Chapter 2
“You punched him?”
Ruby stared across the table at her best friend, Sid, and nodded. “I did.” It wasn’t as if she could lie. Hell, it was probably all over town by now, and she was surprised Sid hadn’t already heard about it.
“And Chance saw this?” Sidney’s mouth fell open.
“He had a front-row seat.”
“What did he say?”
Ruby’s gaze slid away, and she shrugged. “Nothing. We didn’t really talk about it.” That was a bit of a white lie, but hell, it was one she was going to take. Chance had wanted to talk, but she shut him down. In fact, their evening had ended in a fight, and she had no one to blame but herself. She made a face. And Travis Blackwell.
She was a bad girlfriend. With bad impulses. Oh, and there was the whole control-issue thing. All it took was one encounter with Travis and she’d lost it. It was if the last ten years hadn’t happened. As if the smart, sophisticated woman she’d become had never happened. As if the life she’d built for herself had never happened. How the heck had Travis Blackwell managed to destroy all that in less than a minute?
That had to be some kind of record.
“I can’t believe you punched Travis.” Sidney slowly shook her head.
“He just……” She groaned and blew out a long breath, still out of sorts and annoyed that she was. “He made me angry, and I probably overreacted.”
“Probably?” A hint of a smile curled around Sidney’s bright pink lips, and she leaned forward. “Did you hit him hard?”
“Hard enough to hurt my hand.” Which still felt tight and bruised.
“Where?”
“The Coach House.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Sidney’s sleek, short, blonde hair swished around her face, and Ruby could tell she was trying not to laugh.
“It’s not funny.”
“No, it’s not.” Sid cleared her throat. “Where did you hit him?”
“I don’t know.” Inwardly, Ruby winced. “His face, I guess.”
“You guess?” Sidney’s tone was incredulous, and then she giggled. “Did you break his nose? Please tell me you broke his nose.”
Ruby crumpled her napkins and tossed them into the garbage bin before flopping back onto the bench. They were in the park, down near the water, and she’d made quick work of the greasy fries and burgers offered up by The Caboose.
“No, Sid. I didn’t break his nose.”
“Too bad.”
Ruby didn’t say anything for several moments. She knew Sidney had her back, and even though there was no love lost between her best friend and Travis Blackwell, it seemed somehow wrong to take delight in the notion of breaking the man’s nose.
Even if he deserved it.
“I guess he’s back visiting his brother,” Sidney murmured, watching Ruby closely.
Ruby arched an eyebrow. “Hudson?”
Sidney nodded. “When I was grabbing my coffee downtown, Melissa told me him and Becca had their baby yesterday. A boy.”
Right. Their baby. A stupid lump formed in her throat, and Ruby had to work hard to clear it. “I didn’t realize.” Of course, she knew Hudson and Rebecca Draper had hooked up again the previous year. In a town this small, it wasn’t surprising their pregnancy had made the gossip rounds, considering it had happened so quickly. Ruby had heard they were expecting and pretty much put it out of her mind.
It wasn’t as if she socialized with any of the Blackwells. They were one family she avoided at all costs, and it wasn’t hard to do. The boys had been away for years (until recently), while the elder Blackwell, John, kept to his immediate friends and family. Ruby had never been part of that circle—not even when she’d been married to Travis. His brothers hadn’t been around, and the last time she’d spoken to John had been a blur. She’d been back in Crystal Lake for nearly five years, and not once had she run into her former father-in-law. She’d seen him from afar a few times, at various functions and charity events, but managed to keep out of sight.