Page 24 of Break Me Like a Promise (Oak Valley)

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Colton sat outside Will’s, thankful for the slow day. And that Damian was dealing with the one car they had on the roster and couldn’t flirt with Katie.

Colton side-eyed his sister, who was staring off into space while Dragan sat on her other side reading a book. There was the part of him that was still livid with her for setting him up to see Ruby that first time. But there was the other part — especially after the extended time he’d spent with her earlier that week working on the bus — that fluttered at the thought of seeing his red-headed beauty.

Ex-red-headed beauty.

Despite the years apart and the changes that had happened, it was so easy to slip back into their old dynamic. Pushing, pulling, flirting. He’d felt drawn to her the minute he stepped out of his car, a moth to a flame, and had to routinely check himself for being too close. For indulging the part of him he didn’t even know if he wanted to indulge, but could hardly help himself stay away from her nonetheless.

“Hey, Colt. Did you hear back about that job?” Katie said, not breaking her stare.

“The one in San Francisco?” He’d applied to several jobs, including sous chef ones he wasn’t thrilled about. He preferred baking over cooking. Working in a line under a prestigious but rough chef sucked, and it was easier to tolerate when he did what he preferred. But he’d do anything to get out of Oak Valley.

“Yeah, it was with that bag guy, right?” She poked his leg, laughing at her own joke.

“You mean the world-renowned pastry chef, Pierre Hermé?”

“Sure, whatever you say, Francois.”

Colton snorted and shook his head. “They want to conduct a video interview next week. If it goes well, I’ll have to fly out to their test kitchen for a few days.”

“Oh, shit. So, like, you could actually be moving there?”

Colton shrugged. He knew it was a long shot — he was an ex-football star, not someone who’d been in the kitchen for years on end.

At least they wanted to interview him. Even though it was probably a pity interview, given how his last career ended.

“Sorry to interject but Colton, I just remembered — did you let Mrs. Johnson know about that muffler quote?”

“Fuck.” He’d completely forgotten about it. And at the thought of Mrs. Johnson’s missed quote, he realized there was actually a stack of invoices he forgot to send out.

He’d finally, fully reached the point of not giving a flying fuck about this job. He didn’t need the money, not really — it was more a precaution while he figured out his next step. His football money would last years, his whole life if he was smart. But after his injury… The not working, not having a purpose nearly killed him. At least the family business made sure he got out of bed every morning and talking with people, something his parents agreed on to help keep him from sliding further into the depression that took hold. Even though his mom wanted to have him in the bakery instead, he knew she’d never dare to push it on his dad.

But now? Now he was going to lose his shit if he had to stay here any longer.

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it,” Dragan said.

Colton returned his weak smile and caught one from Katie. But it quickly turned into a beam, and Colton looked behind him to see what caught her eye.

He’d spot those flames from space.

Ruby’s curls bounced along with each step, the slight wind helping their spring, her slender figure hidden by a long black coat. Her eyes glimmered and Colton got a peak of her gap-toothed smile.

But it wasn’t directed at him.

His heart sank a little as she focused on Katie, his sister practically running to greet Ruby with a hug. After working on the bus earlier that week, they’d settled into a new version of their old ways, teasing with the occasional heated argument. But they had always been a good team, and the ceiling panels were done fast enough they hadn’t needed a construction light to guide them in the setting sun. Sure, being in the bus cocoon, away from the town’s prying eyes, was one thing. He didn’t know what it would be like to see her in public. But at the very least he thought she’d be friendly.

What was her fucking problem?

Colton clenched his jaw, her mixed messages making his brain buzz as he stared at her and Katie talking. He couldn’t hear the words, but when Ruby threw her head back laughing, a fire coursed through his body.

He huffed. Must be so fucking funny to blow off your ex after spending hours laughing together.

Even though she hadn’t laughed like that with him. Not since they were teenagers.

Ruby and Kate kept talking and laughing, and all Colton could do was sit and stare. And try not to let the sounds get to him. When they started walking over, Colton clenched his fists in his pockets, trying to steady his breathing.

“Hey, Ruby,” Dragan said, closing his book with his finger marking the page.

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