The upside to his stubbornness was that he now knew her well – and she knew him. A year of daily close proximity, no pressure chatting, and quiet observance had seen to that.
And the past week together? He couldn’t imagine being more content – unless he could get her naked.
He was a selfish ass and he knew it, so sue him. It wasn’t the first time.
He’d bought the park so he could work through his own shit without his doting family trying to “fix him” every step of the way. Their nonstop efforts had smothered him. Last night he’d called home to apologize. Hurting them had never been his intent, but he’d been so set on doing things his own way that he hadn’t stopped to really think about what they were going through.
Now, thanks to Joey, he’d been jolted back to life. The numbness was gone. Yes, the tragedy remained in his memory, but his perspective was now different. It still hurt. It wouldalwayshurt.
Rather than feeling lost, he knew exactly what he wanted and he was fucking thrilled that he had a great excuse to stick close to Joey.
His phone dinged and he found a text from Joey. Good morning.
Smiling, he texted back: Sleep well?
Ha, ha.
Her response made him chuckle. They’d had very little alone time, which meant frustrations were running high. Everything ok?
Yup. Just wanted to say hi.
Speaking in person would be even better, but he understood she had a routine with Ryder. See you soon.
Part of his protection included watching the cameras in the evening, ensuring no intruders entered the park. It was more interesting than the TV or the book he was currently reading.
A car wouldn’t get past the locked gate, but anyone on foot would have no problem going under or climbing over. The added sound alerts helped him to rest. He was a light enough sleeper that he knew he’d hear the alert if anyone entered. Of course, they’d gone off a few times from nosy elk, and once from a bird, but it hadn’t taken him long to check the camera and then go back to sleep.
So far, the whole relationship thing was off to a good start. One night, she invited him to share dinner with them, but since her place looked like a Christmas parade, he’d made the next two offers at his house. Both times, they’d ended dinner with a lounge in the hot tub. Or at least, they would have been lounging if Ryder hadn’t been so busy jumping and splashing and exclaiming how incredibly “cool” the hot tub was.
It made Hendrix smile to remember.
It’d be great to take them out somewhere to eat, but that would mean facing the entire Christmas spirit, and the idea nauseated him. People would smile and chatter – but somewhere, in another place, tragedy would strike.
Not everyone got a nice holiday.
Not everyone cared about gift giving, kindness... or kids.
Shaking that off, as he often had to do, he took the last drink of his coffee and wondered how soon he could see Joey. He had an explicit, R-rated vision of her in his head when he heard the ding of the security camera.
Taking out his phone, he checked the screen – and spotted a white car. The image was too small for him to make out the driver, but he did a screenshot. Keeping the phone out so hecould monitor things, he grabbed his keys and went out the front door.
Today would be milder, but the sun wasn’t yet high enough to offer much warmth. When he neared Joey’s cabin, he glanced that way, but her blinds were still drawn. That suited him. Wishing he’d thought to take the golf cart, he headed for the entrance. He wasn’t really rushed, assuming it was just a passerby, yet the closer he got, the sharper his senses became.
Something was wrong.
Just as he got in range to better see the driver, the car sped away, spitting up gravel and dust.
Hendrix stopped, his body rigid, a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins
Maybe he should have been stealthier. Next time, he would be.
Though a direct confrontation would suit him – if it was her ex. If it had been her in-laws? Well, he wasn’t sure how she’d want to deal with them. He supposed that was something they’d need to discuss.
“Mr. Becker!” Bundled up in an oversized sweatshirt, loose pajama pants, and untied sneakers, Ryder raced toward him. “Where ya’ going? Could I go, too? I won’t be any trouble.”
And just like that, his morning got a hell of a lot better.
Glancing around, Hendrix made sure the car hadn’t circled back, and then he scooped up Ryder, liking how the small, sturdy body clung to him. The boy’s hair was smashed on one side, and his eyes looked a little puffy from a hard sleep. Grinning, Hendrix asked, “Did you just wake up?”
