Ruby was absurdly pleased he’d noticed despite his date’s attempts to hold his attention. She saw he had the other half of the soda in his glass, and her smile turned to a grin. When he held the glass up in a silent toast, she tossed her hair back and clinked her glass to his before taking a sip.
“So, tell me about yourself.” She tilted her head at him and he shrugged. “I know something about every single employee in the firm except you. You are a total enigma.”
Ruby bit her lip and sighed. He was right. She’d gone out of her way to avoid him. “Let’s see. I’m twenty-four, never been married, have a bachelor’s degree from VSU, and, um, I live alone except for my cat, Cliona.”
He choked on a mouthful of soda. “C-Cliona?”
She pounded him on the back. She didn’t know many grown men who were willing to admit to liking fairy tales. “You like Irish fairy tales?”
She could sense he was struggling with a laugh and wondered at it. “You could say that. My parents are both Irish. Why did you name your cat after a fairy queen?”
“She’s a cat, therefore she’s a queen already.” Ruby shrugged, wondering why she was slightly embarrassed. “I liked the name, and the legend.”
“She ran away from Tir Nan Og with a mortal lover, only to have the fairies steal her back.”
Ruby could feel herself blushing under Leo’s intense scrutiny and turned her face away to stare at the glass in her hand. It was like he was trying to read her mind. “I think she should have been allowed to be with her lover. It wasn’t fair of the faeries to decide he wasn’t good enough for her.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and could have sworn she heard a soft groan. “Anyway, Cliona pretty much rules the place.” She looked up at him out of the corner of her eye. “Do you have any pets?”
He nodded. “Actually, I have several. I have a cat named Clannad—”
“Like the band?”
He nodded. “I also have a dog named Eire, and horse named Mr. Ed.”
It was her turn to choke on a sip of soda. “Mr. Ed?”
He shrugged, looking a little sheepish and a whole lot sexy. “He likes to talk back.”
18
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Dare to Believe
She laughed. “My parents are still together, and living in Petersburg. Yours?”
“Still very much in love. They have a farm out in Nebraska.”
“You’re a Nebraska farm boy?” She could hear the disbelief in her voice and bit her lip, hoping he wouldn’t be offended and end one of the best nights she’d had in a long time.
One dark brow rose cockily. “Want to see me hitch a plow and dig a furrow?”
“Maybe later.” She blushed again and turned her gaze back down to her glass. Now what made me say that?
She gave him big brownie points for holding back his laugh.
He sipped the soda in his glass before putting the glass down on the coffee table. He leaned forward, folding his hands and leaning his elbows on his knees. “My parents emigrated from Ireland after my father met and fell in love with my mother.” She sensed rather than saw his shrug. “Funny, the way you feel about Cliona. My mom’s family…well, let’s say they’re a little upper-crusty. They considered my father beneath them, so when my mom decided to marry him they threatened to disown her.”
She looked into his eyes and saw no pain or regret there. “Does your family see them at all?”
He sighed. “My grandparents passed away. The rest of the clan only sees us occasionally, and it’s always a little awkward. Mom can’t forget the way they treated Dad, but Dad doesn’t hold a grudge. As far as he’s concerned, they only wanted what was best for their daughter.”
“He sounds like a good man.”
“He is.” There was a total conviction in his voice that betrayed the love and respect he had for his father. Ruby found herself revising her opinion slightly of her playboy boss. He sounded like someone whose family meant a great deal to him.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Ruby had neither, but loved hearing about other’s families.
“I have a younger sister, Moira, and an older brother, Shane.”
“The middle child, huh? How did you wind up with Leo?”
He leaned back, his face full of laughter and memories. “Rock paper scissors.”
“Huh?”
“My parents played rock paper scissors to figure out what to name us. Best two out of three won. Dad won twice, Mom won once.”
“And you were Leo?”
“Yup. She said I roared like a lion from the day I was born.”
She couldn’t help it. She had to laugh.
“How’d your parents come to name you Ruby?”
“My mom’s favorite soap opera character. She was so strong, and my mom wanted that for me. It’s sort of a good luck charm.”
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19
Dana Marie Bell
There was a brief contemplative silence, each of them trying to think of what to say or ask next. It was strange in that it didn’t feel awkward, the way such silences tended to be. There weren’t that many people she felt comfortable with. Surprising that Leo Dunne seemed to be one of them.
“Are you hungry?”
Her stomach rumbled loudly at the thought of food.