Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Maybe she's worried about what I'll do with the pictures, or maybe that look in her eye has nothing to do with us at all.
I turn my head away, running a hand up her back before I quickly pull on my jeans. "I won't share the pictures," I state without making eye contact. Picking up her clothes from the floor, I hand them to her.
She nods as she takes the clothes, and we stand in tense silence as she gets dressed. The tension between us is suffocating, and I can feel it choking me. Finally, I can't take it anymore.
"Listen, Ruby, I-"
"I'm fine, Pope. Everything's fine. I’m just tired." She cuts me off. We move silently out of the bathroom. I nod at the waitress to put our drinks on my tab and then we leave, the thought of dinner long forgotten. We walk across the street to my truck and she slides in, slamming the door before I can say anything else.
Part of me feels like I broke through her tough exterior and saw glimpses of the real girl inside. But another part of me feels like she kicked me to the curb, with no chance of ever breaking down her walls again.
I slide behind the wheel, then gesture for her to slide across the cab so our thighs are touching. I grasp her knee and squeeze, keeping it there the entire drive to my cabin nestled at the base of Copper Mountain. The silence hangs heavy between us, but it’s not uncomfortable.
“I can make us some dinner when we get to my place.”
“I just want to sleep, it’s been a long day,” comes her gentle reply. She rests her hand on my thigh and smiles up at me sweetly.
“Ruby–” I start, but then pause, measuring my net words. “I want you to stay with me. Forever. I want you to feel safe, and the only way I can do that is if you’re sleeping under my roof every night.
Her eyes gleam and twinkle up at me, her lips curling into a soft smile. “I would love that, Pope.” She clamps her teeth into her bottom lip. “Cuddling with you every night sounds like Heaven.”
“Good,” I squeeze her thigh, “because the idea of waking up to your sweet smile every morning makes me the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Epilogue
Ruby
The sun is shining so brightly over Copper Mountain that it feels like the whole town is basking in some sort of golden glow. I don’t know if it’s just the excitement of the day or the fact that Pope’s standing so close to me, but there’s a warmth in the air that goes beyond the summer heat.
“Ready?” Pope asks, his voice low and rough, but there’s a softness there too. It always sneaks in when he’s talking to me, like no matter how gruff he tries to be, he can’t help but let that tender side show.
I nod, gripping the oversized scissors a little tighter. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
The whole town’s out here for the ribbon-cutting, and I mean the whole town. You can’t walk five feet without someone stopping to chat or congratulate us. Pope’s brothers—Archer, Arrow, Barron, Judge, Creed, King, Knox, and Cruz—are all spread out, looking ridiculously handsome and rugged, just like Pope, as if the Steele family could be a lineup for a lumberjack calendar. Even Betty from the Copper Country Café is standing front and center, arms crossed, a knowing grin on her face like she’s the proud matchmaker of the century.
“You look a little too pleased with yourself, Betty,” I call out, giving her a teasing smirk as I approach the ribbon. She waves a hand, but her smile only grows.
“I knew it, honey! I knew you two were perfect together,” she says with a wink. “First Barron, then Knox, now Pope; I’ll get the rest of these boys married off if it’s the last thing I do!”
Her words send a ripple of laughter through the crowd, but Pope doesn’t budge beside me. He’s steady as ever, his hand a solid presence on the small of my back. It’s a reminder that he’s here—always here. And that’s a feeling I never thought I’d have.
The scissors snap through the ribbon with a clean snip, and cheers erupt from the townspeople. It feels surreal, like all the hard work, the long nights, the moments I thought this library—and maybe even Pope and I—might not make it, have all been worth it.
But just as I’m about to turn and welcome everyone inside, Pope raises his hand, cutting through the noise. My heart stutters. What’s he doing?
“I’ve got something to say before anyone goes in,” Pope announces, his deep voice carrying easily over the crowd. The noise dies down instantly, and all eyes are on him. Including mine. There’s something in his tone, something that makes my stomach flip in anticipation.