"Oh. Right. For work."
"Notjustwork," he said. "I've got an ogling at noon."
I did a double-take. "You mean…you're gonna ogle someone?"
"Nah. Franny's coming into the bike shop just before lunch. She made a fuss over Griff, so she's gonna do the same with me."
Okay, that was completely insane."How do you know?"
"Because she told me," Ryder said with a chuckle. "An hour ago, she caught me outside the bike shop, right after Griff gave me the rundown."
"Oh. You mean like training?"
"Right. IsaidI could handle it just fine. But Griff insisted on getting me up to speed before Maisie showed up." He gave me a serious look. "That last part's a secret, by the way."
"But what about the ogling?" I asked. "I mean…don't get me wrong.Ilike to ogle you, too. But why would Franny schedule it like a dentist appointment?"
"Because she wants to cheer up Maisie. Apparently, she's been a little glum."
No doubt.She and Griff were on the outs, and she had a roommate she didn't even trust. And even though that last part still stung, I truly meant it when I replied, "Well…I'm glad somebody's gonna cheer her up." But then I paused. "And what about Griff?"
"What about him?"
"How's he doing?"
"Terrible," Ryder said. "This morning, I brought the guy breakfast – no raisins, by the way – and he didn't eat a single bite."
Hearing this, I wasn't quite sure how I felt.If Maisie was miserable, was it really so terrible that Griff was miserable, too?
I was still trying to decide when Ryder said, "Sorry, gotta run."
In spite of everything, I couldn’t resist teasing him. "Wait a minute…you're not gonna work shirtless or anything, are you?"
"Hell no. I just have to be extra-charming."
I smiled. "So, basically no effort at all."
He looked entirely too amused. "So you think I'm charming, huh?"
"Yeah," I laughed. "Too charming for my own good."
85
No Big Deal, Right?
Ryder
By the time I sat down to work, the bed was already made, and the suite looked professionally tidy, except for the things I wouldn't let the cleaning people touch.
Tessa's things.
Her sweatshirt draped over the sofa.
Her book sitting facedown on the coffee table.
Her purple phone charger, still plugged in near the lamp.
I hadn't moved any of it. I told myself it was laziness, but that was a lie.I liked the evidence.It made me smile, knowing Tessa was here – and keep smiling, knowing she'd be back.
