Archie seems ecstatic to have both Ryder and me here together. He runs between the two of us.
I ignore the table and chairs and settle on one of the few clean pool loungers covered in white terry cloth that the dog hasn’t destroyed. I take off my shirt completely and lie back, gazing at Ryder with slitted eyes.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he says dryly.
“I will.” I give a cheeky grin.
Ryder sits on the edge of the chair next to me. I pick up Archie and settle him in my lap. He chews happily on the sleeve of my shirt, and I let him.
“So what do you want to talk about?”
His eyes sweep down my body and then abruptly shift back to my face.
He swallows audibly. “We need to set some ground rules. I know you weren’t expecting me, and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
He says that, but it’s clear he’s the one who’s uncomfortable.
“We were together last summer,” I remind him.
“It wasn’t just the two of us. This is different. We’re going to be alone here. I don’t want things to get weird.”
“What’s getting weird is you. This is no big deal. Just think of me as any other pet sitter.” I flip over, shimmying a little, putting my weight on my elbows and tilting my head, letting it rest on my hands.
Ryder’s eyes run over my breasts, which are small but mighty. My bikini sets off my golden tan that I’ve been working on since I arrived.
His jaw tenses. “You’re not like any other anything.”
“Why, thank you.” I choose to interpret that statement as a compliment.
“I’m staying in the blue room at the end of the second floor. Which room are you in?” he asks.
“Worried I’m going to sneak into your bed at night?”
When he doesn’t answer, I roll my eyes again. “Relax. I’m in the pool house.” I wish now I’d taken a room in the mansion when I first arrived.
His breath whooshes out. “That’s good.”
“You don’t need to sound so relieved. And remember, the pool house doesn’t have a kitchen. So we’ll be bumping into each other all hours of the day and night. I love midnight snacks.” My smile widens. “Plus, Archie likes to have the run of the main house, as you well know, hence the hide-and-seek game we play daily. So I’ll be wandering the halls, peeking in all the rooms.”
“Daisy, I’m not sure if this is a good idea,” he admits.
“What do you mean?” I ask, suddenly nervous. “Listen. If you don’t need me anymore and want to let me go, just say it. Imean, you’re here now. So I understand if things have changed. Or maybe you don’t think I’m pet-sitting material?” I ask, feeling more vulnerable than I’d like to admit.
Does he think I’m not responsible enough for the job? I’ve always been Chase’s flighty younger sister to him. I slide my sunglasses down, trying to shade any break in my expression.
Sometimes pretending not to care about anything is damn hard work. But it’s a pose I’ve perfected over the years. It started as far back as elementary school. I had more trouble focusing than the other kids. I lost assignments and never quite knew where we were in a lesson. It’s like other people could keep their brain on one track, but mine had dozens of loops to veer off on and get lost, no matter how hard I tried.
The teachers blamed my crappy grades on my home life. With my background, no one expected me to do well. That continued through middle school and then high school. We rarely stayed long enough for the teachers to get to know me anyway. And by then, I’d stopped trying. I spent more time skipping school than sitting in class. I told myself I didn’t care about constantly failing. But I did. Too much.
Just like I care now.
“I’m not going to let you go.” Ryder says. “Your job is safe. I don’t even know how long I’ll be here. But I wish you’d tell me what you’re really doing pet-sitting. Who’s watching your shop?”
He runs a hand through his close-cropped hair as he watches me. With his perfect bone structure, the shorter style suits him, but his current cut makes him seem a little older, less rock-and-roll bad boy, more serious musician. He’s always had that side of him, though he presents a give-no-fuck appearance to the world. Maybe we aren’t so different in that regard.
I shift and tilt my head back against the pool lounger, focusing on the blue of the sky. I can’t avoid this. Ryder will find out the truth from Chase, Olivia, or Emma.
“I closed it,” I say simply, ripping off the Band-Aid, my cheeks going pink.
