Page 85 of Priceless

She suddenly looked unsure. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I mean, you know me. I’m pretty low key, so you might be bored.”

Approaching the table, she gave me a look. We’d known each other long enough that we were casual with each other. “You’ve been low key because you’ve been forced to be low key, Ocean.” I began to protest, and she held out a hand. “I don’t think your true personality is super high maintenance, but there’s nothing wrong with asking for things. Especially when that’s my job. I’m happy to help with whatever you need. Whether it’s copying something for Entendre or grabbing you a bottle of water.”

I stared at her. “And you’re… okay with that?”

Back at the Caldwell Estate she’d been a catchall employee. She’d assisted the housekeeper and did what needed to be done, acting as Laura’s right-hand, kind of like she was describing.

Ruby was older than me. She hadn’t known my mother for long, but she’d just started working for our family when she passed.

“Yes,” she said, “I’m fine with it.”

“So if I told you to make sure my towels were warm?”

Ruby smirked. “I’d say I don’t have to because you have a towel warmer in your bathroom already, and the cleaning staff load it when they do laundry.”

“What? Where? I took a shower already.”

“I’ll show you whenever you want. It looks like one of the cabinets, so I’m not shocked you missed it. This place is like a candy land of all the best things. I’m pretty sure there’s a switch to make the floor in your bathroom heated too. Oh, and those are in both of your bathrooms.”

The regular bathroom and the one in the hallway to the nest.

This was on a whole new level. I’d always been wealthy, but there was wealthy and then there was whatever the hell this was. Where there was a greenhouse being built in a day and an entire nest assembled just for me.

“How’s the nest coming?”

“Good. I think it will be done in an hour or so.”

That would be nice. I couldn’t wait to see it and curl up in it. A nest. A real one. “Thank you. I don’t need anything else right now.” She turned to walk away, and I had the thought. “Ruby?”

She turned back.

“Why did you stay? Working for Frank and Laura.”

“Your aunt didn’t turn into a poisonous bitch after your mother died. She was always like that, just muted. Your mom passing simply let her out of her cage. And though,” she shook her head and looked away, “though I couldn’t do nearly enough to protect you from her, I couldn’t leave you there with them alone.”

Awe and dread flowed into me in equal measure. “You stayed for me?”

“I tried to be the barrier for you as much as I could. It worked better when you were younger. Once you were an adult, I couldn’t make excuses in the same way. I’m sorry for that.”

I shoved everything in my hands onto the table and went to her, pulling her into a hug. “It is absolutely not your fault. I never knew that’s why you were there, and for whatever you did, thank you.”

“I’ll never understand the choices your parents made,” she said quietly. “Keeping you with Frank and Laura for so long. I doubt they imagined being gone so soon. But she wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone.”

Closing my eyes, I hugged her tighter. “Thank you.” When we broke apart, I laughed. “I wish I’d known. I would have told you to get the hell out of there and save yourself.”

“Which is why I stayed,” she said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “And I’ll stay as long as you want me to. Your husbands are very generous. My husband and I are grateful.”

Ruby was a Beta. I’d met her husband a handful of times, and he was a good man. She deserved that. “I appreciate it. And if you’re still here, I guess let me know when the nest is done. Otherwise I’ll be here doing some work.”

“I’m going to unpack some more of your things. They’re almost done.”

My mouth dropped open. “Have you been doing that all day?”

“Maybe.”

“Ruby.”

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