By the time he got to her office, his sense of injustice was in high form.He walked inside and past the empty secretary’s desk without pausing; his gaze fixed on the thin line of light showing from beneath the door on the far side of the room.
* * *
Casey’s head hurt, her shoulders ached, and she was so far past hungry it didn’t count.What was worse, she didn’t even know it.Realization of her condition came only after the door to her office swung open and Ryder stalked into the room.
Startled, she stood too swiftly.The room began to tilt.
Ryder saw her sway and grabbed her arm before she staggered.
All she could think to say was, “What are you doing here?”before he took the pen from her hand, and turned out the desk lamp.
“I came to take you home.Your day is over.It’s night.It’s time to rest.It’s time to slow the hell down.Do you understand me?”
He was mad.That was what surprised her most.Why should he be angry?It took a bit to realize that he wasn’t angry at her.He was angry on her behalf.At that point, lack of food and exhaustion kicked in.Damn him, he wasn’t supposed to be nice…at least, not like this.
She shrugged out of his grasp and reached for her purse.“I don’t need you telling me what to do.”
He stood between her and the doorway and once again, Casey caught a glimpse of the same man who’d come out of the shadows of Sonny’s Place and taken a dare no other man had had the guts to take.
“Then consider it a suggestion,” he said quietly, and reached for her arm.
This time she didn’t pull away.They walked all the way to the elevator without talking, then past the night guard who grinned and winked.Silence was maintained all the way out to the car.It was only after Casey felt the seat at the back of her legs that she began to relax.
Ryder slid behind the wheel, then looked at her.It didn’t take him long to make the decision.“Buckle up.You choose, but you’re not going home until you eat.”
Casey wrinkled her nose.“The car smells like French fries.”
“Dora spilled a few.I’ll clean it out tomorrow.”
It took Casey a moment for the answer to connect.Dora?French fries?In the car?She turned where she sat, staring at Ryder in sudden confusion.
“Who’s Dora?”
“You are bad off,” he said, as he put the car in gear and backed out of the parking space.“She’s your grandmother, isn’t she?”
“You called her Dora?”
He shrugged as he pulled into traffic.“Said she didn’t want me calling her ma’am.”
“Why was Dora…I mean Gran…eating French fries in the car?”
“Because they went with her cheeseburger and cherry limeade.”
Casey’s mouth dropped.“She ate fast food?”
He grinned.“Ate it real fast, too.Never saw a woman so hungry.”
Casey still didn’t believe she was getting the story straight.“She ate her meal in the back seat of a car?”
Ryder gave her a sidelong glance.“Are you still faint?”
She covered her face with her hands and groaned.“My God, why did you take Gran to a fast-food restaurant?”
“Because she was hungry, that’s why.”
“But…”
He took the corner in a delicate skid, the likes of which the Lincoln had never seen.“You know what?”
