Ruby headed for the hangar before she got tangled up in trying to solve the puzzle. The next four months would give her plenty of time to sort Jack out. Not to mention her own mixed-up feelings towards him.
Jack’s hands gripped his hips as he watched Red lug those bags across the tarmac. She displayed all the nonchalance of a weightlifter. Her slight, short frame was taut, her boots heavy as they trod the concrete. She’d already got to him. Anger flared quickly, fizzed along his veins. This was supposed to be the start of a whole new life for him, not a revisiting of the old one. He’d broken his heart over her once. That had been bad luck. To let it happen again would be plain careless.
If he had known she was back in town, would he have quit his Head of Department position? Damn right he would have. Ruby had long given up the right to alter his life decisions. And this job was the result of those decisions.
He tossed caution aside, and called, ‘Hey, Red, I’m going to give you a hand.’
She turned slowly, balancing carefully, smiling widely, fixedly. ‘Got two perfectly good ones of my own, thanks.’
A familiar ‘don’t fool with me’ look had snapped into her big green eyes. Was it because he dared to question her capabilities? Was she more confident these days? Or better at hiding her insecurities?
Jack tried to grin back. He didn’t do so well. ‘That was my last offer.’
‘No worries.’
Was she favouring her left leg? ‘Did you jar your leg when you jumped down? You look like you’re limping.’
Her smile tightened further, warning lights switched on in those piercing eyes. ‘I’m perfectly fit, thank you.’
‘I don’t doubt you are but I’m allowed to show an interest in my colleagues.’ With a fierce flick of his shoulders he filed her limp in the dossier in his mind. For now. Remain aloof with her. Do not get involved. Was there a textbook on how to behave around ex-girlfriends?
‘She’s a tough one,’ Dave said behind him. ‘Doesn’t like any of the men singling her out to give her a break with some of the heavy stuff.’
Huh? Since when? ‘Ruby wasn’t always like that.’ Jack clambered inside the gleaming red helicopter. ‘Guess I don’t know her as well as I used to,’ he added as he looked around the compact interior. At last the excitement he was supposed to feel for this job began leaking into him.
‘People change,’ Dave muttered.
Jack winced. Yeah, that was exactly why he was here instead of running the emergency department. ‘I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.’
Dave said, ‘Funny thing but Ruby’s tough-girl attitude actually makes all of us try to do more for her than you’d normally expect. On and off base. All the crews are close, and we spend a lot of time together, but with Ruby we seem to go those extra miles, if you know what I mean?’
‘I’ll keep that in mind.’ And keep my distance. Going the extra mile might take him a lot closer to Red than was healthy for his future plans. Or for his body if his overheated reaction when he’d held her minutes ago was anything to go by. How would he put distance between them when they were stuffed inside this cramped area?
‘Good.’ Dave turned back to the stretcher he was cleaning.
Jack studied the man he’d be relieving. ‘You worried I’ll have scared her off by the time you come back?’ Ruby would go, but not because of him. Moving on was her modus operandi. Ironic that soon he would be heading away too.
‘We’ve got an excellent group of very professional people working here now and I’d hate to see the status quo change. If my wife hadn’t gone and bought our tickets and booked our tours, I probably wouldn’t be going to Europe this year.’ Dave’s brow creased. ‘Which is why Gail did it, of course. Women are very crafty, aren’t they?’
‘They can be.’ But not Red. She was more like a moth continuously flying at the light, getting nowhere. Always a tight coil of tense muscles with a sharp tongue to match. Jack used to wind her up just so they could kiss and make up later. He’d be wise to remember that in the weeks to come and ignore any outbursts. There’d be no making up now. Forget those heady kisses, the hottest sex he’d ever experienced and a lot of plain old fun and laughter. Forget how she could melt into absolute sweetness at the most unexpected moments.
Start with remembering her name was Ruby. Not Red. And that she wasn’t his type of woman. He took another glance outside, his eyes tracking the one woman he’d ever cared about. His gut twisted. Red’s sassy butt still swayed saucily. Sex in boots. Hot sex in a jumpsuit. ‘It’s been a while.’
Since he’d seen her. Since he’d held her in his arms and kissed her senseless. Since—Stop. Tormenting himself would only lead to trouble. But she’d felt wonderful when he’d lifted her up against his chest minutes ago. Warm, lithe, exciting.
‘Odd that she didn’t mention knowing you.’ Dave’s words crashed into his brain, slamming him back to reality.
Words that stung. Hard and deep. He shouldn’t be surprised. When he and Red agreed to split they’d both made it perfectly clear there’d be no going back on their decision. But surely that hadn’t meant they couldn’t acknowledge one another. ‘It was a few years ago. How long has she been working with you?’
‘Two months. Came straight from San Francisco.’
‘Two months?’ Jack all but shouted. If Ruby had kicked him in the guts it couldn’t have hurt any worse. Two months and not a word. Talk about putting him in his place. Sensing Dave’s eagle eye on him, he bit down on the oath hovering on the tip of his tongue and tried for casually unconcerned. ‘I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with her.’ But not on this shift.
‘She certainly has great work experience. Her credentials are superb.’
‘It’s the first time Ruby’s actually stuck at anything long enough to qualify.’ Amazing. And as far as he knew it was also the first time she’d returned anywhere. Had she finally tracked down her father and dealt with the past? That was the only explanation for her spending long enough in one place to put in the required hours to become a paramedic. Did that mean her angst had disappeared? Did a dog suddenly grow wool on its back?
Jack asked, ‘Is Ruby still taking on everyone head first? Like she has to knock them down before they get to her?’ He shouldn’t be asking Dave, but he was speaking boss to boss here, needing to know about a member of his crew.
Believe that and he’d believe anything.
Dave studied him thoughtfully. Was he having doubts about leaving his job in Jack’s hands? ‘Can’t say as I’ve noticed. And working in stressful situations on a daily basis I think I would’ve. Is that the Ruby you used to know?’
Already regretting his question, Jack nodded. He’d hate for Dave to think differently of Ruby because of him. ‘She used to have a few issues that distressed her big time but from what you’re saying maybe she’s sorted them out.’
‘Some relationships don’t stand the test of time, do they?’ Dave was studying him with a glint in his eye suggesting he’d somehow be watching out for Ruby even from afar, making sure his replacement didn’t upset her. Nice to know she had such a good friend. The man hadn’t finished. ‘But others can.’
Shaking his head, Jack muttered, ‘Not this one.’
Dave shrugged. ‘That’s a shame. I get the feeling Ruby’s ready to settle down.’
‘Then you really don’t know her.’ Ruby didn’t do settling down. Ever. Not like him. He’d been happy to stay in this place where he’d lived all his life. Until recently. Now he was so restless he itched. He was on the move, done with being the man everyone relied on to be a permanent fixture for them, of always being around when others found their lives