“We worked some things out,” Ryder deflected. “We’re friends.”
“Is that what we are?” I hated the defensiveness in my voice, but I couldn’t do anything about it.
“Uh…” Phoenix raised his eyebrows at me. I shook my head. I didn’t know what he expected to happen by bringing Ryder here, but I thought Phoenix might have been as heartbroken as me with the way his eyes lost some of their brightness and his broad shoulders slumped.
Ryder either didn’t notice Phoenix’s disappointment or didn’t care. He pushed on by announcing, “I’m going to help Ivy run some errands. I’ll call you later.”
“I can go with you,” Phoenix jumped to his feet and slammed his bowl of cereal on the countertop. Milk sloshed over the side, taking some cereal with it. He ignored the mess.
“We need more time to talk,” Ryder explained quickly.
“Ah, but I miss the ninja! I need some quality time with my favorite ginger.” Phoenix’s solid arm slid around my back and he pulled me into his side. I took comfort in his easy forgiveness and genuine desire to be around me. There weren’t many people that felt that way.
Ryder’s voice was granite when he explained, “She’ll be around for a couple days, Man. We need to get this stuff taken care of first.”
Phoenix was undeterred. “I could help. I’m excellent at errands!”
“I’ll see you later, Phoenix,” I jumped in. “This is probably something I should do with Ryder, but I promise I’ll come hang out with you later. I’m sure you have another movie Ineedto watch or my life will forever be incomplete.” I smiled at him and hoped that would be enough. It wasn’t as if I wanted to spend all this alone time with just Ryder, because I didn’t. I just didn’t want to bring Phoenix into my messy life. So far he had been completely protected from the negative side effects of knowing me and I wanted it to stay that way forever.
“Yeah, alright,” he conceded slowly. “I do have a few movies that I know you haven’t seen yet.Mighty Ducks?” he asked and I shook my head. His grin grew back slowly. “Terminator?Aliens?Sandlot?”
“None of those.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed tight. “We have hours of bonding ahead of us.”
“Good news.” He looked down at me and pinched my cheek. “Be safe, yeah? Call if you need help.”
“We will.”
“Let’s go, Red.” Ryder backed out of the kitchen and I got the message.
I turned around and followed Ryder to the front lawn where his new and improved Bronco sat waiting for us.
“Wow,” I exclaimed. “She looks amazing!”
“Yep.”
“Have you been working on her this whole time?” I ran my fingers over the glittery new paint and perfectly restored door handles.
Ryder’s Bronco had once been the most pathetic vehicle I’d ever been in. I called it the Death Trap, while Ryder lovingly referred to the horrid thing as his baby. Last I’d seen it, I’d basically stolen it to leave the hospital and get myself to Smith’s. I’d left it there and hoped Smith would return it.
Apparently he had.
“Yep,” Ryder answered succinctly.
“She looks really good, Ryder. Seriously. I don’t feel like I’m risking my life anymore just standing near her.”
“Get in, Ivy.”
Okay, then. Apparently the car was off limits.
I slid into the passenger’s seat, enjoying the new upholstery. I pressed my palm to the clean dash and marveled at all of the work he had done.
After he closed the door and started the car, I asked, “This is the same car, right? Or is this a new one?”
“It’s the same car.”
“But it looks so new! Did you do all of this yourself?”
“Red, I really don’t want to talk about the car right now.”
