Page 30 of Forbidden Dark Vows

“When I watched the news report last night, I saw how it looked and I… Well, I panicked.”

A smile tugs her lips upwards, and her entire face lights up, skittering butterflies around inside my chest at the same time. Ruby moves closer. She stands on tiptoes and kisses my cheek, her lips barely graze my skin, and I’m immediately transported back to the hospital room.

I wonder if this is how it’s always going to be. If every kiss, every touch, every conversation is going to whizz me back to where it all began. If so, I can live with that.

“Don’t they have phones in New York?”

I can’t help returning her smile. “Who needs phones when you can catch a plane?”

“Are you hungry? Has my dad fed you?”

“Of course I have,” Graham says.

Ruby hesitates, and I sense every nuance of her mood, the uncertainty, the frisson of delight, the anticipation of what’s to come next. She believes me. She is happy that I came. But something is still bothering her.

“Maybe we should go into town and grab a pizza or something.” She widens her eyes briefly in her dad’s direction.

Graham nods. “I’ll tell your mom that you met up with an old friend.”

That’s what’s worrying her. She doesn’t want her mom to find me here.

Before either of us can move, the front door opens, and Celia Jackson comes in, stomping her feet on the mat in the hallway, keys jangling, and perfume heralding her arrival.

Too late.

“Ruby, why haven’t you started dinner? I finished early. The salon was dead again today.” Celia enters the den and freezes when her gaze drifts from her daughter to me. “What’s he doing here?” Her tone is like ice.

“He came to see Ruby.” Graham grabs his cane and stands awkwardly, knuckles white around the handle. “They’re just on their way out.”

“Oh no.” Celia shakes her head. “Ruby is going nowhere with him. Get out.” This is aimed at me.

“Ma’am, I came to talk to Ruby.” I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong, but I’m not leaving until it’s sorted. I don’t want to make an enemy of my future mother-in-law, but if that’s the way she wants to play this, I can guarantee that it will be her loss.

Celia folds her arms across her chest. “I said get out. I don’t want you in my house. I don’t want you anywhere near my daughter.”

“Ma’am, I promise you that nothing happened?—”

Ruby stands in front of me, forming a barrier between me and her mom. “If he leaves, Mom, I’m going with him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ruby. You’re going nowhere.”

“I’m sorry you feel I’m being ridiculous, Mom,” Ruby’s voice is calm and steady, “but I mean it. I’m going to get my bag, and I’mleaving with Harry. I’ll come back when you’re ready to accept that I’m twenty-one. I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”

“I-I…” Celia splutters. “You’re making a huge mistake, Ruby.”

“Then I’ll hold my hands up and own my mistakes.” Ruby entwines her fingers with mine. “Ready?”

“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” Celia snaps.

Ruby tugs me out of the den and doesn’t even glance over her shoulder. She grabs a backpack from her room, and heads toward the front door.

Before we leave, I hear Graham say, “Let them go. This is her life, Celia. Let her go live it.”

11

RUBY

My hand feelslike it belongs in Harry’s.

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