“It’s your reward for beating me at pool,” Ruby added. “I told you if you won, I’d have something fun in store for you.” Fun and indulgent. Ruby needed that, too, now more than ever. Coming here with Eve and Serena was much better than suffering alone at her cottage and digging into a pint or two of decadent ice cream in front of the television set, pining over the state of her love life.
How could one man make her so happy and so sad at the same time?
Brooks had been hurting yesterday and it was only natural for her to comfort him, to allow him time to grieve over his grandfather...because that’s exactly what he had done. He’d met Bill Turner for the first time and said farewell to the old man, probably never to see him again, all in one afternoon. The ordeal had shaken Brooks, and seeing him that way had sent her own wobbly emotions out of whack.
“Actually, it’s really sweet of you to entertain me today while Graham and Brooks are out riding with Beau,” Eve said. “Graham couldn’t wait to ride on one of his dad’s Thoroughbreds.”
Ruby turned her attention back to the girls. “Are you kidding? My stomach is doing somersaults right now. It’s been too long since I’ve had Fudge You ice cream. I’m happy to do it.”
“This does beat eating lunch,” Serena said. “I’m glad I’m on winter break right now so I could join you.”
“Serena is the new principal of Cool Springs High School,” Ruby explained to Eve. “The kids love her over there. She’s made going to the principal’s office a cool thing.”
“Oh, really? How so?” Eve asked, her brows lifting as she turned to Serena.
“Well, there are still times it sucks getting summoned to the principal’s office,” Serena said, “but now, if students do something remarkable like helping a fellow student out of a jam or achieving higher grades than expected because of hard work, I reward them.”
“She takes them to lunch,” Ruby said, “or lets them skip gym for a week, or gives them a season pass to the football games.”
“Among other things,” Serena said. “It gives the kids an incentive to do well. They seem to like it.”
“They sure do,” Ruby said, praising her friend. “And they like Serena a whole helluva lot more than we cared for Mr. Hale, our principal back in the day. That man never cracked a smile.”
“I like your creative approach,” Eve said. “I can see why the kids adore you.”
Ruby gobbled up her cone before the girls were halfway through theirs. She gazed longingly at the mounds of ice cream under the glass case, wishing she could have another cone or maybe a sundae with whipped cream and cherries on top. What was wrong with her? Even with the Trace-and-Brooks-induced stomachache she’d had lately, her appetite was voracious.
Too soon, all the cones were history, and Serena was rising from her seat. “Sorry to dash out, but I’ve got an errand list a mile long for this afternoon. It was nice meeting you, Eve. I hope to see you again.”
“Same here, Serena,” Eve said. “I’m glad you joined us.”
“Serena’s coming to Look Away for our Christmas party, so you’ll see her again,” Ruby said.
“That’s great,” Eve said. “Well then, I’ll see you in a few days.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Bye girls.” Serena exited the shop.
“She’s nice,” Eve said. “You’ve been friends a long time?”
“We have. Serena’s like a sister to me.”
“And Beau’s like a father.”
“He is. He’s a good man. I’m fortunate to have the Prestons. We’re pretty tight.”
Eve sipped water and smiled. “I can see that. It’s really refreshing. My family...well, we’ve had our differences. But my sisters and I are close. You know, in a sense, you and I will be sisters, too. In-laws, but sisters.”
“Yeah, I’m happy about that.”
“So am I,” Eve said. And then, suddenly she gripped her belly, and the blood drained from her face. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?” Ruby rose halfway out of her seat.
Eve waved her off. “Nothing. Just a bout of queasiness. I get that sometimes. But I’m... I’m okay.”
Ruby sat down, relieved.
Seconds ticked by before the color returned to Eve’s face. “Pregnancy sometimes knocks you for a loop, you know.”
Ruby didn’t know. None of her friends had children yet, so she didn’t have any firsthand knowledge of the subject. She knew how mares gave birth and had pulled foals on the ranch under the supervision of her father, but the whole human pregnancy thing was new to her. “How do you mean?”
“Well, first off, you get all these weird sensations. In the beginning, you’re hungry all the time and feel like you can’t get enough food in you. One day, and I’m ashamed to admit this, I consumed two omelets for breakfast and a thick foot-long sandwich for lunch, and I still had room for a barbeque chicken dinner with chocolate cake for dessert. I inhaled food in those early weeks. I couldn’t believe it.”
“Eating for two?”
“More like an army,” Eve said, her eyes twinkling. “But that’s passed. Now I’m sensitive all over.” She pointed to her chest. “I’m full and tender here all the time.”
Ruby froze up, holding her breath tight in her throat. The only thing moving were her eyes. And they were blinking rapidly. She’d been feeling those very sensations lately, too. If she put her bra on too hastily, her nipples would tingle and actually hurt. The pain was foreign to her, and it would take a while before it disappeared. She hadn’t thought much of it, but now, as she took another glance at the mountain of ice cream sitting in the refrigerator case, her stomach grumbled. She was still hungry. She could do major damage to those big cartons. Chocolate. Strawberry. Vanilla. And every other flavor.
Good God. Had she missed her period this month?
“Ruby?”
She tried to calculate back in her mind.
“Ruby, you’re turning green right before my eyes. Are you okay?”
Ruby stopped blinking and focused on what Eve was saying. She forced herself to recover from the shock and shoved her doubts to the back of her mind. “I’m fine. Um, are you ready to see the best Cool Springs has to offer by way of shopping? It’s no Rodeo Drive, but there’s a shopping district that has some pretty neat boutiques.”
Eve’s brows knit together as she subtly scrutinized her, making Ruby wonder if she’d actually fooled her. “Sure, I’d love to. We can walk off the ice cream calories.” Eve reached across the table to touch her hand. “Thanks for making me feel welcome in Cool Springs. I think of us as friends already.” There was a flicker in Eve’s eyes that said she was willing to listen if Ruby needed to talk.
“I feel the same way,” she replied genuinely.
Astute as Eve was, Ruby suspected she had already guessed about her involvement with Brooks. But admitting it would make it all too real, and there would be questions she couldn’t answer. And feelings she’d have to face. About Trace. About Brooks. And the wrinkle that she might be carrying a child even though she’d been very careful, was all too much for her right now.
It was better to put her head in the sand and let the world keep on turning for a while.
Brooks