Chapter Sixteen
Ellie
“If you don’t mind my asking, is there a reason Tabby doesn’t talk?”
I knew I was being nosy, but I loved those girls. Not talking was a trauma response, and I needed to find out what had caused it. Despite having sex with Ryder, behind a bar of all places, I still needed to be sure he was the man I thought he was. I needed to know the way he spoke to Tabby the day he came home from the hospital wasn’t a common occurrence.
“There is. She stopped talking when Tammi left. Chrissy says she talks to her, but I don’t know if that is entirely true.”
“You think Chrissy is lying?”
His eyes narrowed in on me. “No. My daughter doesn’t lie.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“This was a mistake.”
“Ryder.”
Getting to his feet, he pulled some cash from his wallet and threw it on the table, then left without another word.
Well, that escalated quickly.
Moments later, the waitress arrived with his food, and I asked her to package it up to go. Placing his money in the bag, I paid the check. Grabbing the bag, I left and headed straight for the bookstore. I needed to apologize, and Ryder needed his breakfast.
Entering the bookstore, I saw him with a customer and waited. He carried the woman’s books to the counter and efficiently checked her out.
“Have a great day, Mrs. Anderson.”
“Thank you, Ryder.”
After Mrs. Anderson left the store, Ryder continued to ignore me. Placing the bag on the counter, I stood there silently, watching him. I could be just as stubborn as him.
“What?” he finally asked.
“I’m sorry.”
He stopped what he was doing and closed his eyes.
“I should never have suggested that Chrissy was lying. It was the first word that came to mind. Being a writer, people think that we always have the right thing to say ready for any occasion, and the reality is, we have to think about what we say just as much as anyone.”
His eyes were open now and pinned on me.
“Contrary to what people think, I don’t sit down at my laptop and the words just flow. I mean, sometimes that does happen, but most of the time I can sit there for an hour thinking about how a new chapter should start. Or how one should end.”
“Is Jesse still living with you?”
I swear this man was going to give me whiplash with how quickly he changed the subject.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Remembering Rachel’s words, telling me to let him think Jessie was a guy, I thought about my next words for a moment.
“Jessie always stays with me before a book signing.”
“Have dinner with me.”
I couldn’t have been more shocked if he had asked me what color panties I was wearing.
“What?”
“Have dinner with me and the girls.”
“Ryder,” I started, shaking my head.
He came around the counter and placed his hand on my cheek.
“Have dinner with us. On Sunday the store is closed. I’ll cook for you.”
He cooks? A guy has never cooked for me.
“You cook?”
He laughed. “I have two girls, yes, I cook.”
His thumb rubbed across my bottom lip. “Say yes, Ellie.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
The bell over the door jingled, and Ryder dropped his hand and stepped back.
“Hey, Mom, what are you doing here?”
I laid my hand on my chest, trying to slow my heartbeat before I spun around to greet Abby.
“Oh, Ellie. Hello.” She smiled warmly at me.
“Morning, Abby.”
“Mom, what can I do for you?”
Abby kept her eyes on me for another moment before turning to her son.
“Oh yes, I was wondering about how dinner went last night?”
“It was fine,” Ryder grumbled, going back behind the counter.
Did he have a date last night?
“Did the girls have fun?”
He took the girls on a date with him?
“They did. They stayed the night at Blade’s. Beck has them today.”
“I’m glad.” Abby glanced at me. She must have read something on my face, because she added, “You really should spend more time with your friends. Maybe you all could do that once a month.”
“Maybe.”
“Well, if the girls aren’t here, I should get back. It was nice seeing you, Ellie.”
“You, too,” I replied softly.
Abby waved on her way out, and I stood there, staring at the door she left through, wondering how I was going to get out of here without looking like I was insane.
“I wasn’t on a date.”
I spun around at Ryder’s voice behind me.
“What?”
“I wasn’t on a date. I had dinner with my friends. In fact, I was the only one there without a date.”
“You don’t owe me—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Ryder leaned forward and kissed me. His hands gripped my hips, pulling me roughly toward him, deepening the kiss.
My hands moved automatically to his shoulders.
This kiss differed from the way he kissed me at the bar. That kiss was hard and desperate, telling me what he needed. This one was soft and slow, telling me what he wanted.
The ringing of my cell phone interrupted the kiss.
I stepped back, not to answer the phone, but because I needed a minute. The phone just gave me the excuse as I looked down and saw Jessie’s name.
“It’s Jessie,” I said.
I looked up when he growled, then stalked away, letting me answer.
“Hi, Jessie.”
“Hey, what are you doing right now?”
“Um, I’m at the bookstore.”
I looked over at Ryder. He was pretending to organize a stack of books in the children’s section, but I knew he kept those books out for the girls.
“How long will you be there?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. What’s up?”
“I wanted to go check out that mountain you can drive up. But I don’t want to go alone.”
Jessie was afraid of heights. The fact she even wanted to see it was a big deal for her. She would never be able to drive up a mountain alone. In fact, chances are I would have to drive and lock the doors to keep her from escaping.
Jessie had been trying to conquer her biggest fears this year, and heights were a big one.
“Ok, I’ll be back in about twenty minutes and then we can go,” I told her.
“You are the best friend ever. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” I chuckled, then disconnected the call.
“You’re leaving?” Ryder asked.
“Yea.” I looked at the phone in my hand. “Jessie needs me—”
“So, he calls, and you just run? Did you forget I had my mouth on you when that phone rang?”
He marched over to me, pulling me close again, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“No, I could never forget that.”
I knew it was a dig. But he started it. He slammed his lips down on mine again, and this kiss was angry. I knew he was angry because he thought I was leaving him for another man.
I didn’t care, because this kiss was hot. Hotter than the others. I held on to him as his tongue swept my mouth. He bit my lip, and I cried out.
When he pulled back, he smiled.
“Sunday you’re mine. No phone calls, no distractions. Be here at five.”
Then he let me go and walked into his office.
Jessie and I were in my truck as we slowly made our way up the mountain. The drive to Scottsbluff was uneventful; the drive up the mountain was different, and I needed to distract her.
“Ryder kissed me today.”
She swung her head away from the window and looked at me, her mouth hanging open.
“What? When? Where? Why?”
“Why? Really?” I said, looking at her.
“Eyes on the road!” she cried, and I chuckled.
I couldn’t help it.
“At least I didn’t ask who or how,” she said with a laugh. “Tell me everything.”
“Well, he asked me if you were still living with me, and when I said yes, he asked me to have dinner with him and his girls. I thought he was going to kiss me then. But his mom walked in and asked how his dinner was. And of course, my mind started running away. After she left, he told me he wasn’t on a date, and then he kissed me.”
Jessie just stared at me.
I knew she wouldn’t ask questions until she knew I was done.
“Then you called, and he got angry I was leaving. Accused me of jumping just because you called. Then he angry kissed me, which was so hot, and told me I was his on Sunday, no phone, no distractions.”
She kept staring and waiting.
“Then he walked into the office, and I left. Now I am here with you.”
“Why does he care that I am living with you, and why was he angry I called?” she asked, confused.
“He sort of… thinks that… you’re a guy.”
“He what?”
“Well, your name is gender neutral, and he assumed you were a guy. I was going to correct him, but then Rachel and Sam convinced me not to.”
Jessie started laughing. I mean really laughing. With her arms wrapped around her middle, she bent over in her seat. She laughed louder than I think I have ever heard her.
“Oh my God… this is priceless… he’s so jealous,” she said between bouts of laughing and coughing. “I can’t… stop… this is… too good.”
“Jessie, stop, when he finds out I lied, he is going to be so pissed at me.”
“Did you tell him I was a guy?” she asked, finally getting control of herself.
“No, of course not.”
“Then you didn’t lie. He is the one that assumed, instead of asking for clarification.”
“But it is a lie of omission.”
“There is no such thing,” she insisted. “You don’t owe him an explanation because he made the wrong conclusion. A lie is telling someone something that isn’t true. You are not required to correct someone’s thoughts unless they ask you to.”
I had to admit, she had a point.
“We’re here,” I said, opening the door and climbing out of the truck.
“Already?” she asked, the fear in her voice prevalent.
I walked around the truck and opened her door. Taking her hand, I had to pull her out.
“I am right here with you. Let’s take a look.”
I held onto her until we walked to the edge. The parking area at the top was flat. There were walking trails that went off to the left and a couple of stone benches you could rest on and look out over the edge.
The edge didn’t drop off like you would think.
“It is beautiful up here.” I looked over at Jessie and shook my head. “Open your eyes, Jessie.”
“No,” she said.
“Jessie, come on. You wanted to do this. We aren’t leaving until you open your eyes. I have nothing important until Sunday night.”
Jessie’s eyes flew open, and she looked at me. “You’re going?”
“To dinner? Yes, of course I’m going.”
“Just the two of you?”
“No, the girls will be there too.”
“So, family dinner on Sunday night? You sure that’s a good idea?”
“Nope. But I am going to be positive. It’s a start,” I said, hoping to convince myself as much as her.
“I would have thought a sultry dance and sex behind the bar would be a start to something. But what do I know?” she stated, throwing her hands in the air.
“He doesn’t remember that. Maybe it would have been.”
I looked over at her and noticed she had turned away from the view.
“Jessie, turn around.”
“I can’t. Isn’t it enough that I came up here today?”
I sighed. She was right. This was a step in the right direction. I was about to tell her we could go when a man stepped up and towered over us.
“Seems a shame to come all the way up here and not even experience the view,” he said, his voice deep and rich.
He was tall. Standing next to Jessie, he appeared twice her size. He must have been six foot four at least. My eyes started at his scuffed cowboy boots, traveled up his worn, well-fitting jeans, to his red flannel shirt, and finally landing on the Stetson hat atop his head.
This man looked like a bona fide cowboy. I thought they only had those in Texas, Colorado, and Montana. I always believed Nebraska just had farmers.
Jessie looked up at him and stared. “Wow.”
His chuckle rumbled through me. I looked at Jessie, wondering if she felt it too. Her cheeks had a twinge of pink, and my mouth hung open. I had never seen Jessie blush.
My friend was strong, confident, and blunt. Most people thought she was a bitch when they first met her. She could be an acquired taste for sure. But the way this guy was looking at her, she was a taste he wanted to acquire.
“Hi, I’m Grayson,” he said, extending his hand to Jessie.
“Jessie,” she whispered as she craned her neck to look up at the handsome man. “I’m afraid of heights.”
Grayson chuckled again, then looked at me.
“You look familiar. Do you live in Diamond Creek?”
“Just outside. I actually live in a trailer at the campground,” I explained.
“They’ll be closing down soon. The winters in Nebraska aren’t conducive to camping.”
“No, they aren’t. I’m thinking about settling down in Diamond Creek. Haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“What about you?” he asked, looking down at Jessie.
“Huh?”
She hadn’t taken her eyes off him since he walked up to us.
He smirked. “Are you thinking about settling down in Diamond Creek also?”
She gulped before answering. “I… I’m not sure.”
“Well, if you want my unsolicited opinion. Diamond Creek could use a beautiful woman like you,” he said, his eyes pinned on Jessie. “Have a beautiful day, ladies. Maybe I’ll see you in town.”
He tipped his hat before walking away toward the trails.
“Oh my God, Ellie, did you see him? I didn’t imagine him, did I?”
“No, honey, you didn’t imagine him.” I laughed. “Come on, you can check out the mountain view next time.”
Jessie continued to stare in the direction the man disappeared. We drove back to the campground, and I spent the evening writing.
Diamond Creek, Nebraska, was proving to be a great place for a romance writer to find inspiration.