Page 88 of Heart & Hope

Ruby lands in my lap, hands on my face, kissing me briefly. “Wanna celebrate?”

“I thought we were too busy?” I growl, feigning a stern face. She tips her head back, laughing.

“We are, but this is definitely worth losing a few minutes for.”

“A few minutes? Ruby Robbins, it is going to take much, much longer than that.”

She giggles as I push to my feet and lift her onto my waist. Her quick, elegant fingers make short work of the buttons on my old shirt, and it hits the floor. “Where do you want to celebrate, Reedsy?”

She hasn’t called me that in a while. It has unrequited vibes tangled between the two syllables. “Outside in the sunshine. I want your cheeks flushed, baby.”

“I’m pretty sure you do that to me anyway, gorgeous man.”

Something warm and all-consuming floods my veins with her words.

“Why don’t we try out that camping spot by the spring?” she whispers in my ear, sending gooseflesh down my spine.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

When I reach the truck, I open the passenger door and release her to the soft leather seat. But her brows scrunch as she meets my gaze.

“You don’t take your truck out into the fields?”

“What can I say? You broke all my rules, Ruby Robbins.” I wink at her as the words she used for me take full circle and realization spreads across her beautiful face.

“Wait here a sec. I need to grab some things,” I say.

She nods, sliding her phone from her back pocket and tapping the screen. Always workin’.

Ducking into the house, I pull a cooler bag from the pantry and load it up with anything that looks like it could contribute to lunch and a bottle of red for Rubes.

Booking out for the first event is a milestone, and I’m not letting her hard work go unrecognized. I shove baskets from the sofa under one arm and head to the truck.

Head down, most likely immersed in her emails, Ruby glances up when the truck jostles with the back door opening. I pop the items between us. She raises an eyebrow.

I slide into the driver’s seat and fire her up. “We’re celebrating, remember?”

She smiles back. That one small expression sends my heart through my throat.

Three gates, two boners, and twenty minutes later, I pull up beside the water’s edge of the spring that is nestled into the side of the mountain. Complete with a modest waterfall from the overhanging rock formation, it’s flanked by rocky slate ledges. The view here is spectacular, and even though I found this spot months ago, I can’t bring myself to add it to the list of places guests can spoil.

“Oh wow,” Ruby breathes.

She is out the door in a heartbeat, walking the shoreline of the small lake the spring creates.

“This is stunning! Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

“Was saving this for a special occasion.” I smile at her, it’s all warmth and heart, and the flush of crimson that spreads over her cheeks tells me she gets it.

This thing we have built togetherisspecial. So’s the holiday ranch...

I pull the tailgate down and spread the blankets out, placing the cooler bag and the wine in the center. Arms slide around my waist and the weight of her head meets my back. Every steady breath she takes presses against my spine. But when she releases a wobbly sigh, I spin in her hold and take her face in my hands.

Brown eyes filled with silver look up at me.

I study her face. “Hey . . . what’s wrong?”

“Sorry.” She pushes from my arms, but I don’t release her wrists. “I know we’re supposed to be celebrating. But?—”

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