One last glance at the loft window—not that I expected to see Ryder through it—before I turned the engine over and pulled away from the cabin to head for town.
At least the old town was putting on a show for one of its long-lost sons. Ryder had sworn to me that he was never coming back to this place, and up until Seth had called me to let me know he was heading here, I’d believed it.
I’d hated it, but I’d believed it.
Now he was back, and I didn’t know how to feel about that at all.
It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted to see him again, but I couldn’t stand the way it’d happened. If I ever ran into the guy who’d posted that video, I’d…
Well, I wouldn’t stop to help him jumpstart his car or anything, that was for sure.
When I pulled up outside of Liz’s house she was already standing on the front lawn, Charlie and Maisie both sticking close to her until they saw me and ran over. Maisie hugged my knee and Charlie toddled his way over determinedly, laughing as I scooped him up for a hug and ruffled Maisie’s hair.
“Have you gotten taller since I last saw you?” I asked Maisie, bouncing Charlie on my hip to make him giggle.
She grinned up at me to reveal a missing front tooth.
“And you lost another tooth!” I enthused, grinning back down at her. “Not long now until you’re as tall as me.”
Maisie laughed and buried her face against my leg, shy. That was why she and I got along, I thought. Kindred spirits.
“You look good like that, y’know,” Liz said, coming over to take Charlie back and brush a kiss over my cheek. “I heard about Ryder.”
Small-town gossip continued to hold the land speed record.
“You didn’t watch the video, did you?” I asked as I handed Charlie over.
“Bideo!” he enthused, a broad grin spreading over his adorable face.
“Of course not, what do you take me for?” Liz asked.
“Sorry.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Just… feeling protective, I guess.”
I didn’t like the way Liz smirked at me. Again—she knew too much.
“Like always,” she said, with a gleam in her eyes that made blood rush to my face.
“He’s had a rough time,” I defended. I was allowed to feel protective of my friend, wasn’t I?
“Uh-huh.”
“Am I here to fix your step or not?” I asked. Judging by the way the tips of my ears were burning, I must’ve been red as a tomato by now.
Liz had always known how to get under my skin like that. That waswhywe were still friends. Neither of us could afford to be enemies.
“All yours,” she said, gesturing to the front porch where I could see the third step up had split in the middle, nasty splinters sticking up everywhere. “I’ll put on some coffee.”
I watched as she helped Maisie skip the broken stair and then turned back to my truck to grab my toolbox. At first glance it was a quick job, I’d be done within an hour. Maybe then I could bring Ryder some lunch, since he’d only nibbled on a slice of bacon at breakfast after that call from his agent.
My phone went off again the moment I grabbed the toolbox from the truck bed, and I almost dropped it on my foot in my hurry to check who was messaging me.
Seth:how is he?
Right, Seth. That was fine. If it’d been Ryder messaging to say he needed me, I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done.
Ward:sleeping
At least, I hoped he was sleeping. He’d looked like he needed it. Hopefully it was peaceful, too.
