Page 20

You can do whatever you set your mind to, Ruby.

Axel is my biggest cheerleader and the reason I’m currently in the back of an SUV with tinted windows as Ben drives me up a winding mountain road.

The drive has been stunning; through Hope Valley and into the picturesque town of Hope. The leaves on the trees make a sea of russet colors, and I slide my sunglasses off to catch the orange and brown hues.

After my self-imposed exile, I drink in my surroundings.

Axel went on ahead as he had a meeting with some of the other veterans this afternoon. They’ve formed a response team in case there’s trouble on the mountain. He told me about a land grab that’s going on and how the locals are fighting it.

He wanted to come back and pick me up, but I insisted he didn’t need to. I need to do this on my own, to remind myself who I am.

But as the SUV slows and pulls onto a gravel road with the Jake’s Retreat sign, I’m not so sure.

We pull up in a parking lot, and there’s a couple getting out of their car. They glance over, and I slide my sunglasses back on and pull my hat down. My stomach churns, and I remind myself they can’t see me through the tinted windows.

Ben kills the engine, and I sit frozen in place until the couple move off down a path.

Ben turns in his seat and gives me a kind smile. “You ready?”

I nod, and the floppy hat bounces up and down.

“I’ll be right by your side,” Ben assures me.

It’s reassuring, but it’s not what I came here to do.

“No.” I slide the hat and glasses off and drop them on the car seat. “You can go; I’ll get a lift back with Axel.”

Ben shakes his head. “Axel instructed me to escort you to the bonfire.”

I don’t know how much Ben knows of my situation, but I’ve gotten to know him a little over the past week, and I appreciate his loyalty to Axel and the care he’s shown me.

“I need to do this on my own, Ben.”

He nods. “I get you, Miss Bennet. I’ll be discreet.”

He’s either keeping up the ruse, or he really doesn’t know who I am. But tonight, I want to be Ruby.

“It’s Ruby. My name’s Ruby.”

I start off down the path, and Ben waits until I get halfway along before he follows. I appreciate him not crowding me.

The path winds past a building complex and well-laid-out gardens. Axel told me to follow the smell of smoked ribs, and soon the path opens out to a wide field. At the far edge of the field is a collection of outbuildings, and in front of them the glow of a bonfire.

At least a dozen figures sit or stand around, and their easy chatter and laughter carry across the field.

I take a deep breath.

You got this, Ruby.

My stomach churns, but I keep my chin up as I walk across the field. As I get closer, I make out Axel in the crowd. He’s standing with a group of men by a trestle table laden with food. He turns, and in a moment he’s going to see me.

Another man, another walk. The memory comes rushing in. For a moment, I’m back in the studio waiting for the doors to open, to walk down the red carpet.

My legs buckle, and I stumble. The movement catches Axel’s attention, and he turns around. I freeze as his gaze lands on me.

My heart races, waiting for the disgusted look and the nasty words. But I’m not in the studio, and Axel isn’t a small-minded asshole.

A wide smile breaks out across his face. He breaks away from the group of men and strides toward me.