To stop myself from asking any more questions, I picked up one of the roast beef sandwiches Amara had brought and took a bite. Damn, she could cook.
Amara called Nancy and arranged our plans for the night. “Now that I’m done, I’m going to shoot the Wrangler a message.”
Ten minutes later, I heard his voice in the waiting area.
“Good afternoon, Chase. Let me guess, you are looking for your wife,” my receptionist greeted him.
“Good afternoon to you too, Selma. I sure am.”
“She is back in Jo’s office having lunch.”
Selma gave Chase treatment that was only reserved for family.
“You aren’t going anywhere tonight,” I whispered to Amara.
“I am. He isn’t the boss of me.”
“If you say—” My words died when I heard what Chase said next.
“You remember Ryan?”
“I do. Good afternoon, Ryan.” Selma sounded very friendly.
Huh.
I hadn’t heard the voice in months, but my body did not react as if months had passed. My heart thundered. I wasn’t ready to see him, but I didn’t have a choice. They were heading to my office.
“Hey Jo,” Chase greeted before making a beeline for his wife.
“Hey, Chase,” I said, but he didn’t seem to hear me; his focus was entirely on Amara.
Chase took her hands and pulled her from her chair, drawing her close until their bodies were pressed together. “What's this I hear about you taking off and leaving me for the night?”
“I’m not leaving you, Wrangler, just giving you and Ryan space to catch up.”
I would have enjoyed the exchange if I hadn’t felt eyes boring into me, but I refused to look in his direction.
Chase turned to Ryan. “Did you want to braid each other’s hair and gossip like a bunch of teenage girls tonight?”
“Don’t you drag me into this. That is between you and your wife,” Ryan chuckled.
It must be nice not to have a worry in the world and to be so carefree.
“Are you done with lunch? I think we should go back to your office and discuss your outing,” Chase suggested.
“Sure. Jo, I’ll call you and tell you what time we head to Chesterville.”
The two of them were so focused on each other that they didn’t bother to look back at the other occupants they left behind. Well, I suppose I couldn’t put off acknowledging Ryan any longer. I turned in his direction, only to find that he had just closed my office door. With the audacity reserved only for members of the species with sticks and berries between their legs, he locked the door.
How dare this man lock the door to my office as if it belonged to him? I maintained a calm demeanour, suppressing the emotions that surged within me. I attempted to keep the panic out of my voice. “Was there a reason you felt the need to lock my door?”
“It has been a while.”
I scoffed internally. That was an understatement if I ever heard one, but I held my tongue.
Ryan had no business looking as good as he did, especially after his disappearing act. Looking all sinful in his black Levi’s and matching fitted dress shirt. He didn’t appear to be injured, so, that wasn’t the reason for his disappearance.
The silence didn’t seem to sit well with him. He tapped his hat against his thigh.
