Page 37 of Holding You
“I think she might,” Luca argues.
I glance between Ruby’s brothers. All three see a different side of her.
But no matter what they think she might or might not do, and no matter how hard I’ve tried to fix whatever I did wrong, Ruby Asher doesn’t care much for me.
There is no way I can change her mind and convince her in less than a week to let me move in with her.
“Look, I really appreciate all the help and concern, but you’ll barely notice I’m gone.”
Linc walks in with the pizza cut into slices on a floral serving dish.
Everyone pauses and looks at Luca.
He chuckles.
“I told you that Shay has all her things here. Hence the flowers.” He grabs a slice and then leans back. “So, who’s ready for our first hoops game of the summer next week?”
“Are we ever ready?” Miles asks.
“I’d be more ready if we hadn’t let Luca pick the team name.” Dutton glares at him and takes a bite of his pizza.
“I’m sorry.” Luca’s voice is laced with sarcasm. “The Air Balls seemed fitting since we kind of suck.”
“For who?” Hudson asks, and everyone laughs.
Yeah, I’ll definitely miss nights like this.
The factthat I take the time to walk down my driveway, take the sidewalk in front of Ruby’s yard, then turn up her driveway, all as her gaze tracks my every step from her seat on her front porch, is a dead giveaway that I’m avoiding something.
That something is telling Susie that we’re going to move back to the city for the summer. If Luca stays on track, we can move into our new house just after Labor Day. So that’s already a week shorter than expected.
Still, it’s going to sound like a lifetime to my daughter.
I would ask Ruby if she’s told Max, but I have the feeling she hasn’t.
If she had told Max, he would have absolutely mentioned it to Susie by now. Those two talk nonstop when they are together.
“Do all boys' nights end with you frowning the way you are?” Ruby asks, her tone slightly teasing. I’m sure she intended an insult in that question somewhere, but I’m too distracted to find it right now.
With a sigh, I drop into a rocking chair on her porch.
“No, they don’t. Tonight, however, I have to tell the number one girl in my life that we are moving for the summer.”
I’m not sure why I just admitted that to Ruby. Our thing is snappy comments and heavy sarcasm with a side of an eye-roll. Not … deep front porch conversation.
Then again, Ruby is aware of my situation, and with our kids being besties and all, I’m sure she does have an interest in my choices.
She closes the book in her hand and flips it over, setting it next to her before she sits up straight.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
My gaze shifts from the coverless book that she clearly took the wrap off to her eyes. Under the moonlight, there is a flicker of gold in them.
They’re captivating in ways I could never admit to her.
Maybe this move would be good for me, too, in this sense.
I could finally stop thinking of her and treat her as just Max’s mom.
