Page 76 of Redemption Ridge Vol II

Rueben knew he’d captured someone’s attention when his arm hair stood at attention like good soldiers, and his skin felt like a thousand ants crawled beneath the surface. He tried to ignore the sensations and enjoy his meal, but his senses were too engaged elsewhere and overrode his taste buds. A guy learned to be astute and stay focused in jail to avoid becoming someone’s punching bag or worse. He turned his head as if to study the dessert menu written on the large chalkboard but scanned the room from the corner of his eye. A man with auburn hair and broad shoulders sat at the counter toward the front of the diner. His head was turned in Rueben’s direction, but without making eye contact, he couldn’t be sure that was the source of unease. Rueben looked out the window and scanned the other side of the restaurant from his periphery. No one else looked in their direction, so it had to be the ginger. Was he a friend or foe?

“You okay?” Keegan asked. “You haven’t said much since we sat down. Thinking about—” He cut himself off before Seth’s name slipped from his lips.

“Always.” But that wasn’t his problem. Rueben turned his head and did another periphery scan. Yep. The guy was still watching him. Or maybe the stranger was looking at his companion. That thought tripped Rueben’s protective instincts, and he nearly turned his head to initiate eye contact. Keegan seemed impervious to the attention, and the last thing Rueben wanted to do was draw his awareness to it.

Keegan sighed and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

His friend leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Don’t look now, but some hot guy at the counter can’t stop staring at you.”

So, his little lamb was growing up. Rueben’s pride soared right off the charts. “How do you know he’s not looking at you?” The asymmetrical cut Sven had given Keegan showcased his flawless face to perfection. When Keegan just shrugged, Rueben said, “He’s probably trying to place which boy band I used to be in.”

Keegan snorted loudly, and the lady at the next table flinched. He apologized, then briefly covered his mouth. “Maybe the hot ginger could get you over the hump.”

Said no one who’d ever spent the night in Seth’s bed, let alone three nights. And it wasn’t just the physical stuff he craved. “I’m not ready.”

Their server stopped by their table at just that moment. “Not ready for what?” she asked. “Dessert? Your check? Or maybe you’re not ready for me to clear your plates.”

Reuben smiled at her quick wit. “No dessert for me. I am ready for the check, and I’ll take a to-go box as well.” He could reheat the leftovers later if he got hungry.

“Same for me,” Keegan said.

“You got it.”

She returned promptly, and they transferred the food to the boxes before heading to the register to pay. Keegan went first, which gave Rueben the chance to observe the guy with the auburn hair sitting at the opposite end of the counter. He lowered his head and peered at the stranger from beneath his thick, long eyelashes. Rueben had never understood people’s obsession with his lashes, but he had a new appreciation for their thickness now. It was hard to tell someone’s height when they sat, unless they were extremely short or tall. His not-so-secret admirer fell into the latter category. He had the build and breadth of a linebacker. Rueben could tell the stranger’s eyes were light, but it was impossible to know if they were blue or green. He couldn’t find a trace of danger in the man’s observation, only curiosity. Rueben pondered making eye contact and decided against it. He wasn’t in the mood to engage in conversation.

Keegan finished quickly and stepped aside so Rueben could pay for his food. He gave the server a generous tip as usual because he remembered how exhausted his mama had been at the end of her waitressing shifts. Rueben avoided looking in the stranger’s direction when they exited the restaurant, but he watched from the corner of his eye when they passed the window front. Yep, the man was still watching him.

“I’m creeped out,” Keegan said.

“Ditto.”

Their last stop was the general store, and Rueben figured it would be an easy in and out until the feed supply manager came over to them as they perused the selection of flip-flops.

“Hey, fellas,” Randy said. “Finley placed a livestock feed order for pickup on Monday, but I have it ready to go now. Wanna drive your truck around back after you’re done here so the boys can load it for you?”

“Fine by me,” Rueben said, even though he’d driven to town in the older pickup truck he bought with his own money after the accident. He still drove a ranch truck whenever he conducted official business, but the logo on the doors had made him a target once. He wanted to minimize his chances of a repeat incident.

“It will save me a trip on Monday,” Keegan said. He hadn’t quite found his niche on the ranch and just helped wherever he could. Most of the time, he acted as Cash’s personal assistant, but he volunteered in the barns, the fields, and especially Harry’s kitchen. “Will your truck be able to haul the weight?”

Rueben narrowed his eyes. “She might not be much of a looker, but she’s dependable as hell.” That’s what the seller had claimed when Rueben responded to the Marketplace ad, and she’d lived up to the hype so far.

Keegan held up his hands and backed away. “I’m not insulting your girl.” The twinkle in his eyes contradicted his conciliatory tone.

“He’s totally dissing your truck,” Randy said. “But nice haircut, Keegan.” He looked at Rueben next. “And you too.” Then, he turned on his heels and headed to the back of the store.

“Thanks,” they called out in unison.

The compliment effectively ended their mock war, and they resumed the hunt for the perfect summer sandal. They both liked the leather braided flip-flops with the comfortable support. Keegan chose a light gray pair, and Rueben picked black. The line to check out was surprisingly long, so Keegan fished out cash from his wallet and handed it to Rueben.

“You pay for the shoes, and I’ll drive around back to pick up the order.”

Rueben arched a brow. “So now my truck is good enough to drive.”

“This again,” Keegan muttered with a playful eye roll.

Rueben retrieved his keys and swapped them for Keegan’s sandals. “Don’t put a single scratch on her.”