Chapter 201

Ruby

February

I'm nervous as I smooth the dress down my torso, examining the way it shows the bare patch of skin at my stomach. Caleb is supposed to be here to pick me up in an hour. Excitement bubbles up in my throat as I think about how he's going to play my body after our dinner reservation. I bought special lingerie for tonight, and I can't wait to show it to him.

I'm finishing up my hair when my phone rings. Seeing his smiling face, my stomach immediately sinks. Foreboding hits me hard, and I know he's about to cancel.

"Hey," I answer, trying to sound much more positive than I feel.

"Red." The regret is deep in his voice, like he wants to tell me anything other than what he's about to.

"You have to cancel don't you?"

He sighs heavily. "I do. There's been a bad wreck on sixty-five, and they've called everybody in. There's some fatalities, Ruby. Dad and I are both responding."

Carefully I control my emotions, because I don't want him to know I'm upset. There's nothin