Ruby stared at herself in the mirror, barely recognizing the reflection that stared back. It wasn’t just that she was older. Life had thrown a lot at her, and she didn’t wear it well. The bags under her eyes were evidence of all the sleepless nights Ruby still had. After marrying Clark, it hadn’t taken long to get used to sleeping with another person. But after his death, she’d never gotten used to sleeping without him by her side. Her laughter lines had also faded over the years.
Ruby grabbed her phone and called Zoe. It rang several times before Zoe picked up. “I can’t do it,” Ruby said.
“Yes, you can. It’s not like you’re going out with a stranger. Parker’s already been over to your house for dinner, and you’ve s
Parker stood on Ruby’s front porch. His hands had suddenly gone clammy, and he wiped them on his pants. What was wrong with him? This was almost as bad as when he had waited at the movie theater, except he shouldn’t be this nervous to help someone prepare for a baby shower. Especially because it wasn’t even his baby!Parker raised a hand to knock, but the door swung open before he had the chance. Ruby stood in the doorway, her dark hair flowing over her shoulders. She wore an oversized T-shirt and leggings that accentuated her figure.“Beautiful,” he murmured.Ruby gave him a crooked smile. “Sorry?”Parker cle
Ruby watched Parker mix the green onions and pineapple in with the cream cheese. She hadn’t let it soften long enough, and Parker’s muscles flexed with each attempt to mix the ingredients together. She turned her attention back to the cups of yogurt parfait she was assembling in layers. Parker hadn’t complained last night when she gave him a long list of ingredients and supplies they’d need. He hadn’t asked her to come with him again, which left her both disappointed and relieved.Ruby couldn’t have gone, of course. Besides the fact that she was at the daycare for most of the day, Parker needed to take his car to fit all the groceries in the trunk, and that would have brought up yet another conversation that Ruby didn’t want to have.She liked t
What had Parker been thinking when he invited Ruby to the balloon festival? He knew her husband had died in a plane crash, and now he was taking her to a festival where he would be flying? Parker had never expected her to actually agree to go away for the weekend with him, though he had desperately wanted her to.He pulled up in front of Ruby’s house, his heart beating an erratic rhythm. He still wondered if Ruby was seriously going. She had been so emphatic about not spending the weekend with him that her text had completely thrown him off guard.After he’d called to confirm that there hadn’t been some sort of miscommunication, Parker had immediately packed up all his stuff and wishe
When Parker pulled into a crappy motel parking lot, Ruby thought it must be some kind of joke. It didn’t match the nice car he drove, which was black, sleek, and screamed money. Something about the fanciness of the car had made her feel safe, though. The leather seats were incredible, there was plenty of legroom, and there were airbag symbols everywhere. She didn’t think she’d have been able to make the trip in any other vehicle.And now they were sitting in front of a motel that probably had dead bodies under the beds.She didn’t mean to be ungrateful, considering she wasn’t the one paying for any of this, but the unexpected feeling of safety she’d enjoyed for the past three hours had suddenly been replaced by anxiety. Not only did the motel look lik
Parker watched Ruby’s retreating back. How could he have been so stupid? She was right. How else had he thought she would react? Ruby was trying to get away from all the crap she’d held bottled up, and instead, he’d brought her face to face with one of her greatest fears—flying. It had taken a lot to convince her to come when she thought they’d only be watching the balloons. But now that she knew he was flying his own? Parker would be surprised if she ever spoke to him again. Up until a week ago, that wouldn’t have been a problem. In fact, he would have welcomed it. He had washed his hands of Ruby a long time ago. But all it had taken was one chance meeting, and she had once again brought him to his knees.“Dude, what was that about?” Andy asked.
Ruby quickly changed into pajama bottoms and an oversized T-shirt, wanting nothing more than to be in bed and asleep by the time Parker got out of the shower. Except it was the very fact that Parker was showering that kept Ruby awake. She lay in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. When she heard the water turn off, she rolled over, her back to the bathroom door, and squeezed her eyes shut. She would not think of Parker in any way except as an acquaintance who could occasionally be considered a friend.Except, did acquaintances go on weekend trips together? Maybe. Would they stay in the same hotel room together? Only under duress, and she considered herself in that category.The bathroom door opened and a couple of minutes later Ruby felt the other side of the bed sink with Parker&rsq
Parker’s alarm went off. He groaned and rolled over. The clock sat right in front of his face on the nightstand and the numbers blinked in bright red, making him see spots. He turned the alarm off and sat up, used to having to force himself awake. If his body had its way, it would have missed every hot air balloon competition since he’d started—always begging for just five more minutes. But he had learned from experience that five more minutes turned into five more hours, and there was no way he was allowing that to happen. He had thought he’d only get to fly one day in the festival, but because he and Ruby came early, he’d be able to fly two. Sleep could wait.Parker stretched and walked to the bathroom. He started to drop his pants but froze when a voice said, “Do you mind shutting the door first?”
Ruby couldn’t believe she had done that. A torrent of complex emotions catapulted through her as she followed Parker to his car. Guilt was definitely at the forefront. But that prison she had told Parker about was very real, and for the split second it took her to kiss him she had felt free from it. She had felt peace, and happiness, and excitement. But she was experiencing the repercussions of it now.Ruby avoided Parker’s gaze as she slid into the front seat. It took a moment to realize he was just sitting in the driver’s seat, watching her, not starting the car.“You okay?” he asked. “If I did something wrong—”“No,” Ruby interrupted. “You have nothin
Zoe walked down the sidewalk, arm in arm with her best friend, Ruby. The sun had set an hour earlier and all they were left with was the light from the street lamps, splashing across the road. Summer was her favorite time of year, despite the monsoon rains that would leave as quickly as they arrived, and despite the mosquitoes the rain invariably brought with it. And right then, she loved the scents of the desert mingled with campfire smoke that surrounded them as they walked down Main Street toward the town park.“Too bad Parker couldn’t be here for the star party,” Zoe said, turning the corner by the bike shop. A small path led to the large park that was tucked away behind the buildings, w
Bev stretched out in bed, her toes dangling over the edge. Katie had encouraged her to take a long weekend, and it was the best thing Bev could have done. Of course, that didn’t stop her mind from drifting to Charles, or keep her from constantly looking at the picture that Katie had given her. The one where she was floating in zero gravity, the earth behind her…while she kissed Charles. It was a picture-perfect moment, and one that she kept coming back to.Bev kept asking herself if she had overreacted. Maybe. She would never know, though. She had texted Charles several times over the previous few days. Even if nothing else happened between them, she wanted the chance to apologize. She felt bad about how she had left things, and the things she had said to him.But he’
Charles arrived early at the celebratory lunch. They were meeting in a large conference room that had been decorated with glittering stars that hung from the ceiling. The black tablecloth also glittered, as though millions of stars were sprinkled all over it, but he couldn’t enjoy it when all he felt was regret. Charles had watched Bev walk away, and he had done nothing to stop her. But how could he have? Everything he had said, she’d turned it on its head and made him into the bad guy.When he had said her homelessness didn’t matter to him, he hadn’t meant that her experiences weren’t important. He had only meant that he didn’t care if she was a billionaire, or a kindergarten teacher. Or even homeless. It was the money that didn’t matter to him. But he was never able to explain himself. Bev had been so angry, he
The spaceship landed with a thud and Bev’s heart thudded with it. They were back on Earth. Their journey was over. But not completely. After seeing the earth, so innocent and small, all of her problems seemed minuscule by comparison. She didn’t feel she had the right to complain about a broken high heel or having to eat spaghetti again for dinner when she’d rather have steak.Bev unbuckled her harness and Charles held out a hand to help her stand. She wasn’t sure why he thought she needed the help, until she tried and her legs wobbled under her. She took his gloved hand in hers, grateful for the support. It wasn’t until they walked down the steps from the spaceship that she let g
Charles felt queasy, but he didn’t think it was because of the motion of the spaceship. His nerves were clawing at him and his heart beat so fast, he thought it too was trying to escape. He touched the button on the side of his helmet. “You guys okay if I start talking through the techniques a little early? Or at least a little deep breathing?”“Yes, please,” Brady said, practically begging.“Breathe in…and hold it. One…two…three…four. Now slowly let it out,” Charles said. He was sure he needed it more than anyone else, but saying it out loud, and knowing the others were doing it with him, helped calm him down.The pilot’s voice cut in just as
Bev woke up long before the sun rose. That would have implied that she slept, though, and she didn’t get much of that. This time it wasn’t because of Charles, however. He had texted her as she was getting ready for bed, asking if she wanted to go for an evening stroll. She had considered it, but in the end decided it would just complicate things. She hadn’t texted him back.Judging by the tossing and turning she heard from the other two beds, she doubted that Cecelia or Katie had slept either. Who could, when they knew they would be going up to space in just a few short hours? They had been prepared. They were ready.Even though Bev had ignored Charles’ text the night before, she peeked through the blinds next to her window, half hoping that he would be out there
“Welcome to the simulation lab,” Julie said, stopping and opening a door that their badges didn’t allow them access to.Bev was the first one to step through the door, but it was so dark, she couldn’t see her own hand in front of her face. “Is there a light around here somewhere?”“Take about three more steps and it will kick on,” Julie said.It was a little unnerving stepping into the dark, but she did as she was told. As promised, the lights clicked on, but the sudden brightness momentarily sent spots through her vision. When they cleared, Bev’s breath caught in her throat.She was standing in a room that was even larger than the roo
“I can’t believe I said that,” Bev said, pacing back and forth in their dorm room. “To a billionaire.”“So what? You told him you know your way around a cardboard box. That could mean anything,” Katie said, studying her reflection in the full-length mirror on the closet door. “I really like this spacesuit. Doctor Randall said we get to take it home as a souvenir. Usually when I get free stuff, it’s a lousy T-shirt that is three sizes too big.”“Can we focus on me for a moment?” Bev asked. “Everyone associates homeless people with living in cardboard boxes. Where would we even get a box that would be big enough to fit inside? It’s not like people just throw those things out on the street.” She sighe
Charles felt disoriented as he leaned on Doctor Randall. His body had never been through so much torture. But he had done it, and without puking. He had Bev to thank for that. He slid into his chair in the hall, many of his teammates looking similar to how he felt. Only three people were left: Brady, Cecelia, and Katie. With each person who came out, Katie made another phone call to her daughter. The last time she’d returned, she’d complained that her sister-in-law had stopped picking up the phone.“Guess I better show you how it’s done, eh?” Cecelia said, teasing Brady. She smiled as she said it, but her eyes held fire. Whatever anxiety she’d had before had been replaced by the feud between her and the young actor. Who knew someone could gain a nemesis on a space tourism flight?