“When did you decide to go ahead without me?”

I swivel around in my chair, interrupted in the middle of reviewing all of the photos and descriptions from the majority of the Ashworth estate. “Ruby.” I’m up in an instant, crossing the room, leaning in for a kiss.

She puts one hand against my chest, stopping me before my lips can make contact with her cheek. “Levi, I want an answer.”

“What do you mean?”

Ruby takes a deep breath, and for the first time I see that she’s struggling to keep her emotions in check. “I didn’t call you about this because I wanted to ask you in person. I had to ask you in person.” She steels herself. “Did you meet my father at the estate today?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I didn’t. I sent one of my assistants, Clarissa. There were a few items that—”

“There was supposed to be an auction.”

I put my hands on Ruby’s shoulders. “Let me explain.”

Her chin quivers. “Fine. But do it quickly. We’re supposed to be working together on this, and now—”

“Here. Come in.” I take her by the hand and pull her over the threshold, closing the office door behind us. Ruby allows herself to be guided toward a small loveseat off to the side, and I sit next to her, not letting go of her hand. “Yesterday I sent a team to catalogue and move most of the items left in the house. There are still a few things to deal with, but most of them are taken care of.”

“I can’t believe you would do that without me.”

I stifle the urge to laugh, even if it is just a gentle, indulgent laugh. It would only make her angrier. “This is what people hire me to do. It’s not necessary on my end to have someone from the estate with me every step of the way. That was—” I look into her eyes. “That was a way for us to spend time together, but I don’t think we need that now. Do you?”

Ruby’s jaw clenches, and she looks down at our hands. “No. I guess not.”

“I should have told you, regardless.” I put two fingers under her chin and raise her face so she’s looking into my eyes. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

She swallows hard. “Why did you do it like this?”

“Because I got the impression—” I stroke the back of my hand over her face and let it fall to our laps, putting it over our clasped hands. “I got the impression that it was all weighing on you. You were up half the night on Friday, worried about the money, worried about the auction…” I shake my head. “There’s no reason for us to keep going back week after week when it breaks your heart.”

“It doesn’t break my heart.”

“Ruby…”

“It doesn’t.”

“It’s alright if it does.”

There it is—that same vulnerability in her eyes that drew me to her the moment I saw her. “Maybe a little.” Her voice has dropped to a whisper.

I take her in my arms, ready for tears, but Ruby doesn’t cry. She just relaxes against me. 

After a long minute, she straightens up. “Don’t you still want—” Her eyes search my face. “Don’t you still want my opinion on the pieces?”

“Absolutely.” I give her a grin, and the corners of her mouth turn up a little. “Here.” I pull a tablet off my desk. “I had everything photographed, with descriptions, so that we could go through the collection without having to drive up there every other day. It’s all here, other than a few smaller pieces of furniture that your parents had specifically earmarked for sale at earliest convenience.”

She looks down at the tablet and sighs. “Well, that’s a relief. I don’t know why it’s a relief. None of this is—” A laugh bubbles up. “None of this is mine, anyway.”

“You grew up in that house, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” A smile spreads across her face.

“I want to hear all about it.”

“Right now?”

“Right now, and later, and every day. But I think a good starting point would be to look at some of these pictures. It’s a lot faster than driving, right?”

“Right.”

I flip through the first few photographs. Ruby doesn’t have much to say about two of the antique sofas, but she does have something to say about a Victorian wardrobe that was in one of the guest suites on the second floor. “Oh, my god, we loved that thing.”

“What about it?”

“I mean, look at it. Doesn’t it remind you of something?”

I grin at her. “Let me guess. You were fans of a certain series of books involving a magic land that could only be accessed through the back of a wardrobe.”

“Oh, big time.” Ruby laughs. “Henry and I spent hours playing in those rooms. We would even sit in it and hope that the back panel would disappear.”

“Did it?”

“Sadly, no.” She traces her fingers over the screen.

“I’ll make sure it only falls into the best of hands. Just in case.”

Ruby’s voice is choked. “Good.”

We flip to the next item on the list, and a certainty blooms in my chest. I’ve been planning for this since the beginning without really knowing what I was going to do, but now, with Ruby sitting next to me, a sheen of tears in her eyes, I have it.

I know exactly what I’m going to do.

I know exactly who I’m going to contact. I can have this over and done with in a couple of days, if I pull some strings.

“It’s so overwhelming,” she says, and I realize she had time to go through several more items while I was thinking.

“What is?”

“Having a home this large, with so many things in it.” She sighs. “It’s overwhelming living in a tiny space, too. I don’t know why I feel so torn about it one second, and the next…”

“You’re hardly the first person to feel that way.”

“I know.” She laughs, a low little sound that resonates in my chest. “It’s so selfish, to be this agonized. I hate that about myself.”

I smooth my hand over her hair. Today, she’s wearing it mostly down, one side pinned back in a style that reminds me of Hollywood in the thirties. “It’s only natural. You grew up with all these things…all these expectations. Nobody would expect you to let them go overnight.”

“I want to.”

“I know.”

“I think it’s just that sometimes…” She rolls her eyes. “It’s so stupid. But there are times when it feels like—” Ruby laughs out loud, like she’s discovering something for the first time. “You know what? Never mind. I came in here thinking I was going to have to fight with you about overstepping your bounds and going behind my back and all kinds of dumb things.”

“Now what are you going to do?”

Ruby leans against me, closer in. “Does that door have a lock on it?”

“Which door?” I look at her with wide eyes. “Are you talking about my office door?”

“Yes. That door exactly.” She points.

“Unbelievable.” I shake my head slowly. “Whatever happened to the line between business and pleasure?”

“This did.” Ruby sits up straight, reaches for the hem of the sleeveless blouse she’s wearing, and tugs it over her head.

I don’t argue.