Glad to have pleased her boss, she picked up her paint brush and continued…with a smile on her face.
***
It was July 1st, and Ryder sat on Ethan’s deck, enjoying a beer with him and Jeremy and Ben, while the women were all at tonight’s show. He had no idea where June had gone. It flew by.Because you had fun, his mind supplied. That was, indeed, true. A smile tugged his lips. They’d finished the sets early last week, and the show opened last night.
Sophia was already halfway through designing sets for the youth production of Grease, and he looked forward to start helping with them over the weekend. It was amazing to watch her creativity and expertise at work.
“There he goes, smiling again,” Jeremy said, with a roll of his eyes.
Used to the teasing by now, he just flipped him off and drank his beer.
“You’re just envious because he’s getting some and you aren’t,” Ben said, slouching while his baby girl slept on his chest.
Ever since that night he and Sophia watched the Mets and…combusted, Ryder had garnered a different outlook. He stopped hesitating where she was concerned. If he wanted to see her on days he wasn’t volunteering at the theater, he stopped in to see her. If he wanted to have lunch with her, he brought her lunch. Or they met at Timbers Grille in the resort, or his dad’s restaurant, or sometimes, they even met at her condo and had a really great lunch.
She never seemed to mind, either. In fact, he got the impression she would be happy to see him every day. Which was great, except he craved her company every day too, and he didn’t want forever.
Because of that, he made a point to go a day or two without exposure to her sweetness. It was also the reason he had yet to bring her to his house. They only had sex in her bed.
But, he was beginning to realize that wasn’t fair. And that it put a selfish spin on their fun.
“Wait a minute.” Jeremy reeled back. “Who said I’m not getting any?”
Ben smirked. “Does that mean you’re giving the pretty author something to write about besides parking tickets?”
Ryder’s chuckle mixed with Ethan’s, and this time it was Jeremy who waved his middle finger.
“I think that’s a negatory.” Ethan grinned.
“That’s too bad,” he said, holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers. “Because a date with Rosey Palmer and her five sisters doesn’t count.”
Jeremy snorted. “Fuck you, Ryder.”
“I wouldn’t want to make Rosey jealous.” He laughed and the others joined in.
“Or Sophia,” Ben said.
Ethan nodded. “You’ve been seeing her a lot, Ryder. And that’s a good thing.”
“Yeah.” Ben’s tone turned serious. “She’s good for you. You’re happy. Content.”
Jeremy leaned forward and held his gaze. “They’re right. All kidding aside, it’s good to see you giving yourself a break. It’s about damn time.”
Not one for touchy feely moments with the guys, especially when they’re directed at him, Ryder lifted his beer in a mock toast and drank. It was much safer to keep his feelings buried than to confront them. The last time he’d done that he’d gotten burnt.
Yeah, it was definitely much safer to keep things light and physical with Sophia.
The Fourth of July was in a couple of days. It was time for some fun that wasn’t so selfish. A special plan started to formulate in his mind. With luck, they’d make that holiday memorable, too.
Chapter Eleven
Phoebe wasn’t sure what to expect when she received a text from Ryder to meet him at the dock behind Ethan’s house, with a bathing suit and an overnight bag. The invitation and mystery sent a scintillating shiver down her body. Nothing was ever dull with him.
Smiling, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs for breakfast with Phoebe and Ethan, wearing her bikini under one of her summer dresses.
“Morning, sunshine,” Phoebe said, then narrowed her eyes. “Ooh, what’s that smile for, and the overnight bag?”
She greeted her hosts then told them about Ryder’s invitation as she sat down at the table and started to eat her plate of eggs and bacon.
