inconsequential.
He almost told her that love never got anybody anywhere, and it was a weakness he couldn’t afford.
But instead, he said, “Fine.”
She’d left him no other choice. He’d have to reshuffle the entire construction schedule. Make a dozen phone calls. He’d have to invent some bullshit to tell Heberto and some other bullshit to tell Carmen.
He’d try for Monday—try his hardest, give it his best. But he couldn’t find any hope for himself. Hadn’t been able to for three days.
“But at the end of two weeks,” he said, “no matter what, you forget about the deer, and you step aside.”
“Unless you change your mind.” Ashley stood.
“I won’t.”
“Then I guess that’s the chance I’m taking.”
“Fine.”
She walked away. With her hand on the screen door, she paused. “It might be fun.”
“It won’t be fun.”
She shrugged and opened the door. “At the very least, it’ll be good for you to take a vacation. You could use some relaxing. You’re so uptight.”
“I’m disciplined.”
“You’re uptight. You need a holiday.” Then she laughed, abruptly, at nothing. “A Roman holiday. Cute.”
The screen door slammed shut behind her. A few seconds passed before she returned, flattening her nose against the screen. “Oh, and we leave in the morning, with the Airstream,” she said. “I’m going to be driving your Caddy at least half the time, so get used to the idea.”
Then she was gone.
Roman sat on the porch until the sun set. His phone buzzed and chirped and rang in his pocket—the press of business relentless as ever—but he didn’t shift to answer it.
What would be the point? He’d accepted defeat. He’d agreed to his sentence.
Two weeks in purgatory. Two weeks with Ashley.
Two weeks of motherfucking holiday.
B Y R UTHIE K NOX
Ride with Me
About Last Night
Along Came Trouble
Flirting with Disaster
Truly (Coming Spring 2014)
Novellas
Room at the Inn
How to Misbehave
Making It Last
Roman Holiday (Serialization)
P HOTO : M ARK A NDERSON , STUN P HOTOGRAPHY
USA Today bestselling author R UTHIE K NOX writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After studying British history, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deep into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing.
Her debut novel, Ride with Me , is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night , a London-based romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn , a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life.
Ruthie moonlights as a mother, tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website and drop her a line.
http://www.ruthieknox.com
Be sure to continue your Roman Holiday with Episode 4: Ravaged
Roman lifted a stapled pamphlet from the top of a pile on one gunmetal-gray shelf. “Army Field Manual FM 21-20: Physical Readiness Training.” The cover featured line drawings of soldiers in fatigue pants, combat boots, and T-shirts engaged in calisthenics. One was doing a sit-up, another jogging into the distance. He flipped through the pages and then tossed the book into Ashley’s shopping cart.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“A manual.”
“For what?”
“To keep me from losing my mind around you.”
She picked it up and studied the cover, and he wanted to tear the book out of her hands.
“Cute,” she said, tossing it back into the cart. “Are you going to run ten miles and do five hundred jumping jacks before breakfast? Maybe we should find you a vintage sweat suit to go with your vintage workout routine.”
He wanted to take her by the wrist and pull her
He almost told her that love never got anybody anywhere, and it was a weakness he couldn’t afford.
But instead, he said, “Fine.”
She’d left him no other choice. He’d have to reshuffle the entire construction schedule. Make a dozen phone calls. He’d have to invent some bullshit to tell Heberto and some other bullshit to tell Carmen.
He’d try for Monday—try his hardest, give it his best. But he couldn’t find any hope for himself. Hadn’t been able to for three days.
“But at the end of two weeks,” he said, “no matter what, you forget about the deer, and you step aside.”
“Unless you change your mind.” Ashley stood.
“I won’t.”
“Then I guess that’s the chance I’m taking.”
“Fine.”
She walked away. With her hand on the screen door, she paused. “It might be fun.”
“It won’t be fun.”
She shrugged and opened the door. “At the very least, it’ll be good for you to take a vacation. You could use some relaxing. You’re so uptight.”
“I’m disciplined.”
“You’re uptight. You need a holiday.” Then she laughed, abruptly, at nothing. “A Roman holiday. Cute.”
The screen door slammed shut behind her. A few seconds passed before she returned, flattening her nose against the screen. “Oh, and we leave in the morning, with the Airstream,” she said. “I’m going to be driving your Caddy at least half the time, so get used to the idea.”
Then she was gone.
Roman sat on the porch until the sun set. His phone buzzed and chirped and rang in his pocket—the press of business relentless as ever—but he didn’t shift to answer it.
What would be the point? He’d accepted defeat. He’d agreed to his sentence.
Two weeks in purgatory. Two weeks with Ashley.
Two weeks of motherfucking holiday.
B Y R UTHIE K NOX
Ride with Me
About Last Night
Along Came Trouble
Flirting with Disaster
Truly (Coming Spring 2014)
Novellas
Room at the Inn
How to Misbehave
Making It Last
Roman Holiday (Serialization)
P HOTO : M ARK A NDERSON , STUN P HOTOGRAPHY
USA Today bestselling author R UTHIE K NOX writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After studying British history, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deep into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing.
Her debut novel, Ride with Me , is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night , a London-based romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn , a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life.
Ruthie moonlights as a mother, tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website and drop her a line.
http://www.ruthieknox.com
Be sure to continue your Roman Holiday with Episode 4: Ravaged
Roman lifted a stapled pamphlet from the top of a pile on one gunmetal-gray shelf. “Army Field Manual FM 21-20: Physical Readiness Training.” The cover featured line drawings of soldiers in fatigue pants, combat boots, and T-shirts engaged in calisthenics. One was doing a sit-up, another jogging into the distance. He flipped through the pages and then tossed the book into Ashley’s shopping cart.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“A manual.”
“For what?”
“To keep me from losing my mind around you.”
She picked it up and studied the cover, and he wanted to tear the book out of her hands.
“Cute,” she said, tossing it back into the cart. “Are you going to run ten miles and do five hundred jumping jacks before breakfast? Maybe we should find you a vintage sweat suit to go with your vintage workout routine.”
He wanted to take her by the wrist and pull her
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