Disclaimer: I own Daniel Tess, that's it. I don't own Ruby or Jack
(sigh)
A dull thudding met Jack Willis's ears early one morning. Lance, Jack's blue-heeler, leapt up from Jack's side with an excited bark. Jack groaned and groped for a shirt, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The thudding persisted. Jack yanked the shirt on, grumbling.
"Hold on, hold on! I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Jack called as he rolled out of his bed "cliché" of his truck. Rolling down the window, Jack stared into the cloudy blue eyes of Daniel Tess. Daniel was the owner of Queensland's Eastern Sky Inn, the residence Jack had taken up the previous night.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Willis!" Daniel said brightly, a grin spreading across his weathered face at Jack's incredulous expression and raised eyebrow. "Aye. Ya slept well till noontime, Mr. Willis. Now, where might I find yer companion, Miz Ruby Vale?"
Jack mentally shook himself. Ruby? What would Ruby be doing with him? She should be back with Suz and Hamish, pouring over bridal catalogs. And what was he doing in Queensland? He should be in Sydney promoting Ruby..er..his book. Jack grinned as it suddenly all rushed back. Driving back home, declaring his love for Ruby. He was getting as sappy as his romance novel.
"JACK!!" a voice yelled suddenly. Jack looked past Daniel to see Ruby hobbling toward him on her crutch. He looked to Daniel, who nodded and stepped back to let Jack out. Jack leapt down, commanded Lance to stay, and ran over to Ruby.
"Young love," Daniel murmured to himself, as Jack approached Ruby and kissed her.
"It's about time, Jack!" Ruby exclaimed. "The Inn turned into an uproar the moment I walked in. they recognized me, and they want to meet the 'woman' who wrote the book, the 'coward'. Coward, they say. Coulda knocked 'em out for that!"
Jack grimaced, knowing very well how true this was. Ziggy had told him how Ruby had bloodied Artie's lip, then readily challenged him, after Artie picked on Suz. "Rube," Jack began slowly. "We'll go home, let this all tone down. Everything will turn out fine, alright, kiddo?" The glare he received made him automatically regret his choice of words.
"I told you not to call me 'kiddo'," Ruby replied sourly. "Besides, you bloody well know we can't go back! Back to where, eh, Jack? Back to Hamish? Bugga, Jack, I'm not heartless! Can't go back and walk around with you like I don't have a care in the world!" She paused as Jack tapped her cast lightly with his foot.
"Speakin' of walkin', Miss Almighty," Jack said with a cough.
"I can walk just fine!" Ruby said indignantly.
"Hey Lance!" Jack called to his dog. "She's a stubborn Sheila, isn't she?" Two barks pierced the air. Jack grinned at Ruby, daring her to challenge their game of Lance's responses. "Now, about those blokes in the Inn…"
"Jack, what are you thinking?" Ruby demanded.
"Well, I may drive a truck, and I may look rugged, but I wouldn't result to fighting. Now, they just saw my head on the television. For all they care I'm a little shrimp." With a crooked grin at Ruby, Jack sauntered off toward the Inn.
~*~Oy, what does our Jack Willis have up his sleeves…if he had sleeves? Read on in the upcoming chapter!~*~
A dull thudding met Jack Willis's ears early one morning. Lance, Jack's blue-heeler, leapt up from Jack's side with an excited bark. Jack groaned and groped for a shirt, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The thudding persisted. Jack yanked the shirt on, grumbling.
"Hold on, hold on! I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Jack called as he rolled out of his bed "cliché" of his truck. Rolling down the window, Jack stared into the cloudy blue eyes of Daniel Tess. Daniel was the owner of Queensland's Eastern Sky Inn, the residence Jack had taken up the previous night.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Willis!" Daniel said brightly, a grin spreading across his weathered face at Jack's incredulous expression and raised eyebrow. "Aye. Ya slept well till noontime, Mr. Willis. Now, where might I find yer companion, Miz Ruby Vale?"
Jack mentally shook himself. Ruby? What would Ruby be doing with him? She should be back with Suz and Hamish, pouring over bridal catalogs. And what was he doing in Queensland? He should be in Sydney promoting Ruby..er..his book. Jack grinned as it suddenly all rushed back. Driving back home, declaring his love for Ruby. He was getting as sappy as his romance novel.
"JACK!!" a voice yelled suddenly. Jack looked past Daniel to see Ruby hobbling toward him on her crutch. He looked to Daniel, who nodded and stepped back to let Jack out. Jack leapt down, commanded Lance to stay, and ran over to Ruby.
"Young love," Daniel murmured to himself, as Jack approached Ruby and kissed her.
"It's about time, Jack!" Ruby exclaimed. "The Inn turned into an uproar the moment I walked in. they recognized me, and they want to meet the 'woman' who wrote the book, the 'coward'. Coward, they say. Coulda knocked 'em out for that!"
Jack grimaced, knowing very well how true this was. Ziggy had told him how Ruby had bloodied Artie's lip, then readily challenged him, after Artie picked on Suz. "Rube," Jack began slowly. "We'll go home, let this all tone down. Everything will turn out fine, alright, kiddo?" The glare he received made him automatically regret his choice of words.
"I told you not to call me 'kiddo'," Ruby replied sourly. "Besides, you bloody well know we can't go back! Back to where, eh, Jack? Back to Hamish? Bugga, Jack, I'm not heartless! Can't go back and walk around with you like I don't have a care in the world!" She paused as Jack tapped her cast lightly with his foot.
"Speakin' of walkin', Miss Almighty," Jack said with a cough.
"I can walk just fine!" Ruby said indignantly.
"Hey Lance!" Jack called to his dog. "She's a stubborn Sheila, isn't she?" Two barks pierced the air. Jack grinned at Ruby, daring her to challenge their game of Lance's responses. "Now, about those blokes in the Inn…"
"Jack, what are you thinking?" Ruby demanded.
"Well, I may drive a truck, and I may look rugged, but I wouldn't result to fighting. Now, they just saw my head on the television. For all they care I'm a little shrimp." With a crooked grin at Ruby, Jack sauntered off toward the Inn.
~*~Oy, what does our Jack Willis have up his sleeves…if he had sleeves? Read on in the upcoming chapter!~*~