“Shouldn’t love be something that takes time?”
“Who says?”
“The movies?” She snorted.
“I think when it comes to love you should embrace everything. Don’t shortchange yourself. I’ve seen a difference inside you since you’ve been with Oliver. Don’t question it.”
She went into his arms when he opened them up.
“I’ve actually got an appointment with Maddox. Do you want me to drive you somewhere?” he asked.
“Nope. I’m actually waiting for my man.”
Lewis kissed her head, and she followed him toward the door. “I’m proud of you, you know that.”
“Why?”
“You didn’t allow your need for revenge to ruin a good thing. The Dentons, their legacy, their curse, whatever you want to call it. It has its uses. Oliver, he loves you.”
The warmth from his words spread throughout her body. “I’ll be seeing you, Lewis.”
“Yep.”
He left her home, and she spun around, going into a different room. Opening the curtains, she allowed the sunshine to come in. The dust was thick, but she already had the number for a good expert cleaner, which she intended to use.
Entering the kitchen, she folded her arms, seeing her younger self with Lionel. The images in her mind faded as the front door opened. Moving into the main corridor, she saw Oliver Denton, the man who had once been her enemy, now her friend and lover, the man she actually loved shaking off some of the snow that had fallen outside.
“It’s fucking freezing.”
“I want to get the gasman out before I even attempt to put any form of heat on.” She rubbed her arms. “Thank you for coming.”
“Babe, when are you going to realize if you whistled I’d come to you?”
She chuckled. Holding out her hands, she felt a calmness settle over as he took them. Locking their fingers together, she stared at them, bound together.
“Do you love me?” she asked.
“Yes.”
There wasn’t even any hesitation. Oliver Denton, the man that screwed other men’s wives, and laughed about it, had fallen in love with her. The ugly duckling, the plain Jane, the killer.
“I love you, too.”
She saw the shock in his eyes at her words.
“I’m not saying them to make you feel better either. You should know by now that I’m not the kind of woman who does that.”
“I already figured that out. Dad told me you were heading here even before I got your call.”
“This is my home. This is where my family was, Oliver.”
She released his hand, and pulled a ring out of her jeans’ pocket. Ruby didn’t know if anyone of the women had ever proposed to their man before, but she wanted to do something different. After trying to kill him, and keeping him at arm’s length, she wanted him to know that she was devoted to their relationship.
Lowering herself to one knee, she took hold of his hand, and held in the laughter at the look of shock on his face.
“Ruby, what the hell are you doing?” he asked.
“Oliver Denton, you are the strangest person I’ve ever met, but you’re also the only one who has ever made me feel so complete. I love you, and I don’t care if it’s because some curse, or anything else. I know that what we feel, it’s real, and that is all that matters. So, Oliver, I’m asking, will you be my husband, and will you help me fill this house with beautiful children, and happy memories because that is what I want … so bad.”