“What? Why? You loved that store. I thought it was going great.” His expression arranges into a fierce frown.
“I wasn’t really cut out for business ownership.” I try to smile. “You and Chase always teased me about being flighty. Remember? I guess you were right.”
“That’s bullshit. That was a long time ago, and you know we were just joking around with you.”
I bite my lip.
“You knew that, right?”
Ryder watches me intently, shock in his eyes, as if I’m someone he doesn’t recognize. And maybe he’s right. Since I arrived here at this house, something’s cracked open in me.
I sealed over all those broken parts from when I was younger. Fixed them up with superglue and sparkle. But since I lost my business, the sparkle has worn off, and the fissures are showing. I can’t seem to hold all the pieces together. I’m out of energy to paste over them with smiles andjoie de vivre, so the parts I’m desperate to avoid are seeping through.
I don’t want Ryder to see any of it. I need him to admire and fall for me. And he’ll never do that if he sees the insecure little girl beneath the confidence and the dark beneath the light.
“It’s fine, Ryder. I’ll take flighty over serious any day of the week.”
Ryder’s jaw ticks. “You shouldn’t be here. You need to fight for your business. Your life is in San Francisco. You can’t just leave. And what about your apartment? Your friends?”
“It’s too late for my store. It’s gone. And my friends are still my friends, regardless of where I am.” I don’t say the rest. That the building and my apartment were always Chase’s, not mine.
“Daisy, this job isn’t what’s best for you.”
“Well, I’m here,” I say, wondering if he just doesn’t trust me to watch over his dog and an empty house.
To distract myself from my thoughts, I grab the tanning oil that I left on the table next to the lounger. I rub oil on my legs. My movement snags Ryder’s interest.
Next, I focus on my chest area.
His eyes track my hand’s progress silently. He’s not looking at me like I’m his friend’s little sister anymore. He’s watching me with heat. I feel marginally better about this entire conversation. Men really are simple creatures.
“Why don’t you let me decide what’s best,” I say. Then I sit up and turn. I twist to face him.
“Can you do my back?” I ask, making my eyes big and innocent.
Ha. Take that.
His Adam’s apple bounces as he swallows audibly, but he takes the oil, like he’s meeting my challenge. And then it’s my turn to gulp audibly as I feel his large hands running over my sensitive skin.God, a musician’s fingers, rough with calluses. He rubs the oil in carefully,thoroughly, with a firm yet gentle touch.
When he’s done, I’m trembling.
“Are you cold?” he asks, his voice sandpaper rough.
“A little,” I say to explain my reaction. It’s hot, so that makes no sense. “There’s…um…a breeze,” I lie. “Thanks.” I take back the oil from him and wonder if he just played the player.
He coughs. “Sure. No problem. So. Let’s just keep on as planned. With you in the pool house. And you can keep up your regular duties, like walking and feeding Archie.”
“What about at night? Archie’s been sleeping in the pool house with me, but I imagine you’ll prefer him with you now?”
“No. Keep your routine. He seems happy. Truth is, I’m not sure what to do about Archie. That’s something else I’m here to figure out.”
“What do you mean,do about Archie?”
“I can’t keep a dog long-term.”
My stomach sinks. I lean down to cover the dog’s ears. “Shh. He might hear you. You can’t be saying what I think you’re saying,” I hiss.
Ryder holds up his hands. “Hey, I’m not the bad guy. I found him in the middle of my tour. He was in terrible shape. It was obvious he didn’t belong to anyone, or at least hadn’t for a long time. We asked around, contacted as many shelters in the area as we could, but no one reported a lost dog with his description, and every shelter we called was full. They said if they couldn’t find someone to adopt him, they’d have to…” He trails off and swallows. “So we took him with us. Everyone loved him. It was never more than temporary, though. I’ll find him the best home possible so he can be happy. Maybe somewhere with a family, a normal house, a backyard. I wasn’t sure when I’d have time, so I hired a pet sitter for the summer. But now that I’m here, it’s best to deal with it sooner than later.”
