“For real.”
“I signed it there. See? Mom says I got to always sign my artwork.”
“Your mother is naturally correct. Thank you.” His long arm went around Ryder for a quick hug, then he ruffled his hair before looking over his shoulder at Joey. “All done?” Without waiting for her to answer, he said to Ryder, “Ready to eat pizza now?”
“Yeah!” After jumping up, Ryder asked, “Want to see how fast I can run?”
Hendrix gave a gruff laugh. “You’re a fast talker, I know that. Are you a fast runner, too?”
“Real fast.”
Mouth quirking, Hendrix said to Joey, “He doesn’t lack for confidence.”
“Shush,” she whispered back, incredibly pleased by how he had praised the card. She should have known Hendrix would handle things competently.
To Ryder, she said, “How about you run to the playground and back. No farther than that, okay?” There were dark areas in the park and the thought of losing sight of him it terrified her. “Stay where I can see you.”
“Okay, Mom.” Immediately, Ryder took a stance.
Smiling, Joey counted, “One...two...three –go!”
Holding the card at his side, Hendrix watched Ryder run. The second he was far enough away not to overhear, Hendrix asked, “Are you worried about being here alone with me?”
“What? No. Don’t be silly.” How could he think he worried her? If anything, Hendrix being near reassured her.
“Then who are you worried about?” When she hesitated, his dark brows gathered together again. “Your ex, right? If there’s a problem, I need to know.” After he said that, he glanced up and called out, “You’re faster than a falcon,” as Ryder started back from the playground.
The easy camaraderie with her son pleased her. “Thank you. He hasn’t been this excited in a while.”
“He’s expending some energy. It’s good for him.” Still watching Ryder, he asked, “What are you afraid of?”
She thought about how to answer, but Hendrix’s hair was distracting. It was so dark and thick, her fingers tingled with the urge to brush it away from his eyes. Instead, she stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I’ll make it brief, because I don’t want Ryder to overhear, but I’m always on the lookout for my ex or my in-laws. I wouldn’t want to be taken by surprise by any of them.”
Accepting that, Hendrix said, “I have security cameras that record movement, but I can keep the gates locked, too. You’ll just need to let me know when you’re leaving the park.”
The quick remedy pleased her. “Thank you.” His suggestion wouldn’t matter if someone snuck in on foot, but it was a great start.
As Ryder raced up to them, Hendrix said, “I had no idea you were turbocharged.”
“Does that mean I’m fast?”
“Super fast.”
As if he’d been doing it every day, Ryder grabbed both of their hands and urged them to a quicker pace, occasionally dropping his weight to force them to swing him. Hendrix laughed about it, and in the process stole another chunk of her heart.
His house was the most private area in the park, half-hidden by landscaping and naturally grown trees. She’d been curious about it forever. From the outside, it looked nice with the cerulean blue shaker shingles and bright white trim that mimicked the ocean.
He led them around back, past a privacy fence to a large deck that faced an abundance of spruce and fir trees. Seeing a hot tub on the deck caused her to trip over her own feet. It took only a nanosecond for her to imagine Hendrix easing into the steamy water, sitting back at his leisure to enjoy the whirling heat on a cool night like tonight.
Would he wear trunks – or be naked?
“Easy,” he said, catching her arm so she didn’t face-plant in the prickly grass.
Ryder released their hands and ran to the hot tub. “Wow, your own pool?”
“Hot tub,” Hendrix said, then he blew her mind when he added, “You can come down and use it sometime, as long as your mom is with you. Don’t ever go near it alone, okay? Will you promise me?”
“For real?” Eyes wide, he stared at Hendrix as if he’d turned into Santa Claus.
