Chapter 1: Forsaken – March 23 – 24
She woke up again. Opened her eyes to a new day. To gentle sunlight streaming through her window. But the joy of it didn’t flood her heart.
Today was an anniversary. An anniversary she would never wish to celebrate. It was the two-year marker of a death. The death of her life’s dream. The dissolution of her marriage to that beautiful boy. The one who had captured her heart in second grade and never let it go. Even now. Even as he turned to another girl for the comfort he used to find in her. Still, he held her heart. Over two years later.
How to overcome this deep pain?
It was what she awoke to every morning. It seemed to ride those rays straight into her heart.
But, no, that wasn’t true. For that pain didn’t enter her heart from some external source. That ache was spiraling up out of her core. A constant reminder that she had been forsaken. Rejected. Abandoned for another woman.
What was wrong with her? That he would leave her.
—
She opened her door and noticed a blur of crimson lying several yards beyond her feet. As she stepped down off her porch, she bent her gaze upon that ruby patch and discovered a resplendent red rose. A single bloom. Resting on the concrete beneath her.
Frowning, she looked around. But there was no one. She glanced at that beautiful bloom again. It was so forlorn. Lying discarded upon the cold, hard ground. Its beauty forsaken. She knew exactly how it felt. Someone had plucked it in its glory. Only to abandon it a short time later.
She bent to retrieve it. She rescued that forsaken flower and buried its stem in refreshing water a few moments later. Over several minutes, she watched as it drank from that cooling water and was enlivened by it. The rose lifted its precious head as life reinvigorated its form. Even her own spirit perked up at the lovely picture that blossom provided through its visible restoration.
Would some cooling drink of water slip into her life someday? Someone to refresh what her former love had whisked away?
—
The next morning dawned bright and clear, its air cooled by the dew of daybreak. Though she fought hard against the encroaching light, she lost her fierce battle. That light was persistent. Piercing even to the dividing asunder of her eyelids. It practically forced them open. Though she resisted it. Struggling to stay hidden within her dream world. That beautiful garden…
How it beckoned her!
The memory of that glorious garden was the only sustenance upon which she could feast. That beautiful dream world reached for her during her waking hours too. It called her back to the realm of slumber. Promising her comfort. Joy. Peace. Love. All the things her heart craved. Its gentle embrace longed to engulf her with its serenity.
But alas! Every morning she still awoke. Driven from that oasis by the fearsome rays of that bright star that hung above her in the earth’s glowing dome.
She stretched her arms over her head as she squeezed her eyes shut. Still withstanding the vibrant allure of that blazing sun. Its cheerful presence sought to convince her that life still held wonder. And beautiful worlds to explore.
She didn’t believe it anymore. That sun had lied to her. It had cast its cheerful rays down upon her during the golden days of her old love affair. It had promised that his pledge was true. That his heart was steadfast. That his devotion was eternal. But all too soon the bitter winter wind had slipped across her skin. Burning it with his deceit. Then those brittle beams had proven just how fragile they truly were.
She groaned. She had absolutely no desire to climb from this bed today. But work was beckoning. However, she didn’t want to answer that call. She heaved a deep sigh. She wondered if her heart would ever come alive again.
Yet as she entered her kitchen a few moments later, her eyes were drawn towards that crimson rose. She had nestled it in a crystal vase and set it up in the windowsill overlooking her sink. The rays of that rebellious sun were striking rainbows off the surface of that cut-glass receptacle. Their shine was burning her eye. Still, she felt that ruby beauty tugging on the door of her heart. Its petals were unfurling in the warmth of that bright star. The rose seemed to urge her to open herself to the possibility that life still held joys for her to discover.
Like the wonder found in the velvet petals of a scarlet rose.
Chapter 2: The Scent of Spring – March 24
Someone had abandoned that vibrant bloom a few feet from her doorstep. Yet that tiny blossom seemed determined to raise its head towards the rays of that cheerful sun. The rose took comfort in the embrace of that bright star. As though it were whispering secrets into its core. And filling it with hope.
If only she too could garner some solace from that glowing ball in the sky. From the warmth of its radiant face.
She headed for her front door. Her newspaper should have been delivered by now. She swung that door wide. Only to discover another rose lying in front of it. A few feet away. A second bloom discarded on the pavement. Puzzled, she furrowed her brow as her eyes slid left then right. Finally, straight ahead. But the mysterious bearer of blooms was nowhere to be seen. Who on earth would have left her two roses?
She had no friends. He had seen to that. He had isolated her. He’d scared them all away early on in their relationship. So he could have her all to himself. So that she’d be truly alone when he finally abandoned her.
But someone had noticed her. Clearly. Why else would her mystery caller have left her a rose two days in a row?
She bent to pick it up. This time she didn’t resist the impulse to bury her nose in its petals. Its heavenly perfume wrapped around her, invading her senses with delight. She was instantly transported into the garden of her dreams. Her eyes fluttered shut as she spent a few precious seconds enjoying that lovely scent.
When was the last time she’d truly feasted upon anything with pleasure flowing through her?
Suddenly, as she inhaled again, she became aware of the scent of spring that permeated the air surrounding her. It seemed to blend with the flower’s fragrance. She felt hope stirring in her heart. Spring had always heralded new birth. And that promise carried a pleasing aroma.
Like fresh soil eagerly grasping for seeds of hope. And burying them down deep. Its rich moisture awaiting the summer and its coming harvest of joy.
Or a million tiny blooms suddenly unfolding their faces to the sun. Drinking in its warmth to release their lovely fragrance into the star-kissed air. Filling up a field with their joy. And reminding the earth that even after the stark emptiness of death, the soothing fullness of life arose to overwhelm the world with its peace.
She was engulfed by it right now. A serenity she hadn’t felt for years. A feeling she’d very nearly forgotten. An echo of a time long past. When the rays of her mother’s gentle smile had bathed her in affection.
Suddenly, a teardrop appeared on one crimson petal of that sweet rose. She stared down at that crystalline water globe as its rainbows danced in the air around it. She hadn’t thought of her mother in a while. She didn’t wish to think of her now. Except…
…such thoughts were suddenly full of solace. She saw her then. In her mind’s eye. Smiling on her. The light of her face releasing a pleasing glow that enveloped her younger self. Reaching up to caress her skin. Bending to kiss her cheek as she breathed sweet words into her soul, “My beautiful girl.”
Another tear joined its fellow in its balancing act upon that lush petal.
Her secret admirer had afforded her access to several happy memories today. For just a moment, she wished she could thank her…or him.
Chapter 3: The Velvet Touch – March 24 – 25
She slipped back inside her house to plant this second rose beneath the refreshing water she’d poured into yesterday’s vase. Now two bright blooms beamed up at her. Bent on sweetening her day. Her eyes perused their beauty for a few moments before she bent to inhale their lush fragrance once more. She was immediately surrounded by that heady rose garden of her dreams.
—
The next morning when she opened the front door, she was greeted not only by happy sunlight dancing on her face but also by another ravishing rose. She didn’t even bother to glance around. She knew her gift giver was long gone. She stepped off the porch and reached for that single stem. Her long, slender fingers wrapped around it, rescuing it from its cold bed. The warmth of spring might be in the air, but it had yet to invade the ground beneath her feet.
As she drew that bloom towards her face, she suddenly craved its touch. So she slid the soft petals of this glorious rose across her skin and delighted in their velvet touch. Invading her senses with comfort. The whisper of her mother’s warm blanket suddenly seemed to flow across her cheek. Releasing more ripples…
The graze of her mother’s fingers sliding across her skin as she brushed her cheek affectionately. Or held her hand as they crossed the street. Or gently pulled a hairbrush through her long, copper tresses. She could also feel the touch of her mother’s own locks slipping across her face as she bent to give her daughter a goodnight kiss.
The whisper of her scent was echoed in this bloom. Her mother had always smelled of roses. She blinked as another tear invaded her eye. Was she going to weep two days in a row?
She was immediately brought back to the present as she noticed the cool zephyr kissing her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut. That breeze was welcomed by a heart that felt burned by the stroke of abandonment. She basked in the sweet embrace of nature’s breath for a few moments as it continued to flow over her skin.
The day was cool. But bright. Sunlight flooded her front yard. The front yard of the house her mother had left her. A beautiful golden home with a wraparound porch. There was even a porch swing hanging from its ceiling. She used to spend so much time enjoying it. Sailing through the air without a care. Delighting in the gentle give-and-take of its boards as they slid through space carrying her, their joyful burden.
Her gaze turned towards that swing. As her eyes landed on its white slats, she realized that she hadn’t sat down on it in over two years. She’d been sitting on that swing when he’d broken up with her. Two years and one month ago. He’d announced that he desired a divorce. And that he was in love. With someone else. Of course, she’d already known that part.
He had told her in her most beloved place. Upon that swing that she had enjoyed from her infancy. The flying seat in which she’d spent hours indulging in daydreams. Mentally living out the adventures described in the novels she so loved. Why had he chosen that spot to break her heart?
Suddenly, she was angry. Furious that she had allowed him to steal her joy in that simple swing. Clutching the rose by its stem, she stalked across her porch and plopped her bottom down on that beloved seat. She planted her feet on the floor and pushed the swing backwards. Then she picked up her feet and allowed the natural pendulum to coast.
Again, she closed her eyes. This time she enjoyed the sweet breeze that flowed across her skin as the swing skimmed through the air. She breathed in deeply. For the first time in a long time. Even more deeply than she had yesterday when she’d inhaled the rose’s perfume.
A solid resolve was birthed in her heart in that moment. She wasn’t going to allow his bitterness to steal one more minute of freedom from her life. How many sweet breezes had she missed basking in to mourn the loss of a man who had treated her as though she was of little worth?
Chapter 4: Beautiful Words – March 25 – 31
She carried that third precious bloom inside to bury its thirsty stem beneath the crystal water. It joined its compatriots in saluting the bright sun beaming down upon them in her windowsill. She smiled as she reached out to brush the pad of her thumb along one velvet petal. Was there anything more comforting than the touch of a rose?
How had he known that such a present would lend her peace? That it was, in fact, the one item in all the world that released the comforting memories of her childhood?
—
With eagerness, she opened her door the next morning. And looked for her rose. She had awoken to sunlight streaming through her shades.
And she had smiled.
She had welcomed that pale glory. Its cheerful rays seemed to dance within her heart today. She had something to look forward to. Her admirer had surely left her another beautiful bloom. Someone was watching over her. Somebody was seeking to delight her soul.
He didn’t fail her today. Yet another ruby bloom greeted her as she opened her door. How had he known that the red ones were her favorites? Nothing spoke of love and passion more than a red rose.
Passion?
Goodness! Where had such a thought come from?
Who on earth would feel a grand passion for her? Surely, she wasn’t worthy of such a towering emotion. Her ex certainly hadn’t believed she was. She sighed.
Then she descended the steps to bend and retrieve her simple gift. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d received a present. He’d bought her an engagement ring. But he had never been a big gift giver. He had preferred to spend his money on himself.
Yet somebody believed in gift giving. That kind someone had now left her four flowers. All resplendent red roses.
She smiled as she headed inside to give her bloom a much-needed drink.
—
She arose earlier each morning over the next few days in an effort to catch her admirer in the act of leaving the roses on the ground in front of her house. But every day, she was too late. It was as though he had anticipated her thoughts and planned accordingly to evade her notice. No matter. He was still leaving her a red rose each day.
And each evening, she was basking in the renewed delight of sailing through the air on her swing. She would curl up in the corner and cast a blanket over her lap, a book in her hands, her eyes devouring the words, as her swing slipped past the evening breeze. She was beginning to feel free again.
—
Her admirer was growing bolder. This morning, the eighth day since she’d first found a rose on her sidewalk, as she opened the door, she discovered her pretty bloom lying at the very edge of her porch above the top step.
She was growing bolder too. She had decided to go out tonight. Since she had no friends, she would venture out on her own. To dinner. And perhaps a movie. She was going to treat herself. Like the queen she was.
Why had she allowed him to steal her self-worth for so long? To convince her that she had nothing to live for now that he was gone? That she hadn’t been worthy of his devotion?
Lies.
They were all lies.
That man didn’t determine her self-worth. She was a beautiful, brilliant, sweet woman. It was his loss that he’d left her. Not hers. She didn’t need his attention to prove that she was priceless.
She was born for love. It wasn’t her fault that he’d been unable – or unwilling – to receive her affection.
Goodness! Where had she suddenly discovered such a fount of confidence? It must have been the poem that had triggered its release.
On the porch next to her rose, she’d found a slip of ivory paper. It had been cut into the shape of a heart. A crimson pen – a calligraphy one, if she wasn’t mistaken – had made the bold strokes upon the page. Each letter had been painstakingly – and beautifully – formed by a steady hand. But it was the words themselves that sketched a smile across her countenance now as she recalled them.
“Good morning, beautiful rose.
Lift your lovely face to the kind sun;
Tell it all your wicked woes,
Every single, heartbroken one.
“You’re too captivating to drown in pain.
Don’t be anticipating more heartache.
Don’t wallow in any sorrow or strain.
Run free, my dear, flee from your old heartbreak.
“You were meant for days under the sun.
Kinder, simpler ways than what’s been done.
You were born for love’s gentle embrace.
To see devotion in your lover’s face.
“Could I perhaps be the blessed one
To open your eyes to a new joy?
Could we call the weary past now done?
Have you room in your heart for this boy?”
As she had first read the words, her heart had expanded with longing. And questions. So many questions had flooded her mind.
Who was he? How did he know she was still recovering from a broken heart? Why did he find her fascinating? Why had he chosen her? And why wouldn’t he show himself?
But then, an odd exhilaration had flooded her being. Someone thought she was beautiful! Somebody found her captivating. Some special man had found her worthy. He was clearly pursuing her. Seeking to woo her.
She found herself smiling. When she’d seen his pen strokes, she’d been sure he was a man even before he’d admitted it. He had a beautiful hand, but surely it was a masculine one. Those crimson marks had unleashed tremors in her soul. A yearning for things she’d left buried long ago.
Her ex had never had any use for poetry or sweet words of any kind. There had been little beauty in his soul. As she had discovered over the course of many years. Why had she ever thought she was in love with him? How did he have the power to break her heart still?
Yet the words on this paper and the blooms in her vase had caused something else to sprout upwards in her heart. A green shoot was spiraling towards the rays of the sun. Almost as though she was beginning to believe in its goodness again.
Chapter 5: Noticed – March 31
She’d decided to visit her favorite little café for dinner. It served a simple yet delicious menu. But that wasn’t why she had chosen it. She had picked it because she wouldn’t look out of place eating alone there. Still, she found a table near the back corner of the tiny bistro. Out of the way of any prying eyes. Nevertheless, she found herself self-conscious as the waiter approached her. However, as she lifted her eyes to his face, she discovered it breaking forth into a wide grin.
“Ruby?” he gasped. “Is that you?”
As her eyes slid across his handsome face, a tiny bell of recognition sounded.
“Blaze?” she queried as her gaze clung to his intriguing countenance.
He was rather ordinary looking. Except for two things. The first was his pair of piercing jade eyes. They seemed to glow in his head like two brilliant gemstones. A wreath of gold encircled each of his midnight pupils, deepening the beauty of those magnificent eyes. They elevated his face to fascinating.
But it was the bright grin lighting up his countenance that completely captivated her for a moment. Surely the man hadn’t been this handsome when they’d attended high school together. Of course, back then she’d only had eyes for Owen. But today those eyes seemed to be open to other possibilities.
She soaked in the embrace of Blaze’s gaze and of his pretty, pale red lips. They were curved into a grin of such delight, his white teeth shining between them, that she felt utterly accepted by this veritable stranger. After all, she hadn’t seen him in – what? – ten years?
As she watched the golden flames leaping in those moss green orbs, she suddenly laughed internally at the aptness of his name. For just a moment, she wondered if there was an echoing fire in his heart. She brushed that silly thought away as her eyes traced the dark cascade of midnight bangs that fell rakishly across his forehead. Then her gaze slid down the straight blade of his nose. His question drew her attention back to his beautiful mouth again.
“How are you?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I’m all right.”
She had no idea what to say to this man. She couldn’t remember a single conversation they had indulged in back in high school. Had they ever even spoken to each other? In those days, she’d been hanging on Owen’s every word. She hadn’t had time or energy for anyone else.
Now Blaze beamed at her. “I’m glad. It’s so good to see you.” He glanced at the empty seat opposite her. “Are you waiting for a friend?”
He didn’t miss the tremor that suddenly passed over her face. “Nope. Just me,” she spoke in a tiny voice.
He cleared his throat suddenly, pulling her eyes towards him again. “Would it be too weird if I ask you if I could eat dinner with you?”
She gaped at him. “Uhh…aren’t you working?”
He nodded. “But my shift is over in fifteen minutes. I could take your order and bring our dinner out before I clock out.”
“Oh.” She blinked.
She was at a loss for words. That’s when she realized that she had no idea how to be around other people. She desperately wanted a friend. But if she had one, what would she possibly do with him?
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say yes.” He paused for a moment before blowing out a long breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. The last thing I want to do is to make you feel uncomfortable.”
But she could hear the disappointment in his voice. She glanced up at him curiously. Blaze was let down because she didn’t want to eat with him? Why?
He answered her unspoken question a moment later. “I just…I always liked you. You were so nice.”
She was? How could he remember her so clearly, yet she couldn’t recall a single conversation they’d had?
As her silence persisted, he continued to smile down at her. “What would you like to eat?”
She stared up at him for a few silent moments before whispering, “Okay.”
“Okay?”
She nodded.
He peered down at her. Then his lips quirked. “I’m not sure we have that on the menu tonight. I’ll have to consult our list of specialties, but…I don’t remember it being on the list.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I meant…okay, you can eat with me if you like.”
That adorable grin suffused his face with light once more. “Excellent!” He took a deep breath. “Now…what can I get you?”
She glanced up at him as an odd quirk entered her soul. “Surprise me.”
His eyebrows flew north. “Surprise you?”
“Mmhmm,” she gave a definitive nod of her head.
“Are you allergic to anything?”
She shook her head.
“Is there anything you don’t like to eat?”
“Mushrooms.”
“You don’t like mushrooms?” he sounded astonished.
She shook her head back and forth.
“But how can you not like to eat something as delectable as fungus?” he asked, biting back a grin.
Her lips twitched. “Well, when you put it that way…how could I ever refuse such an intriguing dish as fungus?”
“I don’t know. It’s positively tantalizing. Especially sautéed in butter.”
“But they’re slimy,” she pointed out. “And squishy. They remind me of what I think snails must feel like between your teeth. Sort of like chewing rubber.”
He suddenly barked with laughter, and she stared up at him in wonder. Had she ever made Owen laugh? Even once? She couldn’t recall such an occurrence. She smiled uncertainly up at Blaze.
“You’re absolutely right. No mushrooms it is! I promise to bring you back something delicious. And mushroom-free.” He twinkled down at her before disappearing into the kitchen.
She stared after him in wonder.
What was going on?
Blaze had seemed genuinely delighted to see her. Almost as though they were old friends. But they’d never been more than acquaintances passing each other in the hallway. He’d been a senior the year she was a sophomore. She’d seen him almost every day, but she certainly hadn’t noticed him. She’d only been aware of him in a general sense. However, she now had to wonder…had he noticed her?
Chapter 6: Captivating – March 31
He returned a few moments later with two glasses of ice water. As he set one down before her and the other in front of the empty seat across from her, he asked her a question. But she was distracted for a moment by that water glass. It had been so long since anyone had joined her for a meal. That full glass was an oddity. She felt like a stranger to such a comforting sight. A tear invaded her eye as she continued to stare at it.
Blaze gazed down at her in consternation. What was she looking at? He’d seen a wave of sorrow pass over her countenance as she seemed to stare at the glass that he’d just set on the table across from her. But why would such a sight make a woman weep? He had noticed her eyes beginning to gleam as she seemed to stare off into space.
He wasn’t sure how to handle her tears, so he simply repeated his question of a moment before. “Would you like some coffee? Or perhaps some iced tea?”
This time his voice broke into her reverie. Startled, she glanced up. “Oh! No, thank you. Water is fine.”
He nodded. “I’ll be back with your dinner in a few minutes.”
As he turned towards the kitchen, she queried, “Don’t you mean our dinner?”
“Yes, that is precisely what I mean,” he murmured.
He was rewarded with a huge smile. It suddenly lit up her entire countenance. He nearly staggered backward in astonishment at the beauty she’d become. She was definitely hiding her light under a bushel most of the time. Keeping that beautiful grin under wraps.
“You have the most captivating smile,” he breathed.
Completely dumbfounded, she lifted her eyes to meet his. As their gazes kissed, she found herself oddly breathless.
Hmm. Such an odd sensation.
That hadn’t happened to her since…ever. She could not remember a single instance in which any guy – not even Owen – had made her breathless.
Captivating?
No man had ever called her captivating.
But as Blaze walked away, she realized that statement wasn’t true anymore.
—
He returned ten minutes later with two plates of food. He set one before her then placed the other in front of his seat. Which he was suddenly occupying. As he sat down across from her, she glanced up into his eyes. And lost herself for a moment. Or two.
How had she never noticed this man’s eyes in high school? She must have been blind. Yes. She’d been blinded by Owen back then. But a little more than two years ago, he had ripped the veil off of her eyes and revealed his true nature to her. Over two years too late.
She had married him the summer after she finished college. She’d been nearly twenty-three then. She’d spent a fairly blissful year married to him. Before she’d begun to suspect that he was sleeping with another woman.
The clues had been subtle at first. A missed dinner here. A late night at the office there. Then they’d begun to increase in intensity. An odd fragrance clinging to his shirt. Her awaking to an empty bed in the middle of the night. Only to overhear her husband whispering softly into his phone in another room.
However, the evidence had become irrefutable when she’d found the first text message. And the second. Still, she had tried to ignore it. But she had no longer been able to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to it the day she’d come home early from work to find him in their bed. With another woman. It still made her sick to remember it. She’d discovered them together two weeks before Christmas. That had been the loneliest Christmas of her whole existence.
Owen had been the absolute worst mistake of her entire life. One she couldn’t take back. One to whom she had given a decade of her life. Now she wondered how many girls he’d cheated on her with. Even while they had been simply dating.
She’d put him off. She’d made him wait to marry her until she finished college. She hadn’t wanted to get pregnant when she still had school to complete. That had been the smartest motivation of her entire life. For she was not raising his baby on her own now.
She had, in fact, never gotten pregnant. Not at any time during the eighteen months she’d shared his bed. At the time it had distressed her. Now she was so thankful for that apparent infertility. She still didn’t know if she could have children. But, at least, she hadn’t gotten pregnant with the child of a selfish man. She didn’t know if her womb was barren, but one thing was for certain. Owen’s heart was.
“Ruby?” Blaze’s soft voice woke her from her stupor. “Are you okay?”
Startled, she met his eye and nodded. Then she glanced down at her plate. “Green spaghetti?” she questioned like a tiny child.
He chuckled. “It’s pesto pasta.”
“Ah. Remind me. What is pesto exactly?”
His eyebrows attempted to terrify his hairline. “You’ve never had it?”
She shook her head.
“Try it. I promise there’s no mushrooms in it.” His lips quirked as he tried to contain his amusement.
One delicate copper eyebrow ascended her forehead. But she scooped up a bite of the linguine and shoveled it into her mouth. Then she closed her eyes in bliss. “Ohhh, that is divine!”
“Isn’t it just?” he responded as a huge grin split his face.
She opened those amazing aquamarine eyes of hers and stared at him. “My compliments to the chef. So…what is this enticing green stuff?”
Had he been a girl, he would have giggled at her words. As it was, he choked back a laugh. “Fresh basil leaves. Parmesan cheese. Olive oil. Pine nuts.”
She keyed in on the last thing he said. “Pine nuts? Like as in Christmas trees?”
Now he did laugh. In fact, he chortled. “Yes. Some ‘Christmas trees’ as you called them have edible seeds.”
She quirked that lovely little eyebrow again. “Huh. Who knew a seed could be so delicious?” she murmured as she ate another forkful of her pasta.
He finally took a bite of his own. It was pretty good. But her enjoyment of this dish was by far the best thing about this dinner. That and getting to drink in his fill of her lovely countenance. As he gazed at her, he acknowledged every pang bursting from his heart now. All the longings he’d stored deep down in his soul for years. Believing they would forever be denied. For she had always belonged to someone else.
Until two years ago. But then she’d been so heartbroken that he had known he dared not approach her for a while. The days had melted into weeks which had, in turn, transformed into months, and still she had not been ready to embrace the light.
It had pained him greatly.
She had been such a solitary creature by the end of his senior year. But he still remembered the carefree little freshman she’d been at the beginning of his junior year. Before her cretin of a boyfriend had scared all her friends away. That guy had been such a jerk. But Ruby had never been able to see it. Until it was too late.
Now Blaze wished that he’d done something about it. Back in high school. Although, he wasn’t sure what that something would have been. Except…he had seen that creep kissing another girl once. But Blaze hadn’t had the foggiest notion how to tell a girl he’d spoken to only once that her idiot boyfriend was making out with another girl. He had figured she’d realize it eventually. She had. Two years too late.
He sighed. And closed his eyes. If only he had kept her from that pain.
“Are you okay, Blaze?” her sweet voice suddenly sounded in his ears.
His eyes flew open, and he nodded. Then he smiled at her.
She glanced at his plate. “But you’re not eating. Aren’t you hungry?”
For your company, yes.
He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “Yeah.” Then he twirled some linguine around the tines of his fork before stuffing it into his mouth.
Just then, another waiter approached their table with a tray.
“Mister—”
Blaze furrowed his brow and shook his head at the man as he cut him off, “Oh, Liam. Thank you for bringing the bruschetta.”
He reached out to accept the tray from the young man, who inclined his head before depositing his burden into Blaze’s hands. Then he spun on his heel and headed back towards the kitchen.
Ruby quirked her eyebrow at Blaze. “What’s that?”
Again, he gazed at her in shock. “Have you never had bruschetta either?”
She shook her head. “But it looks delicious too.”
“It is. Here. Allow me.”
He set the tray on the table before liberating a piece of toasted garlic bread from the plate. He scooped up some diced tomatoes and spread them across the toast before sprinkling it with Parmesan. Then he held it out towards her.
“Try it. It’s basically garlic bread with tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, and a little olive oil.”
“Ooh, that sounds good. Thank you. It’s kind of like a fancy pizza.” She received the treat and tentatively took a bite as she attempted not to drop any of the diced tomatoes into her lap.
Her eyes lit up as she chewed it. “This is amazing! How is it that I’m almost twenty-seven, and I’ve never had either of these things before? I’ve been so deprived!”
Of so many things.
His compassionate eyes swept over her face as he felt a tugging on his heart. Did she have any idea how precious she was?
Chapter 7: Dessert – March 31
He ate his food while he watched her enjoy hers. Such simple pleasure kept rippling across her countenance that he couldn’t help but wonder when she had last enjoyed herself. Doing anything. With anyone.
She was so busy savoring her dinner that she didn’t say much, and neither did he. He was so enraptured by her that he didn’t even taste the food he was shoveling into his mouth. At one point, she peeped up at him and smiled sheepishly.
“Blaze?” she whispered shyly.
“Hmm?” Intrigued, he simply stared at her.
“You’ve got a little pesto on your…” She gestured towards one side of his mouth.
Self-consciously, he reached up to brush the green stuff away. Then he glanced up at her expectantly. Confident that she was about to tell him he’d gotten it. But she didn’t.
Her cute little mouth formed a tiny moue. And her beautiful aquamarine eyes widened. Almost in distress. Then she astonished him by leaning across the table towards him. She lifted one elegant hand and brushed the tip of her thumb across his lips. He felt the shock of it all the way to his toes. He fought hard to maintain his composure. But his eyes did widen slightly, and his lips twitched.
She gave him a satisfied smile a moment later. “Got it!”
He nearly chuckled again because she looked so proud of herself. For cleaning pesto off the mouth of a grown man. He might have felt embarrassed but for the distraction of the lightning her fingertips had released under his skin a few seconds before. He wanted some more of that beautiful bright arc.
He watched as she happily resumed eating.
“Thank you for this lovely meal. It’s wonderful. I can’t remember the last time I ate out like this.” She glanced around the little restaurant.
But she was privately reflecting upon the fact that she had never actually eaten out like this. With a friend. Alone. It had always been her and Owen. Until he’d left her for another woman. Then it had been just her.
Until tonight. As tears suddenly flowed into her eyes, she glanced up at Blaze and met his gaze. He took note of the tears pooling in her eyes again. Without thinking, he reached out and laid his hand over hers on the table.
“Ruby, what’s wrong?” he whispered.
His tone was so gentle that it saved her from embarrassment.
“I’ve just never done this before.”
Puzzled, he drew his eyebrows down towards his nose. “Done what?”
“Eaten dinner out with a friend.”
Surprised, he quirked a dark eyebrow. “You haven’t?”
Surely, she exaggerated!
But then she shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “I spent all my time with Owen for almost ten years. He never encouraged me to go out with a friend…and when he left me, I… Well, I don’t have any friends.”
She blinked, and several tears spilled down her cheeks. “Excuse me,” she gasped, tearing her hand out from underneath his, as she jumped up and headed for the bathroom.
He felt suddenly so…bereft.
—
Why was she crying?
This was a normal state of affairs. Her life had been a solitary one for over two years now. This shouldn’t be upsetting her. But Blaze’s kindness had unlocked some well in her heart. A fount that hadn’t been tapped before. Now she felt as if it had burst upwards out of her spirit, and she couldn’t stop the flow of tears from coming. Not for several minutes. So she hid in the bathroom and wept. Simply because a man had been kind to her.
—
Stunned, Blaze sat in his seat with his eyes trained on the bathroom door. He had upset her. Clearly.
She didn’t have any friends? He had suspected as much, but it was horrifying to have his suspicions confirmed. Ruby was too sweet a girl to be friendless. He shouldn’t have left her to her own devices for so long. He’d known she must be hurting. But he’d been afraid to move too quickly. Somehow, as he had paused in his pursuit of her, two years had passed by them both. All this time she’d been wallowing in her grief. She still was.
How could he help her to let it go? And to welcome a new future? One in which she could revel in the embrace of a friend? And bask in the glow of his smile?
Blaze sat quietly waiting for her to return. But with each passing minute, his concern grew. Why wasn’t she coming back? Was she embarrassed?
Just as he was about to go after her, he saw the bathroom door open, and she emerged to head his way. She sniffed as she approached their table. Then she slipped into her chair and gave him a tremulous smile before picking up her fork and taking another bite of her pasta.
“It’s so good,” she mumbled.
His lips quirked into a sweet smile. “Would you care for some dessert?”
She glanced up at him, and he saw her eyes widen in delight. “You’ve found my weakness, sir. I love dessert.”
He remembered. He grinned as he recalled the lunches she’d brought to school. She’d always had some little treat in her bag. Ho Hos. Twinkies. Raspberry Zingers. Cheesecake. A chocolate bar. But now he frowned as he recollected the many times that Owen had stolen those goodies from her. Robbing her of joy with his selfishness.
“What’s your favorite?” Blaze queried with a smile dancing about his lips.
But he didn’t need to ask. He already knew.
That same quirk motivated her again to be a little courageous. She wondered where on earth it had come from. She had never been adventurous before.
But now she was, so she responded blithely, “Surprise me.”
A grin awakened his face. He glanced at her plate. “Eat up. I’m headed to the kitchen to order you a dessert.”
“Don’t forget something for yourself.”
But he already had all the dessert he needed. He could feast on the sweetness of her smile for days. Months. Possibly even years. After all, he’d waited eleven long years for this moment.
Chapter 8: You Owe Me Nothing – March 31
Blaze returned empty-handed a few moments later and sat down across from her again. She peered up at him.
“No dessert?”
“Oh, no. It’s coming. I asked the chef to make it. But it’ll be a little while. I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”
She quirked a copper eyebrow at him before taking another bite of her pasta. They ate in leisurely silence for a few minutes. Neither knew what to say. But both were totally invested in the moment. She kept taking surreptitious little glances at him. His gaze caressed her face every time she looked down at her plate. Eventually, their eyes collided. They both felt the shock of that shared glance. Their eyes instantly slid away from each other.
Finally, a waiter arrived with their dessert. Just as they finished their dinner. Ruby stared in shock at the mini chocolate soufflé as their server set it in front of her. Delighted surprise evident in her eyes, she then looked up at Blaze.
“How on earth did you know that this is my very favorite dessert?”
A smile played about the corners of his lips. “Oh, a little birdie told me.”
“What?” she breathed out.
“When we were in high school, I once overheard you telling Mary you liked chocolate soufflé.”
Ruby simply stared at him. She didn’t even remember such a conversation. Why would Blaze?
“How do you remember such an inconsequential thing as that? I don’t.”
“It wasn’t inconsequential. It was a very important piece of the puzzle that was Ruby,” he murmured mysteriously as he pushed his spoon into his own soufflé.
He enjoyed chocolate too. It was just one of the things they had in common.
She continued to gawk at him. “‘The puzzle that was Ruby?’”
He smiled as he nodded at her. “You always intrigued me.”
“What?” she gasped. “I intrigued you? I wouldn’t even have thought that you noticed me. No one noticed me. Only Owen.”
“That is not true,” he spoke emphatically, his eyes challenging hers.
She had no response for him. She was simply floored. She tore her eyes away from his to stare unseeing down at her soufflé. Then she picked up her spoon and scooped some of the delectable dessert into her mouth. And closed her eyes as she savored its rich flavor. The indulgent caress of its soft embrace filled her mouth with wonder.
“That is the best chocolate soufflé I have ever eaten,” she murmured a moment later. “Simply amazing.”
“Yes, our chef makes the very best I’ve ever had too. He’s been making it for years. Since I was in high school. He perfected it long ago.”
“Really?” she looked up at him in interest. “I wish I could get his recipe.”
His lips twisted into a quirky smile. “Don’t we all?”
As she continued to enjoy her dessert, her eyes met his again. “Blaze, I can’t thank you enough for tonight. Dinner has been simply amazing. Including this soufflé. I think you’ve ruined me for visiting any other restaurants,” she chuckled ruefully.
“Excellent! I’m sure to get a raise now,” he joked.
She flashed him a grin that he felt all the way to his bones. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was?
She glanced around. “But I’ve kept you so long. Were you headed home after work?”
He blinked. “No, it’s fine. I’ve enjoyed my time with you. Could we…would you…like to do it again sometime?”
His heart was beating out a rapid tattoo. He took a deep breath in an attempt to still both it and his stomach which also seemed to be doing an odd tango. But that extra oxygen failed to have any effect upon either his pounding organ or his dancing one.
It was her turn to blink. “Um…you mean…”
He suddenly pushed the air forcefully out of his lungs as he continued to dive off that high cliff. Heedless of the danger awaiting him below. “Eat dinner with me. Here, if you like. Or…anywhere.”
“Oh. Um,” she stared at him.
Why did she get the idea that he might just possibly like her a little?
As she gazed up at his face, she was once again distracted by those stunning jade gems he called his eyes. They were so beautiful. She felt immense comfort as she stared into them. And something more. Something that exhilarated her. And scared her. Dare she trust him with her time? She wasn’t about to consider entrusting her heart to him. But a little of her time…
However, she must have paused too long because he suddenly spoke again, “It’s okay. You don’t have to. I just had such a good time with you tonight that I thought maybe you did too…”
He was working hard to cover his disappointment. Was two years not long enough to mourn the death of a dream? And the dissolution of a marriage?
Perhaps it was the betrayal that took so long to recover from. She clearly wasn’t ready. He sighed and pushed his chair out away from the table.
“Thank you so much for sharing your meal with me tonight. It’s been truly lovely to see you.”
At a loss for words, she gaped up at him as he stood up. She wanted to stop him, but she couldn’t seem to speak, so she just bobbed her head.
“I’ll let you get on with the rest of your evening. I hope to see you again some time.” His lips wobbled into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes anymore.
That’s when she realized that she’d just disappointed him. He really did desire to eat dinner with her again. She wanted to invite him to her home so she could cook him a meal, but she was suddenly terrified of such an idea. She didn’t know him. Not at all. Not beyond a few glances in high school. Ten long years ago. And this meal they’d just shared. She had no idea what was hidden in his heart. She had trusted Owen. And look where that had gotten her.
So she simply smiled her thanks to him. “Oh! What do I owe you?”
“Nothing, Ruby. You owe me absolutely nothing.”
Why did his eyes look so haunted?
“I mean, for the meal.”
“Nothing. It’s my treat.” Again, that little twist of a smile.
Then he was gone. Walking back towards the kitchen. She suddenly felt like weeping again.
Chapter 9: A Garden Full of Roses – April 1
She awoke to sadness again. She’d gone to bed deflated last night. After her encounter with Blaze. She’d chastised herself all night long for her lack of courage. For her failure to comfort him in his disappointment. By stepping out to take his hand. Or just to eat another meal with him.
She hadn’t dreamt of the garden last night. Not even her dreamland was a refuge anymore. Now the sun was encroaching on her darkness again. She cracked open one eye and glared at it. She was instantly flooded with the memory of the light of Blaze’s smile. And the fire in his jade eyes.
She sighed and dragged herself from bed. She didn’t remember the roses until she stopped to put her dish in the sink. And several blooms smiled down at her. She headed for the porch as she wondered whether she’d receive a poem today. She didn’t feel worthy of such a gift this morning. Not after hurting Blaze last night.
But the question was: how had she hurt him? Why did he seem to like her? She had learned over the years that there was little to like about herself. She was nothing special. She wasn’t beautiful. Or brilliant. Or funny. She didn’t even have any friends.
Even the love of her life had found someone more to his taste. Clearly, Ruby held little interest for him anymore. None, in fact. Even though he had once married her. She had attracted his notice. But her luster had faded. Apparently, she didn’t live up to her name. No priceless gem was she. Why would Blaze want her now that she’d been used and discarded?
Perhaps she’d been mistaken last night. Maybe Blaze just wanted a friend. She could use a friend too.
She was looking forward to today’s rose. She was craving some comfort for her soul. But she felt the sharp edge of disappointment as she opened the door and found no crimson beauty hovering over her steps. No heart note either. She hung her head. Had even her secret admirer deserted her?
She had known it was too good to be true. Why would any guy spend more than a week or two pursuing her? There was no treasure hidden within her soul. Nothing to draw a man to her side. And hold him there.
But as she turned to go back inside her house, her eye slid over the swing, and she gasped. Rooted to the spot, she stared at her old friend. The one who had taken her on many a flight since childhood. The one upon whose seat Owen had broken her heart. But today her heart was no longer breaking. It was overflowing. For that swing was covered in roses.
As she stared in shock at that crimson tide, she had to admit that she didn’t own enough vases to handle that many roses. Tentatively, she set her foot on the porch and began to tiptoe towards that massive pile of someone’s affection for her. It was now undeniable. No one without fondness in his heart for her would give her such an extravagant gift.
Her eyes began to count the blooms. There must be over six hundred roses here! What on earth was she going to do with them? She’d have to put them in the bathtub to feed them all a drink of water. Someone was lavishing his love on her. But why wouldn’t he show her his face?
She stood simply staring down at them for a long time. No one had ever given her a gift this outrageous before. Not even close. But as her eyes skimmed that swing, she realized that wasn’t a true statement.
Her gaze slid along the contours of her beloved home. Beloved still. Despite the fact that Owen had occupied this house with her for eighteen months. This home remained precious to Ruby. Even though she’d found him in bed with another woman within its walls.
This house was the most extravagant gift anyone had ever left her. Her precious mother had given her this beauty. Ruby would always love it. No matter what occurred within its walls. But today it was within the confines of the swing hovering above its porch that a miracle had occurred. A stunning crimson miracle. A ruby tide of someone’s love for her had invaded her favorite domain. Gladdening her heart. And replacing that horrid memory of Owen’s rejection with a vibrant gem of someone’s adoration.
What was more accepting than a red rose? It embraced her with its presence. Wrapping her in the solace of its sweet perfume. Cheering her with its bright color. Comforting her with its velvet touch. The down of its lush petals.
But today someone had gifted her an entire rose garden full of blooms. Not one lone stem to lift her spirits. But bush after bush of crimson blossoms. To communicate what? An undying passion? An overwhelming tide of tenderness?
Her heart was overflowing at such a beautiful bounty. She slipped inside her house to grab her phone, a pen, and a piece of paper. She didn’t cut the white paper into a heart; however, she did jot down a note on it. But first, she took a few pictures of her wonderfully elaborate gift. From several different angles. She wanted to remember this moment forever. Then she settled down on the porch floor and leaned back against the front window of her house as she penned a letter to a stranger.
“Kind sir, I don’t know what to say.
Somehow, you always brighten my day.
My heart is overflowing.
It seems my swing is growing
A garden’s worth of blooms.
No longer empty tombs
Of dreams that once died,
Of dashed hopes for which I cried.
“Now my old seat of delight
Is bursting with joy once more.
Overcome by the brightness of your light
As though you opened to me a garden’s door.
Surrounded by the embrace of roses’ perfumes
And six hundred ethereal crimson blooms,
Now I face today with hope lifting my heart.
Dare I dream that this is just the start?”
She smiled down at her little poem as she read it to herself. She was satisfied with her work, so she set down the pen on her porch as she headed inside to grab a huge plastic bin. She placed it in her bathtub and ran enough water to cover the bottom of it. Then she hauled it outside towards the swing.
She stood staring down at the roses for a little while. This gift was so magnificent. She found herself breathless from its beauty and scope. That a man would so desire her that he would buy her a year’s worth of roses! Surely, he had spent hundreds of dollars to do so!
She was loath to disturb those beautiful blooms, but she did have the pictures, and she didn’t want the flowers to die for lack of a drink. So she began to load them into the tub. First, she tipped it as far as she could without pouring water all over her porch. Then handful after handful of roses began to pile up in that plastic tote. Until it was crammed full.
She glanced back down at her bench. She had packed five hundred fifty roses into the tub. Now she bent to gather and count the remainder. Fifty. There were six hundred blooms all together.
As she hugged the huge bouquet of roses close to her chest, she bent her head and buried her nose in them. Then she turned around abruptly and sat down on her swing. As she did so, she disturbed a piece of paper. Underneath the last of the roses had been another ivory heart.
How had she missed it? She glanced down at it. Her arms were still full of roses, their fragrance tickling her nose with delight, as her eyes began to discern the missive’s words.
“Do you think I’m a fool for you?
Is there anything I wouldn’t do
To woo a gentle heart like you?
Do you believe I’ll always be true?
“A single rose for each week of longing.
It’s in your heart that I am belonging.
I’ve desired you to walk with me.
Would precious you please come talk with me?”
Today’s poem was short and sweet. And so apt. As she read it, she realized that today was April Fool’s Day. Was he making a play on words? He was a fool for her. As she read the words again, a sweet smile curved her lips.
But then her brow furrowed as she read the first line of the second stanza. What did he mean by “A single rose for each week of longing”? Six hundred weeks of longing? The implication was that he had loved her for over a decade. But surely such a thing could not be true. She must have misunderstood. Maybe he meant the other roses he’d given her. Eight roses over the course of little more than a week. Eight weeks. He’d had a crush on her for eight weeks. That made more sense. Except…
…he’d bought her fifty dozen roses. Who would buy his crush of eight weeks six hundred elegant blooms? That was madness. But if a man had loved a woman for ten years, he might buy her such an extravagant armload of blossoms.
She continued to bury her face in the roses as she drank in their scent and stared down at them in consternation. Who was her secret admirer?
Chapter 10: Reveling – April 1
She was reveling in her swing again. Her heart must be healing. He had hope that the roses had helped her along that salubrious path. And now his poems too.
His eyes slid along the copper curve of her head. Her hair had always been glorious. In this moment, it was unbound and flowing in curling waves down her back, the natural sunlight striking golden glints off of it. He had yearned to slide his fingers through it for over ten long years. Of course, he had believed her completely lost to him for a whole decade. But then he had learned of her divorce. Out of the mouth of her ex-husband.
Owen.
His lip curled. That man had never deserved her. She couldn’t have found a man less worthy of her if she had tried. Yet she had chosen him for some reason that had always been incomprehensible. What had she seen in Owen?
Her secret admirer had overheard that jerk telling his girlfriend that his divorce was final. That he was free of precious Ruby. And his own gentle heart had broken for her. Her admirer had never wanted to see her endure such pain. He had hoped for several years that she would eventually break up with her boyfriend of eight years. But instead, she had married him. Only to see him leave her for another woman less than two years later.
Now her mystery man watched that gorgeous abandoned woman bending her head over his flowers and drinking in their luscious scent. The look of rapture on her countenance gave him immense pleasure. Even if she never accepted him, if he could help her heart to heal, he would be satisfied.
—
After a while of savoring the sweet morning zephyr that breezed by her as her swing sailed through the air on the scent of hundreds of rich red roses, Ruby carried her happy armful of flowers inside. She unearthed every vase she could find to refresh her lovely blooms with a drink. Then she set those vases in rooms throughout her house. As she walked past several rooms on her way towards the front door, the delightful perfume of his roses once more enveloped her. He had permeated her entire home with his marvelous scent.
A smile of pure joy curving her lips, she locked her front door and turned to drag the bin to her car. Wondering how she was going to get the tote off the porch. But her heart skipped a beat when she discovered that both the plastic tub and the poem that she had written to her secret admirer were missing. Her pen still lay on her porch. The poem he’d written to her was still on the swing.
She crossed the porch to pick it up. She put his lovely words into her purse and zipped it shut. But where had her precious flowers gone?
Swamped by a sudden sorrow, she turned towards her car. Only to discover the bin resting on the ground near her trunk. She glanced around. Had he moved it for her? Was he somewhere nearby watching her?
She wasn’t sure whether she should be touched or creeped out by such an occurrence. Had he read her mind? How had he discerned her intent? He’d known she wanted to take the roses with her today?
Her eyes slid out towards the street. And then down the block. Craving a glimpse of him. But she still saw no one.
She shrugged her shoulders and headed for her car. Would she be able to lift that big bin into the back of her trunk?
After opening her trunk, she bent to pull the tub up off the ground. It was very heavy. But she found that she could manage this much, at least. She was so thankful that she hadn’t had to carry it from the porch down to the ground, though. He had definitely come to her rescue. As she pulled her car away from the curb, she glanced back. Hoping to catch a peek at him in her rearview mirror. But there was only an empty road behind her.
—
After a few minutes, she pulled into a parking space at work. She exited her vehicle and headed for her trunk. A few seconds later, she could be seen hauling that massive tub of roses out of her car. She set it on the ground and closed the trunk. And wondered how on earth she was going to drag it all the way inside the building.
Just then, she heard a vehicle approaching her. She glanced up and disturbed a familiar gaze. Pulling his truck alongside her, Blaze peered down at her through his open window.
“Whatcha got there?” he murmured, his eyes on the flowers.
A grin quirked her lips suddenly. “Bowling balls,” she responded flippantly.
And immediately questioned herself.
Bowling balls?
Where had such a stupid response come from?
But if she was trying to get his attention, she had succeeded. For her reply drew his gaze to her face in an instant. He began to chuckle.
“You always did have a great sense of humor,” he muttered.
She stared at him in astonishment. “How is it that you seem to know so much about me? Yet I barely remember you?”
Ouch.
He cleared his throat, but she rushed to apologize, “I am so sorry! That came out sounding so rude! I just…I don’t recall even talking to you at school. I don’t understand how you even remember me. Let alone that I had a great sense of humor.”
“We did speak. Once. The third week of school your freshman year.”
She gaped at him. That was before Owen. At least, before Owen had kissed her. Or asked her to be his girlfriend. Just before. It had also been before she’d lost all her friends.
Now she stared at Blaze in consternation as she tried to recollect the conversation to which he’d just referred. She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I just don’t remember.”
“It’s okay. Your eyes were full of Owen back then.”
She gasped as her eyes now careened into his. He was clearly implying that his own eyes had been full of her. “You liked me?” she breathed.
“Immensely,” he admitted cheerfully. “You were – and still are – the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.”
She simply stared at him in astonishment.
“The way the sunlight glints off your copper locks,” his eyes were caressing those tresses as they followed the line of them as they spilled over her shoulder.
Then his gaze met hers again. “We were outside that day. At lunch. It was a crisp autumn day. Just beautiful.” Like you. “I didn’t have a lunch. For some reason, you noticed me sitting, lunch-less, under a tree. You offered me your Ho Hos.”
Her chocolate treats. Ruby had been willing to sacrifice them for a stranger because…well, it’s just the sort of person she was.
She gawked at him and shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
“It’s okay,” he replied carelessly, hiding his disappointment. Apparently, he really had made zero impression on her that day. He sighed. Then he glanced down at the bin of roses again. “So, what are you going to do with your bowling balls?”
She peered down at the bright red blooms. And a beautiful smile curved her lips. It lit up his heart.
“I’m going to pass them out today.”
“Pass them out?”
She nodded. Then she bent to retrieve a single bloom. She turned to hold it out to him. “For you, kind sir, for providing me with an amazing dinner last night. Thank you.” She smiled prettily up at him.
But that wasn’t surprising. Everything about Ruby was pretty. Her wide aquamarine eyes. Her pert little nose. Her pouty lips. Begging for his kiss. And, of course, that glorious waterfall of copper hair. But…back to her lips. Did she know that she was begging for his kiss?
He reached out to accept the rose. And quirked his lips. “Am I the first person to receive one of these today?”
“The first person to receive one, yes.”
“What do you mean?”
Her wide eyes grew rounder still. “I received six hundred this morning!” It was exciting to share her news with someone.
“From whom?” he queried.
“I don’t know.” A frown puckered her forehead.
“You don’t know?” He glanced in astonishment at the rose-filled tub. “You received six hundred red roses from someone, but you don’t know who? Man, the guy must be absolutely nuts about you! He gave you all these flowers but didn’t reveal himself?”
She shook her head. “He left them on my porch swing.”
“Just the flowers?”
“No. He left me a poem too.”
“A poem? Man, he’s bent on making the rest of us look shabby, isn’t he?” he mumbled.
She giggled suddenly, and the sound filled his world with joy.
“It really defies explanation, doesn’t it?” She gazed down at the massive pile of crimson blooms smiling up at her.
“Not at all.”
She glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
She held his gaze but remained silent, waiting for him to illuminate her.
“The guy is madly in love with you.”
Chapter 11: Priceless – April 1
She squinted up at him. “Do you really think so?”
“Don’t you?”
“I don’t know.”
He stared at her like she was insane. What had Owen done to her that she thought so little of herself?
“Why else would he buy you fifty dozen roses?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know.” Then she met his eye again. “Maybe it’s a mistake. Maybe he thinks I’m someone else. Someone he knew a long time ago. That would make sense, wouldn’t it? If I look like another girl, and this man saw me a few weeks ago and thought he’d found his long-lost love.” She nodded her head as though satisfied that she had solved the mystery.
But Blaze’s heart sank. “Ruby? You do know that you’re worth six hundred roses. Right?”
She turned her eyes slowly up at him. He had just stolen her breath. The expression in his eyes wasn’t helping her to recover it either. She stood trapped in his gaze. Those jade pools seemed to have flames of golden fire leaping in them this morning.
This morning…
Oh, she was going to be late for work!
“I’m sorry! I have to go! I’m going to be late!” She bent to retrieve her tub.
“Can I help you with that?”
She glanced up at him in surprise. “Oh! Yes! Thank you!” she breathed.
After he deposited his treasured bloom on the passenger seat, he pulled his truck into a parking space close by. As he exited his vehicle and slammed his door shut, he spoke before closing the short distance between them.
“So, you’re going to give all these roses away?”
She nodded. “I want to spread the joy he gave me. Besides,” she glanced down at the dozens of flowers below her, “I don’t have enough vases at home. I already filled every room in my house with them.”
“Did you really? It must smell like a garden now.” A wide grin bathed his face in light.
She answered him with a beaming one of her own. “It does! Oh, Blaze! It’s heavenly!”
For just a moment, she closed her eyes and lifted her face towards the sun. His eyes grew serious as they caressed the planes of that beloved countenance.
I love you.
But he didn’t speak the words. He knew that she wasn’t ready to hear them. Not yet. The question was: would she ever be ready?
“I would wish for it to always smell so wonderful,” she murmured as she opened her eyes.
Blaze bent to pick up the tub. “Where to?”
As he followed her, he reflected on the truth that he rather liked the idea of her sharing her joy with others. After all, he was the first one to receive a rose from her. He laughed as in his mind’s eye, his daydream played out like a scene from that television show, The Bachelor. In this crazy fantasy, Ruby turned towards him and whispered, “Blaze, I choose you,” before handing him a long-stemmed red rose. Then she leaned forward to plant a sweet kiss on his lips as the audience sat breathless.
Suddenly, her real voice broke into his silly imaginings.
“Blaze, thank you so much for carrying those into the building for me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage it. It was hard enough to get them into my car.”
“How did you manage that?” he asked as he carried the tote with ease.
“I don’t know. Someone moved them from my porch to my car. I only had to lift them up into my trunk.”
“What do you mean? Someone?”
“When I took my other flowers into the house, somebody picked up my poem and moved that tub.”
“What poem? The one he wrote you?”
She shook her head. Then she blushed. He gazed at her with interest.
“What poem, Ruby?”
“The poem I wrote him. To thank him for the roses,” she rushed to add.
Why had she felt the need to add that explanation?
She glanced up at him with concern in her eyes. “Do you think I should be scared?”
“Scared?” he asked in surprise.
She bobbed her head. “Of the guy who gave them to me. Could he be a stalker? Clearly, he was watching me when I found them. He waited to move the tote to my car until I went inside. And how did he know I wanted to take it with me?”
“Well, first of all, I don’t think it’s all that unusual that a man giving a woman six hundred roses would want to see her reaction to his extravagant gift. Or that he’d want to help her.”
“But…how did he know I wanted to take them with me?”
He furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. Did you perhaps say something? Like, ‘I know! I could pass them out at work!’”
“Did I?” Her own brow wrinkled. “I don’t remember.”
As he peered down at the flowers in his arms, he responded, “Well, it was pretty obvious you were going to do something with them. Otherwise, wouldn’t you have just carried them armful by armful inside? I mean, this tote is pretty heavy. For you anyway,” he added teasingly as he glanced down at her slender form.
“Hey!” she ejaculated before chuckling. “I resemble that remark! A little too closely.”
“What? You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about, Ruby. You’re just perfect.”
Perfect?
Her?
She glanced up at him as a frown of incomprehension clouded her gaze. But he didn’t notice. He was glancing around the office building.
“Where are we headed?”
“The fourteenth floor,” she responded as she leaned over to press the elevator button.
They entered the lift and rode in companionable silence for a few moments. Then she turned to him.
“Blaze, did you still want to eat dinner with me again?”
“Sure!”
She smiled as she saw the sweet gleam in his eyes. She had just made him so happy.
“Wanna come back to the restaurant?”
“No.”
His face fell.
“I don’t want you to have to work. Would you…would you like to come to my house for dinner? We could eat out on my porch swing. In the cool evening air.”
“That sounds blissful,” he murmured as his eyes delved into the depths of her own.
“Does it?” she frowned uncertainly. “I’m not sure I’m a very good cook. Owen deplored half the things I made.”
“Can we agree on one thing?” he asked abruptly.
Her eyebrows slid towards her nose. “What?”
“Owen was an idiot.”
She gaped at him.
“The man was an absolute moron to let a gem like you go. So please don’t derive any of your self-worth from his treatment of you. The guy was a grade A jerk. You deserve so much better than that, Ruby,” he finished heartily.
A flood of warmth suddenly blossomed in her heart as she lost herself in those glorious jade eyes once more.