Stepintotheglitzandglamour ofHollywoodwithRubi Walsh,astar withaheartas bigas her bankaccount.Butwhenher sistergetshurtbyherjerkofahusband,Rubi'sonamissiontosetthingsright evenifitmeansteamingupwithhisroommate, CashLowell
Cashisn'texactlythrilledabouthavingRubi tagalong.She always gets intotrouble,andhe's justnotintoit.Butas they spendmoretimetogether,CashbeginstoseeRubiinanewlight
Rubi’s unexpectedly drawn into the simple, down-to-earth charm of Cash's world. Just when things start heating up betweenherandCash,hersister'shusbandshowsup,threateningtoruineverything.
The doors whooshed closed behind her, butthe humiditysucked to her skinlike a heavy, welcome-home hug, a hugshe desperatelyneededafterlearningaboutJellyBean.
She pushed the elevator buttononce, twice, a third time. Her babysister, CarolAnn, was inthe women’s center onthe eighthfloor Thehospitalwashushedbytheearlyhour,makingRubi’simpatientmovementsechointhestillness Dawnwasat leastanhouraway,maybemore.
She was the onlypersoninthe large lift, and she tookthe time to compose herself Carolynhad choked out the words miscarriage and alone, andRubifoundherselfatthecomputermakinghurriedtravelarrangementsbeforethey’dhungup.
She peeked around the curtain and saw her twenty-two-year-old baby sister curled into a ball, her arms hugging her stomach,andgianttearssoakingthepillow “Sis”Rubidroppedherpurseandfellintothebed Carolynturnedintoherwitha sobandhungonasifRubiweretheretopullherfromadarkandlonelyhole.Shesputteredandstammered,gaspingforbreath.
At three months premature, Jelly Bean, as they’d called her, was the most anticipated baby on the planet. Rubi’s heart crunchedassherememberedthreateningtosnatchherawayifCarolynactuallynamedthegirlJellyBean Howcouldshehave everjokedaboutsomethingliketakingawayhersister’sbaby?
“He said he didn’t want no woman who couldn’t have a baby. ” She said the lastpartwithTrent’s thickaccent, her lip curling.
Rubi pulledher closer,a rage unlike anythingshe’dever knownignitingher limbs andsparkingthroughher fingertips;a live fuse headed towards dynamite. “That boy’s mama should have known better than to raise a dimwit, bless her heart. There’snoaccountingforTrent’slevelofstupidinthisworld”
Rubi’s place as the favorite was overshadowed byJellyBean, and Rubi couldn’thave beenhappier to have her family come closer throughthe anticipation.She never wantedher sister tofeel like she was anythingless thanwonderful.Inthose quietmomentsofreflection,whichseemedtohappenalotlately,shewonderedifasenseofbeinginsecondplacewaswhy CarolynhadmarriedTrent IfshecouldseeherselfasRubi saw her,competent,beautiful,fun,smart,andenergetic,thenshe neverwouldhavesettledforthatno-goodpieceoftrashwhoshouldberighthereholdinghiswife’shand.
TheysaidgoodbyeandRubi shookher head Thesensethattheworldwasgoingonoutsideofher familytragedygrated againsthersensibilities;atthesametime,thinkingbeyondthemauvewallswasastrangecomfort.
KnightStudioswasmakingacomeback.Ifanyonecouldmakeithappen,itwouldbeCindyKnight.Beforeherfatherdied, Cindy was the up-and-coming screenwriter of their generation She dropped out of certain circles when her dad’s passing startedrumorsthatshejustdidn’thavewhatittakes.Rubineverputmuchstockinrumors havingbeenpregnantandengaged three times inthe lastyear accordingto the gossip rags Cindywas the real deal and workingwithKnightStudios close to homewouldbeideal,consideringCarolyn’ssituation.Apartinthemoviewouldalsobeagoodcover-upstoryfor whyshe wasinGeorgiaandallowhertokeepthisheartbreakwithinthefamily.
Promotionwas the lastthinkonRubi’s mindrightnow.Thenagain,she was concernedaboutkeepingCarolynoutofthe spotlight,soperhapspubbingthemoveandthehousewasagoodidea Sheneededsleepbeforeshecouldmakethatdecision “We’lltalkaboutitwhenyougethere.”
Inside, she was a blender of emotion, and some of it spilled over to the ebonyleather seat as she cried Sixyears her junior,Carolynwas aninnocentchild whenTrentHill swaggered into her life. He had experience writtenall over himand some ofthe words weren’tPG, butCarolynwas smittenand flattered and fell hard for Trent’s rough-and-tumble versionof romance.
Howdarehewalkoutonhersister!
There was a stinginher heartfor several people, people who would always carryJellyBean’s memorywiththem, but Trentwasn’toneofthem.Asfarasshewasconcerned,hedidn’tdeservetobeadaddy.JellyBean’spassingwasn’thisfault, buthe’daddedalayerofpaintoCarolyn’ssufferingthatthesweetgirldidnotdeserve
Tap Tap Tap Tap-tap-tap-tap, went the pen against the clipboard There was a lot more product in their booth at the OutdoorExpothanthereweresales.Iftomorrowdidn’tpickup,Cashwouldhavesomeharddecisionstomake.
Thearrangementprovedtobebeneficialtobothofthem,asCashwasinthemiddleofhisbusyseason.Heoftenendedup storingSweetBirchproducts inhis garage betweenproductionanddistribution Trenthadbeenmore thanwillingtooffer a handnowandagain.
Cashglanceddownattheclipboard Whathereallyneededwastolandacontractwithalargedistributor Cabela’swould donicely,buthewasn’tpicky.Sincethiswashissecondyearofproduction,hefelthehadtheexperience,themanpower,and the equipmentto take his companyto the nextlevel. That’s whatAtlanta’s Outdoor Expo was supposed to be for him… an opportunity Thewayhisbackached,itwasmoreofagrind
“That’s good,” said Trentas he hefted the lastbox. “I’ve gotto getoutoftown. Iheard mysister-in-law was snooping aroundtheGas-N-Goyesterday.Iwon’tseeyaforabit.”
“Yessir”Trentclosedthetailgate Cashclimbed behind the wheel for the forty-five-minute drive to his cabinoffLake Lanier. He tookoffhis ball hatand tossed itinthe passenger seat. He ranhis hand throughhis hair and groaned athow longithad beenbetweenhaircuts. His cheekitchedwithtwo-daystubble
His companywas doingwell. The trouble was differentiatinghis products fromthe ones currentlyonthe market. There werepacksoutthere,withnamebrands,thatwouldfallapartafteronebackcountryhike Nothisstuff WhenyouboughtSweet BirchGear,youboughtgearthatyoucouldpassontoyourkids.Yes,itcostalittlemorethanthecompetition,butthedurability wasworththeexpense Somehow,heneededtogetthebigguystositupandtakenotice
Itwastimetobringinaconsultantwhocouldhelphisbusinessgotothenextlevel.Hesighed,knowinghehadtospend moneyto make money. Rollingdownthe window to let inthe cool eveningair, he hoped the breeze would also clear the businessoutofhisheadsohecouldenjoyhisevening
Rumblingdownthegraveldrive,hecaughtsightofsomethingthathadhimreachingforhishattocoveruphisunrulyhair. Leaningagainstaredconvertiblewasablondbombshell Hershoulder-lengthhairglistenedintheeveningsun Shehadon a loose, teal-colored shirtthatcame into hugher little waist. Shorts, justthe rightamountofshort, accentuated her shapely legs
Cashleanedtheboxbetweenhimandthewall andputinthecodetoopenthebiggaragedoor Her answer madesense Thiswomanhadclass,wheelbarrow loadsfull ofit.Andshewaspretty,like sit on the front porch and watch the sun rise across her cheeks pretty Hisgrinmeltedasherealized“You’rethecrazysister-in-law?”
“Whynot?” She was properlyoffended, her chindippingand her hand onher hip. The pose almost brought a smile to Cash’sface Almost Heleanedforward,shorteningthespacebetweenthemandputtingthemoneyelevel Speakingofeyes.Thiswomanhadthemostinterestinggrayeyeshe’deverseen.Theywerelikediamonds,allsparkleand depth,withshotsofsilverandadeepblueringaroundtheedge Thebeautyofthemstartledhimenoughthattheedgelefthis voice.“Idon’tknowyou,”hesaidquietly.
“I went to his apartment and he wouldn’t open the door. I went back with the police the following morning and he’d skippedoutontherentandleft. I hadtopayhisbackrentsothelandlordwouldn’tcomeafterCarolyn.”
Cashblinked.“Areyouserious?”
“Asaheartattack”Sheshiftedherweight “I have beenfollowinghim,butnottogethimtopaybills Ijustwanthimto signthesesoCarolyncanmoveonandwecanputthisallbehindus.”
He scratched his cheek Darn beard Darn Trent Darn turned into a few stronger words “Trent tells a much different story.”
Cash’sfacegrewwarm.Hehadn’tmeanttosaythatoutloud.“Ijustmeantthatyou’rerealpretty,soIbetlotsofguystryto ” He stopped, knowinghe was makinga fool of himself. “Youknow what? Never mind. I was just tryingto lightenthe mood”
To heckwithit this was his house. He stripped offhis T-shirtand headed to the bedroomto find his dress boots and somethingsuitableforthelongeveningahead
Hepulledoutofthedrivewayinhissilver truck,whichlookedlikeitcoulduseapaintjobafter seeingwhatreal silver lookedlikein her eyes.LittleMissBusybodyglaredathimfromthefrontporch,herdelicatefingersplantedonhertinyhip. Hismamawouldlovetogetsomefriedchickenintothatlady
Aslygrinliftedhischeek.Shelookedmightycuteonhisfrontporch.Likethecabinwasherperfectaccessory. Shakinghis head, he thanked the Lord for normal females like Cheri. Cheri wasn’tall spitfire and crazytalk. Cheri was levelheaded Hecouldusethattonight Leavingatrailofdustbehind,hehitthemainroadandheadedintotown
CHAPTER THREE
Rubi drove a discreet distance behind Cash Lowell’s gray pickup as he maneuvered through traffic. Her cherry-red convertible wasn’tgoingto hide, butshe could atleastmake aneffortto hangbackinstead ofdoingsomethingthat wouldlandherinjail likestalkingaperfectlynormal,andsomewhatattractive,guy Shehatedstalkers,andhated Trentevenmore for turningher into one. This whole catand mouse game was beyond her understanding. Ifhe didn’twant Carolyn,whynotsignthepapers?
HerpurposeinfollowingCashwastogettoTrent.Although,nowthatshe’dmettheroommate,whoownedahouselikea grown-upandsmelledallmanly,she was thetiniestbitinterestedinwhattypeofwomanhe’daskedout.She’dhavetohavea thickskintoputupwithhisattitude
Sherolledhereyes Melaniewasherbiggestfan Seriously,shewasthepresidentandCEOofRubi’sfanclub Shecared more about Rubi’s reputation than Rubi did and she was a master at social networking. “Any other news I should know about?”
“Carolynwentforajobinterviewthismorning.”
Rubi hitthe Bluetoothbuttonand snatched up her phone. Thatnews was worthtalkingabout. Rubi had broughtCarolyn hometoanemptyhouse,butwithinacoupleweeksbothheragentandassistanthadmovedintotheguestsuites
Rubi disconnectedthe call.She watchedfromthe car,waitinguntil Cashandhis date were seatedata boothnexttothe giant, somewhat cloudywindow, before throwingona Braves ball cap she kept inthe passenger seat and headinginto the diner.
The smell of old grease hunginthe air like bats withbeadyred eyes, bringingRubi up short just inside the door The waitresslookedupfrompouringacupofcoffee.HerbrownhairhunglimpinaFrenchbraidandhernailswerelongenoughto pickalock.“Justgrabaseat.I’llberightwithyou.”
“Oh I’msure they’re a knockoffofsomething” She pulledouther phone “Isaw some like themonline Letme findthe link.”
Cash sighed dramatically. Rubi was an actress; she would know what a dramatic sigh sounded like. She’d done that shoulder drop in front of millions of viewers all through her teen years This guy was totally amateur Rubi ignored him “That’dbesweetofyou.Thanks.”
“Notatall Here”SheleanedclosetoshowRubithescreen Thebootsweregorgeous “I’mCheri” “Pleasure to meet you. Thanks.” She didn’t volunteer her name, but like a good hostess, Cheri didn’t press. To her disappointment, neither did Cash “I’mgoing to buy a pair right now” Her thumbs flew as she ordered size-seven boots, havingnoideawhereshewouldwearthem.Adatewouldwork;theyweredefinitelydateshoes.Exceptshedidn’tgoondates todiners.Shewalkedtheredcarpetwithanescort sometimesafamousone.ShewassureCherihadrecognizedher,butshe wasplayingitcoolandRubiwasgoodwiththat Cashleveledhisgazeinherdirection.“I mind.”
RubiandCheribothjerkedinsurpriseattheannoyedtone “Cash,” Cheri said inthatyou’re-making-a-scene whisper thatall womenhave intheir purses for justsuchanoccasion. Thewhispercanbepulledoutforchildren,inebriatedfriends,oramanwhoneedstobebroughtaround.
“She’s not here to buyboots. She’s followingme.” Cashshooed Rubi withhis hands. “Go onbackto your owntable. You’reruiningourevening.”
Thoughts ofJellyBeanhad her smile slidingrightoffher face Her heartwas still tender inthatspot Mama’s was too She’drefusedtoanswerthephonefordaysaftertheservice.Daddywastheonlyoneallowedinthebedroomuntilshecould stop cryinglongenoughto putonmascara Rubi couldn’tblame her Itstill amazed her thatshe loved someone so fiercely whenthey’d never met. “We justlostmyniece, premature. Mymama’s takingitreal hard.” She swallowed the lump inher throat.She’dgottentoknowthatlumpquitewelloverthelastthreemonths.
Cashleaned forward, his brow twisted inconcern His cornflower-blue eyes held her gaze for several seconds, silently offeringsupportshe hadn’tasked for. Feelingexposed for havingshared one ofher family’s heartbreaks withstrangers, she clearedherthroat “Ican’tletyououtofmysight,Lowell”Sheshrugged “Sorry”
“Hey”Cashwipedhisthumbdownhisglass,clearingawaythecondensation “He’sgoin’througharoughtime” Cheri rolled her eyes. “He asked me ifIwanted to take a roll inthe hay. WhenIpointed outthatthere wasn’tanyhay around,hesaidhe’dbesogoodIwouldn’tnotice” “EEEEEWW!”Rubishuddered. “Right?”Cheriflickedherhand.“Itoldhimno thanks andtookoff.”
The waitress hurried to fill their order while Cashmoved their cups and suchoffto the side “Basic pie eatingcontest rules.Youcan’tuseyourhands.Youhavetoeatthecrust.Andthefirstonewithtwoclearplateswins.”
Rubi attacked her slice ofpie, chompingand swallowingas fastas she could Itdisappeared quicklydespite the heavy Criscotasteinthecrust.Hermama’spiewaslightandflaky.Thisonewasmakingaledgeinherstomachtohangouton.She plowedintothesecondpiece,notcaringthathernoseandchinwerecoveredinwhippedcream Themoreonherface,theless shehadtoactuallyeat.
It was a darnshame Cashdidn’t get muchsleep. The Expo was anopportunityfor himto talkto everydayoutdoor enthusiasts.This tooka lotofenergyandenergyrequiredsleep,andhe hadhadverylittle ofthatthanks toMiss Pie Face
She’d ruffled his feathers plentywithher I won’t take no attitude and general bossiness. He would have beenperfectly happytothrowherinthelakewhenshewalkedintothediner Notthathe’dhadhighhopesfortheevening Cherihadoffered togoDutchanddirectedhimtothecheapdiner,suggestingtheyhangoutandchatinsteadofspendabunchofmoneyonadate neitherofthemwantedtobeon.Notthathedidn’tlikeCheri;shewasfine.Thefactofthematterwasthatbothofthemwere pastthedating-for-funstageinlifeandhadmovedintothedating-for-marriagestage,andshewasright:theyweren’tmeantto betogether.
Rubi climbed out wearing dark jeans and a baggy T-shirt. She had on a Braves hat, her hair loose and brushing her shoulders.Helikeditwhenwomenworeballhats.
“There’s a first time for everythinghoney.” He spunonhis heel and went into the garage to get a box. How could one womanlooksogoodandmakehimsomadallatthesametime?Hedidn’thavetimetoponderthatoneandhedefinitelydidn’t havetimetoarguewithher.
“Don’thoney me”Shepointedtoherchest “Sorry. Look, this weekend is important. Idon’t have time to babysit, so ifyou’ll leave a card or something, I’ll be in touch Okay?”Thelastwordwasmeanttodismissherandhecutawidepatharoundhertoavoidenjoyinghersoftscent “Notokay,”shecalledafterhim,thesoundechoinginthegarage.Heshookhisheadanddroppedtheboxonthetailgate.A half-secondlater,anotherlandednexttoit.
“No, you’re not.” He pulled, bringing the box flush with his chest and her close enough that he could smell her fancy perfumethatsmelledlikevanillaandflowersandbeachesandpeachesandall sortsofscentsmixedtogether todriveaman crazy.Itwasintoxicating.Hergrayeyessparkedwithangerandhehadastrangeurgetodropthebox,takeherinhisarms,and exploretheroughseasbetweenthem
Tryinga new tactic, he said, “You’ll love it. We’re gonna talkhuntin’and fishin’for three days straight. There’s lots of greasyfood and a beard contest” He snapped his fingers “Youcanenter the hotdogeatingcontest” His eyes wentup and downher, and he had to stamp downthe sharp edge ofattractionbefore he could continue. “Abittythinglike youthe guys wouldneverseeyoucomin’”
She shuddered, rememberingthe lasttime a group offans wentnuts onher Theytreated her like anobject, like somethingsoldinaninfomercialthatwassuddenlyonshelvesatasteepdiscountthedayafterThanksgiving.
However, liningup securitywould take a couple hours They’d want to do a sweep of the area, background checks on anyonewhobreathedinherspace,andkeepheroutofsightuntil they wereready.Shecouldn’taffordtoletherfearsgetinthe wayoffindingTrent. Ifshe pulled her hatdownand laylow, she’d be able to glue herselfto Cash. Otherwise, Trentcould comeandgoandshe’dbeoblivious
She eyedhimwarily.He seemedlike a nice enoughguy.He heldopendoors,carriedboxes,andhadnever calledher a derogatorynameorcursewordeventhoughshe’dgottenunderhisskin.“Whynot?You’regoingto.”Maybehehadhorrible tasteinfriendsandthat’swhyheallowedTrenttostayhere Or,maybeTrenthadpulledthewooloverhiseyeslikehehadto Carolyn.
“Yeah,butthisismybusiness Icouldjawaboutthisstuffformonthsonend” Sheshruggedandwentbackintothegarageforanotherload.MovingtheboxesofT-shirtsandhatswasn’tallthatdifficult. She’dredthelabelsassheworked,grateful for somethingtodothatkepther mindoffthewayCarolyncurvedinonherself everytimeTrent’snamecameup.
She should bepracticingher lines for Egypt’s Gold. Havingsecured the partofthe female lead shortlyafter readingthe script,she’dworkedhertail offduringtheeventful read-throughandtherehearsals Thecastandcrew wereontheirwayto Utahtofilmafew DeadSeascenesaroundtheGreatSaltLakethatshewasn’tin.Shewasscheduledtomeettheminafew days TheVelcrotechniqueshe’dappliedtoCashwasherlast-ditchefforttogetthedivorcepapersfiledbeforesheleft Cashfollowedhereverystep.Therewasonlyoneboxleftandshegrabbeditbeforehecould.Withagrowl,hesnatcheda broomandsweptthefloorwherethemerchandisehadbeenstored.
“The guys from Gold Rush and Duck Dynasty will be there for sure. They’ve beenonthe commercials. Afew national fishingchampions and some guys who do tricks onmotorcycles and four-wheelers Theyhave a slew ofbeautyqueens and somemodelshelpsellproduct.”Hisnecksplotched.“NotthatI’mlookin’”
Majorangledhimselfintheseatsohewasfacingher.“Cashmortgagedhishousetogetthestartupmoneyforhiscompany. It’s doin’prettygood, buthe’s onthe fence ofsuccess and failure rightnow. He needs to grow so he cancompete withthe establishedbrands,butheneedstosellthestockhe’salreadyinvestedin.Thisshow ishisticket.There’salotridin’onthis weekend.”
“Oh” Rubi slumped While she’dbeenjokingandteasing,Cashhadsome prettyserious things goingoninhis life “No wonderhe’sgrumpy.Ishouldprobablystoppushinghisbuttons.”
To Cash’s great relief, Rubi did not follow himbackand forthas he and Dad set up the booth. They’d gotteninto a rhythmwhenitcametoworkingtogether.
Asaboy,he’dfollowDadlikeashadowashefiddledwiththeboatmotororassembledbookshelvesforhiswellred wife. They’d joke thatMama could getlostina good bookand they’d have to putouta missingperson’s report. She’d shakeherheadandblush,knowingitwasalltrueandstillcominghomefromthelibrarywithaweekend’sworthofbooks
After awhileofworkwithoutRubi under hisfeet,helookedaround,wonderingifshe’dgottenboredandwanderedoff. Nope. She had a stack of papers and was leaning up against the wall. If she was trying to be inconspicuous, she failed miserably Shehadthisairofcommandinherposturethatwasdifficulttoignore He’dtried.
After anhour, he got curious about what she was reading. She flipped througha three-ringbinder, sometimes scanning quicklyandothertimesstudyingintensely.Once,hesworehesawherlipsmove.
Curiousornot,hewasn’tgoingtointerrupt Thelesstimetheyspenttalking,thebetter Cashfinished straighteningthe banner across the top ofthe boothand stepped downfromthe ladder. “Looks good.” He noddedonce
“Doyouwantto?”Hewasmessingwithher,teasingforthesakeofgettingariseoutofher Hey,she’dlookedathistruck like itwouldn’tlastthe trip to the conference center, and thatrubbed his pride the wrongway. Rubi’s brow furrowed with uncertainty Pressinghisluck,Cashtouchedherarm Hethought he wasmessingwith her, butthemomenthemadeskin-to-skincontact,ashifthappened.Insteadofteasing,he wasdeeplyinterestedintheanswer Hesteppedcloser,theirshoestouching Rubimoistenedherlips.“DoIwanttowhat?”Herfirmtonewasgone,replacedbyasoftnessthattickledhisdesires. “Askmetokissyou.”Hehadmeantthistobeaquestion,butitcameoutmoreasasuggestion.Asuggestionhehopedshe’d take
“I I–.” She stepped back, bumpingagainstthe wall. The jarringseemed to bringher outofher uncertainty. “I’mgood. Thanksfortheoffer”Shethrewherhairoverhershoulderasiftossingawayhiswords Rebuffed,Cashsteppedback.“Iwasn’toffering. ” Shecockedherhead “Itsure sounded likeanoffer”
He winked and ducked througha slitinthe blackcurtains his heartpoundingaway. The Expo would begininless than fifteenminutesandtheystillneededtounpacktheT-shirts.Ifhewassmart,he’dstayonthissideofthecurtainandasfaraway aspossiblefromMissRubiandhercaptivatingeyes
CHAPTER SEVEN
Rubi hugged the binder to her stomachand covered the tingles onher skinwithher hand. AtCash’s touch, sparks of energywentthroughherbodylikelightningbugsdrunkonmoonshine.Shecouldonlyimaginewhatwouldhappenifhe weretoactuallykissher
Herhandmovedtohermouth.Shehadn’tbeenaskingtotryhislipsonforsize.She’dbeengoingoverlinesforherpartin Egypt’s Gold After a rather rockyread-throughatthe studios where CindyKnightseizedcontrol ofthe companyandousted herstepfamilyfromtheoffice,productionhadgoneonwithoutahitch.Rubi’sco-star,BeauMckay,wassodeeplyinlovewith Cindythathehadadopeygrinonhisfacemostofthetime.
“Thanks for the offer, Miss Rubi,” said Major as she grabbed a blacktees thatsaid A Bad Day Fishing is Better than Taking Out the Garbage Major’s eyes were the exactshade ofblue as Cash’s Funny,she never paidthatmuchattentionto people’s eyes before. Infact, she spent a lot of time avoidingeye contact withpeople so she wasn’t recognized. It was a survivaltactic,anditworked Onlynowwassherealizinghowmuchshe’dmissedouton
Where Cash’s eyes made her insides go all marshmallow, Major’s eyes warmed her like one ofher Daddy’s comforting hugs “Cute.”Sheheldtheshirtuptoherfront.
Witheveryword,Cash’s shoulders lowered Rubi didn’tknow muchaboutthis expothing,butshedidgetthatBretthad dropped some major moneyto puthis boothfrontand center and she caughtthe rubbinghe gave. Asensationmuchlike the lightingofaprotectivefusebeganinherbelly
Rubi’schestseized Thesituationwasabouttoexplode Shecouldfeelthecuriouseyespoundinginfromallsides Pretty soon, she was surrounded by Tyson and his friends as he introduced her to the group. Their eager smiles and animated movementsmadehermouthgodry.Severalofthemhelduptheirphones,takingpictureslikeshewasanotterattheaquarium insteadofanactualpersontheyshouldaskpermissionfrombeforesnappingselfies
Rubi tried to smile butwasn’tsure ifitwas comingacross She rubbed her forehead She couldn’tletthings getoutof control;sheneededtobeheretocatchTrent.TheclocktickedontheamountoftimeshehadleftinAtlanta.Liftingherchin, shecaughtCash’squestioninggaze.Sheneededhishelp.
Butheneededherhelpmore.
Maybe
Sheglancedbetweenhimandhisjerkofacousin ThesmugsmileandswaggerinBrett’sstancelitherprotectivefuse She flipped around and grabbed anextra-large blue tee thatwould surelyfitthis guy. “Youbet.” “ButI’monlyallowed to sign SweetBirchgeartoday,soyou’llhavetobuyashirt”Sheunfoldedtheshirtandputitagainsthischest “Ilikethisone” “Sold.”HetooktheshirtandwenttoMajor,whoranghimup.Severalotherguysinthegroupdidthesamething.Shewas signinghersixthshirtwhenalow murmurrumbledthroughtheroomlikeanaftershockofanearthquake.Themarkerflipped outofherhand.
The line continued to grow, curvingaround the corner and outofsight. The nextpersoninline, a manwitha fishhook throughhis nose, waited for Rubi to wave himforward Rubi tooka deep breath, notquite ready She rubbed her forehead againandthenpretendedtobebusywiththingsshecouldn’tevenseebecausehermindwasspinning.Bobbywouldkillherfor doingthiswithoutacontract
Cashsidled up to her and puthis hand onthe small ofher back. Somethingstrange happened athis touch. All ofRubi’s musclesthawedandherfearfadedtosomeplaceoffscreen.Atthesametime,herheartratepickedupandpoundedthroughher neckandwrists
“Rubi Walsh?”heaskedquietly.Shecouldn’ttellifhewasastonishedthatitwasherorthathehadn’tknownitwasher. “Did youjust Google me?” she whispered before takingthe tanSweet Birchhat fromthe guywiththe fishhook Cash staredather.Shesignedhernameonthehatwithaflourishandposedforapicturebeforehandingitover.
“Ooooh.Youshouldcheckoutthepacks.They’rethebest.”Rubinoddedtowardsthedisplayofcolorfulhikinggear.She had no idea what it was all for, but the thought didn’t bother her Heidi Klum and Paris Hilton didn’t actually ate the cheeseburgerstheymadekissyfacesatincommercials.Justbecauseshedidn’ttryitout,didn’tmeanshecouldn’trecommend it,
“Iwill.Thanks!”Thewomantookthemerchandiseandheadedstraightforabrightredbackpackwithmetalbarsandahip brace Asense ofaccomplishmentprickled Rubi’s skin She hoped Cashwould sell outand be able to do all the things he wantedtowithhiscompany.Anditwouldn’thurtifhiscousinwantedtocrawlunderarock.
“How y’all doing?” she asked the family of four who stepped up to the table. The dad turned bright red and the mom giggled
“WewatchSchool days onNetflix,”stutteredthemom.
Rubiencouragedtheshyyoungsterswithasmileandsaid,“Why,thankyou!Thanksforwatching!”Theychattedforafew minutes, Rubi asking about their school and what they liked best about the show. In the middle of their conversation, she flashed back to the appearances she’d done when she was a teen. There were lots of screaming fans and long lines and organizerswhohurriedpeoplethroughthelinewithoutallowingforsmalltalk.She’dfeltlikeagiraffeatthezoo,herlegstoo long,herfacecoveredinspots,andalwaysbumpingintothings.
Takingina deepbreath,she ownedthatshe’dgrownintoher skin Itfeltgood She was justher,andbeingjusther was enough.ShewishedCarolyncouldhavethatfeeling.AslongasshewasmarriedtoTrentandhecontinuedtomesswithher head,she’dbestuckasagiraffe Withaprayerforhersisterinherheart,Rubidoubledherattentiononthenextgroup four twenty-ishguyspushingeachothertobefirsttosayhi.Withanexaggeratedrollofhereyes,shemotionedthemcloser.“Y’all areactinglikeabunchofsissies.Getonoverhere.”
Theylaughedandobliged,holdingoutnewhatsforhertosign.Withasmirk,shedrewafishingpoleandalongline after all,she’dhadtoreelthemin.
The second best part was that people weren’t just getting an autograph and taking off, they lingered They asked questions.Theytriedonhispacks.Andtheywerebuying.
Cashwouldmakethesamebet.IfLadyLucktippedherhatCash’sway,Brettwouldtakeitpersonalanddoallhecouldto leveltheplayingfield HislittlefishtankwasnomatchforRubiandherwinningsmile Ofcourse,thiswasn’twhatCashhadplannedeither.Dadhadbeenattheregisterallmorning,takingmoneyhandoverfist. Ifsalescontinuedatthisrate,SweetBirchOutfitterswouldselloutofmerchandise TherepresentativefromCabela’shadjust leftandawomanfromScheelslefthercardwithDadwhileCashwasrunningbackandforthbetweenthetruckandthebooth. Cashhad called a couple workers to load up whatever theyhad leftatthe warehouse and bringitdown Theywere setto arriveshortlyafterone.
Cashshrugged.“Whatdoyousuggestwedo,Mr.Grammar?”
“Howlongisshesupposedtobehere?”
CashglancedtowardsRubi.Hedidn’twanttotakeadvantageofher gift.Anditwasagift.Shehadputherselfouttherefor him, for his company, and he had nothing to repay her with except making sure she got in contact with Trent His paltry connections,whichhadseemedsolargethatmorning,nowlookedlikeaflynexttoaGermanshepherd.“Awhile,why?”
Cashnoted the ever-so-slightslump to Rubi’s shoulders and the wayshe brushed her fingers over her righteye, buther smileneverfaltered.Aneedtotakecareofherbuiltinsidehistrunk.“Let’sdoalunchbreakat12:30.Willanhourgiveyou enoughtime?”
Mr. Grammar disappeared in the throng. Cash did a fist pump. “Did you hear that?” he asked his dad. “He’s already planningonus for nextyear Whatdo youwantto betwe geta boothup frontor one ofthose primo ones bythe barbecue guys?”
“I’monmyway.” Cashrushed towards the area where all the good smells came from. He didn’t evenbalkat his dad callingRubi his littlelady Shemaydrivehimnuts,butshewasdoinghimahugefavor
becomingtheworld’sbiggestRubiWalshfan.
The closer he got to the food vendors, the easier it was to make out the individual scents. There was spice and tang, Applewoodandcedarchipsmoke,andFrenchfriesandgravy Heloadedupwithavarietyoffoods,waterbottles,sodas,and napkins.Whenhegotbacktothebooth,Mr.Grammarandseveralpeopleindarkgreenpoloshirtsandtanpantswerewaiting forhimtobreakuptheI-Heart-Rubifestival Hesetthefoodonachairbehindtheboothandwentbackout
Approaching Rubi frombehind, he placed a hand on her back. Her muscles were tense. She probably wasn’t used to standingonconcretefloorsforfourhoursatatime Heshouldhavebroughtherachair!Feelinglikeajerk,heheldupapalm “Heythere,y’allhavingagoodtimetoday?”
Rubi leanedintohis hold,relaxing.Hesteppedevencloser,wantingtoshieldher withhis body.Heck,he’dpickher up andrunwithherifheneededto
“I’vegottotakeMissWalshforlunch,butshe’llbebackat1:30.Mr.Grammarandhiscrewaregoingtoredirecttheline while we’re away Y’all are welcome towait,or youcangoenjoysome ofthe other booths,andwe’ll see youinaboutan hour.”
Cashreachedforthetrayoffood.Hedidn’twanttospendonemoreminuteworryingaboutBrett.Brettspentenoughtime worrying about this dumb competition Cash didn’t want. Let himstew over it; Cash had better things to do. Like tease a beautifulwoman.“Look,theyhadpie.”Hewavedhishandoverthetrayfullofpulledbeef,pulledpork,hotdogs,hamburgers, andseveraldesserts.
They ate in silence until Sarah and Rocky, his right and left hands in the business, showed up with the rest of the merchandise Cashdirectedthemintotheboothandaskedthemtosetoutwhattheycouldandstoretherestunderthetables He camebackandsatacrossfromRubi.“Ifyoukeepthisup,I’mgoingtorunoutofproduct.”
“I’mnotgoinganywhere”Shereachedforthepeachshakethatwasleavingapuddleonthetray “’Kay.” Cashwatched her for justa moment, his heartcrampingwiththe knowledge thatshe would leave himwhenthe lightswentoutontheexpoandhegaveherTrent’snumber.
CHAPTER NINE
Rubi surveyed whatwas leftofCash’s booth. Price tags and receipts littered the floor. Aplastic bagpoked outfrom underacrookedtablecloth.Therewasoneboxofpacksleftandnotastitchofclothing.EventheSweetBirchsign sagged,asifittoohadspentthedaysmilingforphotographs
“Lookslikewedon’thavemuchtopack,”saidMajor.He’dbeenarealtrooperalldaylong,chattingupthecustomersand takingtheirmoney Hehadoneofthosehappyaurasthatmadeothersopenup They’dtellhimabouttheirvacationplansandhe would recommend a certaintrail or hike. Bythe end ofthe day, Rubi pictured himwalkingfromone end ofthe state to the other, eatingonlythe fishhe caughtand granola bars He puthis hands onhis lower backand stretched “Thanks Rubi You savedmyachingback.”
Shekickedthecarpet.“ItwouldhavebeenalotharderifSweetBirchGearwasn’tsogreat.”She’dstartedoutwantingto showupBrettandhissmuglittleattitude,butaftertalkingwithCashatlunch,herfocuschanged Shewantedsuccessforhim especiallyafterturninghimdownforadate.Itwasn’tthatshedidn’twanttogooutwithhim.Theslyglancesandlittlejokes they’d shared were enough to whet her appetite and leave her wanting more What held her back was her career Lasting relationships were hardtocome byinthe biz.SoinsteadofgoingoutwithCash,she’dsoldhis stock,andpeople hadbeen happytobuy.
She glanced over atCash, who was listeningto Mr Grammar thankhimfor bringinginsucha bigname “Idon’tknow whatyoudidtoconvincehertocome,butI’mimpressed.”
Cashshookhands withMr. Grammar, promised to be intouchfor nextyear’s expo, and said goodbye. He joined them, puttinghishandonherlowerbackjustlikehe’ddonemanytimesthatday.Bynow,sheshouldbeusedtothewayherjoints turnedtoglop.Shouldbe,butwasn’t.“Mommakesthebestcoconutcreampieinthestate.”Cash’swordswereachallengeas muchasaninvitation “Rematch?”heasked
