It was her kisses that cast the strongest spell on him. “Hey, yourself.”
“Sorry I’m late. Had to drop Fiona off at the library.”
Ryder draped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. “I’m glad you’re here.” Sizzling from inside, the grill reminded him he still had a task to complete. He opened the lid, hoping he hadn’t burned any of them.
“Those smell wonderful,” Kinley cooed.
After plating the burgers, Ryder cut the gas to the grill. Both Kinley and Rowdy followed him to the door, though Rowdy was more motivated by the handout prospect than Ryder’s company. The dog was well-trained, but she was still spoiled. Ryder could do something about it, but he didn’t care to.
Hardly three seconds after the sliding door closed, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
“I’ll take the plate,” Kinley offered, heading right for the chaos in the kitchen without a shred of fear in her eyes. For years, family meals at Mom’s had been a quiet affair.Not anymore.
He stepped back outside to answer the unknown number.
“I’m looking for the police chief,” a woman’s voice said. “An Officer Grant?”
“Speaking.” Though Ryder did his best to protect his privacy while off duty, more people than he cared to admit used his personal cell number for work-related matters. The past two years, it’d kept him busy. Glancing at the scene inside, he considered changing his number.
“I heard you came looking for Norman.”
Ryder’s body stiffened, but he didn’t respond. He watched that happy tail bounce around the kitchen as he waited for her to say more. Hoping his entire world wasn’t about to come crashing down.
“I’m Margaret Gladwell. Norman Gladwell is my late brother.”
Ryder’s stomach tied in knots. “I’m sorry for your loss.”Rowdy’s guardian?
“I-I’m really ashamed to admit this, Officer. But I left Rowdy in your town last week. Norman left everything of his to me; it was just the two of us left, see. Now there’s only me. He loved that dog so much, and I tried to take care of her, but I have a bad hip.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter why. I can’t take her back. But I was hoping you’d tell me Rowdy found a good home.”
Ryder thought back to the shopping trip at the pet store the other day. The way he kept adding items to the cart—and needed a second. He wanted to give Rowdy the best home he could. “You can rest easy, Ms. Gladwell. Rowdy has a very good home. She’ll be loved and cared for. I promise you that.”
He thought he heard sniffling from the other end. “Thank you, Officer. I’m so sorry for what I did, but thank you. Norman might be able to forgive me now.”
Ryder pocketed his phone, taking a minute before going inside. He’d accepted Rowdy as his own the second they left the Palmer city limits. But toknowthat no one would come looking for her—to take her away—gave Ryder a sense of peace.
“Everything okay?” Kinley asked, slipping outside on the deck with him. “We’re ready to eat.”
He pulled her into his arms, wrapping Kinley in a hug. “Yeah, it’s great.”
“As much as I’m enjoying this, we better get inside before your mom comes looking for us. I’m not trying to make any enemies.”
Laughing, Ryder kissed the top of her head and led her inside by the hand.
When Denver was away in the Army, the guest list to family meals was two attendees long—Ryder and Mom. Even when Mercedes was in the picture, she usually had an excuse to avoid coming. Now, however, every chair at the dining room table was full. Mom rushed about, refusing help from anyone but Denver’s stepdaughter, Caroline. The young girl had helped cook the side dishes and was therefore allowed in the kitchen when everyone else was shooed away to take seats.
If Mom was frazzled, she hid it well beneath a radiant smile. Ryder felt certain she loved the commotion in a house that’d been quiet for too long.
“Is it always like this?” Kinley asked against Ryder’s shoulder.
“This chaotic?” Denver chimed in from the opposite side of the table, draping an arm around his wife. “No. Never. But I suspect it will be from now on.”
His brother and Sophie had that newlywed glow about them, and a hint of sunburn to go with it. For the first time since he accepted the two should be together, Ryder felt envy. He’d always wanted what they had but had given up on finding it. He understood now that it was never meant to be with Mercedes. But with Kinley . . .
If only she would come back to stay.
Caroline trotted to the table with a bowl filled with sliced melons and red grapes. “Some fresh fruit.” For such a young girl—six or seven, if Ryder recalled right—she had such a grown-up air about her when she was in the kitchen. She loved cooking almost as much as her aunt Tessa, the professional chef at Whitmore Patio.
“How was your honeymoon?” Kinley asked, pilfering a grape from the bowl.
