I nodded, digging my keys out of my pocket. “Yeah,why?”
“Dunno, you just seemed a little off this evening. Offering to take on more work when you’re already working fifty-plus hours a week seems a little much, don't ya think?” My father followed me into the house and sank onto the living roomcouch.
I grabbed two beers from the fridge and joined him. “I’d do anything for this family,that’sall.”
Holt opened his beer and clanked the neck of his to mine. “That’s my boy. Gotta look out for the bestinterest.”
I pursed my lips after taking the perfect first sip from the longneck. “Exactly.”
“So, does she know yet?” My father took a long swig of his beer with an eyebrow raisedatme.
I thumbed the top of my bottle. “Does whoknowwhat?”
He chuckled a little. “Do you really think I am a fool,Ryder?”
I shook my head. “Sheknows.”
“When are you going totellAbel?”
I shook my head. “He won’t approve. Raine’s trying to keep it a secretfornow.”
“Shit always hits the fan, son. You need tomanup.”
I pursed my lips. “I can’t go against herwishes.”
After staring at his beer for a few seconds, my dad looked up at me. “You cannot let fear stand in your way. It’ll make you weak, and one thing we are not, my boy, is fuckingpussies.”
2
Raine
After finally finishing cleaningup from dinner and takinga shower, it was time to relax with a little Netflix and Rocky Road ice cream. Lying in my bed, shoving spoonful after spoonful of desserty goodness in my mouth, my brain replayed Ryder’s words in my head overandover.
Helovesme.
Flutters were crashing around in my stomach as I completely ignored the next episode of Gilmore Girls that had just loaded on my TV. I was startled out of my love-drunk swoon session when my phone blared and vibrated from a text message on mychest.
Ryder: You do know that I meant those words today,right?
My hands shook a little as Itypedback.
Me: I meant them too,Ryder.
Ryder: Good. Are your parents atthebar?
Me: Yeah, and Collin just left. He’s sleeping over at Cody’s placeagain.
Ryder: I’ll be there in tenminutes.
I jumped out of bed and started throwing the dirty clothes that were scattered around into my closet, made sure my makeup was perfect, changed out of my granny panties into a tight lace thong, and threw on a maxi dress because it made my ass lookamazing.
Pacing around the front room of the house for just a few minutes felt like a lifetime, until a gentle knock came onto thefrontdoor.
Opening the door to the smiling face of my amazing man sent chills shooting down my arms and legs. Thankfully, Ryder immediately wrapped his arm around my waist to pull me into him—just in time too, because my knees were starting tofeelweak.
“Hi,” he whispered in my ear before planting soft kisses on the nape ofmyneck.
“Hey babe.” I breathed into his chest as I took in the salty-sweet combination of his cologne and sweat from the muggy, humid night. “How was therideover?”
