Ruby Ink (Clairmont Series Novel Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

should do the same. There was nothing here for him.
    Alec was one step ahead. “Aar, everybody in that house is glad you’re here. It’s all good.” He looked into Alec’s dark eyes. Aside from being a registered felon, it was one of a few clashing differences between the brothers. Aaron noticed that they’d traded haircuts over time. Aaron’s was shorn to the tight buzz-cut his brother no longer needed—his pitch-colored hair styled, wavy. Christ, Nickel Springs might not have changed, but their lives sure had.
    “Aaron, listen to me.” His tone sounded like Pop’s, and it made Aaron obey. “We’re going in there, and everything’s going to be fine. Got it?”
    Aaron nodded, took a deep breath, and forward marched.
    The room whirled. Aaron was used to noise. No problem there. But there were so many faces from the past. Faces time had aged, some he had trouble putting a name to. At least nobody ambushed him—well, nobody but Honor. Admittedly, the hug felt good—soft. She seemed too overwhelmed to speak, handing him a drink and a fresh starting point. Alec stuck to him like a bodyguard, making the small talk Aaron couldn’t.
    He saw the Martels, his parents’ best friends. After Sebastian and Evie died, the Martels hovered nearby, though they never invaded the Clarimont kids’ lives. Alec had taken over that job.
    Aaron thought he saw Hause Deacon, his baseball coach, grade school through high school. Then he remembered Honor telling him, three or four years ago, that Hause Deacon had died—a heart attack. It hadn’t sunk in, not until that moment.
    There were other familiar faces, people who’d talked themselves into giving the Clairmont kid who’d gone bad a second chance. There were the Brewsters and the Lamberts, the Pikes, who’d brought their daughter, Chloe. At least Aaron thought it was her. She wasn’t much older than Troy, but she used to look after his kid brother.
    Aaron recalled a chunky girl with frizzy red hair. While she was still curvaceous, the only chunky part was the boobs spilling out of a dress that, otherwise, grabbed her ass like blue cellophane. The hair was still fiery red, though like her figure, she seemed to have it under control.
    Even so, her presence screamed: I’m Here! I’m Hot! He never did care for obvious. Damn. He had nerve being cynical. No doubt, Chloe Pike had dressed for her boyfriend, who she planned to fuck later, after fulfilling her parents’ demand that she put in a polite appearance. But as he turned away, Aaron saw Chloe smile at him. Her red head tipped just so, making Aaron feel like the weirdly wired science fair exhibit. He thought about how old she was now. Maybe twenty-three. Time had moved on. Aaron reminded himself he’d finished out his twenties in prison, marked off a few thirties from behind bars.
    After an hour or so, Aaron confirmed his suspicion—most people had come for Honor’s sake, maybe out of respect for the parents of the Tribe of Five . Shame rolled through Aaron’s gut, sure about how Pop would have reacted. A party? Hell no. Sebastian Clairmont wouldn’t have been celebrating. He’d be giving Aaron a private speech about not making the same mistake twice.
    The party-goers knew it too. There were curious glances and Solo cups swinging his direction, but not much attempt to engage him. Well, fuck, go figure. What was a good conversation starter for a guy who’d done hard time—who’d been convicted of attempting to kill the town’s mayor? The father of the girl he’d claimed to love. Like a lame graduation party, Aaron guessed the distant chatter was about the polite amount of time you had to hang around.
    Aaron decided he’d met his quota. He made his way to the celebratory cake. Mercifully, it was not hacksaw shaped. Of course, now it was almost gone. Not surprising. While he was in prison, Honor had launched a successful catering business: Honor’s Guests . Great. She could add “Now hosting parole parties…”