Chapter 19
Claire
“What? No.” I shake my head as Ryder grabs an apron from a hook on the wall in the kitchen behind the bakery.
My father smirks. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“Dad…”
My mother looks like she’s won the lottery. I’m not sure if I’ve seen her this pleased. She’s humming as she folds towels.
“Neither of you are going to support me on this?” I ask my parents, glancing back and forth between them.
My mother shakes out a towel and chuckles. “Sweetheart, if your boyfriend wants to stay and help in the bakery, who are we to stop him?”
“See?” Ryder says, “Your parents think my idea is splendid.” He has the audacity to kiss me—on the lips. “Suck it up, buttercup.”
I can’t believe I wasted even one moment worrying that my parents wouldn’t approve of Ryder’s age. They’re more smitten with him than I am.
“Have you ever worked in a kitchen, Ryder?” my father asks.
“Nope. Never. I’m a web designer.”
“Oh.” My mother spins around. “How interesting. Isn’t that interesting, Claire?”
I roll my eyes at her. “It’s fascinating,” I deadpan.
Ryder wiggles his eyebrows and proceeds to woo my parents further. “If you’d like me to take a look at your site, I’d be happy to.”
I bite my lip, waiting for my father’s response.
My father laughs. “We don’t have a website.”
Ryder’s eyes widen, “Oh, well, how about if I make you one?”
My mother nearly drops the towel she’s folding. “Wouldn’t that be nice? What a great idea.”
My father frowns. “We can barely afford to keep the lights on. We can’t pay for a website.”
Ryder wraps both arms around me from behind and sets his chin on my shoulder. “I’m dating your daughter. I would never charge you for my services, Roy.”
“Oh, well…if you think it’s necessary.”
I sigh and elbow my boyfriend to get him to release me. “Most of the town needs a web overhaul,” I tell him, “including the town itself. There’s a site, but it’s been over a year since anyone updated it. It’s no wonder we can’t draw in tourists. I suspect if they looked at the site, they’d find out we’re having an anniversary celebration for the town’s one-hundredth birthday.”
Ryder cringes. “When was that?”
“Three years ago.”
“I’ll look at it. Who manages it?”
My mother picks up the pile of towels and shuffles toward the shelves. “Last I heard, it was Darlene Weatherford.”
“Maybe I should talk to her,” Ryder says. “Where could I find her?”
I giggle. “At the cemetery.”
My mother shoots me a narrowed look. “Claire,” she chastises.
“What? It’s true.”
My mother covers her mouth, stifling a laugh. “I suppose you’re right.” She turns toward Ryder. “Darlene won’t be of much help. She died six months ago.”
Ryder cringes. “Sorry to hear that.”
“No one else is,” I mutter.
“Claire!” My mother’s eyebrows shoot upward, but she covers her mouth again.
“Darlene was an old biddy and a gossip,” I tell Ryder. “The town has been calmer without her sharing everyone’s business.”
Ryder taps his lips. “Who shares the gossip now?”
My parents glance at each other. It’s my father who answers, though. “You can count on Arnie Truegood for that nowadays.”
“Where do I find him?” Ryder asks.
I curl my nose. “Why would you want to?”
My father looks at Ryder and grins widely. What the hell? “Arnie comes in every day to have coffee with his oldest friend, Blue. They sit in the front window and talk under their breath like two old ladies.”
“Hey,” my mother shouts. “Not all old ladies gossip.”
“Of course not, dear,” my father responds teasingly before returning his attention to Ryder. “If you’re thinking what I am, the idea is brilliant.”
“Ooh, definitely,” my mother agrees.
I set my hands on my hips. “Anyone want to fill me in?”
Ryder pulls me against his side. “If Smith is plotting a way to convince the entire town you’re his girl, we’ll get ahead of him and beat him at his own game.”
I’m not sure I’m going to like this plan. “How?”
“By putting on an amazing show for Arnie and Blue.”
“A show ?” I’m certain I don’t like this plan.
“Leave it to me, baby.”
It turns out Ryder is a huge help. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, and he’s a fast learner. By the time we open the doors at six o’clock, he has won my father over completely, and I’m pretty sure my mother is half in love with him.
The morning rush isn’t too overwhelming, and Ryder learns to use the cash register and the coffee machine. I’m impressed.
Before we opened, he went upstairs with me to find something I could wear that would cover my bruises. We found an old T-shirt with three-quarters-length sleeves in the back of my closet. It has the logo for the town’s barbershop on it. I can’t remember why I have it, but it fits, and it works. I cover it with an apron.
I’m pretty sure the highlight of Ryder’s day was pulling my shirt over my head so he could put the new one on me. He tossed the first one onto my bed and took his sweet time looking at my plain-white-bra-covered breasts before helping me into the new one.
It didn’t matter to Ryder that I told him I could dress myself or that he should wait in the hallway. He ignored me, and his damn heated stare made my panties wet.
When Arnie and Blue come in, they seem startled to find Ryder working behind the counter.
“Good morning, gentlemen. What can I get for you?”
I pretend to wipe down a few tables, trying not to laugh out loud.
Arnie frowns. “Aren’t you one of Wilde’s grandsons? I saw you in here yesterday.”
“Yep. That’s me, Ryder. My brother Tiago has also arrived. We’ll hold a town meeting soon to listen to the issues that need to be addressed.”
Arnie looks skeptical, as expected. “What are you doing working in the bakery?”
“Ah, well…” He turns his head to meet my gaze and winks. “I find myself smitten with Claire.” He leans partially over the counter and lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Seems like the best way to win over a girl is by impressing her parents, don’t you think?”
Arnie continues to stare at Ryder. He’s probably too stunned to respond.
Blue grunts. “Aren’t you a bit old for Claire, son?” he asks.
Ryder doesn’t flinch. It’s like he expected to get this reaction. “Eh, age is just a number. When you meet the right woman, you just know.” He comes out from behind the counter, pulls me into his arms, cups my face, and kisses me soundly.
His face is beaming when he returns. “Shoot, I got carried away and haven’t even prepared you gentlemen a coffee.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I have to keep from jumping into Ryder’s arms and wrapping my legs around him. His plan is brilliant. The entire town will know I’ve been claimed by Ryder Wilde before lunch.