11. Chapter Eleven
11
Ryker
The ride back to my place is nothing like it was before. Instead of asking me questions and trying to get into my head, Wren gazes out of the window with a faraway look, and it makes me wish I knew what was wrong. I tighten my hands around the steering wheel in thought, coming to the conclusion that she didn’t have as good of a time at the carnival as I assumed she would, and glance at the large penguin I won for her.
Did I go too far with the day? I told her over and over again that this wasn’t a date, but did I act as though it was? Winning a stuffed animal for a girl is something a date would do, so maybe that’s the problem. She’s told me enough times that anything more than professional could ruin her career, but now I’ve gone and messed that up, too.
She’s leaning her head against the window when I pull into my driveway and input the code for the gate. The wrought iron creaks as it opens, and the security detail I have stationed outside waves at me as I pass through. Wren sits up the closer we get to the house, and before I’ve even got the car in park, she’s jumping out of the vehicle like it’s on fire.
I hurry to follow her, hoping she’ll talk to me once we go inside. She’s kicking her shoes off behind the door when I step in, and I clear my throat. “Did you enjoy the day?”
She hums in response but says nothing else as she makes her way down the hall that leads to her guest room. I’d love nothing more than to follow her, but something tells me it would be a bad idea to do so, and I choose to hang back instead. If she wants to spend the rest of the night alone, I need to be understanding of that.
Even though I can’t seem to get her excitement out of my head.
It can’t be that she didn’t have fun. Her smile was too genuine to have been a bad day for her. I’ll only keep driving myself insane if I try to figure out what her issue is. My only option is to wait until morning and try to get something out of her then.
***
Instead of showering as soon as I wake up, I quickly pull on a pair of fleece pajama pants and walk down the hall in hopes that Wren is already awake.
Just as I hoped, she’s sitting at the island with a bowl of cereal in front of her, and she finishes the last few bites in silence while I watch her like a creep. She’s got her red hair pulled into a tight ponytail and a pair of jeans that hug her curves in ways that have me holding back a groan.
She bends down to put her dirty dish into the dishwasher, then leans up and wipes her hands on the jeans before spinning around.
Her gasp echoes in the room as she locks eyes on me, then shakes her head with a frown. “Is it your plan to give me a heart attack?”
I smirk. “Sorry.”
“I’m heading out for a bit. Is that okay, or do you need me here with you?”
It’d be stupid of me to go out of the house for a second day in a row, but spending another day with Wren sounds better than holing up in this place. I run a hand through my hair and smile. “Mind if I tag along?”
Wren blinks and shakes her head, chuckling softly. “Uh, that’s probably not a good idea.”
“You’re supposed to be working with me, so it would only make sense that I come with you. Who knows, maybe the trip could be a breakthrough for my mental health.”
Something I said seems to resonate with her because her eyes soften, and she rolls them. “Fine, jeans and a comfortable t-shirt – you’ll need them for what we’re doing.”
It only takes me a few minutes to grab what she suggested, and I make the cautious decision to snag a baseball cap from the top shelf in my closet – it can’t hurt to be extra careful with a disguise, since I’ve no clue where we’re going.
Wren is leaning against the wall by the front door when I walk out and she glances up at me, her eyes darkening as she studies my frame, then pushes away from the wall. “Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. Do you have boots by chance? You might need those as well.”
I’ve got a large shoe rack sitting next to the door that houses every pair I’ve ever owned, so I slip on the tennis shoes that are most comfortable for me and wave the pair of boots in the air with a smile. “Anything else, Teach?”
She smirks. “Yeah, ever ride a horse?”
Ride a horse?
As if expecting my reaction, Wren chuckles and pushes through the front door without another word. I’ve never ridden on one in my life, but at this point, I think I’d do anything to get Wren to talk to me.
I’m not one to back down from a challenge, and that’s exactly what this feels like.
While I head over to my car, Wren pulls open her driver's door and arches a brow at me from afar. “You driving yourself?”
“We should take my car.”
She cocks her head. “And why’s that?”
I’ve got a feeling my answer would only make her mad, so instead of arguing over whose car we take I simply push away from mine and meet her at the passenger side of her car. “It’s fine,” I mumble. “We’ll just take yours.”
She slides into the front seat with a victorious smile on her face and then looks at me. “Good answer, Rockstar.”
“Where are we going anyway?”
Wren laughs. “If I tell you that, it’d ruin all the fun we’re going to have. You’ll find out soon enough, just be prepared to sweat today.” We might be horse riding, but the way her eyes shine mischievously tells me that there’s a lot more to this day than she’s letting on.
What did I get myself into?
The drive starts out in silence, which is ironic because the lack of communication is deafening. I clear my throat and sigh as she coasts down a back road. “So, you never did answer my question last night when we got back.”
I watch as she tightens her hands against the steering wheel, and she glances at me for a brief moment before putting her attention back on the road. “What did you ask again?”
“I asked if you had a good time yesterday, or did it bore you to death?”
She takes a deep breath and smiles. “It was fun, Ryker, but something we can’t do again.”
“And why’s that?”
“Tell me,” she says softly. “Did you win the penguin for you or me?”
I blink and clear my throat. “I saw you looking at it, so I got it.”
“Then there’s your answer.”
“So, no stuffed animals… got it.”
Wren sighs heavily. “It’s not about the stuffed animal. It’s the intent behind it that’s the problem. You said it wasn’t a date but winning me a stuffed animal is definitely something a date would do.”
When I don’t answer her, she shakes her head with a frown. “It’s not something we can do, Ryker.”
I knew this was likely the problem, but it still stings to hear it aloud and know that I wasn’t overthinking everything. “I’m going to call my parents.”
She nods slowly. “And what brought you to that decision?”
“What you said. Maybe you’re right, and I want to find out.”
“Well, that’s definitely a step in the right direction. I’m proud of you, and I’m sure it’s taking a lot for you to make that decision.”
“What if you’re wrong, though, and they’re happier without me bothering them?”
Wren gives me a sad smile from the driver’s seat and shrugs her shoulders. “Then we’ll work on it together and make sure you can cope with the fallout better. You won’t be alone, though.”
I sit straighter when she pulls into a long driveway and eye the vast fields on either side of us, where cows are lounging under large oak trees to escape the blaring sun. “Where are we?”
She chuckles beside me. “You’ll see.”
As soon as we pull to a stop in front of a large ranch-style home, an older woman comes barreling through the front door with a bright smile on her face. It’s like looking at an older version of Wren, and I narrow my eyes at her from the front seat. “We’re at your parents' house?”
“You’re the one who wanted to tag along, Rockstar. Don’t get angry with me about it.”
She doesn’t give me a chance to say anything else before climbing out of the car and happily making her way toward her mother. They spend a few moments talking back and forth, and then the older woman glances at me with a friendly smile, and I take a deep breath.
Please let them like me.
I shake my head at my inward thoughts and frown. Why should I care if they like me or not? It’s her family, not mine. Before I get too caught up in my head, I slowly ease out of the car and make my way over to the two lovely women.
Wren glances at me and waves a hand in front of me. “Mom, this is Ryker. Ryker, this is my mom, Melanie.”
“Mrs. Grace,” I say softly. “Nice to meet you.”
She’s got the same red hair that Wren does, but instead of the same blue eyes that Wren’s got, Melanie has a dark green pair that reminds me of evergreen trees.
Melanie chuckles and waves a hand at me. “You can call me Melanie. It makes me feel younger.”
The front door flies open again, and this time, an older man struts onto the porch with a frown on his face as he studies me.
Wren’s body stiffens as he comes closer, and she clears her throat. “Dad, Ryker wanted to join us today. Isn’t that great?”
Us? That’s definitely not what I agreed to, but it seems as though this man has a different opinion about me than most others, and I’d rather not get on his bad side.
“Oh, is he?” Her dad wraps an arm around her and pulls her frame against his side, eyes still focused on me as he narrows them. “Guess we’ll have to teach him the ropes then, huh?”
Wren pushes away from her dad and sighs happily, then looks at me. “Ryker, this is my dad, Walter.”
I extend a hand out to him and nod. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Grace. You’ve got a great property. How long have you guys owned it?”
Unlike Melanie, Walter doesn’t tell me to call him anything different and glances up at the sky in thought. “It’s been in the family for generations. I’d say about a hundred years or so.”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Another voice booms from the doorway, and I glance over Walter’s shoulder with an eyebrow raised.
Wren groans loudly and shakes her head. “Don’t do this right now, Elias.”
Reluctantly, she walks over to his side and pulls him into a big hug.
When they walk closer to me, she hikes a thumb up at his large frame and gives me an apologetic smile. “This is my older brother.”
Judging by the narrowed gazes of the men, I’m willing to bet my time here isn’t going to go as seamlessly as I had planned when I left this morning with Wren – and it doesn’t help that I’ve still got no clue what we’re doing today.
My only hope is that luck is on my side and I manage to get through it without a hitch.
***
Wren slowly approaches one of the white horses standing tall, its head perched outside the opening as if sensing she was on her way inside. I watch Wren in amazement as she reaches her hand out with a gentle smile on her face, rubbing its snout and leaning into it.
She looks at me from the corner of her eye, then waves me over. “You can approach her, but she’ll be able to sense your anger. When you’re angry, she reacts in the same manner. Just take a deep breath, let it all out, and approach her softly.”
I do as she says, taking a deep breath before steadily making my way over to them. Before I reach my hand out, I look at Wren and wait for her to nod.
“Just center yourself. The calmer you are on the inside, the calmer she’ll be in response,” she says softly.
The horse snorts, then turns its head to me as I approach, and I eye it curiously. “What’s her name?”
“Luna.”
Luna is staring at me, as if looking deep into my soul, and she pushes her snout out to me. I look over at Wren in surprise, fully expecting her to shy away from my touch, and Wren smiles in response.
“She’s always been a very calm and loving horse. Caring for horses is a great way to tame that anger you’ve got inside, so I figured this might be a good idea for today.”
“Why is it great?”
“Horses are very smart and tend to act the way their handler feels. If you’re angry, that’s how Luna will be. As long as you center yourself, push those fears and negative emotions away, then she’ll stay calm.”
I nod, my hand brushing over Luna’s nose with a smile. “She’s pretty.”
Luna makes a noise at that, making me chuckle, and Wren clears her throat. “I wanted to ride today, but I think it’s best to start off slowly before going that far. She seems to be reacting to you fairly easily, considering the circumstances of your emotions. This means you’re making progress, which is great news.”
Making progress.
It’s not a response I thought I’d ever have to worry about hearing, but coming from Wren it feels like I’m on top of the world.