“Ryder, didn’t see you come in.” Cadence returned with Kinley’s side of toast, shattering the light moment between them. A moment that reminded Kinley of a happier time in this town, before her mom died. Before she felt as though everyone had turned against her and she lashed out. “Usual cup of coffee or you after something more?”
Just coffee. Say just coffee.
“I think I’ll take one of those Alaskan-style omelets. Hungry today.”
“Fishing on the schedule, then?” Cadence asked.
He answered with a shrug.
Kinley wasn’t sure why this exchange bothered her. She didn’t think Cadence was flirting with Ryder, and even if she was, it shouldn’t matter. She just didn’t like how someone knew Ryder so well and Kinley had never been able to quite figure him out. That had to be it.
“Did you know Kinley used to work here?” Ryder offered.
“She mentioned that. You must’ve grown up in Sunset Ridge, then. How lucky!”
Lucky was hardly the word Kinley would choose, but she smiled through the assumption. “I worked here throughout high school. Laundry and cleaning rooms, mostly.”
“Don’t suppose you want a job?” Kinley couldn’t tell whether Cadence was teasing or serious, but either way she wished she could accept. A couple of weeks cleaning rooms with access to the master key ring . . . If Patty left any clues behind, surely she could find them then.
“Kinley’s active duty, isn’t that right? Soon to be an Army pilot.”
Kinley fought the urge to kick him under the table. Ryder had no right interfering.
“Wow, thank you for your service.” Cadence flashed a genuine smile that made her look an awful lot like Patty. Kinley’s heart twisted again, not only at the loss of valuable information, but for the loss of an old friend. She remembered the day she confessed to Patty that she signed enlistment papers. And most vividly, the flash of pride in the woman’s eyes before she wrapped Kinley in a tight bear hug. “I better get your order in, Ryder.”
He waited until they were alone again. Well, as alone as two people could get on a deck filled with diners. “You wanted to accept that job offer, didn’t you?”
“What? No.” His perceptiveness had only sharpened over the years. “That was a high school job. Why would I want to do that now?”
Ryder leaned on his elbows, his gaze fixed on her. “You tell me.”
She wasn’t about to admit she was home to discover who her father was. Especially now that the answer was six feet under. Slowly, Kinley was forcing herself to accept she’d never know. Maybe that was how it was always meant to be. “I thought it might me help pay for the damages,” she jested. “Unless the mayor decides to give Ed that bill.”
“Still blaming the moose, huh?”
“Are the stories about him true?” Kinley asked, finally relaxing her tense shoulders at her successful diversion. “Do people feed him from their kitchen windows?”
“Patty started that, you know.”
“I thought it was illegal to feed moose, Chief.”
He dropped his voice low. “It is.”
“Ed is above the law, then? He doesn’t have to face any consequences for stealing from people’s gardens or causing accidents?”
“Tell me something, Kin.” No one had called her that in years. Ryder pinned her in her seat with his intimidating and slightly smoldering stare—a look that no doubt convinced criminals to confess to all their crimes. “You were on a straight road with no trees closer than ten yards from the edge of the shoulders. The sun was hidden behind an overcast sky all day. How did you notseeEd until it was too late? He’s not really known for his impulsive speed.”
“One eggs Benedict, one Alaskan omelet.” Cadence slid plates in front of them both. “Tessa insisted I bring you a side of her homemade hot sauce,” she directed at Ryder with a wink.
Kinley felt relieved for the brief interruption. It was unnerving how Ryder saw right through her with so little effort, noticing the tiniest details anyone else might’ve overlooked. The man had to be a brilliant cop.
“You ladies spoil me,” Ryder chided.
Cadence patted him on the shoulder, the flash of a diamond catching the morning sun.Engaged. “By extension of Denver, you’re one of the family now.”
“How is your brother?” Kinley asked when Cadence was hailed by another table across the deck.
“On his honeymoon with his new bride.” Ryder emptied the ceramic container of hot sauce onto his omelet, spreading it around evenly. “Why are youreallyback, Kinley?”
