Chapter 56 Oh, Fudge
Oh, Fudge
Tessa
Ryder didn't look the least bit surprised. "Told ya."
I didn't know whether to laugh or groan. He had, in fact, told me that the walls of the fort would offer no protection from gossip.
And I hadn't even gotten to the most ridiculous part. "Yeah, but she said we were running from a bomb threat."
His eyebrows lifted. "A bomb."
"A bomb threat," I reiterated. "Or a rogue soldier. Apparently, the details were murky." I blew out a long, relieved breath. "But at least no one saw us holding hands."
This made Ryder frown.
Quickly, I added, "I just mean…I'm not ready for that kind of gossip. And I'm guessing you're not either."
"Guess again," he said. "I'm not afraid of gossip."
"Yeah, well I am." And even though I was serious, I tried to make a joke of it. "Soon they'll be saying we were running from pygmies."
His features clouded over, like this wasn't something he wanted to hear. But then, just like that, the tension cracked. A corner of his mouth lifted, and mischief replaced whatever had been there before. "What, no velociraptors?"
"Not yet," I laughed. "But give it time. The next thing you know, we'll be in all kinds of trouble."
"I dunno," he said, giving me a long, roguish look. "You look like trouble already."
Hah! He was one to talk. I had just gotten off work and stepped outside to find Ryder waiting, looking like sin incarnate.
He'd been leaning near the bike rack with his hands in his pockets and that lazy half-smile tugging at his mouth – making my breath hitch in the crisp springtime air.
But was it any wonder?
The afternoon sun had been hitting him just right, catching the golden strands of his hair and throwing all kinds of enticing shadows over his face and form. And then, there were his eyes – blue and unreadable – that had locked on mine like he knew exactly what I'd been thinking.
I sure as heck hoped not, because for a moment there, my thoughts had been downright obscene.
Still, I'd managed to greet him like I hadn't been undressing him with my eyes. And then, I'd told him about Franny stopping by.
I hadn't even gotten to the brawl yet, and I was already flustered – but not so flustered that I couldn't tease Ryder in return. With a playful poke to the chest, I said, "If anyone's trouble, it's you."
"Not me. I'm just standing here, guarding the gift."
"What gift?" But just as the words left my mouth, I spotted it, a bright purple gift bag overflowing with white tissue paper. It was sitting in the front basket of my borrowed bicycle. My pulse skipped as I pointed. "You mean that gift?"
He nodded. "Unless you see another gift in your basket."
"But how'd you know the bike was mine?" But then I remembered. I'd almost crashed into him on that same bicycle. "Never mind," I laughed. "Stupid question."
He smiled. "So you remember almost flattening me, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. I didn't even come close."
His tone turned ominous. "Not yet."
"Oh, come on! You act like I'm a menace. And besides, you were the one standing in the road."
"Crouching," he corrected.
I gave a theatric groan. "Not this again." But then, my gaze strayed to the gift, and I felt just a little shy. "So that's really for me?"
"Yes and no."
I gave a confused shake of my head. "What does that mean?"
He flicked his head toward the gift. "When I got it, I thought it was for you – except I'm pretty sure it's not."
If that was a joke, I didn't quite get it. Still, I kept my tone teasing. "So it's for another girl?"
"Hey, that's your call, not mine."
Okay, now I was really confused. "Sorry, what?"
He gestured toward the gift. "Open it, and let me know."
Feeling more cautious now, I moved toward the bike and retrieved the gift bag. But as I made a move to open it, Ryder said, "Wait."
I hesitated. "For what?"
"A clarification." He glanced at the bag. "One of those is definitely for you, so don't stop digging after you find the first."
"Okay…" With a mixture of confusion and caution, I dug through the tissue paper and discovered – holy hell – Maisie's bubble bath. My heart gave a happy little jolt. "Oh, my God! You found it! How'd you know?"
He grinned. "You told me. Remember?"
"I did?"
He nodded. "And I saw how hard you were looking for it."
In a flash, I recalled the day we'd run into each other at that gift shop. I'd been holding the empty bottle and searching desperately for a replacement.
I hadn't found it on the island – not that day or any time afterward. That particular blend of bubble bath had been discontinued, and the only place I'd found it was online for an outrageous amount – an amount I still would've paid if I weren't too afraid to use a credit card.
But now, here it was, in my hot little hands, thanks to Ryder.
It was so incredibly thoughtful, I hardly knew what to say.
In the end, I dove toward him and threw my arms around his waist, with one hand clutching the bag, and the other still holding the bottle.
"This is the best gift ever!" Before he could even respond, I pulled back to say, "Do you know, I haven't even told her it's missing? "
He gave me a funny look. "The bubble bath? Why not?"
The question surprised me. "I dunno…I guess…mostly because I didn't want her to be mad at me…or think I can't be trusted."
He laughed. "So she's that scary, huh?"
And now I felt guilty. "No. Of course not. Actually, she's pretty nice."
"But if she's so nice, why hide it? Why not just say, 'Hey, I spilled your bubble bath, but I'm gonna replace it?' That's what I'd do."
Of course Ryder would. He was entirely unrepentant. Plus, he was rich, hot, and incredibly charming. People would forgive him anything.
But me? I wasn't so sure.
And besides, things with Maisie were complicated in ways he would never understand. So all I said was, "Well, you're a lot braver than I am."
"Or more honest."
The statement stung just a little. "So, what are you saying? It's dishonest to not tell her?"
He shrugged. "You tell me."
I gave it some thought. "Well maybe I figured that if I replaced it, she'd be better off not knowing."
He gave me a dubious look. "So, you were doing it for her? That's what you're saying?"
I hesitated. It almost felt like Ryder was trying to start an argument, but for the life of me, I couldn't imagine why. I was still holding the bubble bath in one hand and the gift bag in the other. And now I felt awkward.
With a shaky laugh, I said, "Wait…are we still talking about bubble bath?"
"Ask me in five minutes."
I didn't get it. "Why five minutes?"
"Because you haven't finished digging through the bag."
Suddenly, I wasn't sure I wanted to. The bubble bath had totally made my day. But obviously something else was unfolding here, something I wasn't quite ready to unwrap. And I didn't mean the gift.
Still, it felt a little dramatic to balk now, so I dug deeper and felt my fingers close around a second item. I pulled it out and discovered – What the heck? – a nametag.
As soon as I read it, I burst out laughing. "O. Fudge. Seriously?"
In that same store where I'd been searching for the bubble bath, Ryder had asked my name. I'd been so flustered, I'd accidentally replied, "Oh, fudge" instead of answering his actual question.
And he'd remembered.
And for some reason, I found that to be incredibly sweet. And yes, just a little silly. I smiled. "I love it!"
When he smiled back, some of my tension eased. There were so many things I couldn't wait to tell him – and not only about the non-brawl at the bike shop.
Earlier today, I'd been planning to tell him about baking those cookies and sending some to Griff. But the timing had never felt right.
I wasn't even sure why I'd held back. Was I worried he'd be angry that I'd ruined his prank?
Or was it a matter of fairness? Like…if I sent cookies to Griff, why hadn't I given any to Ryder?
If my parents had pulled that with me and Delaney, she would've blown a gasket – not that I could blame her.
But Ryder wasn't a child, and neither was I. So why did this feel so complicated?
Without thinking, I blurted out, "I owe you cookies."
"You do?"
"Definitely. I mean…I made some for Griff, so…"
His brow furrowed. "Griff?"
"Yeah, you know…to balance the karma."
"What karma?"
"Of those raisin bagel-bombs." I cringed just a little. "Sorry. I probably ruined your prank."
Finally, his expression cleared. "Oh, that?" He let out a quiet laugh. "That was for you, not him."
I didn't get it. "You mean…the bagels were for me?"
"Nah," he said. "At the coffee shop, you looked like you needed a laugh."
"So?"
"So I figured doing the raisin thing would cheer you up, give you a reason to smile."
Warmth flooded my chest – and then my face as I realized how badly I'd handled that moment. I'd been a terrible sport about the whole thing.
Now, I was really cringing. "That was for me? And all I did was get mad at you for it? Gosh, I'm really sorry."
"Me, too," he said. "I've been off bagels ever since."
I laughed. "I'm serious."
"Me, too." He spread his arms nice and wide. "You see any bagels on me now?"
"No. But it's not like you'd be carrying them around."
"Eh, give it time."
"I don't even know what that means."
"Me neither," he said. "But I still made you smile."
He was right. I was smiling, and I saw no reason to stop. "Anyway…thanks for the presents. And I still owe you cookies."
He grinned. "Well, who could say no to a cookie?"
"Not me," I admitted.
His grin faded. "But can I ask for something else?"
"Anything."
He gave me a serious look. "You mean it?"
"Of course." But then, in a burst of caution, I added, "As long as it's reasonable."
He didn't answer right away. "I think it is."
His words said one thing, but his face said another. His easy demeanor was long gone, replaced by a look that I couldn't quite decipher. Bracing myself, I asked, "Okay…so…what is it?"
He stepped closer, and his voice lost all trace of humor. "Come stay with me."