Chapter Eleven

Everything was changing so fast it was giving Charlie whiplash.

In one week, Finn would close on the ranch and officially become a Westbend resident. And tonight, in a move unprecedented before this time, Honor had a playdate.

The odor of degreaser and floor cleaner mingled as Charlie pressure washed the shop floor. Brake fluid spill today. Scott had offered to take care of it, but Charlie had sent him home, needing the distraction.

Never had she imagined she could be nervous for a five-year-old on a playdate.

Charlie paused and retrieved her phone from the pocket of her coveralls. She’d text Addie and see what her friend was up to. If Evan was in town, maybe they could sneak away for a quick girls’ dinner.

After sending the message, she returned to the machine.

Why was she so jumpy about this playdate? Honor and Gabby played together at school all the time. If Honor was going to jabber about anyone, it was Gabby. Ironic because of her friend’s name. Their relationship had brought out a new side in Honor and broken down her walls.

But what if something changed? What if they got into an argument and it affected their friendship? Or what if Honor didn’t feel safe and didn’t have a way to let Charlie know? She doubted that last one was possible, or she wouldn’t have let Honor go.

“Argh.” Charlie gave the cleaner an extra shove over the stained part of the floor. As if her frustrations could be scraped away along with the dirt and grime.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she scrambled for it like someone with a tree-nut allergy lunging for their EpiPen.

I wish we could hang out! I would love that. I miss you. Unfortunately, I have quite a few guests tonight and Sawyer is sick. The text included the green-faced emoji.

That did not sound fun. Is Evan there to help you?

Charlie was confident that Addie would notify her if she required assistance. She wasn’t overly determined to rule the world on her own like some people had a tendency to do.

Not that Charlie was over-the-top in that way. She was okay at accepting help. She just liked to be so organized and efficient that it wasn’t necessary.

“Hello?” The call came from the rear shop entrance, and Charlie flipped off the cleaner.

“Back here.”

Ryker rounded the vehicle still in bay one, and Charlie’s heart dropped and did ten pushups at the sight of him. “Hey. What’s going on?” Had he stopped by to see her? Or had he forgotten they’d moved his visitation to tomorrow night?

“You’re still working?” He scanned her current situation. “Or...cleaning?”

“Yeah. We had a spill today. Brake fluid.”

“Gotcha. Is Honor upstairs then? I didn’t see her outside.”

So, it was the second option. I refuse to be disappointed it wasn’t the first.

“Remember that we switched nights? Gabby had asked if Honor could come over to play, and this was the only evening they could make work this week.”

Ryker scrubbed hands over his face. “That’s right. I forgot about the switch. Between work and Alma’s news about the duplex, I’ve been running like crazy.”

“Alma’s news? Not sure you told me about that.”

Ryker’s grin flashed, and Charlie’s stomach somersaulted. If he stuck around any longer, she’d turn into a gymnast. “The people who had rented her duplex—the one two blocks from here—canceled on her last minute. I guess one of them got a job elsewhere, so they’re not staying in town. It’s available again, so she called me. Now that my place in Texas is rented and I have a job here, I can actually sign the lease with a clear conscience. And I’ve got the deposit money. It’s perfect timing.”

Oh. Ryker’s revelation registered like a sucker punch. It was another step toward losing Honor. A big one.

“That’s...great. I’m happy for you.”

Her tone must have failed to validate her response, because Ryker winced. “Sorry. I know this is awkward.”

Get a hold of yourself, Charlie Brightwood. None of this is a surprise.

“It’s a good thing that you’re making progress. Honor should be with family.” Not only did Charlie keep telling herself that, she believed it. The system’s goal was to reunite families if possible. She would never have signed up for fostering if she didn’t agree with that objective.

And hopefully once Honor moved in with Ryker, the constant sting would lessen. At least that was her prayer. And prayers were allowed to be big, impossible requests. Figuring out how to lose Honor definitely fit that definition.

“You’re being really generous about all of this. I’d be a terrible jerk if I were you.”

“What can I say? I’m a really generous person.” Of course she was being sarcastic and dousing her emotions with humor, but Ryker, bless him, let her get away with it. “So does tomorrow night still work for a visitation and working on play lines?”

“Yep. I’ll make it work.”

“Thanks. Now you’ve got a night to yourself.” The very thing that had Charlie stressed out. She’d been on her own for so long and had never cared about doing things single. Movies. Dinner. Travel. Whatever. Didn’t matter, she did it. But one month of Honor’s presence had somehow changed all that.

“I’ll probably go back to my place and pack up what little I have and move it over to the duplex.” His forehead creased. “Not sure how I’m going to furnish my new place. The house where I lived in Texas was already furnished when I moved in, so I don’t own much there, either. Just a bed and dresser and a few small pieces of furniture that aren’t worth going back for right now. I can replace them here for cheaper than the cost of driving and moving the stuff.” Ryker raked a hand over the back of his neck. “Guess I’ll be sleeping on an army cot for the foreseeable future. But as long as Honor has what she needs, I couldn’t care less about myself.”

Sacrificial man. Who else would have literally dropped their life in Texas for the sake of their niece and picked up a new one in Colorado without even a pinch of remorse or regret? Ryker Damon Hayes, that’s who.

“What about you? What are you going to do with your free evening?”

Pray that Honor’s playdate goes really, really well. Charlie glanced around the shop. She was done cleaning. All that remained was storing the machine.

“You’re not working tonight, are you?”

“Maybe.”

“Are you that far behind still? I thought you and Scott had caught up.”

“We’re fine. We’re pretty caught up, actually.”

“So, if you’re not working because you’re in desperate need...what’s going on?”

“I’m trying to distract myself.”

“From what?”

Her sigh was extended and embarrassed. “From overthinking Honor’s playdate. I’m not worried about Honor being at Gabby’s house. I know enough about Camila to trust that her home is a safe place for her. I’m just apprehensive over how things are going for the girls. Gabby is Honor’s only friend, as far as I can tell. There’s a lot at stake. I just hope it goes well and they stay friends. That nothing blows up or turns into a fight or anything weird like that.”

Ryker’s head tilted. “Have you known a lot of five-year-old girls who get into tussles with each other?”

She laughed. “No. But like I said, I didn’t have a ton of girlfriends growing up. The relationships I saw always seemed so volatile.”

“Sure. And those girls probably have drama mamas. They don’t have someone consistent and calm like you or Camila in their lives.”

The fact that Ryker considered her a mother figure for Honor registered like a warm, cleansing washcloth after a long, taxing day. Charlie hadn’t let herself go there—especially since her time as Honor’s foster parent was quickly coming to a close.

“You’re cute when you’re worried.”

Ryker’s comment sent Charlie’s blood whipping through her veins. What did he mean by that? He just says things sometimes. Don’t overthink it like you are everything else right now.

But then Ryker’s hand skimmed her cheek, and any logic Charlie had just dug deep for grew wings. For the strangest second, she thought he was going to lean close and kiss her. Her lids fluttered shut in anticipation, quickly shooting back open when she realized she must have imagined the moment.

Ryker’s hand was back by his side, and her skin screamed silently at the loss.

“Want to help me grab my stuff and then see my new place? It’ll distract you.”

The place where Honor would live with him. The place that might take both of them away from her.

Ever since her relationship with Ryker had started to change for the better, Charlie had repeatedly beat down the sneaky, backstabbing fear that he was only befriending her because of her link to Honor. And at times, despite her efforts, that suspicion rose back up, vicious and strong and tormenting.

It couldn’t be true, though, could it? If that were the case, why would Ryker offer to hang out with her right now when Honor wasn’t present? He could tell she needed a distraction, and he was extending an olive branch.

Charlie’s instincts said to refuse it. To hole up and handle everything on her own. But she didn’t want to be that scared version of herself anymore.

Honor had taken a huge step away from her fear when she’d ridden Zeus.

Ryker had done the same with his when he’d driven out to Sunny Farms to apply.

And now it was Charlie’s turn. She had to at least attempt to trust that Ryker’s relationship with her wasn’t solely about Honor. That their friendship meant something and would continue after Honor changed addresses.

Charlie had to try. She had to believe that she mattered in all of this. Because if she didn’t...she wasn’t sure she’d ever recover.

Since they’d left Charlie’s garage, she had relaxed slightly, but the playdate was still definitely weighing on her. The fact that Charlie cared so much about something as small as Honor playing with a friend only made Ryker more attracted to her. Not an area where he currently required any sort of push.

He was treading awfully close to risky territory, and he couldn’t recall why standing at the edge of this cliff was so dangerous. This cliff smelled nice. It had flawless skin that reminded him of peaches. And not only was the cliff pretty, it was funny and kind and generous, too.

Before they’d left her place, Charlie had changed out of her work clothes and into a heather-gray hoodie and jeans with navy blue Converse. She looked cute and comfortable, and Ryker had equal parts wanted to tuck her under his chin and snuggle with her and tug on her sweatshirt until she landed against him. Until those rose lips of hers met his.

Just like he’d been contemplating when they’d been standing in her shop.

He really, really needed to get his head on straight. But being with Charlie without a five-year-old to distract him wasn’t helping that plan in the least.

Ryker hefted the bag of his clothes he’d just finished packing onto his back. He’d thrown in quite a bit before driving to Colorado because he hadn’t known what to expect for weather. Since being here, he’d purchased a few things, and his Texas roommates had shipped a couple boxes of his stuff. Other than clothes, he also had toiletries, food, towels, bedding, his cot.

What did Charlie think of him and his lack of worldly items? And what did it matter? Despite his lapses in judgment tonight, he and Charlie weren’t meant for each other.

Besides his refusal to engage with her while his focus remained on Honor, Charlie was way out of his league. She’d grown up in a good family. A loving family. And while Ryker had experienced enough of that to be just fine, he also had a mountain to overcome in the form of family drama.

He wouldn’t even be in this town or in the vicinity of Charlie if his sister hadn’t lost custody of her daughter.

Outside, Charlie had the passenger door of his truck open, and she was standing next to it. “I got the food packed up.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“Is that the last of your stuff?”

“Yep.” He tossed the bag into the back and climbed into the driver’s seat.

The drive to his new place would only take a few minutes. A topic they did not discuss on the way: how close the duplex was to Charlie’s. Ryker wasn’t sure how she felt about the location, but he didn’t plan to ask because he didn’t have any other options.

He was actually relieved by the proximity of their places. It would make the switch to kinship care easier for Honor if Charlie was close by and still involved. As much as she was willing to be. It would stink if yet another person was deleted from Honor’s life as if they hadn’t existed in the first place.

Thankfully he could be confident that Charlie would never let that happen.

When they reached the duplex, they both grabbed items, carrying in everything he owned in the state of Colorado in two trips.

I’m not going to let that stress me out. At least not tonight. Maybe after he slept it would all feel less overwhelming.

Ryker set up the cot in what would be his bedroom upstairs and then returned to the kitchen to find Charlie unloading the cold food into the fridge.

“You’re going to need supplies along with furnishings.”

Obnoxious dollar signs flashed in his mind along with the sound of an old cash register—ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching. Was he crazy to not return to Texas for his stuff right now? But what did he even have there that was of value? Worn towels, clothes and a dresser with two broken drawers weren’t worth the trip. Even the bed, which was comfortable but nowhere near new, would take too much time and money to transport. It was better to start over here than to dump his paycheck into moving old things.

She pulled out her phone. “We should hit the thrift store before it closes.” She showed him the hours on her screen. “You can do supplies later, because Len’s grocery store will be open longer.”

They had forty minutes, and a thrift store sounded like a fantastic solution. Much better than holing up in the corner throwing a tantrum.

“Let’s do it.”

At the thrift store, they searched out half-price tags. Ryker experienced a flash of embarrassment that his current situation required as much but quickly shoved it aside.

Moving at the drop of a hat had been costly, but worth it.

Charlie found him a matching set of blue plates—not a full one, but enough for him and Honor to make do. Ryker snagged some kitchen necessities. They’d be eating at home, of course. It made the most economical sense.

They scavenged until the store closed, and Ryker enjoyed himself far more than he’d expected to while spending money he didn’t want to spend.

Charlie offered to drive his truck up while he checked out, so he tossed her the keys. When he grabbed the bags and headed out the door, she’d parked right out front but had switched over to sit in the passenger seat.

He put the dishes in the cab of the truck and the rest in the back and then got in. “What time do you have to get Honor?” It was a school night, so Ryker assumed she wouldn’t be over at Gabby’s too late.

“Seven. Camila convinced me to let her stay through dinner. She said she’d have them do any homework they had together.”

Ryker drove out of the lot. “I assume that means Honor is getting a night off from her extra studies?”

Charlie’s lips curved, and Ryker forced his gaze back to the road. The woman’s distraction level was on par with texting while driving. “Yeah. I haven’t been so crazy about that—not like I was at the start. Just twenty minutes a day and then we call it. It’s working, too. She’s doing so much better already—at least from what I can tell. We’ll see what her teacher says when she has a conference, but I’m excited for her.”

“You’re pretty amazing, Charlie Brightwood.”

She just laughed. Was she ever going to believe anything he said? Charlie was the queen of deflecting.

Ryker’s phone rang as he pulled up to the duplex. He tossed the truck into Park and answered as Charlie got out and started gathering bags.

“Hey, Mom. What’s up?” Had she heard something more about Kaia? Maybe she’d been in touch with Kaia’s father.

“I’m getting married!” Her squeal echoed over the phone, and Ryker winced at the tone and the declaration.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Arrow asked me to marry him.”

Arrow? What kind of name was that? “Mom, I don’t even know who you’re talking about. I didn’t even know you were in a relationship.” Correction—he hadn’t listened long enough to retain that information. Ryker could admit he’d tuned his mom out over the years when it came to her dating. The woman was like a record on repeat, and never getting to change the vinyl was pure torment.

“I told you about him. Arrow and I started dating at the beginning of September.” Which would have been just before Ryker had taken off for Colorado. No wonder he hadn’t heard what she’d said about this guy. He’d been busy focusing on Honor’s care while trying to figure out what was going on with his sister. How fitting that Mom had spent the time he’d been uprooting his life and turning it upside down in order to take care of Honor focusing on herself.

And falling in love—or whatever she thought this relationship entailed—in a month.

Ryker had a framed view of Charlie through the windshield as she moved bags into his place without interrupting him, though the concerned look she tossed back in his direction before letting herself in through the unlocked door spoke volumes. She cared about him in some way, shape or form. Just like Ryker did for her.

Yeah, maybe he could see how someone could fall in love in a month. It wasn’t impossible. But with his mom, it was stupid. This wasn’t her first rodeo. She should know better.

“Don’t you think this guy should meet your kids before proposing to you?”

“He couldn’t. You were off gallivanting in Colorado, honey.”

Gallivanting, meaning attempting to care for his niece. Right. “I’m not off on a fun run, Mom. I’m trying to take over kinship care of Honor because your daughter has disappeared.” She gave a huff of offense, but Ryker continued before she could make excuses for her lack of interest in her granddaughter. “Have you heard anything from Kaia’s dad? Anything about how she’s doing?”

“Why would I talk to that man? I haven’t spoken to him in years, nor do I plan to.”

Because your daughter’s a mess, Mom. She needs you and her dad. She needs help. Ryker dropped his forehead to the steering wheel in lieu of letting the words that wouldn’t change anything fall from his mouth. Thanks for reminding me where I came from, Mom. For showing me just what kind of chaos happens when a person only focuses on themselves.

This was why Ryker had been so careful to keep his relationship with Charlie platonic all along. Because he certainly wasn’t going to turn out like his mother and selfishly put himself first.

Even if it killed him not to.