You Rock My World (The Blackwells of Crystal Lake 3)

“Uh-huh.”

“He is.” She stuck her chin out, aware that her voice had risen and several people were now staring at the two of them. Awesome. The Montgomery twins at their finest.

“If you say so.”

Annoyed, she had to stop herself from thumping her brother in the chest. “I’m not discussing Travis with you.” She looked at him quizzically. “Who told you he’s back?”

He gave her a look that said, Really? “It’s Crystal Lake.”

“I just never thought you were one for gossip, is all.” She smiled at Amelia Danforth and her pack of girlfriends as the women walked by. They all said hello, but Amelia’s eyes lingered on Ryder a lot longer than they should have. Her brother ignored the woman completely, and that got Ruby’s mind turning so fast, she saw red.

Jesus. Mary. And Joseph. Would her brother ever learn?

“She’s married,” Ruby said carefully.

“What?” His eyebrows shot up, his blue eyes wary. That was enough for her to know.

“What the hell, Ryder? It’s one thing for you to screw Fiona Winters. I mean, it’s pathetic and wrong. But Amelia? Her husband is nasty, and he’s built like a tank. The biggest tank within one hundred square miles. He’ll run you the hell over if he finds out.”

“Don’t worry about me, kid.”

Ruby clenched her teeth together. She hated when he called her that. Kid. That was something she hadn’t been in a very long time.

“Fine,” she snapped. “Just don’t call me when you’re lying in the hospital, broken to pieces. Because, trust me, Kyle Danforth will hurt you.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t bother you. I can always call Travis.”

She inhaled sharply at her brother’s words. “What the hell does that mean?”

A muscle worked its way across Ryder’s jaw, and he swore beneath his breath. “Nothing. Never mind.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s too early in the morning for this shit, Ruby. I just came to get your dog.”

Her cell pinged again. It was Sidney.

Where the hell are you?

She pocketed the damn thing. It wasn’t even eleven in the morning, and she felt as if she were out of gas. Completely drained.

“Go play in your tournament. I’ll see you later.” Ryder turned, and with Tasha at his side, the two of them took off down the street. She watched until they disappeared from sight, and, with her heart heavy, she headed for her car. She needed to shake this cloud of darkness that had settled over her. And she needed to do it fast. Thanks to her boyfriend, Travis Blackwell would be on the course today. No way was she facing him feeling like this. Off-kilter. Weak. Not in control.

If she didn’t get it together, she’d go and do something stupid. With a quick mental shake and a new mindset to go with it, Ruby sped toward the golf course. By the time she parked and ran to the clubhouse to get her clubs, she had barely five minutes to spare before they were to head to their respective holes to tee off.

The carts were lined up and ready to go, and she said hello to several participants, her eyes scanning groups of people as she looked for Sidney. A flash of Pepto-Bismol pink caught her attention, and, with a smile, she spied Sidney talking to a tall, athletic-looking guy. Wide shoulders. Long legs. Ruby angled her head for a better look. Definitely a hockey butt.

It was Travis’s friend.

As she approached them, Sidney turned, and the panicked look on her face made Ruby falter. That was about the same moment she spied Travis, securing his clubs to the cart beside theirs. Her heart sank so low, it felt like the bottom of her stomach fell out. This could not be happening.

On what planet would anyone pair her with Travis in a golf tournament?

The headache that had been threatening all morning erupted in a shot of pain that nearly took her breath away. She was hot. And cold. And dammit, her hands were shaking. Hell, even the corners of her eyes started to sting, and she had to take a moment. She fiddled with her brand-new golf watch, pretended to make sure the GPS was working, and then, with a deep breath, glanced up.

Travis stood beside his friend and Sidney, his dark eyes regarded her in silence.

She froze. Her heart took off like a rocket, and it felt as if the world was closing in around her.

There were moments like this one, when it didn’t matter what her mind thought or what her heart felt.

This moment right here was about her body responding on a level she didn’t quite understand. It had always been this way. No matter how mad or how hurt she’d been in the past, there would always be these quiet moments of realization. Moments of him and her. Moments when nothing mattered, save for the way he cocked his head to the side when he was thinking hard. Or the way his bottom lip curled when he laughed. That male smell that was all him. The thick wave to his hair. The color of his eyes, the taste of his mouth. The way her nipples hardened. The sweet ache between her legs.