Page 5 of Counting the Stars

“Oh! Umm…” I snap my head up and immediately regret making eye contact with Alex, who has gone pale. It’s not often he’s stunned silent. I chew on the inside of my cheek to hold back my amusement. “It might not be entirely gone by then, but I’m sure a good concealer will take care of that.”

“Well, I think I’ve overstayed my time. I don’t want to be late for dinner.” Alex finds his voice and an excuse for a quick exit. “Miss Ruby, as always, it was a pleasure to see you.” He does a little bow, then turns to me. “And you have a wonderful and hopefully uneventful night.” He places a chaste kiss on my temple before sauntering away. My eyes can’t help but follow him as he walks out of sight.

“If I were younger, I’d be all over that man,” Miss Ruby says, pulling me out of thoughts I should not be having.

“Funny, you’re not the first person to say that to me today.” I turn back to my patient.

“It’s the truth. Alex is quite the catch and I’m not just saying that because of his charming good looks. He is always the kindest when it comes to helping out. About two years ago, before you moved here, I twisted my ankle while rollerblading. Alex came over every week with bags of groceries. I told him I had neighbors and friends to help, but he insisted it was no trouble at all.”

“That’s so nice. I didn’t know that.” Although I’m not surprised. While Alex is probably one of the most sarcastic people I’ve ever met, there’s another side of him that’s as sweet as can be.

“I know he’s a lot of talk—acts boastful and such—but there’s a heart of gold underneath all those muscles…those big, rippling—”

“Miss Ruby, your heart rate is spiking!” I run over to silence the beeping monitor.

“Ah.” She brushes me off. “Sometimes it’s good for this old ticker to get the blood pumping. So tell me, why don’t you go out with him? He seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“Yeah, well, you know Alex has a bit of a reputation.” I keep my tone casual. It’s my go-to excuse whenever the topic of why I don’t take Alex up on his numerous offers comes up. Since he is Starboard Beach’s biggest flirt, no one ever challenges me on my explanation. In truth, I couldn’t care less about his history. My reasoning goes much deeper than that.

“Hmm…that excuse sounds good. But I’ve been around a long time, Gabby. You can’t fool me. There’s something else. Isn’t there?”

“I-I,” I stumble on my words. “It’s just that… Things have happened in my life that make me hesitate to get into any relationship…” My voice trails off and I hope what I’ve said is enough to appease the woman.

“I see.” She solemnly shakes her head. “You know, you remind me a lot of my younger self in many ways.” She pats the side of bed for me to sit down.

“I do?”

“Oh yes, always working and tends to keep to herself. I was a telephone operator for the county back before they had all this new technology.” She waves her hand around the room with a wistful look on her face. “Oh, I loved my job. I worked every chance I could get…nights, weekends, holidays. I took every extra shift so my coworkers could spend time withtheir families.”

The typical light in Miss Ruby’s eyes begins to dim. “Everyone assumed I was just a strong, single, independent woman who loved to work. The real reason I worked so much was that I hated coming home to an empty house.”

I adjust my position on the bed to face Miss Ruby as she continues. “I was only a year old when I lost my mother. She passed away shortly after the birth of my little brother. My father couldn’t handle the stress and drank himself to death by the time I was five. I went to live with relatives for a while, but then my brother fell ill and passed away. The grief of losing my family was too much. I acted out a lot and was sent to live with other relatives until they got tired of me and passed me off to an orphanage.”

I gasp and place my hand over my heart. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Gabriella. I’m telling you this for a reason.” The creases surrounding her eyes grow deeper. “I shied away from relationships for a long time. I had a lot of acquaintances but never any true friends. I was afraid to get attached to anyone because I figured I would eventually lose them. That fear was paralyzing.

“But then something happened to me on my eighty-third birthday. I woke up and realized that not many people make it to my age. What did I have to show for it? Not much. I was eighty-three years old and never really lived…or loved.”

“So that’s why you skydive and go streaking?” I nervously fidget with the hem of my scrubs.

“I never would’ve gotten injured streaking had that sprinkler not popped up. But yes, and I’m happier than I have ever been. I’m finally experiencing life the way it should be lived. The way it was intended to be enjoyed. I may not have any blood relatives left, but I’ve surrounded myself with wonderful people. They are my found family andbring me so much joy. Don’t wait until you’re eighty-three to start living your life.”

“How do you know I’m not?” I tilt my chin up.

“Like I said before, you remind me of my younger self. I can see it in your eyes. Those are the eyes of someone who has experienced a lot of loss. So tell me, dear, who did you lose?”

I look down at the floor, wondering how to answer the question. There’s no sense in lying. She’ll see right through me. I finally respond, “Everyone.”

3

Alex

“That’s going to be a tight fit. It might be better if we go through the back.” Jax looks between the large stainless-steel refrigerator and the front door of his future home.

“That’s what she said.” I can’t help myself.

“Alex, I’m in no mood for this,” Jax grumbles.

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