With a sharp intake when she saw the front of the t-shirt, she hugged it to her chest, sniffing it, hoping for a bit of his musky scent. Maybe she was imagining it, but she thought she could smell it lingering, and it was heavenly.
“What is it?” Ruby asked.
Mabel turned it around to show her. “Remember when we all went to his concert in Salt Lake senior year? I wanted one of these but couldn’t afford it! How did he get this?”
“Garth Brooks World Tour!” Ruby grabbed it and looked at it more closely. “Okay, this is a really nice gift.” Her brows went to the sky. “Why? How? And what?”
“What did he say to you when he gave this to you? And when?”
“Nope. You can’t answer my questions with a question.” Ruby’s eyes shined. “What.Is. Happening?”
“I don’t know.”
At Ruby’s snort of doubt, Mabel laughed. “I’m serious. I don’t know, exactly.” Her gaze darted back and forth between Ruby’s eyes. Did she dare speak of the kiss…er, kisses…lots of kisses?
“You kissed,” Ruby breathed. “It finally happened.”
How did she do that?“Don’t tell anyone.”
“It’s hard to keep that kind of secret, though,” Ruby wailed.
Oh boy. Mabel’s conscience perked up. The group was keeping a giant secret from Ruby.
“I don’t know if I can keep this to myself.” Ruby had her hands over her heart, her gaze starry-eyed at nothing in particular.
“Ruby! Please. I need to talk to Zane first.”
“You haven’t talked to him since it happened?”
“No. It was last night. And—”
She had almost said, “And he wasn’t at Weston’s meeting.” Oh my land! She’d almost spilled it. The fear of that had her sitting up straight and pressing her lips together.
Ruby raised a finger, and her voice was in singsong. “But giving you a gift probably means he didn’t hate last night.”
“Will you tell me what he said to you already?”
“Okay, it was maybe a half-hour ago, as I was getting home from work. I saw him parked in his truck, like he’d been waiting for me. He got out of the car and walked up to my porch as I was opening the door and—”
“What was he wearing?”
“Mabel! I have no idea. Whatever he usually wears.” Ruby shook her head. “Girl, you are in love.”
She ignored that last bit. She wouldn’t go there right then.
“Anyway, he told me he was about to head over to the hospital for his paramedic shift and wondered if I could give this to you.”
“Was he smiling? Did he seem down or concerned or anything?”
“You’ve gotta ask him. I have no idea. Zane’s not always easy to read. But if I had to guess, I’d say he was happy.”
Mabel’s chest zinged.
Ruby pulled her into a side hug as they started walking to Mabel’s car. “This makes me so happy. I was worried about you. I didn’t want you to be alone.”
“I’m not alone. Just because I don’t…or didn’t…have a man in my life didn’t mean I was alone. I’m fine. I’ve been fine. And I’ll continue to be fine.”
“You’re right. Absolutely. You don’t need a man. But do you want a man?”
