Charlie had carried in everything Ryker had purchased at the thrift store and now didn’t know what to do with herself. She peeked through the blinds of the window over the kitchen sink and found that Ryker was still sitting in the cab of his truck. His free hand flailed about every few seconds, as if he was arguing with whoever was on the other end of the line. His mom, if Charlie had heard correctly when he’d first answered.
Was something wrong with Kaia? And should Charlie leave? Ryker had driven her, but she could walk two blocks.
Instead of heading back out the door, Charlie unloaded the dishes he’d purchased into the sink, filling it with hot water. He didn’t have dish soap yet. Didn’t really have much at all. It made sense considering how he’d dropped everything in order to move and care for Honor.
If only Charlie didn’t find his concern for Honor so attractive. She even liked the side of him that had gone bargain thrift store hunting in order to stock his new place. Charlie was careful with money, so it was nice to see Ryker was, too.
Not that you’re going to be marrying him or anything, so what does it matter? She rolled her eyes at herself in the empty apartment. It matters for Honor’s sake. It’s another plus in the column that says Ryker’s going to be a good influence for the girl.
After the sink was piping hot and full, Charlie flipped off the water. If she didn’t think Ryker would take her head off, she would go to the store herself and get him some paper goods and soap.
In the meantime, she unpacked the other items and added the kitchen utensils and silverware to the scalding water. She got out her phone and made a list: dish soap, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent. She scavenged for a washer and dryer, relieved there was a small stacked set on the main level. It would make things much easier for Ryker. Honor went through outfits like a rock star during a performance and somehow managed to get everything dirty even if she only wore it for two minutes.
Charlie continued adding to the list of needs until it overwhelmed her. What would Ryker do when he realized all that was required in order to set up the place? He’d been working so hard to gain the right to care for Honor. This would feel like a setback, no doubt.
It will work out. These things are only physical. And she’d remind him of that when he came inside. If he ever came inside.
Charlie checked the time on her phone. She had about thirty minutes before she needed to pick up Honor. Should she start the walk back to her place?
“Hey.” Ryker came through the door. “Did you already get everything?”
She nodded.
“I’m sorry about that. My mom. She just—” He groaned. “She drives me crazy. She is crazy. And all about herself.” He scanned the room, landing on the sink and the other items she’d unpacked. “But you are not.” His anguished comment ended on a sigh, and then he strode across the space and enveloped her in a hug. She was crushed against his chest—wrapped up tight in his arms—and she never wanted out.
He smelled clean and simple. Like he had his own scent that would forever be seared into her memory.
“What would I or Honor do without you? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so generous and selfless.”
“I think maybe your comparisons are skewed.”
Ryker shook with laughter, and his arms tightened for a second. “I don’t.”
Well. “You say the nicest things to me, Ryker Damon Hayes. You’d better be careful, or I’ll get used to it.”
He tensed. His hold loosened, and he removed himself from her personal space as if she were an electric fence and he’d been zapped.
Was it what she’d said? Or maybe she had something in her teeth...or she smelled...or—and this option was quite possible—it could be that he’d noticed the ever-present ultrafine layer of hair that lined her upper lip. That must be it. Definitely the lip hair. Didn’t matter that she had to use a magnifying glass in order to assist in its removal.
“I should drive you home.” Ryker studied the center of her forehead, avoiding direct eye contact. What in the world had just happened? “You have to grab Honor, right?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I’ll take you back to your place.”
Charlie swallowed a disgruntled snort and a strange rush of emotion that felt an awful lot like...tears. No. No way. She definitely was not going there. “I can walk. It’s not far.” She moved past him to the door.
Ryker didn’t reach out to stop her, but he did follow. “Nah. I’ll swing you back.”
She wanted to say no, but fighting would only prolong things. “Okay.” She begged her voice not to wobble. She begged her body to hide her shaky reaction at least until she got home. Once she was behind her closed apartment door, she could call Addie and talk this through with someone who would help her make sense of it.
Only Sawyer was sick, so Charlie wouldn’t be bugging her tonight.
A lonely ache turned to ice inside her, and that invisible feeling she’d been buried under for decades resurfaced.
Someday—maybe when she was sixty—Charlie would understand men. Maybe then she’d be able to read their signals or understand mysteries like why Ryker had gone from boiling to freezing just now. Maybe then she’d figure out how to trust that someone could actually love her and not just see her as a cog in their plans.
Because at this moment, it was awfully hard for her to believe that she and Ryker had a relationship that revolved around anything but Honor.
Or that once the girl exited her life, Charlie would ever see either one of them again.
Ever since the phone call from his mom last week, Ryker had kept himself busy. Keeping busy gave him less time to miss what he couldn’t have with Charlie. It also kept him focused on Honor. On getting his place ready for her.
He kept telling himself busy was good, that it created purpose. In truth, busy was lonely.
Over last weekend, Finn had asked Ryker if he could help him move some things into his ranch house. In the spirit of busyness, Ryker had said yes. He’d also said yes because of Charlie. She’d done so much for Honor. It was nice to be able to return the favor, even if he was only helping her brother move.
Finn had tried to pay him, but Ryker had refused any money.
In the end, Finn had persisted in giving Ryker a couch he didn’t have room for at the ranch house. Ryker had accepted after some prodding, and the espresso leather monstrosity now filled his living room. He’d also found a small table and chairs that had been for sale locally.
He’d chipped away at the list Charlie had made of what he needed in order to set up his new place, and he was getting close. The biggest, most glaring items left were for Honor’s bedroom. Ryker had been on the lookout day and night for some gently used, local furniture that fit his budget, but nothing was right.
Honor loved her room and her bedroom set so much at Charlie’s. Ryker wanted to create that same sense of safety and happiness at the new place. He wanted her to want to come home. Not to have to. And while the right bedroom set wasn’t going to make that happen, it certainly wasn’t going to hurt.
Interestingly enough, Angela had finally granted him unsupervised visitations, but despite that, Ryker hadn’t seen Honor or Charlie in the last handful of days because of the extra play practices she’d had. He had continued helping her with her lines for the play, though—even if it was over the phone. Honor knew them like she knew her own reflection in a mirror.
She was going to rock tonight.
And yes, Ryker was nervous for her, which was new territory. He could only imagine how Charlie was holding up.
He parked in the elementary school lot and followed the herd of parents heading inside. The weather had turned crazy cold, and Ryker had been forced to purchase a winter jacket. Previously he’d gotten by with his lined flannel, but this cold front wasn’t messing around. He’d picked a jacket that would supposedly keep him warm even with below-zero temperatures, though he wasn’t sure that was physically possible. When it came to cold weather, Charlie would say his Texas was showing. Underneath he wore a waffle-knit shirt and jeans with his lace-up boots. He’d made sure to check with Charlie about the dress code for this thing, not wanting to show up casual and find out it was the opposite.
Ryker welcomed the rush of warmth when he stepped inside the doors. He planned to hold them open for the next surge of adults, but that plan changed drastically when he recognized Mrs. Robinson—the woman who’d hit on him the night they’d painted sets—a few people back. Her real name was something he hadn’t sacrificed brain space to remember. She was all dolled up—wearing super-high heels and bright look-at-me pants that screamed teenager when she was anything but. Ryker would guess she was a chunk of change older than him. And while age didn’t matter in the least, behavior did.
Give him Charlie in her Converse, jeans and sweatshirt with her big, generous heart any day of the week.
Ryker released the door like it was causing fourth-degree burns to his hand and faded into the crowd before Mrs. Robinson could spot him.
Inside the auditorium, he paused to scan for Charlie. He spotted the back of her head—her red hair popping against the sea of brown and blond and black. She had texted that she would save him a seat, so he reentered the river of parents cascading down the aisle. Just how massive was this play going to be? Ryker had assumed it was a simple elementary play, but it looked like half the town of Westbend was in attendance.
His nerves surged up another notch. Honor will be fine. She’s prepared for this.
In truth, she was prepared for her lines. He didn’t know if she was ready to walk out on the stage and see all of these people staring back at her. Hopefully Ms. Rana had prepped the kids for that shock. But then, she headed up numerous plays every year, from what Ryker had overheard. Surely she knew what she was doing.
He reached Charlie.
“Hey!” She greeted him with a shaky grin—because of nerves, he assumed—and snagged her jacket from the seat next to her. She wore jeans with ankle boots and a soft-looking camel-colored sweater, and she’d done something to her eyes to make them shimmer and pop even more than normal.
“Hey.” Ryker forced his gaze to the stage as he sat and quickly corralled his troublesome attraction to Charlie. He couldn’t afford another mishap like the one at his duplex last week. After he’d gotten off the phone with his mom he’d been so upset, so vulnerable. To step inside and find Charlie being Charlie...he’d practically mauled her with that hug.
Her comment about getting used to his compliments had snapped him back to reality. He couldn’t lead Charlie—or himself—on. After his mom’s latest shenanigan, Ryker was even more determined not to repeat her self-centered mistakes.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not. You’re fine. I just got here early to save seats, and Honor had to be here ahead of time anyway.”
Her knees bounced, and her hands, which were perched on top, squeezed and twisted on repeat.
Ryker reached over, engulfing her two small hands in one of his. “It’s going to be okay. She’s going to do great. She knows her lines.”
Charlie inhaled deeply. She could probably use a few more of those yoga breaths, but Ryker didn’t mention that. He wasn’t in the business of telling women what to do if he could help it. That usually didn’t end well.
“Thanks to you.” Charlie’s gratitude landed on him and stuck like honey.
He swallowed and fished for words when all he wanted to do was lean over and kiss her hello. Tell her he’d missed her. All things on his not happening list.
With texts from his mom about wedding plans coming in at top speeds all hours of the day, it hadn’t been that hard to remember why Charlie was off-limits. Why he refused to continue that sort of selfishness for another generation. Why Honor had to come first.
But remembering and following through were two very different things.
Some people would accuse him of being angry over his mom’s current actions. They’d be right. There was far too much going on right now with Honor and Kaia for Mom to be acting like she was eighteen instead of fifty-four.
Ryker wanted to reach through the phone and shake her. Make her realize how illogical and immature she was being. But nothing had woken her to that truth in the past. Why should anything be different now?
“I had to do something,” he responded to Charlie. “You were handling everything else. The much harder stuff, like extra schoolwork and showering and eating.”
Her light laugh raised his spirits, made him feel like a king. By sheer willpower, Ryker removed his hand from hers and then leaned forward to greet the rest of Honor’s entourage. He shook hands with Finn, who was on the other side of Charlie, then waved at Addie, Evan and Sawyer, who were down the row and out of his reach.
“Hello-hi!” Sawyer waved big at him. Cute kid. Energetic as all get-out, which should make for an interesting evening.
Ryker settled back in his seat, his voice low enough that only Charlie would catch his question. “Do you think they should sit on the end so that they can get out of the row with Sawyer if they need to?” It was like airplane seating in here, and anyone attempting to scoot down the row would be tripping over feet and limbs.
Charlie’s mouth bowed. “I asked them the same thing, but they said it would be fine. Addie’s theory is that Sawyer will feel more trapped in the middle—like escape isn’t an option.”
Huh. Interesting philosophy. Ryker hoped it panned out for them.
Since the program wasn’t starting yet, Ryker eased forward again, directing his attention to Finn. “How’s the new place?”
“Getting there. Though I’m going to need some manpower since a couple guys left when the Burkes sold. Any chance you’re interested?”
Funny. A few weeks ago, Ryker would have jumped on the opportunity. Now he had his dream job. “I’m happy at Sunny Farms, but thanks. I appreciate you asking.”
It said a lot that Finn would offer something like that to him. Ryker had assumed Finn didn’t really like him when they first met. Either that or he’d been protecting his sister. Ryker understood that. He’d do the same in a weird situation like this. But despite whatever misgivings had been there at the start, the two of them had gotten along well while moving Finn’s stuff over the weekend. Almost like they’d known each other for years or would have been friends in a different universe.
A little like how Ryker felt about Charlie. How could five weeks make it feel as if he’d always known her? Especially after how they’d started out.
“I understand,” Finn responded. “That’s good. A man has to find a place that fits, or we’re in for a long haul.”
“True.” If only Charlie wasn’t the first place that popped into Ryker’s mind.
“How was work today?” Charlie edged in his direction as she asked, and it took everything in Ryker not to pretend he hadn’t heard so that she’d scoot even closer and repeat the question.
“Really good. I got to sit in on some interviews for a few students looking for internships.” Not that he was the be-all, end-all decision maker by any means, but the fact that Lou wanted him involved with the younger staff was a huge compliment for him. Lou, he was learning, was excellent at directing people toward their passion. When Ryker had told Finn that he was happy at Sunny Farms, it was an understatement. “What about you?”
“Work was good. I was a little distracted because of tonight, but I don’t think I messed up anything too badly.”
“I doubt that’s even possible.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe the mistakes I’ve caught myself making.”
“Yeah, but the fact that you caught them in the first place says it all.”
Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “Sometimes you remind me of my granddad.”
“Like I’m an old man?”
She laughed. “No. Like you’re really supportive and believe I can do anything.”
“If that’s the case, then he and I are twins.”
The soft smile faded from her face, morphing to questions. So many questions. The same ones that had flashed across her features last week when he’d hugged her at his duplex and then scurried back like a wild animal on the run.
The lights dimmed, saving him from delving deeper into what Charlie was thinking and whether it had to do with him. Maybe she was just worried about Honor and the play, and he was overanalyzing.
He leaned in her direction, his mouth near her ear. “I prayed for her, that she wouldn’t be nervous and that her part would go well.”
“Me, too.” Her whisper was their last communication as a hush fell over the crowd.
Sawyer took the opportunity to loudly question why the lights had gone bye-bye, causing a ripple of amusement in the people surrounding him. Addie shushed him, and Ryker shook with silent laughter.
Yep, this should definitely make for an interesting night.