Rebel (Renegades 2)

Rubi jumped out of bed, rummaged through her suitcase, and pulled out the only jeans she’d brought—the capris Wes had loved on her at the set last week. She added her running shoes, vowing to make him pay for forcing her to wear them together, and tugged on a workout tank—the closest thing to a T-shirt she’d brought.

She brushed her hair, wound it into a ponytail and rubbed sunscreen on her face. With her parfait in one hand and her coffee in the other, she skipped down the stairs but pulled up short in the kitchen where she found his mother, his sister, and his two nieces. Wes was at the sink…doing dishes?

Okay, reality check. This was bizarre.

“How’d you sleep, Rubi?” Susie asked with a sunny smile.

“Wonderful, thank you. ”

“Come meet my granddaughters. ”

Ugh, really? But she went to the table where one of the girls tilted her face up until her bright blue eyes met Rubi’s. The fork in her hand was stacked with pancake, the syrup dripping onto her plate. The other, the one who looked a little older, only stared at the table.

“This is Abby,” Susie said, gesturing to the smaller one, then to the other, “and Emma. This is Rubi. ”

“Uncle Wes’s girlfriend,” Abby said before stuffing her mouth with pancake.

Rubi smiled. “Hi, Abby. Hi, Emma. ”

The older girl didn’t look up or say anything but turned her head toward Rubi. They were cute, no doubt. And terrifying. Rubi’s excitement over the ride turned into something more like desperation.

Wes turned off the faucet and sauntered over, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. “Don’t push it, Abby. I know what you’re up to little lady. ”

Abby grinned, showing a mischievous, gap-toothed little grin that made her blue eyes sparkle just like Wes’s. And Christ, that did insanely uncomfortable things to Rubi’s stomach. Like…nauseating things.

She smiled up at Wes. “Ready?”

“Where are you two going?” Whitney asked. She was dressed in business casual, black pants, and a pretty camel-colored shell.

“I’m taking Rubi sightseeing. ”

Whitney snorted a laugh and set her coffee mug down. “Where? And in what? Wyatt’s old truck?”

“Here, dork,” Wes said, “where do you think? And no, on Wyatt’s underused bike. ”

“I think dork is a bad word,” Abby said, then looked at Susie. “Isn’t dork a bad word, Grandma?”

“I see,” Whitney said. “So it’s really more of an-excuse-to-ride type of sightseeing tour. ”

“Call it what you want. ”

Whitney shot Rubi a poor-you smirk. “Hope you like vegetation, Rubi. You’ll get some really up-close-and-personal glances at trees, soybean fields, vineyards, maybe even the muddy Missouri River. ”

“That’s no way to talk about your birthplace,” Wes chided. “Besides, everything is turning. We hit the fall colors perfectly. It couldn’t get prettier out there. ”

“You’ve definitely been living in LA too long if you’ve forgotten how much you hated fall when you had to rake all those ‘pretty’ leaves. ” Whitney rose from the table and carried her coffee mug to the sink. “Rubi, you’re going to have a headache if you ride with your hair up. ” She walked toward her. “Turn around, I’ll French braid it for you. ”

Um… Rubi shot glances around the room, then turned her back to Whitney. She quickly pulled the elastic band from Rubi’s hair and combed her fingers through it. “Oh my God, what a luxurious head of hair. I bet other women hate you for it. ”

“Most women hate me for just about everything,” Rubi said without thinking how the comment would be taken until it was already out.

Whitney laughed softly, a sound conveying more understanding than humor. “I can imagine. ”

Okay, this was…strangely intimate. Like a high school best-friend kind of intimate. She didn’t know the woman at all, yet Rubi felt close to her. She knew some relationships were like that—they just clicked. Like she and Lexi had all those years ago. Like she and Wes had the night at the airport. But it was rare for Rubi, so it made her feel…awkward.

But by the time all that registered, Whitney was done, fastening the band at the tail of her braid between her shoulder blades. “There you go—much more comfortable under a helmet. ”

Rubi ran a hand over the braid. “Thank you. ”