I attempted to smile at him over my shoulder, but I was positive it looked more like a grimace. It wasn’t our old differences that pushed me to keep my distance with him. It was old secrets. Secrets that needed to stay secret.
“Maybe,” I said noncommittally. “I’m not sure there’s anything to talk about though. We were young. I was… feisty back then. It’s probably better if we leave it be.”
He leaned forward on his forearms, his head dipping to hide those startling green eyes. “I have a gut feeling you’re still feisty.”
He wasn’t wrong. But feeling like I needed to wrap this up before he got some crazy notion in his head, I turned around and offered a neutral expression. “It was, uh, good to see you again, Levi. I hope everything works out for you with the, er… farm.”
His head snapped up and he blinked at me. “Is it all around town then?”
Crap. Crap. Crap. I wasn’t supposed to say that! Why had I said that? Now he was never going to leave. “Oh, I don’t know. I just assumed that was why you were back. For the farm. And your parents.”
He heaved out a breath and pushed to full standing again. Rubbing a hand over his short hair, he said, “I should have known better. This fucking town.”
Not capable of bullshitting any longer, I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. “You should have.”
He mimicked my pose and turned toward the door, the air around him sparking with his annoyance. “How bad is it?”
Enjoying his discomfort more than I should have, I took a step closer and dropped my voice. “The rumor is your parents laid down an ultimatum. Take over the farm or else.”
His side glare could have cut through glass. His jaw ticked once… twice. “This isn’t over between us,” he warned.
A swarm of bees buzzed around my stomach— jumpy, menacing. What was that supposed to mean? Why would he say that to me? I had never been in Levi’s circle of friends. Nor would I be now. We’d had a not-so-friendly rivalry once upon a time, but it had ended seven years ago. And not just because we had graduated and gone separate ways.
I couldn’t have anything to do with Levi out of self-preservation. I was still Ruby Dawson Trailer Trash, working whatever shifts I could get my hands on at Rosie’s and only just managing to put food on the table. My mom still worked at the local strip club. I had a child when I was nineteen years old and nobody knew who the father was.
Levi Cole was my exact opposite. Wealthy, popular, friendly. His parents were successful. And he would be successful. His whole life was laid out before him on a lush red carpet.
Mine had taken a nose dive off a cliff and I had never learned to swim.
This was over between us. Decidedly. Eternally. Forever and ever amen.
However, I couldn’t say any of that to Levi. Not only did he look about as determined as a man could right now, he was also the kind of guy that enjoyed the chase. If I taunted him with a never-going-to-happen vibe, I would never get rid of him. He’d be like a dog with a bone.
It was better to let him think he had what he wanted.
And then go out of my way to never run into him again.
I’d take the night shift here if I had to. I’d work overnights if I had to. Levi Cole had no place in my life.
Levi Cole would never have a place in my life.
“All right, Levi. You have a good day now.”
He focused on me again, his green eyes narrowing with all those secret thoughts of his. “Good to see you, Ruby.”
I managed a tight smile. “See ya ‘round, Levi.”
“See you soon, Ruby.”
Somehow, we’d landed straight back in our old ways. Competing over goodbyes and getting the last word in. I clamped my mouth shut, stomping down the insistent urge to say something before he could walk away.
When I didn’t add anything else to our inane conversation, he jerked his chin in a nod at me, then at Rosie who’d managed to sidle up next to me during that exchange.
The two of us watched him saunter out of the restaurant. Then, without a word, we watched him through the large picture windows along the front of the building, climbing into a big ass black truck and driving away.
“I don’t know how you do it, Ruby, but that boy still has the hots for you all these years later.”
I fought not to choke on my own spit and glared at Rosie. “What on earth are you talking about?”
