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

“So you work for Nash,” she found herself saying as she turned away from the past, half listening to Honey’s response.

“What was that?” Honey had spoken, but for the life of her, she had no idea what the woman had said. Pay attention. Easier said than done with the image of Travis and Patrick burned into her brain.

“Nash. He’s an arrogant prick sometimes.”

“Right,” she murmured. “Aren’t they all?” Her answer was automatic, and with some effort, she focused on the bartender.

Honey nodded. “Most of ’em.” She tossed her rag. “Nash is also way too opinionated for his own good. And most of the time, his opinions are the exact opposite of mine. So…” Honey scooped up the rag she’d just tossed. “It makes it hard to work sometimes.” She paused, eyebrows raised exaggeratedly. “All the time.”

“Why don’t you quit?”

“I needed a job, and he was hiring. Right now, I’m where I’m supposed to be, even though sometimes I don’t like it.”

“I hear ya there,” Ruby murmured, eyes drawn to Travis once more.

“Do you know the Blackwells?”

That question turned Ruby’s head right back around. “Everyone does.”

“I met the hockey player earlier, Travis. I just wondered if you knew the family well.”

Something unpleasant bloomed inside Ruby’s chest. It flushed her skin and made her breath quicken. Was Honey interested in Travis? Her eyes fell away. Why did that bother her?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Ruby found herself shaking her head and stepping back. “No. It’s fine. The Blackwells are pretty much royalty around here. Their roots are deep. Generations deep. The boys are…” She stumbled over her words. “Hudson’s a great guy, and Wyatt is too.”

“And the hockey player?”

“I used to be married to him.”

She saw the surprise in Honey’s eyes but didn’t wait for a response. No way could she eat, but she could drink. Honey was right. Being good was overrated. She grabbed a bottle of white wine and a glass from one of the tables and headed back outside. The sun was setting, the corners were in shadow, and she could disappear for a while.

Which was exactly what she did until the reason for her bad mood walked his ass onto the terrace and didn’t stop walking until he stood a couple of inches from her chair. She leaned back and gazed up at him. Like always, her body reacted. Her breathing quickened. Her palms sweated. Her heart ached.

Even now. After all this time and all the pain between them. It was both unfair and inconvenient.

“Why are you here?” The words slipped from her lips, the tone aggressive and hard.

Travis didn’t answer right away. He ran a hand through the mess of hair on top of his head and then shoved his fists into the front pockets of his shorts. His handsome face was somber, those dark eyes of his intent.

“I wanted you to know it wasn’t me who picked our foursome. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“You already told me that.”

She sat straighter, wanting to lash out because all that pain she insisted on remembering, well, it was there nestled between her heart and her mind. It was big and ugly, and thank God, its shadow concealed everything else. The want. The yearning. The need for all those things she could never have.

“Why are you here?” she repeated, spitting out the words like venom.

Travis opened his mouth to answer but then closed it for several moments as he watched her. “I came to apologize.”

“For what?” She got to her feet and nearly upended the small table holding the half-empty bottle of wine.

“For everything.”

“What makes you think I care to hear it? Or accept it for that matter?”

“I’m not the same guy I was, Ruby.”