“For our wedding. Ruby is invited, naturally. We’re old friends.” Cara gave me a coy look and Ruby stiffened next to me.
I nearly put an arm around Ruby. She was bothered by this Cara, but I didn’t know why. Nor did I know why Ruby had claimed I was her boyfriend. I wasn’t a guy who liked to act without all the information. “I need to steal Ruby for a minute.”
Because I was a glutton for punishment, and that couple was watching, I slipped my hand over Ruby’s and tugged her to the back office. Energy zinged up and down my arm. It was like my nerve endings had just been waiting for her touch to come alive.
I gritted my teeth and led her to the storeroom behind the bar.
“Wanna tell me what?—”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, dropping my hand and clapping her own over her crimson cheeks. “I can’t believe I did that.” She released her face and balled her hands into fists at her sides. Her ruby-red lips were set in a mutinous line. “I cannot stand him.”
This was not a Ruby I’d seen before. She was usually quiet, not speaking to me unless I had to ask her a question. She was more animated with my sisters, but this flush on her face was new. How far down her neck did it go? Was a blush ghosting over her?—
Shut it down.
I crossed my arms over my chest. She looked up, guilt scrawled over her face, and more than a little fear simmered in her eyes. I couldn’t help towering over her, but I hunched moreto keep from intimidating her. “I thought you said you were friends with her, not him.”
She scrunched her nose. “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“The guy with the coif?” He didn’t deserve her. I had no clue who he was, but it didn’t matter. She’d been wasted on him.
“He dumped me last year.”
Fucking idiot.
She hugged herself. “Cara and I went to school together. We used to be close. Best friends. Then wesoweren’t. Apparently, they’re getting married.” Her smile was tight. “I’m invited. Oh! She talked about having a Copper Summit wet bar. I didn’t have much info for them?—”
“Ruby. Explain.”
She snapped her mouth shut. Her lower lip was just a little puffier than her top. The perfect little shelf to nibble on.
She worked for me. How many times did I have to remind myself of that?
I could fire her.
No, I couldn’t. I’d hate myself. My brothers would beat me, and my sisters would kill me and hide the body.
“I don’t know how it happened. We were talking about the distillery and wet bars, then whether I’d work it, but how it might be inappropriate because I’ve seen the groom naked. And he assumed I was single. I told them I had a boyfriend. So Cara invited me as a guest, but she wanted to know about you. I mean, notyou, but my ‘boyfriend.’” She tossed up air quotes and huffed. She glared at a shelf of extra highball glasses. “He smirked like he just knew I was single. I couldn’t let him be smug about it.” She let out the cutest growl.
“Areyou single?” I intentionally hadn’t asked the question before—to myself or anyone else.
Her flush blazed back and she nodded.
The information was beginning to sift into place. “You don’t want them to know you don’t have a boyfriend?”
She shook her head.
“So you named me as your boyfriend?”
Her eyelids drifted shut. Dark eyelashes rested stark against her skin. “Sorry.”
Okay. She was humiliated, and if I was to pick between Ruby and the happy couple out there, the choice was a no-brainer. “And we’re supposed to be going to some wedding?”
“No. No, it’s fine.” She waved her hand so quickly I was offended. “I don’t want to drag you into it. I’ll clean up my mess.”
I hadn’t thought twice about the wedding, but disappointment welled inside me. “Is the wedding in Bozeman?” Wasn’t there something about a wet bar?
She shook her head again. “In Bourbon Canyon. They’removinghere.” She screwed up her face. “They moved here? I don’t know.” She prodded at her forehead. “I’m going to tell them I can’t make it. I have something that weekend.”
