Ryder tossed a bemused look my way, but got moving.
“Let’s take two cars,” he was saying as he ushered her out the door. “That way you can head straight to your motel after.”
“Boo. What if little birdy wants a night cap?”
“Or worms for breakfast?” I muttered. Apparently, a little too loudly.
They both turned to me.
Vivian burst out laughing. “You want a little sleep over, RyRy?” she asked. “You could give me a nice juicy worm for breakfast.”
Oh, for the love of gods. This woman.
Ryder did a top-notch job of not rolling his eyes.
“Or,” Ryder said, “we could meet you for breakfast.”
“Forget the worm comment,” I mumbled.
“Of course,” she said, her hand landing on Ryder’s forearm again. “She is just adorably awkward, isn’t she? I didn’t know you had a thing for small town girls.”
“Just the one,” he said, his voice growly enough to make my stomach flip. “You better leave me some of that pie,” he said to me.
“You mean the key lime I picked up from Hogan’s? Your favorite pie? That pie?”
He groaned a little. “Yes. That pie.”
“I’ll do what I can, but I’m awfully hungry. I missed my chance at kebobs.”
He stepped up to me and kissed me hard, then growled over my mouth. “You’ll pay for this.”
Then he was gone, shoulders square, easy-likeable-guy smile on his face, following Vivian out the door.
I stood there for a moment, my fingers pressed to my lips, savoring the heat of that kiss.
Chapter Fifteen
I openedthe door for Spud and the dragon pig. “You can come on out. She’s gone.”
My phone buzzed and I was not surprised to see Myra’s number.
“Hey,” I said.
“So what’s going on?” she asked distractedly. I heard a low voice in the background, and then something that sounded an awful lot like a kiss. At least my sister got to spend her evening with the man of her dreams.
“There’s a monster hunter in town.”
“What?” A shuffle of sounds came through the phone, then a softwhumpof a pillow, and a deep chuckle. “Okay, you have my attention. Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m at home. I’m fine. Ryder’s taking her out to dinner, then getting her settled in the Sand Garden for the night.”
“Her? So our monster hunter is a woman? Is she a paranormal investigator? Ghost hunter?”
“She works for DoPP.”
“Well, shit.”
“Yeah.”
