Ruby chewed on the tip of her finger as she flipped through the pages of the book Lacey had loaned her. She was so entranced with the book that when her cellphone rang, she jumped. She lowered the book, resting it beside her on the bed. Her hand reached out, picking up the phone, and bringing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, darling…"

She smiled at the sound of Lacey's voice. It had only been a few days since their last meeting, and she missed her terribly. "Hey…" she responded, the smile spreading across her lips. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. I went by the Diner and you weren't there."

Ruby sat Indian style on her bed. "It's my day off," she explained as her free hand played with the red streaks in her hair. Her face saddened. "When can I see you again?"

"That's why I was calling." She paused for a moment as she answered a question someone in the background asked. "Sorry. It's like people don't know how to find their own books. Anyway…" Another short pause, and she continued. "He's working very late tonight. I'm off here in about an hour. I was hoping we could meet."

Ruby bounced on the bed. "Yes! Of course!" she responded happily.

Lacey chuckled at her enthusiasm. "You seem to know this town better than I do. Where would you like to meet?"

Ruby thought for a moment. Her eyes brightened when the perfect spot popped into her mind. "In the middle."

"The middle?" Lacey inquired, slight confusion in her tone.

"Yeah, it's a park right by the middle school. Hence, the nickname 'the middle'." She stood from her bed, the phone held tightly between her ear and her shoulder. "There is this little spot where we can sit and not be bothered." She walked to her closet and began looking for the perfect outfit. "I'll grab some food from Granny's and we can have our own private little picnic." She smiled. "How does that sound?"

"It sounds absolutely amazing."

Ruby felt the flutters in her stomach begin. Her heart was racing. Lacey always made her feel this way. If this was love, she was in it. "Then I guess, in about an hour … we'll meet in the middle?"

"I can't wait. I'll see you then."

The smile did not fade as Ruby hung up the phone and prepared for her date with Lacey.

Ruby rested her head on Lacey's lap. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Lacey's fingers running gently through her hair. If she wasn't careful, she would drift off to sleep. She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly to shake off the drowsiness.

Lacey smiled down at her as she continued her motion. "Don't fall asleep on me," she requested as she removed her hand from her hair. She traced a line down her face. "I was hoping we could go back to the library later, but if you're too tired…"

"No, no, I'm fine." Ruby responded, quickly as she sat up. She ran her hands over her face then tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm sorry. It's just something about stroking my hair that relaxes me." She stretched.

Lacey watched her as she loosened her tired muscles. She couldn't help but watch Ruby. Every movement, every smile, made her stomach flutter. She found herself thinking of her every second. Even when she was with Gold, her mind was on Ruby. Her heart, her soul, everything revolved around this woman. She knew it from the first day she fell into her arms.

She loved her.

Ruby scooted closer so she was only inches from Lacey. She leaned in and kissed her softly. She moved back, licking her lips as she looked into Lacey's beautiful blue eyes. "I wish we could do this every day," she whispered, a small twinge of sadness in her tone.

Lacey frowned as she touched her face and kissed her once again. She pulled back slowly and rested her forehead against Ruby's. "So do I," she replied, feeling the sadness over take her.

Ruby closed her eyes. She brought her hands to Lacey's face. She wanted to be closer, to feel her heart beat against her own. She opened her eyes and looked into Lacey's again. Her eyes danced over her beautiful features. "Can we go to our secret place?" she requested, caressing the side of her face. "I just want to be close to you for as long as I can."

Lacey smiled widely. She could feel the tears building up behind her eyes. Their moments together were so far apart and seemed to pass so quickly. She wanted to do everything they could to make the most of them. She placed her hand on the back of Ruby's neck and kissed her a bit more passionately then she expected.

She only moved a small space away. She rubbed her nose against Ruby's and smiled. "Let's get out of here," she whispered as Ruby smiled and stood, pulling her up with her.