queasy tumble, and she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. But instead of pushing the vodka aside, she took an even bigger gulp. Tipsy started to overtake queasy, and Ruby decided she liked how it dulled things she wasn’t supposed to be feeling. The bartender had heeded her request, another drink was waiting. But it was another vision that was even more powerful. A flash of the immediate future was detailed and heated because Ruby understood exactly how things progressed in Aaron’s bed. She could see Shauna’s long legs wrapped around him—probably something he would appreciate—every inch of his hard body making love to hers.

Ruby drank like the vodka was water, a large mouthful followed by a solid burn. The room teetered, though Ruby’s focus was steady on its target. The music slowed to a velvety melody, the kind that instigated making out on a dance floor. Shauna’s lips brushed along the stubble on Aaron’s jaw, and Ruby’s hands locked around the brass rail that trimmed the bar. She braced for it, waiting for pre-pillow talk to segue into a passionate kiss.

She’d never felt so empty—not even in the years that they’d been apart. Not when the police toppled him, gun in hand. Not when she’d stood in a courtroom, assaulted by his crimes. The needy ache was everywhere, but mostly on Ruby’s lips. Aaron had touched her so intimately that morning, but he never kissed her mouth. The idea of his mouth meeting with Shauna’s was torturous. Maybe she deserved it—payback for her own betrayals. Ruby continued to watch as the intensity on Aaron’s face shifted. He stopped moving to the music. The lighthearted humor they shared vanished as he listened harder to whatever Shauna was saying.

Ruby captioned the covert scene:
Seriously, no need to try too hard, sweetie. Didn’t you look in the ladies’ room mirror? A blind man wouldn’t think twice about taking you to bed…

But as Ruby raised the glass to her lips, Aaron looked up, looking straight through the window of the restaurant. There wasn’t eye contact. It was something deeper—a beam of energy. And Ruby felt…
caught
. She bolted from the barstool. Rushing past the large window, she could see that Aaron was on his way inside. She darted through the main entrance, steps ahead of him. But Aaron was too fast—not to mention sober—catching up as Ruby spilled like some 80-proof mess into the parking lot.