Chapter Thirteen

Ruby stared at her laptop screen, trying to focus on work, but her mind raced with a million different thoughts. The biggest one burning her brain: if it wasn’t love, then what was it?

It was difficult for Ruby to consider that maybe she was falling hard for Alec LeBrun, but what else could it be? She thought about him nonstop. He made her feel so loved, he cared about her, even bragged about being with her, treated her so nicely, and he was amazing in bed. And out of bed, too. The back patio, the wall in his room… Check, check, check, check!

But for how long?

What if he was being a total sweetheart now, only because he was going through a good period? Because she’d agreed to date him? What guarantee was there that he wouldn’t resort to childish antics again when things didn’t go his way? There was no way she could date the old Alec, the Alec who just made headlines a couple of months ago. And not for good reasons. How could she be sure he’d always be the man she needed him to be?

There were no guarantees.

It was still early, she reminded herself. Romantic feelings were one thing—true love was something else entirely. Even though she’d only had one real boyfriend in her life, she knew enough not to trust those initial honeymoon feelings. Though several friends had called her during the day to find out the juicy bits about dating Alec LeBrun, she couldn’t honestly tell any of them what she was feeling in her heart.

One phrase kept repeating itself: Yep, it’s true! Let’s see where this goes.

Yes, it was too early to tell if she loved him. She was going to have to test him out and see. Give herself time to grow into loving him. Find out what he was really made of. That’s what any sensible woman would do, and Ruby was a sensible, practical woman. No need to jump to conclusions and claim love just yet.

That was her plan, and she would stick to it, she told herself.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she went back to putting together a PR plan for another client. She kept reading the same sentence over and over again, because all she could think of was Alec’s laugh, Alec’s smile, Alec’s face between her legs, his eyes whenever he looked up at her, his tongue lapping her up and taking her to that point of no return.

“Fuck, Ruby,” she chastised herself. “Concentrate.”

As if she needed further distraction, her phone rang. Annoyingly reaching for it, she stared at the screen. Her father. “Ugh, don’t feel like dealing with this right now,” she mumbled, but she had to. He was also her boss. “Hey, Dad. Kind of in the middle of something.”

“How’s my sweetheart doing?”

“Your sweetheart is working her ass off.”

“Yes, she is. Saw the pieces on you and LeBrun this morning. I gotta tell you, pure genius, Ruby. How you guys walked out of that restaurant looking like you’d been dating for months is beyond me. Maybe you should’ve gone into acting?” He was in a rare jovial mood, which she knew had to do with the Sports Armour offer.

“Ha, yeah. Totally.”

“You heard from Sports Armour about the news?”

“No, I haven’t, but our meeting is in a few days, and the rep just emailed me the paperwork, so I’m assuming it’s all still a go. I’ll let you know how it goes down then, okay?”

“Yep. Let me know. Oh, and, Ruby?”

“Yes, Dad?”

“I appreciate you going through all this just for the firm.”

“What do you mean?” The firm?

“The whole Alec LeBrun thing. I know you would never be caught dead dating a guy like that, and he doesn’t deserve you. But you’re doing it for me, and I appreciate that.”

Ruby nearly choked on her coffee.

Was that what her father thought? What would he think if she confessed she actually did have feelings for Alec? That she was purposely dating him? That she could conceivably see herself in a long relationship with him? That she had possibly begun a love relationship with him and hadn’t told him yet? Maybe she underestimated her father, but she felt for certain he’d be disappointed in her.

He said it himself—he doesn’t deserve you.

Well, now she knew what her father truly felt, and that only made things more complicated. She wasn’t sure if Alec deserved her quite yet—it was too early to tell, but she knew she loved being around him. He made her smile and feel like her true self. He took her out of her head and made her have fun. He made her take down her hair!

There was enough going on in her mind without her father’s opinions adding to the mix, so she cut the conversation short. “Sure, Dad. We all benefit from this, don’t we? I’ll talk to you later.”

Hanging up, she leaned back in her chair and blew out a long breath. Man, this was getting crazier by the day. Take it one day at a time, she told herself. That was all she could do. A moment later, her phone rang again, and she answered brusquely. “Ruby speaking.”

“Hey, Red.”

“Alec!” She caught the excitement in her own voice, felt it change tones from annoyed publicist to grinny, goofy girl in love. She toned it down before his ego got any bigger. “How are things on your end? Your tight end. Ha—get it?”

“You made a funny, Red. That’s so cute.”

“Shut up. Tell me what’s up.”

“My mom. She wants to meet you when I drive up to see her this Saturday. Want to come with me?”

“Saturday, as in three days from now? But we’re getting ready for the Sports Armour meeting.”

“That’s not till Monday. Come on, Red. A drive to Charleston, just you and me in the car. I’ll even steal a Ferrari for the joyride. It’ll be fun.”

Though she knew he was joking, she couldn’t help but imagine themselves riding along the highway, stuck in a car for hours, talking about life and maybe getting a little sexy along the way. The idea of a trip appealed to her, but to meet his mom? Already? “Alec, are you sure it’s a good idea? What if your mom doesn’t approve of me?”

“What if my mom totally loves you like she already does?”

What was he talking about? He sounded like a kid who’d gotten his Christmas presents a little early this year.

“Trust me on this, Red. She already knows about you, and she’s thrilled. I’ll pick you up early around eight. Sound good?”

Words tried to come out of her mouth, but suddenly, her stomach ached. Everything was changing so fast, Ruby wasn’t used to it. Things rarely changed in her world, and when they did, they took a long time. But all of that changed when she said yes to Alec that fateful day.

And nothing had been the same since.

“Super cute.” Ruby smiled.

When Alec’s car pulled up to the charming but modest two-story home in Charleston, South Carolina, Ruby couldn’t help but wonder why Alec hadn’t bought his mother a bigger house. Most of her famous clients did once they had big money. It wasn’t like Alec couldn’t afford it. Then again, maybe his mother hadn’t wanted a new house. From everything he’d told her about his mother, Carolyn, on the drive up, she wouldn’t be surprised if Mrs. LeBrun had refused any kind of charity from her famous son altogether.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, as they got out of the car, pulled out their bags, and walked up to the front door. “Ma!” Alec knocked three times. “That’s how she knows it’s me,” he whispered to Ruby.

“Ah. Not because of the crazy man screaming at the front door?” Ruby winked, and Alec bumped his side against her. They’d been having fun the whole trip from Savannah, and Ruby gathered it was because he was helping her feel at ease, knowing she’d be nervous about meeting his mother.

A small woman with short, neatly coifed hair opened the door. “There he is! My boy!”

Alec dwarfed his mother with an enormous hug, even lifted her off the ground while she shrieked, then set her back down again.

“And you must be Miss O’Brien.”

“Oh, call me Ruby, Mrs. LeBrun. Please.”

“Then you must call me Carolyn.” The woman spoke in a Southern accent thick as Georgia molasses. “Come in, come in, before the bugs eat you alive. The mosquitoes have been slow to leave this year.”

Ruby couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s Southern hospitality. “Thank you. You have a lovely home.” She really did. Inside was immaculate with humble, beautiful furniture and framed photos of Alec when he was little.

He saw her noticing the photos and blocked them with his wide shoulders, eyeing her. “Do not look at the kid pictures.”

Ruby laughed and whispered, as Carolyn led them through the living room. “I’ll look at them when you’re not looking.”

Carolyn spoke over her shoulder. “I’ve lived here since Alec came up to my knee. A long time ago, as you can imagine. Did you want me to make you sandwiches?”

“Oh, no, Mama. We already ate on the way up,” Alec said, and Ruby noticed he had a different way of talking to his mother than he did with…pretty much anyone else. Not only was he respectful, but it seemed to Ruby he turned into a shy ten-year-old around his mother.

“That’s a shame,” Carolyn said, entering the kitchen. “Then, you’ll have some sweet tea I brewed especially for y’all?”

Ruby wasn’t a huge fan of sweet tea, but if Alec’s mama made it, then she would try some. “Oh, yes. That sounds nice. Thank you.”

Carolyn showed them to the kitchen table where they sat by a window. A small but colorful garden was just outside that made Ruby smile.

“So, my son tells me you’re working to get him back in line?” she asked, pouring the tea into three glasses. “Has he behaved himself so far?”

Ruby almost laughed at the sight of Alec’s wide eyeballs upon hearing his mother’s comment. “Oh, yeah. He’s been great,” she replied, her voice almost a wheeze. “One of my best clients.”

Obviously, his mom knew he was more to her than that, but it wasn’t like she could say he was the best lover she’d ever had. Alec’s eyes gleamed as he looked at her from across the room. “Ruby’s been working hard, Mama. I made a real mess of things, you know.”

“I do know, just like when you were a little boy. Always getting into people’s gardens and stealing flowers to bring home.” She smiled at the memory. “Did he tell you about Sonia?”

“Mama, not now,” Alec warned.

“Who’s Sonia? Should I be worried?” Ruby smiled and exchanged winks with Carolyn. She loved this woman already and immediately felt at ease.

“Oh, honey, why not? It’s the sweetest story,” his mother said. After passing out the sweet teas, Carolyn sat at the table and lifted the lid on a lovely small lemon cake. Presumably homemade as well. “Fine, I’ll tell her some other time. Then again, Alec always brought me a bouquet, so I couldn’t get too mad at him.”

Alec rolled his eyes as they exchanged memories.

Ruby listened intently as the conversation continued. It was obvious that Carolyn and Alec were devoted to each other, and Ruby couldn’t help but envy him. She loved her father, of course, and he loved her, but Carolyn supported her son through thick and thin. Whereas Dad was critical unless she did things his way.

“So, Ruby…Alec tells me you’re absolutely perfect in every way.”

“Mama!” Alec LeBrun, tight end of the Savannah Bootleggers, actually blushed.

“What? For goodness’ sake, Alec, that’s exactly what you said to me the other day,” Carolyn said, shaking her head and turning to Ruby, as if only Ruby and Ruby’s opinions would be heard from now on. “Does he take care of you? Because if he doesn’t take care of you, I will see to it that he’s cut off from the homemade goodies I send him.”

“No! Not the homemade goodies. Come on, Ma!” Alec pretended to be woefully offended and winked at Ruby. “Anything but the homemade goodies ban.”

Ruby laughed softly to herself, hand over mouth, and turned to Carolyn. “He’s great. He treats me really well. So far.”

Alec shook his head then laid it on the table over his folded arms. “I knew this wasn’t a good idea to bring you here.”

Ruby laughed so hard with Carolyn that she had to admit, she was having a great time. This could work to her advantage. There was nothing to make a man straighten out better than his mama. “Hey, you wanted me to come. Now, here I am.” Ruby reached out and tousled Alec’s hair, which made Carolyn blink lovingly behind her knowing smile.

They talked all afternoon, and Ruby had never felt so comfortable with any boyfriend’s mother before. She could see this woman as her best friend, especially when they both ganged up on Alec, making him shake his head or leave the room in mock protest.

After dinner, cleanup, and some time by a small fireplace, Carolyn turned to Alec. “You’re not playing tomorrow, are you?”

“No, it’s a bye-week. So I’m yours, whatever you need me for.”

“Great. Well, I’ll see you in the morning then. You two can have the guest room upstairs.”

From Alec’s shocked look, Ruby gathered that was a big deal to be allowed to sleep together in the same house. “Don’t you want me sleeping on the couch downstairs, Mama?”

“Oh, heavens, no. Ruby can’t exactly keep an eye on you if you’re not with her, can you, Ruby?” Carolyn paused at the stairs, pushing her reading glasses down to see Ruby’s face.

“No, ma’am. Whatever you deem right, Carolyn.”

“Sleep together.” His mother waved the issue away with her hand. “We’re liberated women, aren’t we, Ruby?”

Ruby nearly coughed up a lung. “Yes, ma’am. Have a good night.”

Once she was gone, Alec and Ruby looked at each other, both relieved to let their guards down.

“Whoa, that was stressful,” Alec exclaimed then led Ruby outside to give her a tour of the neighborhood. Although the house was small, it had been well-maintained, and Carolyn’s garden in the backyard was more beautiful than through the window. Ruby admired the roses situated behind the house, and she bent to smell a large red one.

“Your mom seems like an amazing lady,” Ruby said as they strolled the street. Fireflies were beginning to emerge from the grasses, blinking lazily as the sun went down.

“She is. You remind me of her in a way. Hardworking, respectable.” Alec put his hands in his pockets as they walked, as Ruby wondered. Did she want to be known only as hardworking and respectable? She’d seen the kind of women Alec used to date in the past, and they’d been sexy, hot women. She wanted to be sexy and hot for Alec, too. “I didn’t know how hard she worked when I was a kid,” Alec continued, this time taking Ruby’s hand. “I mean, I knew she worked a lot, but I didn’t know she did it all so I could play football.”

“Wow, that’s really admirable.”

“Thanks. Yeah, she worked herself to the bone for me because she always believed in me.” He shook his head. “I owe her everything.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t buy her a big, flashy house, knowing you.”

He laughed. “Hey, what do you mean, knowing me? I’m not too flashy. And I tried. But she said she was going to die in this house that she worked so hard to buy, and I didn’t have the heart to press the issue. I did buy her a brand-new car, though.”

“And she never has to work another day in her life again,” Ruby added.

“That’s true. I don’t ever want to see her struggle again. Worked my ass off to make sure I changed that.” They fell into silence as they meandered. Ruby took in the neighborhood, enjoying seeing people rocking chairs on their porches or taking evening strolls. It was a serene neighborhood in Charleston, and she could understand why Carolyn hadn’t wanted to leave it.

“You know why I really wanted to play football?” Alec said with a sad smile.

“Cheerleaders?”

“Not even close.” Alec’s whole demeanor changed. Serious, unloading truth. “When I was a kid, I hoped to get into the NFL so when I got on TV, my dad would see me and regret that he’d walked away in the first place.”

Ruby stopped mid-stride and touched Alec’s cheek. Her heart ached for him. “That’s so sad, Alec. I’m sorry to hear that.” It was such a touching story, one that would have benefited him to use for PR purposes. Not Alec, though. He wanted to keep his personal life, especially his mother, out of the public eye, and she respected him all the more for it.

She’d worked with a lot of famous people, most of whom wouldn’t think twice about using their families for a great story to enhance their personal image. Yet as she walked alongside Alec, and they began to return to Carolyn’s house, she couldn’t help but admire his integrity. He would protect his mother to his last breath, leaving her out of the picture, the media, everything, and even though he could easily persuade her to do an interview that would easily gain him sympathy, he refused even to consider it. He’d rather have a tarnished image—and career—than potentially damage his relationship with the person he probably loved most in this world.

Her heart twisted at that thought. What would it be like to be loved by a man like that? A man who would do anything to protect her? It was a dangerous thought, one she wanted to push far away. After all, she’d decided to just have fun for now, not think about things too seriously with Alec. But it hung about her throughout the rest of the evening as she did some work on her laptop, as Alec puttered around the house, helping to fix his mother’s porch screen, tighten a faucet, and other things she needed help with. This man was a do-er. He hadn’t just landed a position on an NFL team. He’d earned it through hard work and dedication, and she respected him all the more for it.

At one moment, watching him fix a molding that had popped out of place, seeing his muscles ripple and his beads of sweat from his exertion, she knew this was the kind of man she wanted. A man who loved his mother would love her the same way. No, she wasn’t just open to dating Alec LeBrun—she was falling in love with him.

Hard.

Despite her plan to wait for further information.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. It was like all of the oxygen had been sucked from the room. The truth hit her hard, and when it did, she couldn’t focus on her work anymore. She had to take this man—this beautiful, sweet man—upstairs right now, right this second, and make love to him.