Finding an apartment in Westbend that wouldn’t break the bank along with the expenses moving would incur wasn’t as easy as Ryker had hoped. He’d spent the weekend looking for an apartment and a job, and so far, nothing on either account.
There was also no news from Texas—no one interested in taking over his room and rent.
At this rate he’d end up moving back to Texas and having to fight for the right to raise Honor from there. He could only imagine how taxing that would be.
The apartment Ryker had just viewed was eerily close to Charlie’s place. Only two blocks away. But then, Westbend wasn’t that big. Everything would be too close for comfort—at least from Charlie’s point of view.
His next visitation with Honor was tomorrow night. After the storm fiasco on Friday evening that had somehow turned out okay, he hadn’t heard anything from Charlie. It wasn’t her duty to keep him updated on Honor, he knew that, but at the same time, a little info would be nice.
“Let me know what you think of the place.” The landlord—a quirky woman named Alma Dinnerson—had shown him the small two-bedroom, two-bath that took up one side of a duplex. It wasn’t fancy, but it checked off the requirements on Angela’s list, so it would do.
“I think the place is great.” He carefully tiptoed into the portion of the conversation where everyone else had told him no. “I’m a good renter, easygoing, and I always pay on time. I have the first month’s rent, but I don’t have the security deposit yet. I’m moving here unexpectedly from Texas, and I’m waiting to get my deposit back from my place there so that I can use it here.” Ryker did have some money in savings, but he couldn’t drain all of that. Not when he didn’t have a job in Westbend yet. “And I’m actually still looking for work here, too.” Might as well lay all of his issues out for Alma, though between the two admissions, his chances of renting her place had likely just dropped to zero percent.
Alma studied him. “Got yourself in a bit of a predicament, do you?”
That was more than any of the other landlords had asked him.
“My sister—Kaia Delaney—lost custody of my niece, and I’m trying to find a place with a bedroom for her that will allow the state to let me keep her. I think she should be with family.” Ryker wasn’t above going for the sympathy vote. Especially if it benefited Honor. Which it would. Family was always best, right?
“I’ve met Kaia. She did some cleaning for a few of my other properties.” How many places did this woman own? She was dressed in polyester pants and a flowered shirt with the kind of shoes that shouted 1960s nurse and arch support. And yet, she probably held more investments than the average banker. “Her daughter was a sweetheart. Quiet, but a good girl.”
“Honor is amazing. She’s struggling, of course, with everything going on, but I want to be as consistent for her as possible. If the caseworker lets me.”
Alma nodded. “You’re doing a good thing, Ryker Hayes.” He sure hoped he was. He’d like to shake his sister, figure out what was going on with her, but she’d fallen off the face of the earth since his arrival in town.
“I tell you what. Let me think about it. I have another showing for this place tonight, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll consider you, even with all of your issues.”
Ryker’s grin inched into existence at the olive branch and offense rolled into one. It was true—he had boatloads of issues right now.
“Okay, thanks. Let me know.” They parted ways.
As Ryker jumped into his truck, his phone dinged with a text...from Charlie. He clicked on it.
Honor wants to go for a convertible ride. It’s one of the only things she really seems to enjoy, and it’s a nice evening.
Had she meant to send the text to someone else?
Another ding followed.
She scrounged up enough words to tell me that she also wants you to go with us, and since I’m not an ogre, I can’t refuse her.
His cheeks creased. No matter how much Charlie probably wanted to.
He should really continue his job hunt, but who would be open or answering the phone on a Sunday night? He’d give it a rest for the evening, spend some time with his niece. After all, she was the reason he was here. He just hoped that he could find a way to stay, for both of their sakes.
I’m two blocks away looking at an apartment. I’ll be right over.
When he arrived, Charlie and Honor were playing in the sandbox located near the back of the garage. She had a patio table with an umbrella set up, a grill under the stairs, a small patch of grass. Not a full-fledged backyard, but what did that matter? Honor had likely gotten more attention with Charlie in the last handful of days than she had with Kaia in a month. Ryker stifled the internal sigh that whipped blame in his direction. He’d certainly dropped the ball on keeping up with his sister the last few months and checking on Honor.
Never again.
Charlie acknowledged him, and Honor waved. “Hi, Uncle Ry.” She contentedly dug and moved sand.
“Hi, Hon.” The temptation to join her was strong. Ryker hadn’t played in a sandbox in a long, long while.
“Should we go for a ride?” Charlie asked, and Honor popped up, brushing her palms against her striped shorts.
Charlie led the way to what must be a personal garage in the back alley. She opened the roll-up door. “I’ll back out since there’s not a lot of space inside.”
On the opposite side of the garage was a yellow FJ Cruiser. But what Charlie backed out was a collector Ford Mustang, candy-apple red and perfectly restored.
Ryker whistled. “Wow. Did you restore it yourself?” He was afraid to stick the worn boots and jeans residing on his body inside the pristine vehicle. Honor didn’t have any of the same concerns. She climbed into the back seat like the car was her own personal play place, and Charlie didn’t make a peep about her likely still sandy limbs or shoes. Impressive.
“With my granddad. When I was in high school. I didn’t know it was my graduation gift until after we were done.” Charlie handed Honor a hat and sunglasses, and she donned the items, looking adorable.
When he told her so, she beamed.
“Are you sure?” Ryker asked Charlie before getting in, dropping his voice.
He could understand why Charlie wouldn’t want him around. They were basically enemies at this point. He’d been terrible to her at the park, and now he was fighting to take Honor from her. Charlie was obviously qualified as a caregiver for his niece, or she would never have been approved in the first place.
“Just get in.”
Amusement surfaced as Ryker obeyed. “Yes, ma’am.”
They found a radio station that Honor approved of and tooled out of town and into the hills surrounding Westbend. Ranches and cattle marked the land that ranged from green to brown and every shade in between. Definitely dryer than Texas, but it had an appeal all its own.
A small creek snaked through tall grasses, and Charlie parked to the side of the road. Ryker let Honor out of the back seat, and she ran over to a spot where a sandy bank kissed the water. She dipped her fingers in, screeching with pleasure over how cold it was.
“Done this with her before?”
Charlie had stayed behind the wheel, and she watched Honor for a few beats before answering. “Yep. She showed interest in the car and we ended up going for a ride. She’s asked to do it again a couple of times. It’s hard to know if she’s okay. I mean, I know she’s not okay, but I can’t fix it, and that’s the worst. For some reason a ride in the convertible is her happy place, so that’s what we do.”
Ryker’s rib cage constricted. Charlie continued to surprise him. There’d been a moment that he’d considered her a villain just because of her proximity to Honor. Because she was caring for his niece instead of him. But she obviously wasn’t in it for the money—he’d looked up what a foster parent made, and it wasn’t even enough to cover costs, in his opinion. Charlie’s heart must be the size of ten city blocks. And she was doing all of this on her own. Single. He’d been nosy and asked Angela, because he’d wanted to know if there were any other adults in Honor’s life. Any other men, specifically. After what he’d been through with his mom’s boyfriends, he’d had to know.
Honor ran in their direction. “I wanna see horses!” Ryker opened the door, and she climbed back into the car like a diva waiting for her entourage to catch up.
It was good to see her like this. Good to recognize the little girl who’d always demanded time with him across the screen on Kaia’s phone. Showing him a dance move she’d learned or a terrible cartwheel that he’d obviously applauded. She was still in there. They just had to find a way to pull her out.
Exactly what Charlie had been doing.
Ryker buckled up again, and the car eased back onto the road. “We found a horse farm the other day when we were out driving. It was Honor’s favorite part.”
His pulse jumped to attention. That hadn’t come up in his job search. Which probably meant they weren’t hiring. And even if they were...frustration sent his thudding heart crashing to the toes of his boots. He wasn’t qualified to work at a horse ranch, since he didn’t have experience training or selling or marketing horses.
You’re never going to amount to anything. You’re just a piece of trash your mama never wanted.
The memory from one of many encounters with his least favorite of his mom’s boyfriends, Bruce, popped into his mind without permission. Over the years, Ryker had tried to combat the lies the man had spun, but despite his house-cleaning attempts, the web stayed, and he was the helpless fly glued to it.
They picked up speed, and Honor screeched and tugged on her hat. It must have loosened at the stop.
“Put the tie under your chin.” Charlie motioned and yelled to her over the wind, and Honor secured it.
Before they’d left town, Charlie had wrapped a scarf around her short red hair and plunked on oversize sunglasses. “You look very Hollywood right now.” Ryker hadn’t meant to let his thoughts tumble out of his mouth. He also hadn’t meant to find Charlie attractive. Failed on both accounts.
Her eyebrows joined forces. “Ha, right.” He hadn’t been joking, but her taking it that way might be a good thing.
She turned onto a dirt road that twisted and climbed.
Charlie slowed as they neared a spread that was flanked by white fences and littered with deep russet outbuildings. She stopped near the entrance and turned off the car. Ryker scooted his seat forward, and Honor scrambled out and began walking the fence line, talking to the horses. If only they could catch what she was saying.
“It’s so great to hear her jabber, even if it’s not to me.”
“I was thinking the same.” Ryker moved his seat back and stretched out his legs. “My sister isn’t a bad person.” He’d just blurted that out, hadn’t he? But it was hard not to be on the defensive when it came to Kaia. Honor’s first years had been good. Maybe not perfect, but Kaia had done okay, working for a cleaning business. Ryker wished his sister was around to explain to him how and when things had gone so sour. He’d called her father and left messages but had yet to hear back from him if he knew anything regarding Kaia’s whereabouts. If she was okay.
The pained expression Charlie shot him was equal parts really? and I don’t want to hear it.
Did she know that her face broadcasted her feelings to the next county?
“My childhood wasn’t the easiest,” Ryker continued. “And hers wasn’t, either. Some people—” and horses “—rescued me, but no one ever did that for her. I tried, but...” He shrugged. Kaia had never met a bad decision she didn’t like, and once she’d moved to Colorado, he’d lost the chance to influence her.
Charlie ran her hand absentmindedly over the steering wheel, her features softening with a hint of compassion. “I’m not judging. I’m just...” When she spoke, her voice was burdened. “She came to me with almost nothing, Ryker. She’s five years old. She’s practically a baby still.”
A rock wedged in his throat, his swallow doing nothing to dislodge it. “I don’t have any excuses for that, for her. I just don’t want you to hate Kaia for some reason.” And Ryker didn’t even know why. He was just as angry at her right now.
“I don’t. I won’t.” Charlie glanced to where Honor was perched on the fence, entranced with the horses. “For her.”
His tight lungs unwound. “Thanks. I don’t know why it matters so much to me.”
“It matters because despite our best efforts, you and I will never be her.” She flipped up her sunglasses, her evergreen eyes sinking into him like hooks. “Can never replace her. Never make it all better. So yeah, I get it. If my brother was a mess...” She winced. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. She is a mess. I’m not denying that by any means.”
“I’d defend him, too.”
The impromptu drive with Ryker last night had gone unexpectedly well. When Honor had actually used words to ask if her uncle could come with them for a convertible ride, Charlie had barely resisted stomping her foot and throwing a tantrum. Instead, she’d figuratively put on her big-girl britches and invited him.
After, Honor had gone to sleep contentedly, her ratty bunny clutched against her pink-and-purple-striped pajamas. No matter what Charlie washed the bunny in, it stayed in its Velveteen Rabbit state. It might not look clean, but it was as good as it would get.
She peeked out the back door of the shop, which she’d left open as she worked on replacing a mass airflow sensor. She’d already cleaned it and cleared the codes, but the sensor must be bad, since it had popped back up as a problem.
Honor was in the sandbox again. Charlie had purchased a few new toys for it, including a miniature dump truck and some buckets for building castles.
She listened for sounds of Honor needing her as she worked. Ryker was due over soon for another visitation, and Charlie didn’t have time to supervise another park expedition. She’d always known it would be a push to do the single foster mom thing, but she hadn’t realized how behind she’d get at work. She’d had a customer leave to go to the other mechanic in town this morning when she’d told him it would be two days before she could get to his catalytic converter.
That killed her. She had to figure out a way to balance Honor and work. And she hadn’t been over to the café next door to check on the demolition, either. She had seen the crew going in and out today, though, so she was thankful things were developing, even if she didn’t know what they were.
Scrambling to catch up wasn’t at all her normal mode of operation.
“Hello, anybody here?” Ryker poked his head inside the back door of the shop.
“I’m here.” She peeled herself out from under the hood. “Sorry. Just finishing up.”
“No problem.” He stared at her for a beat too long, making Charlie question her appearance. She wore coveralls and had a bandanna holding back her short red locks. Nothing bothered her like her hair getting in the way while she was working.
“Listen, I—”
“Do you need us to stay here so you can finish up and supervise the visitation at the same time?”
She’d just been about to ask him for exactly that. Her jaw swung low. “Ah, yeah. That would be great, if you don’t mind. Honor’s been learning to ride without training wheels. Her bike’s in the garage in the alley.”
“I didn’t realize she brought a bike with her.”
“She...didn’t.” A bike wasn’t that expensive, and it had made Honor’s whole face light up. She’d practically wiggled with excitement when Charlie had showed it to her. She’d do the same a hundred more times for the same results.
Ryker’s head quirked as if he was trying to solve an algebra equation. “All right. We’ll be out here.”
As she installed the new sensor, Charlie listened to the sound of Ryker coaching and encouraging Honor. The girl must have fallen off the bike, because there was a small bout of crying, which turned to giggles in a matter of seconds.
Ryker let out a big cheer as Charlie unbolted the casing covering the air filter. Honor must have gotten in a good run. After replacing the filter, which would hopefully help the sensor to last longer, Charlie cleaned up in the shop bathroom that was just outside the small front office. She tossed her gloves and hung her coveralls on a hook. She’d worn a soft heather-gray vintage T-shirt tonight and cuffed jean shorts, assuming she’d have to jump from working to supervising Ryker’s visit. After washing up, she dried her hands and pumped lemon lotion onto her palm, rubbing it up to her elbows.
Outside, she found Ryker and Honor had switched over to the sandbox. They’d built a castle that stretched around the outside and were designing a river in the middle.
He really is a good guy.
Charlie didn’t want to admit it. The selfish part of her wanted Ryker to be a deadbeat uncle, to scram and not show up. Instead he was moving to Colorado in order to expedite the process of becoming Honor’s caregiver. He loved his sister but didn’t defend her actions. He was...not what she’d expected. Especially after their first encounter at the park.
“Who’s up for a snack?”
“Me!” Honor popped up from her perch on the side of the sandbox, a dust storm dropping from her clothes as she did.
Charlie went over and brushed as much as she could from her, emptying the cuffs of her shorts. “You coming up?” she questioned Ryker.
His chest rocked back. “Am I...” She thought he was going to say wanted, but he went with “welcome?” instead.
Wanted. Such a loaded word. Charlie had noticed Ryker, of course, but she hadn’t allowed herself to sway in the attraction direction, because he was Honor’s uncle. The person who would take the girl from her, most likely. And even now, she didn’t know how to trust if what he said or did was true. He could be putting on a show to get closer to Honor. Pretending to be this man.
Charlie didn’t think that was true, but how could she know? She’d never been very good with male relationships. She’d had guy friends, sure. Plenty of them with all of the mechanical classes she’d taken. But her dating experiences were very limited.
The one time she’d been asked out in high school, she’d thought it was her first date. Turned out it was a guy trying to get another girl’s attention, using her as bait. It had worked. They’d started dating shortly after. And once, Charlie had put the nail in her own coffin. She’d had a crush on a guy she’d considered a good friend. She’d asked him out, and it had ruined everything, because he hadn’t been interested in her romantically. Their friendship had quickly faded to nonexistent.
To say she was terrible at reading men would be the understatement of the century.
The experiences had soured Charlie’s taste for relationships and driven home that while she could rebuild a 1967 Mustang convertible with her granddad, she didn’t have the same knack of understanding when it came to the male species.
How did a person ever fully know who someone else was?
“Yes, you’re welcome to come up with us.” Charlie was going to go with her gut about Ryker until something proved her wrong. And so far, he’d done nothing but show up for Honor and love on the girl. He hadn’t raised his voice once since the park. She hadn’t glimpsed even an iota of the man from that first night.
“Okay. I’d like that. Thanks.”
Honor slipped her little hand into Charlie’s as they walked up the wooden stairs that led to their apartment above the auto shop. “Do you want some milk, too, Uncle Ryker?” She glanced back at him.
“How else am I going to grow strong bones and teeth?”
His quip made Charlie’s mouth quirk. Strong was definitely a word she’d use to describe the man, though it looked as if he stayed in shape from physical labor and not necessarily the gym.
Noticing him isn’t a crime. At least that’s what Charlie told herself. But believing that noticing him would amount to anything definitely was.
Ryker and Honor sat on stools at the breakfast bar, and Charlie served up milk for the little girl.
“What can I get you to drink? I’ve got iced tea and water.”
“Milk would be great.” He winked as if they were in cahoots somehow, and Charlie’s chest gave a tug. She hadn’t expected to like Ryker Hayes in any way, shape or form, but he was growing on her.
Charlie sliced an apple and put out a bowl of animal crackers. They’d eaten dinner earlier—chicken nuggets, because she hadn’t had time for anything else. It had been Honor’s favorite meal so far based on the way she’d snatched them up. Before Honor had gone from idea to reality, Charlie had planned to feed her future foster kiddo fruits and vegetables and only the healthiest of meals. Now, she was just happy when Honor ate something. Anything.
“Tell me about school.” Ryker bit the head off a giraffe cracker and then imitated it crying in pain.
Honor giggled and then chomped on a tiger herself. “It’s good.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
“Singing songs.” She danced a bear cracker across the countertop. “I’m going to be in a play.”
Ryker glanced at Charlie, questions written in the pucker of his brow. She shrugged in silent answer. She didn’t know what Honor was talking about.
“What play, Hon?”
“The school play. I’m going to be Carmony Candy.”
Their concerned gazes collided for a second time. Charlie leaned against the countertop, lowering herself to Honor’s level. “Did your school send home something about this?”
Honor nodded and hopped down. She returned with a crumpled piece of paper that looked as if it had been stuffed in the bottom of a backpack.
Sure enough, the meeting about the play was tomorrow night. The sheet said that all kids who wanted to take part in the play had to attend the meeting with a parent. If they missed it, they wouldn’t be allowed to try out for a part.
“Guess I’m going to a meeting about a play.” Hyperventilating wasn’t really her thing, but Charlie was considering it. How was she going to get everything done?
Divide and conquer. You can do this. Somehow.
Tonight she’d make a list of her to-dos, and then she’d tackle the items based on their importance. Charlie met things head-on—conversations and problems—whenever possible. But she’d also only ever had to watch out for and take care of herself. Adding a five-year-old into the mix was definitely shaking things up.
“Can I see?” Ryker reached for the paper, which Charlie handed over. He scanned the sheet. “Guess we’d better go to this meeting.” It didn’t come out as a question, because it wasn’t for him.
Charlie wasn’t fighting the urge to slug Ryker anymore, and she could see his good qualities, but she wasn’t ready to coparent, either. And yet, what could she do about that? Like it or not, Ryker was in Honor’s life now—and by association, Charlie’s, too.
They were both vested in the girl, which meant Charlie would have to get over spending time with Ryker and realize that each of them was focused on Honor. She was all that mattered. Even if Charlie lost her to Ryker in the end—which, if he followed through on Angela’s requirements, she probably would—she had to do what was right for Honor.
“For Honor’s sake?” She raised eyebrows at Ryker. It was a question, a challenge. The only arrangement that made sense. And if Honor wasn’t in the room with them, Charlie would state her intent more clearly.
Ryker gave a firm nod, as if understanding the implications behind the brief expression. “For Honor’s sake.”
At least they agreed on something.