Chapter 6

6

“ I , Declan MacIntyre, Lord of Inverary and Auchnabreac, do take thee, Nicola Abercrombie of Kinloch, as me bride and me lady.” At the sound of the sweet words in the low rumble of Declan’s gravelly voice, Nicola’s knees went weak.

But it was her turn. “I, Nicola of Kinloch, do take thee, Declan of Inverary and Auchna…” She stumbled over the Scottish place name as she always did, but Declan only smiled softly at her and nodded to encourage her to try again. “Auchnabreac, as my husband and my lord.”

They’d crept out of her room in the night to get to a decrepit hermit’s cottage deep in the dark woods of the Kinloch Estate. “Marry me, Nicola,” Declan had commanded. “Here and now, handfast to me with Auld Alasdair, your father canna do anything about it if we join.”

“Is it real?” she’d breathed, gazing into his dark eyes under the light of a small lantern. “Would it be a real marriage?”

“Aye, real enough, lass, real enough in the eyes of God and the law…”

And so, they’d entered the cottage, where Auld Alisdair had been sat waiting for them, looked as if he’d been sat there for hundreds of years. Shakily, Nicola watched the grizzled hermit now as he wrapped a rough strip of tartan cloth around their joined hands. “I, Alisdair of Klininver, join ye two as one under the eye of God ? —”

The door burst open. “Nicola!” James Abercrombie’s voice boomed around the dusty, ivy-covered peat walls of the cottage.

“Father!” Panicked, she looked between Declan and Alisdair. Had they completed the ceremony? Was it too late for her father to interrupt them?

“I can’t believe I bought you a book, but you’re writing?” Sasha craned her neck to peer at Ruby’s laptop screen.

“I have a routine for these flights home,” Ruby said, pulling off her headphones and elbowing her companion gently in the ribs. “Two hours of work, then lunch and an hour nap, then reading the rest of the way as a reward. Don’t interrupt me, I’m on a roll.”

“But it’s almost been two hours anyway, and look.” Sasha pointed into the aisle, where the flight attendants were drawing up with their food and beverage carts. “Lunch.”

Ruby looked at her phone, where the alarm she had set was showing that it would be going off in a minute. She canceled it and closed her laptop. “Oh.”

Sasha flashed her a quick grin and turned towards the flight attendant. “A ginger ale for me and a Diet Coke for my partner, please.”

“Vegetarian or roasted chicken sandwich?” the flight attendant asked.

“One of each, we’ll share.” As she turned to Ruby, Sasha pushed her curls back from her face, a gesture Ruby was familiar with as one of Sash’s nervous tics. Sure enough, the hair push was followed quickly by an apologetic grin. “I thought we could split them. If that’s all right?”

“It’s fine, Sash. Thank you.” Ruby busied herself with putting away her laptop and headphones, deep in thought.

She liked to think of herself as an independent person. As in, to the point of ferocity independent. It was why she’d moved so far across the country to go to college, why she’d chosen to stay instead of going back to New York. So normally, she’d bristle at anyone ordering for her.

But there was something comforting and correct if it was Sasha doing it. Partly it was that she trusted Sasha’s food judgment implicitly, and they’d been friends long enough that she knew Sasha knew what she’d like.

Today, though, Sasha wasn’t only ordering for her. She’d done it specifically so they could share their lunches. And she’d looked out for Ruby, without even knowing it was time for Ruby to stop writing and eat. In Ruby’s bag, there was a copy of a new Casey McQuiston novel and half a pack of Twizzlers that Sasha had bought for her.

She felt protected. Looked after. No one she’d dated previously had ever done that. Certainly, Awful Antonia, as Esme had dubbed her, had done exactly the opposite of making Ruby feel safe and loved. With Sasha over the last couple of months, as they crafted their fairytale love story, Ruby had felt nothing but content and comfortable any time she was with Sasha, even during the motorcycle incident that still made her blush.

If it’s not like this, I don’t want it , it's an act, Ruby thought, and was surprised at how strongly she felt it. This ersatz love affair with Sasha was shaping up to be the blueprint for exactly what she wanted in a relationship. To feel like a loved and cherished partner, worth protecting, with someone who knew Ruby inside and out and had no intention of using any of it against her.

“Rubes?” Sasha tapped her on the shoulder and held out a sandwich package with the two sandwich halves. “I split them up. And here, I mixed the crackers and pretzels too.”

“Oh! Thanks.” Ruby couldn’t keep herself from smiling like she’d just been given the best Christmas gift. It was so silly, it was just some subpar airline sandwiches and snacks, but somehow it felt special because Sasha had made decisions with Ruby in mind. For Ruby. For both of them, together, as a partnership.

Yes, this is what I want when I find The One , Ruby decided as she munched on her faintly soggy egg salad sandwich. I want it to be just like this, with whoever it is.

“There.” Sasha dropped her beat up wheeled duffel bag next to Ruby’s feet and glanced around the baggage carousel. “I see your bag. I’ve got it.”

Without another word, Sasha jogged alongside the carousel to pick up Ruby’s shiny purple hard-sided suitcase. She needed one last moment to herself after that plane ride and before they met up with Ruby’s family. To collect herself after Ruby had napped, head on Sasha’s shoulder, her spicy floral perfume and fresh citrusy shampoo filling Sasha’s nostrils and making it impossible for Sasha to nap herself.

As Ruby had slept, Sasha had allowed herself to pick up Ruby’s hand and hold it. To her surprise, Ruby slept like a log on an airplane.

Things were too real already. Meeting Ruby’s family was just going to mix her up even more, she was sure. Being in Ruby’s childhood home…

A thought occurred to Sasha and stopped her in her tracks just as she pulled Ruby’s bag off of the belt. Icy cold water flooded her veins.

“Sash?” Ruby called.

That snapped her out of her freeze. Wrapping her fingers more tightly around the handle of Ruby’s case, Sasha turned around and all but sprinted back and skidded to a stop. Ruby’s eyes were huge blue pools of surprise. “Sash? What the hell?”

“Bed,” Sasha rasped out. “Sleep. We never talked about sleeping arrangements at your mom’s house! Are we going to have to share a bed?” She wasn’t sure she could handle that for an entire week. Pressed up next to Ruby in a little bed, feeling her soft skin and smelling her fresh post-shower scent every night… no, that might undo Sasha entirely. She swallowed hard.

To her shock, Ruby tossed her head back and laughed. “Why are you freaking out?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with mirth. “My mother is Catholic , Sash. We’re not married. No way is she putting us in the same room. You’ll probably be on a pullout down in the basement rec room.” She looped her arm through Sasha’s and dragged her towards the airport exit. “Bonus, you get your own bathroom, my dad and brothers spent a whole summer putting an entire en suite and a kitchenette down there. Sure, it was so they could watch Giants games on the big screen and have snacks and bathroom access without missing more than two minutes of the action, but it sure does come in clutch when we have guests coming.” She paused. “You may have to share the room with a few of the kiddies. Or aunties. But everyone gets their own bed.”

“Well, now I don’t know what I’d prefer.” Ruby’s irrepressible cheer, which was growing by the moment the closer they got to meeting her family at the pick-up lot, was starting to rub off on Sasha. And she felt a little calmer now that she knew they wouldn’t be expected to share a bed. Their little PDA practices today had been disruptive enough to her fragile nerves.

She felt like she was holding her breath the whole time they were on the AirTrain to the pick-up lot. What should Sasha expect? Her family was small, just herself and her mother, and her mother never met her at the Minneapolis airport. Sasha had to rent a car and drive the two and a half hours to Duluth, where she’d be greeted with a hug and a hotdish. Maybe her Aunt Amy and Uncle Pete would be visiting from Silver Bay, maybe not. Home visits, for Sasha, were very low key.

She’d accompanied Ruby to LAX to pick up Daniel and Angela a few times. That had always been a rambunctious squeal-fest, lots of hugs and jumping up and down. Was today’s meeting going to be that but on steroids? Sasha had a sneaking suspicion that it would be. And while she didn’t mind when Daniel and Angie dragged her into a family hug, how would she feel if it were five dozen Fierellis doing it?

Well, surely it wouldn’t be that many. But it would be a couple of carloads full, Ruby had told her. Daniel and Angie would be there, so that would be nice. But Mama Fierelli would be there, and Sasha had no idea what she was like. “Typical Italian Catholic mom,” Ruby had told her, but what did that mean ? She’d had a whole dossier on Ruby’s family, but she knew perfectly well that facts paled next to actual experience.

“Lefferts Boulevard Station,” came the overhead announcement, and just like that, all of Sasha’s time to try and anticipate what was coming ran right out. She sucked in a deep breath and followed Ruby off of the train.

Ambush .

It was the only way to describe what happened. There were balloons, big shiny ones, bunches of little colorful ones. Signs, Sharpie on posterboard, lots of hearts and stars and Welcome Home Ruby written in big puffy letters. And shrieking, and hugging, and?—

Sasha felt her suitcase taken from her hand, and she was pulled aside. To her relief, it was Daniel’s friendly, smiling blue eyes from behind glasses as heavy and black as Ruby’s that greeted her. “Sash. I’m so glad it’s you she brought.”

“I’m so glad it’s you who found me in this crowd.” She threw her arms around him in a quick, grateful hug, then pulled back to look him over. “Look at you, Mister Almost Married! Where’s the blushing bride?”

“Back at the homestead helping Rosie and Aunt Cee put the finishing touches on a big family dinner. Hope you’re in the mood for lasa—oop.”

Daniel stumbled after getting a hipcheck from a short, dark haired woman with Ruby’s eyes and sunshine smile. “Is this her? Sasha? I’m Mama Elena. Lemme get a look at my girl’s girl.”

Sasha froze as two strong hands gripped her biceps and laser-like blue eyes saw so deeply into her. Elena Fierelli tilted her head and gave one sharp nod. “You look like a nice girl. Are you?”

How to answer that? “I’m from Minnesota…”

“Oh, yeah. You’ll be a nice girl. Good. You like to eat?”

“I’m a chef.”

“That’s right . Dom, you hear that? Our Ruby brought us a chef .” Elena’s smile was truly radiant as she ushered Sasha to a big black Chevy Suburban. “Finally, someone who appreciates food other than pizza. And maybe you can help us out this week? Lots of meals to make for lots of people, we can use the extra hands.”

“Anything you want,” Sasha stammered as she was handed up into the middle row of the SUV, followed by a giggly Ruby. The doors were closed around them and she had a split second to say, “I was unprepared .”

“Sorry,” Ruby chortled. “I really don’t know how to fully explain my family. But you’ve heard me talk about them for years! This couldn’t have been a total surprise.”

“True. True. And yet somehow…” Sasha shook her head, but there was no more time for discussion. Doors opened and the vehicle filled up with Fierellis. Daniel slipped in past them to the back seat, followed by a pair of taller versions of him that had to be the twins, Dom Junior and Dante. Mama Elena climbed into the front passenger seat and immediately twisted around with happiness all over her face.

“Sasha, you haven’t met Ruby’s father yet,” she announced as the driver’s side door open and a tall, broad-shouldered man with gunmetal gray hair and an amiable face wedged himself behind the steering wheel.

He looked into the rearview mirror and waved. “Sasha, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Dom Senior, you can call me Papa Dom, everyone does.”

“Nice to meet you, Papa Dom.” Sasha managed to get out.

“I’m Dom Junior,” volunteered one of the twins from the back seat.

“Dante,” said the other.

“You already know me, Sash.” Daniel. Without looking, Sasha could tell he was swapping grins with Ruby as they both delighted in her overwhelm.

“Buckle up, everybody. We got a long drive ahead of us. At least there’s gonna be a great dinner at the end of it.” Ruby’s mother flashed one more sunshine smile before she turned to face forward. “Sasha, you can tell us all about yourself, don’t leave anything out!”

Sasha thought she might leave out one fact: that she desperately wished she knew how to phase through a car seat and disappear.

“I made the bed this morning, fresh clean sheets, no scent detergent just like you like, Ruby baby.” Her mother squeezed her around her waist, and Ruby tried not to wince at the firmness of the grip. Thanks to years of teaching Pilates to Staten Island PTA mommies, Elena Fierelli had arm strength that would make a Marine cry—and had at least once, as she recalled.

She hugged her mother back, considerably more gently. “Thank you, Mama. I love how you still haven’t changed anything in here. You know you can get rid of the Fall Out Boy posters any time you want?”

Sasha was looking around the room in amazement, her jaw fully dropped. “It’s like a time capsule. And why is it so pink ? Wait, are those prom pictures stuck to the mirror? From the prom?” She almost sprinted over to Ruby’s cluttered vanity, pushing ancient bottles of black Wet N Wild nail polish out of the way to peer at the Polaroids.

Elena had one hand over her heart and a sentimental look on her face. “Oh, Ruby Margarita, my love. I never thought I’d see the day when you’d bring someone home with you.”

“Well, you know, every pot has a lid or whatever it was you used to tell me.” Ruby shoved her hands into the pockets of the long black skirt she liked to wear for traveling. She hadn’t expected her mother to basically fall in love with Sasha right off the bat. Elena would like Sasha, of course, Ruby had known they’d get along once Elena had satisfied her curiosity and Sasha had mostly gotten over her shyness and discomfort.

But Elena had obviously decided Sasha was a natural Fierelli in the hour-long drive from JFK and had a clear cut case of heart eyes as she watched Sasha prowl around Ruby’s bedroom. For the first time since they’d first started this little fake dating escapade, a cold finger of doubt touched Ruby’s heart. Everything had seemed like it would be so easy to set up and take back down when it was on paper, but… maybe… maybe she’d underestimated a lot of things.

Before she could think of what to say next, the bedroom door opened. Daniel, Dom Junior and Dante came in with their bags. “Ma, Rosie says dinner’s ready in ten,” Dante volunteered.

Ruby frowned. “Is someone going to help us take Sash’s bag back down to the basement? Why’d you bring it all the way up here?”

“Because Ma told us to,” Dante answered, and all of her brothers and her mother looked at her like she was crazy.

“I can take it down when you show me my room, Mama Elena,” Sasha offered quietly, cheeks pink.

Elena stared at both of them. “You’re in your room, girls.”

Um? Ruby felt her eyebrows just about to take flight. “We what now?”

Sasha looked panicked. “Ruby said we’d be separated, we’re not married.”

“Oh, once upon a time, sure. I’ve been doing a lot of work the last few years, though.” Elena beamed.

“Also Danny and Angie just invited way too many people who needed a place to stay, and the basement is full of kiddies,” Dom Junior said. “Ma can’t turn anyone away, so some of that work she’s been doing has been in the last week.”

“Domenic Michael Fierelli, you shut your mouth. All of you, out, get out.” Elena flapped her arms to shoo all of the men towards the door. She looked back over her shoulder at Ruby and Sasha. “Ruby, my love, you know where the bathroom is. You two get cleaned up before dinner. I’ll give you a little extra time—take fifteen, freshen up, and come down to help set the tables.”

“Sure, Ma,” Ruby choked out, absolutely on the verge of losing her mind over the last two minutes. She managed to hold herself together until the door clicked shut behind everyone and she heard footsteps going down the stairs. Then her legs gave out and she sat down on her pink, carpeted floor.

Sasha had her hands tangled up in her hair. “She’s letting us share a room? A bed ?”

“Sash, I swear to God, hand on heart, I thought for sure she was going to put you downstairs. I promise, she never breathed a word of this to me on any of the phone calls.”

“This is a lot to take in.” Sasha looked super stressed, and Ruby’s feelings were starting to get hurt.

“I don’t think I’m all that bad to sleep next to,” she said, twisting her fingers into her skirt.

Sasha looked horrified. “Oh, God, Rubes! Of course you’re not. I don’t… I’m sorry. It’s been a long day and I feel like a lot has happened in the last hour. I’m having to adjust to more than I expected.”

As always, she knew Sasha meant it, and of course Ruby knew that Sasha hadn’t even intended to hurt her feelings at all. But she did wonder why the idea of them sharing a bed seemed to be difficult, despite Sasha’s apology. “If it helps, I don’t snore.”

“No, Ruby, no, it’s nothing to do with you, really. I just, um. I’m just used to sleeping alone after so many years of single-hood.” Somehow, Sasha looked sincere but also… a little cagey? It felt like she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

But Ruby was tired and hungry and overwhelmed herself. She had a lot to cope with, realizing how deep she was getting herself and her family into this deception, when all she’d wanted was to keep them off her back for the week. Now wasn’t the time to pry at Sasha. She held her hands up and wiggled her fingers. “OK. Help me up? Let’s go wash our hands and get some dinner.”

Sasha pulled her to her feet. “Fantastic idea. But first…” She walked over to the little pink and white bench by the bedroom window, which was piled high with spare pillows. Selecting a frilly pink velvet and lace bolster, she plopped it down onto the bed as a divider. “I don’t want to be accidentally treating you like a stuffed animal in the night.”

“It just occurred to me that I might try to yank you in like I do with Winston, so that’s probably a good idea,” Ruby admitted.

“Also…” Sasha looked sheepish and she shoved her hands into the back pocket of her cargo pants. “Rubes, listen. Is there a drugstore nearby or something?”

“Um, there’s a CVS up the road. We can go after dinner, they’re open till ten.”

“Great. I need some earplugs.” Sasha rocked back on her heels. “Um, the thing is, honestly, it’s cute as hell, but you do actually snore a little, you were doing it today on the plane…”

“Oh my God, ” Ruby cried out, and buried her face in her hands.

This was going to be such a long week.