“She had a way of manipulating me. All she had to do was bat those pretty eyes at me, and I would give her anything she wanted. And it would have continued to work if my boss hadn’t asked me to defend a rapist.”
“He didn’t!” Josie shouted.
“You told him no, right?” Delaney asked. “I mean, of course you did, because you ended up here. That’s why you were fired. It all makes sense now.”
Josie chimed in excitedly. “He stood on his principles, and that’s why he was fired. I knew it had to be something like that.”
“The town wasn’t that far off,” Delaney agreed.
“You didn’t do it,” I whispered, finally breathing for the first time since he walked into the shop.
“I couldn’t. No matter what I had done as a lawyer, that was pushing it too far.”
“And Bianca didn’t like that, did she?” Delaney scoffed.
“Well, of course not. She wanted all the pretty things.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting a man to support you,” Kasey sniped at Josie.
“There is when you’re using him for money instead of supporting him when he’s clearly doing what he feels is right!”
“That’s why you didn’t want to get close to me,” I whispered, taking a step toward the counter, hating myself for putting this barrier between us.
It didn’t matter. He moved quickly until he was just on the other side.
“I was stupid to think you could ever be like her. And I swear, if you?—”
I pushed up onto the counter and flung myself into his arms, kissing him hard. Delaney and Josie cheered, letting out loud whoops, which I was positive would attract the attention of every single person on the street.
When I pulled back and looked into Ryder’s eyes, I saw relief and love matching my own feelings. God, it had been hell without him.
“So, this is over, right?”
His smile dropped and he took a step back. “But I thought…”
“No! I mean, the distance. You staying away and me pretending I want you to.”
“Oh, thank God,” he breathed, dropping his head. “I thought you were telling me to leave, which would be really shitty after you kissed me like that.”
“I’m not letting you go anywhere,” I whispered.
Kasey and Raleigh stormed out of the shop in disgust, no doubt about to spread gossip and rumors around town just to make my life difficult. But I suddenly didn’t care what anyone else said. I had Ryder, and that was all that mattered.
“Josie, I need you to watch the shop for me,” I said, not taking my eyes off Ryder as he tugged me off the counter and scooped me up into his arms.
“Go get ‘em, Tiger!” she cheered. “I mean, something a lot more sexual and less like a baseball reference!” she shouted.
Ryder pushed the door open and stepped out into the bright sunlight, and waiting outside was a horse-drawn carriage with flowers and chocolates.
“I may have fibbed about getting you all that stuff.”
Giggling, I buried my face in his neck, embarrassed as people started coming out of the shops, staring at us.
“You didn’t have to.”
His chocolate eyes met mine in earnest. “You deserve it, and everything else I can give you.”
When he kissed me, I blocked out all the whistles and cheers. I didn’t expect it to end like this, or to ever find a man as good as Ryder, but now that I had him, I was never letting him go.
