Page 14 of A Tempting Seduction (Protectors of Jasper Creek #5)

The beep sounded in my ear, and for a moment I considered hanging up.

But Walker was watching me with that challenging expression that had gotten us both into trouble since we were kids.

“Hey, Ruby, it's Ford Larson. I was hoping we could talk about getting together sometime. Maybe dinner this weekend? Give me a call back when you get a chance.”

I ended the call and set the phone on the table.

“Not bad,” Walker said. “Direct, but not desperate.”

“Thanks for the analysis,” I grumbled.

“Think she'll call back tonight?”

“How the hell should I know?”

Walker grinned and signaled Vic for another round.

“This is going to be fun to watch. I think I’ll buy popcorn.

” He pulled out his phone. My eyes squinted.

This time, he scrolled through his contacts and pressed enter.

“Hey, Carrie, it’s your favorite brother…

Yep, he pulled his finger out of his ass and called her…

No, he had to leave a message…” Walker chuckled.

“No, he didn’t sound desperate… Yeah, I was worried, too…

Call me if you hear anything from her side, I’ll keep you informed from his side. ”

“Tell Carrie I’m writing her kids out of my will.” I pointed at Walker.

His laughing eyes looked up at me. “She heard you.” He laughed again. “It’s okay, Sis, I’ve got your rugrats covered.” Walker hung up with me shaking my head at my siblings’ antics.

I took a long sip of my beer. “Are you done yanking my chain?”

“For the moment.” Walker still had a shit-eating grin on his face. “But don’t worry, if this goes south, I’ll always be here for you.”

We spent the next hour talking about the development project, speculating about which contractors Harvey would choose for the different phases.

The entry-level housing would require careful planning to keep costs down without sacrificing quality.

It was the kind of challenge I enjoyed, finding creative solutions to practical problems.

By the time I got home, the sun had set completely.

My house felt larger than usual in the quiet darkness.

I walked through the rooms, turning on lights and trying to shake the restless energy that had been building all day.

I opened the fridge and looked at all the food Carrie had purchased.

I was going to have to throw away some of the produce she’d bought.

She should have known better than to buy two heads of lettuce.

I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and went into my living room.

I smiled. I liked the look of it. Functional, well-made furniture.

The shelving was all built at my millwork company.

It was jam-packed with family photos, books, and framed artwork that the kids had made for me over the years. Still, it felt kind of lonely.

Maybe I should get a dog.

The thought came out of nowhere, but it made sense the more I considered it. A golden retriever, maybe, or a lab mix from the animal shelter. Something friendly and energetic that would fill up the empty spaces. A puppy.

Rick, Henry, Buck, JR, Cleo, and Suzy would love having a puppy to play with when they visited. I could picture them in the backyard, teaching the dog to fetch, laughing when it tripped over its own feet. I imagined Suzy’s baby giggles when a puppy would lick her face.

Precious.

But then reality set in. House-breaking a puppy was serious work. Getting up in the middle of the night for bathroom breaks, cleaning up accidents, replacing chewed furniture. The time commitment alone would be enormous, especially with the development project ramping up.

My phone buzzed against the kitchen counter.

A text message from Ruby.

Okay. When and where should I meet you?

I stared at the screen, reading the message three times to make sure I hadn't imagined it. She'd said yes. Well not yes, exactly. She said, okay. Not the most enthusiastic response known to mankind, but Ruby Miller had agreed to go on a date with me.

However, I could see her plan. Texting instead of calling, suggesting we meet somewhere instead of letting me pick her up. She was still keeping her guard up, maintaining distance even as she said yes.

I typed back quickly before I could second-guess myself.

I'll let you know.

Short and simple. If Ruby wanted to play it cautious, I could work with that. But I wasn't going to make it too easy for her.

Tuesday morning, I walked into Java Jolt at nine-thirty. The timing was deliberate. Late enough that the morning rush would be over, early enough for some of the regulars to still be hanging around. I knew Ruby worked mornings on Tuesdays. She only came in late on Thursdays and Fridays.

The coffee shop looked different in the softer light of mid-morning.

Less frantic, more welcoming. Alice Draper sat at a corner table with Pearl Bannister, their heads bent together over what looked like serious conversation.

Bernie Faulks occupied his usual spot by the window, reading a newspaper and nursing a cup of coffee.

Ruby saw me the moment I walked through the door. Our eyes met across the room, and I caught the slight flush that colored her cheeks before she turned back to wiping down the espresso machine.

I walked up to the counter.

“What can I get you?” Ruby asked, not quite meeting my eyes.

“I want to firm up the details for our date.”

Ruby's head snapped up, and she glanced around the coffee shop. Alice and Pearl had stopped talking. Bernie had lowered his newspaper. Even Jordan, restocking pastries behind the counter, was paying attention.

“I thought you were going to text me,” Ruby whispered.

“Why text when I can drop on by?”

I pitched my voice loud enough to carry to the corner table where Alice and Pearl were now openly eavesdropping.

Ruby leaned closer to the counter, her voice still barely audible. “People are listening.”

“And?” It was fun to see her flush. It was clear she wasn’t scared or really mad, just embarrassed. I could work with that.

“Ford...”

“Saturday night work for you?” I asked, maintaining a normal speaking volume.

Ruby shot another nervous glance around the room. “Yes,” she whispered.

“I was thinking dinner. I'd normally suggest a drive through Cades Cove, because it's gorgeous this time of year. But I'd prefer to concentrate on you and not the road.”

Alice Draper made a small sound that might have been approval.

“Are you a vegetarian?” I asked.

“No,” Ruby whispered.

“Perfect. I know exactly the right place. How about six o'clock?”

“Okay.”

“I'll pick you up then.”

I turned to leave, but Ruby's voice stopped me.

“Wait.”

The single word carried enough volume that everyone in the coffee shop turned to look at her. Ruby's face went bright red as she realized she'd drawn exactly the kind of attention she'd been trying to avoid.

“What should I wear?” she asked, her voice husky.

I grinned. “It'll be a step up from casual.” I winked at her. “Pretty sure they have a 'no flannel' policy.”

As I walked toward the door, I was almost positive I heard Ruby mutter “asshole” under her breath.

I couldn't stop grinning all the way to my truck.