Chapter 5 #2
“I’m not sure. She didn’t die after all.
I know that. But the boyfriend, Carl, had prior convictions, so he ended up with a lengthy sentence.
” He drank more Gatorade. “That’s about it.
My mom didn’t know he was robbing the place and drove the getaway car.
So, she’s in jail.” He inhaled deeply and looked far away.
“It wasn’t really her fault, but she pled guilty for a shorter sentence. We couldn’t afford a lawyer.”
“Shit.” My gaze searched his face. This kid was strong. With that and his skill, he just might make it. “My dad’s a lawyer in California.”
“He is?” His gaze snapped to me. “Maybe he could help?”
“I don’t think he can practice law in Arizona.
But he might know someone who does.” What had I advised myself about getting involved in the family drama?
Fuck it. It was worth a call. “How long has your mom been incarcerated?” I opened my protein bar and took a bite. The peanut flavor filled my mouth.
“About a year. She has two left.” He sighed. “I was hoping she’d be out to see my high school graduation, but I don’t think that’ll happen.”
“People get paroled for good behavior. Has your mom been behaving?” I sipped some Gatorade and observed a man walking a dog through the grass.
It was nice seeing responsible pet owners.
The pavement would be too hot for a dog’s feet.
Not that I knew much about it. Our family dog was back in Cali with Mom and Dad.
“As far as I know, she’s been behaving.” He shrugged. “But Ryker doesn’t always tell me everything. I think he’s afraid of it hurting me somehow.” He shifted on the bench seat. “I’d rather know. I can handle it.”
“Yeah, you seem pretty mature for a sixteen-year-old boy.” And focused. He’d listened to every word I told him while we trained. My brows furrowed. Wait, if he was sixteen, how old was Ryker? “How old is your brother?”
“Twenty-six.” Studying me, he cocked his head.
“We don’t have the same father. Ryker’s dad took off on Mom soon after he was born.
We don’t know where he is. I think it makes Ryker want to be a better man, you know?
” He exhaled a rough breath. “It’s like he wants to prove to the world that where he came from won’t determine who he becomes. ”
I blinked a few times. Damn, this explained a lot about Ryker’s personality. “So, where is your dad?” And why wasn’t he the one taking care of Wes?
“He’s in Idaho. He has a new family now.” Pressing his lips together, he said, “He calls on birthdays and holidays, but that’s about it.”
“Does he know your mom’s in jail?” Both had shitty fathers. How many assholes engaged in shit like this? I twisted my Gatorade on the table. No wonder Ryker called me a golden boy. I sort of was. I had all the chances to succeed, unlike these two, who had to fight for everything.
“Yeah, but Ryker stepped up, so he didn’t have to.” He took a bite of his bar and shook his head. “I didn’t want to leave my high school and move out of state.”
I picked at the label on my Gatorade bottle. “So…does Ryker date? Has he dated?” There were old images of him with the girl on his Instagram account.
“Not for a long time. He focused on the shop and taking care of me.” He eyed me, and a smirk swept his lips. “You like him.”
Heat spread up my neck and into my cheeks. Might as well admit it for once. “I do.”
“That’s why I was late this morning.” He freed a soft chuckle. “I wanted the two of you to have some time together.”
“You’re on my side, huh?” My heart warmed. These brothers were special. They both desired what was best for one another. But Ryker deserved a good man, and I…Did I only want a hookup? Ryker deserved more.
“I’m on your side, and I think Dylan is too. I’ve overheard them talking about you.” He ate the rest of his bar.
“You have? What did they say?” I leaned toward him. Now it was getting interesting.
With a shrug, he said, “It’s mostly Dylan telling Ryker to go for it and my brother coming up with excuses why he’s not interested. But he is. I know he is.”
“I see.” And didn’t Ryker say yes to my challenge this morning? But fuck, now that I knew his situation, I had to be careful. I drank more Gatorade and popped the end of my bar into my mouth. “Come on, let’s go over the best ways to avoid getting sacked.”
“Hell yeah.” He stood and tossed his empty wrapper into a nearby trash bin.
The sun blazed over us, and we’d been out here for hours. It had to be lunchtime, right? I threw the ball to Wes, and he caught it. “Hey, I think we’ve done enough for today. Want to go grab some lunch?” I strolled toward him.
Wes lined his fingers up with the strings on the ball and hung his head. “I have food at home.”
“Nonsense, my treat.” I patted his shoulder. Did I have ulterior motives? Yes. “What time does the shop close? Maybe we can invite Ryker, and I can fill him in on our progress.”
As the edges of his lips curled, he focused on me. “So you can ask my brother out?”
Shit, now I had to date Ryker, not just hook up with him. I had no choice. “Maybe. Let’s just say I want to test the waters a little more.” I strolled with Wes toward the picnic table. “How about you text him and see if he’ll join us?” Would I use his little brother to get to him? Yep.
“Okay.” After approaching the table, he fished his phone from his backpack and tapped the screen.
“What’s Ryker’s number, by the way? Is this it?” Grabbing my phone from the table, I opened the contact I’d added and showed it to him.
“Yep, that’s it. Did he give it to you?” His phone chimed, and he peered at the screen. “He says he’ll meet us and wants to know where.”
“Pizza? Pick your favorite place in Mesa and we’ll go.” I glanced at my phone, Ryker’s personal cell number staring me in the face. “Ryker used his number to call me about my car. I may have saved it just in case.” Now I’d be tempted to use it.
“Great, there’s a place near our apartment. Let’s go there.” He typed a message to Ryker.
“Okay then, let’s go.” I was a sweaty mess, but Ryker might be too, after working in the shop all day. But if he showered before coming, it might mean he wanted to be presentable for me. Warmth flickered in my gut. Damn it, I'd hoped he'd showered.
I parked my BMW in a long brick plaza with a convenience store on one end and stepped out. Beside the store rested a nail salon, vacant retail areas, plus the pizza shop finishing the structure.
Scanning the parking lot, I jogged to Wes on the walkway. “I don’t see your brother’s truck.” I’d noticed the blue Chevy at the shop when I’d been there and then again in the parking lot at their apartment.
“Nope, but he’ll be here.” Wes flicked his dark hair off his face, still damp from our training session.
As we approached the entrance, I stopped and opened the door for him. “After you.” With a glance at the parking lot, I stepped inside. Was he late because he had been showering? I smirked.
The place held long tables with bench seats and red and white checkered tablecloths. Several individuals sat at tables, with pizza and drink pitchers before them. An open kitchen lined one wall, with a guy throwing pizza dough into the air. “Wow, authentic hand-tossed crust.”
“Yep, and they have beer too.” He sat at a corner table in the room.
“Nice, a beer would be great.” And maybe loosen Ryker up a bit. I pulled a laminated menu from a holder in the center of the table. “So, how does this work?”
“You order at the counter, and they give you a number. Then, when they call your number, you get your pizza.” He peeked toward the entrance. “Ryker’s here.”
As my pulse raced, I shifted my gaze to the front door.
Ryker strolled through the door, his graphic t-shirt pulling tightly across his shoulders and his board shorts hugging his narrow hips. His hair hung in damp strands down the side of his stunning face.
He’d showered.
As his gaze swept the restaurant, it landed on me, and the corners of his mouth curled.
My mouth went dry, and I licked my lips as a grin played across them. What was happening to me? I’d never been happier to see someone in my entire life.
“Hey.” Ryker slid into the seat next to his brother, and the coconut in his hair wafted over me. “You two look like you’ve been working hard.”
“We have.” Wes handed Ryker a menu. “I learned a ton today.” He threw me a sly grin.
“Did you?” With a peek at me, Ryker’s attention drew to his menu. “What sort of pizza do you like, Casey?”
“I’ll eat just about anything.” I widened my eyes. Shit, that didn’t come out right. “I mean, I like it all.” That wasn’t better, was it? Maybe I should get my mind out of the gutter. But I couldn’t with Ryker sitting right here.
With a smirk crawling across his lips, Ryker said, “Even pineapple?” He hooked a brow.
“Uh, no, maybe not that.” I’d never tried it because it didn’t sound appealing. “But anything else, I’m good with.” I glanced at Wes, watching us with a growing smirk on his face. The kid was enjoying this.
“Let’s get a supreme.” Wes twisted in his seat, facing his brother. “And Ryker, Casey is buying.”
“No, he’s not.” Ryker set the menu down and peered at me. “I can buy. Casey just spent how many hours coaching you?”
“No, I said I’m buying, and that’s what I’ll do.” I hopped out of the seat and strode to the ordering counter.
A young woman stood behind a cash register. “Hi, what can I get you?”
“A large supreme pizza, a pitcher of beer and a pitcher of…” What the hell would Wes want to drink? As I twisted around, Ryker stepped into my space.
“A pitcher of lemonade. He’s paying for the pizza, and I’ll get the drinks.” Ryker lifted his chin at me as he held his wallet open.
With a sigh, I pushed his wallet down. I wouldn’t let him pay. “No, I said—”
“Let me get part of this, Casey.” He puffed his chest, but his brows knitted.
I examined him. Maybe his pride wouldn’t let him take too much from me. I should back down. “Okay, then you get the drinks.”