Ain't She Sweet (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers #2) - Whitney Dineen Page 0,62

wraps his neck around mine like a giraffe and rests his head on my shoulder. “I don’t know about you,” he says, “but this is the best date I’ve ever had.”

It did feel like a date, too. It felt more real than anything I’ve ever experienced. I obviously dated other men before Romaine, but most of them were thrilled by my fame. It either enhanced their own or it gave them the moment in the sun that they’d always dreamed of. After all, who doesn’t fantasize about dating a woman who was one of People magazine’s most beautiful people three years in a row.

James is different, though. He doesn’t care about any of that; he just wants to live his life. Who knew I was looking for a man who went to bed at nine o’clock so he could wake up with the roosters?

We drive back to the hotel with a pervading sense of rightness surrounding us. James asks, “I know we’re not supposed to meet with Rachel until tomorrow afternoon, but what do you say we have breakfast together?”

“Who’s cooking?” I ask playfully.

“Leave that up to me.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Cavanaugh.” We walk into the lobby of the lodge hand in hand and stay that way until we get to our rooms. James takes my keycard from my hand and swipes it across the scanner before pushing the door open. Then he leans down and kisses me again. This time it’s more of a peck, but the amount of emotion conveyed is considerable.

My nerve endings are raw and ravaged. I feel like fireworks are about to shoot out of my extremities. “James,” I start to say.

“We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Before I can reply, Ruby calls out, “Where have you two been? I was getting worried.”

I feel like a teenager caught breaking curfew. Shoot, neither one of us thought to call her to let her know we were going to be late.

When we walk into my suite, Penny jumps around greeting us like she hasn’t seen us in a month. Ruby is sitting on the couch with a book in her lap. She doesn’t look good. I don’t think she’s mad at us or anything, but something is weighing heavily on her mind.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ruby

Ruby decides to keep the secret of Romaine’s impending arrival to herself, at least for a couple more days. There’s no sense in getting Tara and James all riled up while they’re in the throes of interviews with Rachel Perry.

After walking into her apartment, she picks up Tom’s old work shirt and wraps it around her shoulders like a hug. It stopped smelling like him a long time ago which is why she occasionally sprays his aftershave around the collar.

Ruby crawls into bed and starts to talk to her husband.

My darling, I miss you so much that some days I think my heart is going to explode from the pain. More than anything I wish you were here with me. I feel you sometimes, so I know you stop by, but I’d do anything to hold you again. Forty years were not enough.

She moves to the center of the bed and pulls Tom’s pillow into her arms like an embrace.

Our sons are wonderful men because they had a father who taught them and guided them. I wish you could see them now.

Brogan and Addie are coming home for Christmas and while I’m no longer sure Tara is the right woman for James, I still feel like he’s ready to share his life with someone.

Our babies are going to have babies someday, Tom. It’s inconceivable to me, but life continues to march on without you. When you died, I didn’t understand how the planet could stay in orbit. How is it that the world kept going in the face of my world being torn apart?

I thought your passing would create a black hole in space. I expected it to grow to the point where it absorbed everything around it. But to my surprise, it didn’t.

I get up every day and get dressed and tend to the lodge and the people who stay with us. I take comfort that I’m living the life you and I built together. I miss you more than I thought possible to miss anyone, but I celebrate you too.

You, Tom Cavanaugh, have always been my rock and you still are. Please hold me tonight. Please let me know you’re still with me. I need you.

Ruby doesn’t know if she’s being fanciful or not, but