“I have the card,” Jax said. He left the kitchen, carrying Tabby in his arms. Ryder slumped down into the chair and considered what Jax had said. It was obvious to Ryder that Jax was pulling back from him, but why?
After they’d gone, Ryder didn’t know what to do with himself. He tried to watch TV, hoping for a distraction to take his mind off Jax. Not that it worked. He finally gave up, turned off the TV, and tried to do some reading. That was as much of a fail as TV. Nothing would work to get his mind off the two people he wanted to spend time with.
Jax had been gone for fifty-three minutes, and wasn’t it just pathetic that he knew how long down to the second? When there was a knock on the door, Ryder walked over and peeked through the peephole to find Ollie and Ronin on his doorstep.
He didn’t feel like having company.Then again, if nothing else …they could at least help you take your mind off the fact that you’re home alone because your mate practically fled. With that wonderful thought, he opened the door.
“Hey, you two … What brings you by?” Ryder tried for a smile, but he wasn’t sure he quite got there. He looked down to find that they were childless, then looked up. “And since when do you two drop by without a child in tow? Where are my niece and nephew?”
Ollie laughed. “Your Papa kidnapped all the grandkids. He says it’s to give us some new couple time.”
“But we know he just wanted grandpapa time,” Ronin chimed in. “Anyway, after taking advantage of the alone time—”
Ollie elbowed his brother and Ronin stopped talking.
“We just thought we’d come and see how you and Jax are doing,” Ollie said.
“And Tabby, too,” Ronin quickly piped in.
“Of course, Tabby, too,” Ollie said. “How are the three of you?” He looked past Ryder before glancing back in his direction. “Are they here?”
Ryder stepped back. “Come on in, and no … they’re not here,”
Ollie frowned. “Did they leave?”
Ryder arched a brow. Since he knew Ollie and his mate kept in touch, it was interesting—if a sucker punch was interesting—that he would immediately go there. “Uh, no … but why’d you ask that?”
Ollie shrugged a little too quickly. “No reason.”
Ryder frowned. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t buying that. “Did Jax say something?”
Ollie shook his head. “Nope. He hasn’t said much at all … not anything really.”
He so wasn’t buying that. Why did he feel like his brother-in-law was lying to him?
Ryder invited them into the living room. He wanted to hear more about that. “He didn’t say much at all?” he repeated as they sat down.
“Mmm.” Ollie nodded. “He’s been very quiet lately. I don’t know.”
“Quiet how?”
Ollie looked over at Ronin, and his brother shrugged. He could tell they were communicating mentally. And it made him jealous. He wanted that. The connection with his mate. Feeling him in his soul. Wherever he was.
“Did he say he wanted to leave?” It pained Ryder to ask, but he needed to know.
Finally, they both nodded.
“Well, we kinda teased him about calling your place home and gave him a hard time about you two being close and everything,” Ollie admitted, “but he’s been quieter than usual. Even when we text him …”
“Hmmm.” Ryder sighed.
“How have things been between you two?” Ronin asked.
“Good,” Ryder said, then frowned. “I think …” He sighed. “Okay, sometimes it’s been good. And don’t get me wrong, I love having them here even when it’s not … and other times”—he rubbed his forehead—“I guess awkward is the best word I can use.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. There are times when I think the heat between us is going to set this house on fire.”
He tried not to imagine the sounds Jax had made when he came down his throat, but they were etched on his brain.
“That’s good,” Ollie said.
