Page 52 of Break Me Like a Promise (Oak Valley)

Olive was leaning against the counter when Ruby walked in, the sleigh bells at the top of the door announcing her arrival. The went up on Thanksgiving and didn’t come down until Valentine’s Day, and Ruby always figured they should just leave them up at that rate. But Olive had always insisted that taking them down made them special again when they went back up.

Ruby smiled at her friend, setting the computer down on the table in the back where they had their drinks the other night.

“Figured we could use some hot chocolate,” Olive said, coming around the counter carrying two mugs topped with whipped cream and set them down.

Ruby licked some of the homemade whipped cream off the top, savoring the sweetness.

“So, tell me what’s going on, Olive.”

Her friend sighed and dramatically laid across the table. “I don’t know, we just… we need something. New life breathed into this place.”

“A—are you guys… you know, are you… okay?” Ruby eyed her friend, hating to talk about money but needing to fully know what she was working with and what the goals were.

Olive sat up and looked earnestly at Ruby. “Yeah, yeah. We’re okay. We have noticed a slight drop in customers and we still make most of our money from catering and weddings. I just… I can kind of see the end and need to nip it in the bud now.”

“And dreams of all dreams, where do you want the business to go? What do you want for it?”

“I want to expand. Maybe franchise.”

Ruby nodded and pursed her lips, thinking. She opened her laptop and started making notes. “How do you handle holidays?”

“How do you mean?”

“How far in advance do you prepare, do you do any special promotions or creations, etc. Particularly in regards to the impending Valentine’s Day.”

“Not really, they tend to be the busiest season so all our focus goes to that.” Olive sank down in her chair, an air of defeat around her. “And honestly, we’re tapped on manpower.”

Ruby looked at her friend. “Depending on what strategy I devise, would you be able to hire a new person — even for a finite period of time — to just help bump sales?”

“Um,” Olive bit her lower lip. “Yeah, I think depending on the length of time we could work something out.”

“Okay great. I’m going to think on this, I may have some more questions but I think I have what I need.”

Right then the kitchen door opened, and Colton sauntered out. His head was turned and he was laughing, yelling something back at whoever was in the kitchen. And when he turned around and saw Ruby, he stopped dead in his tracks.

It was unfair for him to look so good, his hair perfectly messy, button down pulling at his shoulders and at his chest, where the buttons met. The deep emerald worked flawlessly against his tan skin, the bulge of his forearms tight against the rolled-up sleeves. His black slacks hugged his tree-trunk thighs, the hard curve of his ass. Ruby gulped, not wanting to give him the satisfaction that her jaw was trying to drop. She couldn’t remember the last time he dressed up, but he sure didn’t look thatthatwhen he did.

“Hey, Ruby. I’m sorry I haven’t texted you back, I —”

“Save it, Colton. It’s fine.”

Olive snuck behind Colton and went into the kitchen.

“No, it’s not. I’ve been… running around, I can’t tell you yet but—”

“Just stop okay? You don’t owe me anything, it’s fine if you’re seeing someone else, but just… stop.” She closed her laptop, more of a slam than she was hoping for, and put it back in her bag. She stood to leave and when she dared to glance at him, his face was a mix of shock and anger.

“Whoa, whoa, Ruby,” he said, placing a hand on her arm. “For one thing, I have absolutely no interest in seeing anyone but you. For another, I really hope you wouldn’t actually be okay with me seeing someone else, but the way you flippantly said that makes me think otherwise. And lastly, I have a really important errand to run — I’d love for you to join me, and I can tell you… everything.”

He was pleading, in his tone and the way he looked at her, but Ruby was still pissed. If he cared so much about her, he would’ve texted her back in the last two days instead of essentially ghosting her. She took a deep breath and stood her ground, fighting the want to give leniency because this wasn’t just some guy — this was Colton Taylor.

“Look. I know we’re figuring this out, but I won’t be made to feel like a hook-up. You started dropping off after we slept together, so I’d rather just stop it here if that’s going to continue. And if you didn’t mean for that to happen, fine. But actions speak louder than words — I need to see and feel it. So thanks for the invite, but I have other things to do.”

She shook his hand off her arm and left, greedily taking in the fresh air. Being near him always intoxicated her, but she managed to think straight and tell him what she needed. If he didn’t like that well… Okay. Too bad. She’d been okay without him before, she would be again. Hell, she’d probably have to be, given how swiftly her plans of traveling the country were going out the window, and still with no clear idea on what his plans were.

Ruby had tried to make plans for her life with Colton in mind, and that hadn’t worked out. Now, trying it again, it was like deja vu.

She needed to focus on herself and however he fit into that, well… it would have to be enough.

---