“I help with the parade. Tate does a float every year for Bailey Beef, and Teller and I arrange one for Copper Summit. Cruz and Lane are coming back and they ride horses behind the ranch float.”
“That sounds fun.”
“You should come down.” What was I doing? This was our last night. A clean break. “We can pretend a few more days. Unless you’re going to hang out with your mom.”
She blinked at me in the dark. “Even when my mom is in town and not off frolicking in some national park somewhere, we don’t do Fourth of July holidays. She always worked for holiday pay and either got a sitter or sent me to my dad. He never took me to the parade. Dad doesn’t have the patience for crowds of people.”
“Then come down. Hang out. You can get some pictures and we can pretend for another day.”
She smiled and I swear the goddamn stars twinkled brighter.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ruby
I perched on a camp chair beside Tenor. His frame was folded into a red chair, and he had his elbows on his knees. Next to him was Summer’s husband, Jonah. On my other side was Mae. Gideon and Myles were beside her. Like Tenor, the guys all wore boots, jeans, and a simple T-shirt. It was like I’d gotten plunked in the middle of a hot-country-boy photo shoot.
I wore another skirt. I wasn’t working the bar, but I couldn’t help myself. I got a few more days to pretend Tenor was my boyfriend. This was more of a fun day with a friend. Tenor had felt bad when he’d learned I was alone for the holiday. That was all.
Tate’s two younger kids were riding on the Bailey Beef float with his wife. Gideon had a ball cap pulled down low and he held Sawyer, their baby girl. Autumn rushed down the sidewalk and took the chair he’d packed for her and set up beside him. She beamed at her husband and kid. My heart wrenched. She looked so happy, so content. And the sizzling burn in Gideon’s eyeswhen he looked at his wife was straight out of one of my romance novels.
Then there was Myles. He was as smitten with his daughter and baby boy as he was with his wife. Wynter had been behind Autumn, but she didn’t sit in the empty chair next to Myles. She perched on his lap next to her daughter while holding a swaddled Devon. Myles wrapped a possessive arm around her hip while still clutching Elsa.
Tenor clapped his hands at Elliot. The boy reached across Jonah for his uncle. Tenor snapped him up and set him on his thigh. Elliot played with his hat, his round face full of concentration.
I was toast.
Wanting Tenor when he was a single man who was dedicated to his family was one thing. Starting to wonder what it’d be like to do more with him—like get married and have a family—was a dangerous road to go down.
He’d built his house to accommodate a bachelor. Not a family.
I wanted Tenor, but wanting everything with him, when he’d shown no signs of desiring any of that in return, only proved I wasn’t fit to keep pretending. I’d have fun today. Then I’d have to let reality bitch-slap me in the face tomorrow.
My phone started buzzing. I checked the screen. Mom.
There was the reality I needed. I was my own worst enemy at getting strung along. Even my parents had other people they wanted to hang out with.
The parade was set to begin in ten minutes. “Excuse me.” I rose. Tenor gave me a look that asked if everything was okay. I waved my phone. “Mom’s calling.”
He nodded as his nephew pried his ball cap sideways.
“Hi, Mom,” I answered as I scurried to the mouth of an alley that went behind the coffee shop. All the floats and emergencyvehicles were lined up and waiting for the go-ahead a little over a block away.
“Hey, Ruby. How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m in Bourbon Canyon.”
“Oh.” She sounded surprised. “Is it getting serious with this guy?”
“No, but he knew I was alone for the holiday.” I hadn’t intended to point that out to Mom. She’d lived her life tethered to me, and I was an adult now.
“You need friends. AndnotCara.”
I chuckled. “She’s on her honeymoon and I doubt she’ll be inviting me to house parties anytime soon.” Leave it to Mom to hit on the crux of my issues. I was lonely. I’d never had a big network. I needed friends.
I peeked out at the line of Baileys waiting for the parade to start. The other members of the family would wave to us as they coasted by in their trucks with the floats or from horseback. My empty chair waited between Tenor and Mae.
For once, I wasn’t so alone.
