Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 128801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
“Not much other than work and hanging out with these two while they stay at my house for a bit.”
I couldn’t decipher the look that Ryder gave me.
All I knew was it traveled through me in an avalanche of possession.
Chills skated, and I focused on grabbing plates from the cabinet and setting them around the table.
A grunt of discomfort left Cody as he poured himself a mug of coffee from the carafe. “Any word from Ezra about the break-in?”
Ryder grimaced. “Guess there was another incident at the hardware store two nights ago. Someone busted open the back door and stole a bunch of expensive equipment.”
“Heard about that. He thinks it’s related?”
Ryder scraped a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”
“Scumbags need to get caught.” Cody’s jaw clamped.
“Guess there was some footage from the security cameras. Thinks he finally has something to go on.”
Cody breathed out in relief. “That’s good.”
I forced myself to walk around the island, tiptoeing back into Ryder’s orbit, the man a black hole I could get sucked into.
Lost forever.
I focused on gathering both a plate of bacon and another stacked high with toast.
Ryder was suddenly there, towering over me.
Midnight in the middle of the day.
I had the intense urge to push up onto my toes and press my face into his throat.
“Let me.” He took the plate of bacon while I struggled to keep my breaths under control.
“Bacon!” Kayden shouted, smacking at Ryder’s cheek and trying to get in his line of sight like the man had just given my child the best gift in the world.
Ryder turned one of those adoring smiles down at him as he spun and started for the table in the corner. “Your favorite, next to pancakes, am I right?”
“Pancakes!”
My chest tightened, and I had to take a second to gather myself before I headed that direction.
Leave it to my mother to be watching me with that same intuition as I leaned over to place the toast onto the table.
Her attention drifted over me like those handprints really were glowing on my skin.
We all settled into chairs, Kayden’s highchair pulled between me and Ryder. Ryder buckled him into it and placed a small pile of scrambled eggs and a piece of bacon that he’d crumbled onto his plate. I buttered and put jam on a piece of toast, setting it on Kayden’s plate, too, while Ryder kept cutting me glances over the top of my son’s head as I did.
Nerves scattered.
Anticipation and joy and that secret shame I didn’t want to feel any longer.
I’d held it for such a long time. Now, it’d taken on new form. Had become something real. Something beautiful.
I wanted to shout it. Wanted him to shout it.
But it was Ryder who was keeping the secrets that he wouldn’t give me insight into, only his vague warnings that had left a snarl of dread and worry in the pit of my stomach.
But that snarl was completely distorted and skewed by the amount of elation gliding through my veins. Like the worry didn’t have anything on the bliss. Everything else was clouded by the relief that Ryder had finally, finally come to me.
That we finally were, however awkward it remained to be.
“So, tell us about that date,” Cody said as he bit into a piece of toast.
I wondered if anyone else felt the way Ryder flinched.
I took a sip of piping hot coffee before I cleared my throat and gave a half shrug. “It was fine. Brad is a really nice guy.”
I could feel my mom’s attention. The way she angled her head as she studied me, waiting on me to let on more than I had the other afternoon.
“Nice guy? He’s crazy hot.” Kayla moaned toward the ceiling. “Those dress pants and button-downs he’s always wearing.”
I would have told her to go for him if Cody’s grumble hadn’t beaten me to the punch. “Dude’s a fuckin’ wet noodle, is what he is.”
“I wike noodles,” Kayden shouted as he crammed a fistful of egg into his mouth.
My eyes narrowed at my brother. “Again, Cody? You seriously need to watch what you say around him.”
“Yeah, man, language,” Ryder added, like it was his job to do it.
“Sorry…keep forgetting that kid is nothing but a sponge. Smart as a whip, just like his uncle.” Cody’s smirk grew at that.
“Please don’t compare my son’s intelligence to yours since you’re nothing but a giant oaf.”
Cody set his hand over his heart. “You wound me.”
“I will wound you if Kayden starts muttering unmentionables.” I waved my butter knife at him.
“Deadly.” He whistled. “And this coming from the woman whose best friend swears like a freaking sailor.”
A light laugh got free. Paisley definitely had a mouth on her. “At least she has the foresight to cover the kids’ ears before she goes spilling it.”
“Well, you sure aren’t spilling any details.” Kayla nudged her elbow into mine.