She hadn’t seen her face in years, but she would know it anywhere.
Ruby Langley.
She looked exactly the same and yet completely different. Those sharp cheekbones, that knowing smirk. But her hair was shorter now, styled in a spontaneous way that probably cost less than Celeste’s daily tipping budget, a pair of sunglasses perched on her head as if forgotten. Even her car, a rental, seemed somehow chosen to compliment the overly relaxed air around her.
Ruby Langley, who'd beaten her by two points to claim the highest grade in sophomore year and convinced Gerald Hutchinson to ditch Celeste as his date for junior prom, doing it again for senior prom. Although, thankfully, her family moved before that could be executed.
She'd made Celeste feel like she was playing catch-up, always one step behind.
“Still the cautious one, Russo?” Ruby called out, voice bright with amusement. “Some things never change.”
The old irritation flared instantly. Ruby had known exactly how to get under her skin. Always had that easy confidence, that smirk that suggested she knew something Celeste didn't.
“Some of us value safety over being reckless.”
“It's a minor fender-bender. They're fine.” Ruby's smile widened. “God, it's good to see you. I just got back to town this afternoon. We should grab coffee, catch up on—”
“I'm actually running late. Family emergency.”
Not technically a lie. Her mother had texted and the twins were waiting. That counted as family business.
Ruby's expression flickered with some unspoken emotion. Disappointment, maybe? But Celeste looked away before she could be sure.
“Right. Of course. Well, I'm sure I'll see you around. It's a small town.”
The window slid up. Ruby's car pulled ahead smoothly, disappearing into traffic.
Celeste's hands were tight on the steering wheel. Her face felt hot, skin prickling with something she refused to examine too closely. Annoyance. Obviously annoyance. Ruby had always made her feel off-balance, competitive, like she had something to prove.
That was all this was.
She shook her head, forcing related thoughts away. Ruby was ancient history. High school drama that shouldn't matter anymore. They were adults now and whatever teenage rivalry they'd had was long over.
So why did seeing Ruby again make her feel seventeen and awkward all over again?
Celeste drove to her parents' house, where her mother would ask too many questions, her grandmother would slip her an extra slice of cake and the twins would demand her attention with the single-minded focus only seven-year-olds could manage.
But as she pulled into the familiar driveway, Braden's words echoed in her head:Maybe it's time to figure out what you want.
The real question—the one she'd been avoiding for thirty-three years—was whether she had the courage to find out.
Chapter Two
Ruby
The restaurant smelled like garlic bread and decades of marinara sauce soaked into the walls. Ruby loved it immediately.
She spotted Jackson in a corner booth, his arm draped casually over the shoulders of a man who had to be Braden. The resemblance to his voice on the phone was uncanny: an easy smile, the kind of face that probably made patients trust him instantly. Mary Norwood sat across from them, silver hair pulled back in the same neat bun she'd worn for as long as Ruby had known her, laughing at something Braden had just said.
“There she is,” Jackson called out, standing to pull Ruby into a hug. “The prodigal traveler returns.”
“Hey, I have visited Cheyenne Valley at least once a year since my family moved away.” But she squeezed him back, breathing in the familiar scent of his cologne. Same brand since college, apparently. Some things never changed, and Ruby was grateful for it. “You look disgustingly happy.”
“I am.” He turned to the table. “Ruby, this is Braden. Braden, Ruby Langley, menace to society and my good friend Ronan's favorite sister.”
“Only sister,” she corrected, sliding into the booth. She extended her hand to Braden. “The famed boyfriend. Jackson talks about you constantly. It's very cute and also slightly nauseating.”
Braden's handshake was firm, his smile genuine. “All good things, I hope.”
