Chapter 15
ELLIE
“He left her house yesterday morning,” Emily Davis whispered as she rifled through the latest on my shelves.
“Maybe he just stopped by to drop something off,” her friend Shayla whispered.
“Uh-uh. You know, Mrs. Butterworth lives across the street from her, and she said his car was there all night.”
“What a slut. First Liam and now Ryder.”
“Yeah, but he’s leaving. It’s all over town that he couldn’t make it in New York, but he got in some big fight with his dad, so he’s running back to his old girlfriend.”
I sighed at the counter, pretending not to listen to the gossip as I scrolled through potential dates for tomorrow night. I still didn’t completely understand the whole Wednesday night issue with dating, but I’d stick with Ryder’s advice until it proved to be no longer useful.
Not that he would be around for me to tell him one way or another. I glanced at the clock on the wall, and a small part of me withered up and died. He was gone already. He said he was leaving yesterday, which means that right now, he was back in New York.
And why did I even care? It wasn’t like I was in a relationship with him or anything. He was just a guy. I mean, I had a good time hanging out with him, even if most of the time I felt like maybe he was only with me because he had no one better to talk to.
But still. He was nothing like I remembered. And then he left.
Emily plopped a dress on the counter, sneering at me. “How much for this one?”
“It’s forty-nine, ninety-nine.”
She scoffed, “For this thing?”
“You’re welcome to drive two hours to the big box store for something cheaper that will probably fall apart after three washes.”
Rolling her eyes, she pulled out her card and tossed it on the counter, “I don’t know why I’m giving my money to a slut like you,” she muttered under her breath.
Gritting my teeth, I picked up the card and rang up the purchase, no matter how much I wanted to just throw her out of the store. I needed every sale, and I couldn’t afford to be choosy with who my customers were.
Even if they were evil bitches.
Keeping my temper in check, I carefully wrapped the dress, hating that she would look fantastic in it. If I wore this, it would show off my lumps and thick thighs. A nasty woman like her shouldn’t look so good when she spewed such hatred.
Still, I placed the wrapped dress in the bag and smiled, handing it over to her, along with the receipt. “I hope you enjoy it.”
If looks could kill, I would be dead where I stood. As she stormed through the shop, she made sure to knock a few shirts off the tables along the way, creating a mess I’d have to clean up.
Keeping things tidy was important to me. I hated to walk into shops and find the clothes in disarray. Now, I’d have to refold those shirts and waste time doing that when I could be trying to set up my online shop, which was proving difficult since I knew next to nothing about using such tools.
If it was socially acceptable to drink while on the job, I’d have a bottle of wine open right now, but as it was, someone would probably come in and purposely spill alcohol all over my clothes just to spite me.
The next person who walked in was thankfully a friend. Delaney glowered out the door, then scowled at me. “Please tell me you didn’t sell anything to that skank.”
“She’s still a customer,” I said, picking up the clothes.
“She did this, didn’t she?”
I didn’t bother responding. What was the point?
“I bet she threw that rock through your window, too.”
My eyes drifted to the new storefront glass, thankful no one else had done something so mean-spirited.
“So, how’s your day going?” I asked, changing the subject before she could go on another tirade.
“Not bad. I asked River to watch my shop for a while.”
“River Ainsley?”
“Do you know another River in town?” she deadpanned.
“No, I’m just surprised you’d ask her to watch things.”
Delaney grabbed the folding board and got to work, helping me out as she spun her tale.
“This guy came in yesterday, searching for rocks from the creek up at Tripper’s Peak. He says it’s a gold mine up there, and he’s certain I have a stash in the back.”
“Which you don’t.”
“Of course not. If I had a stash of gold, don’t you think I’d be doing something with my life other than running a rock and gem shop?”
I smirked at her. For as much as she dreamed of jetting off to faraway places, she was a nerd at heart, and that shop meant everything to her. Plus, from the spring through the fall, she had a ton of business, with tourists looking for special items they could take home as souvenirs.
A lot of the stuff, she found herself. She’d even asked me to go with her a few times, but scavenging for rocks was not my idea of a good time.
Neither was hiking.
“So, anyway, he’s insistent that I have these rocks that he’s looking for. And when I told him I didn’t have them, he started throwing a fit. I had to call Maverick to haul him out of the store. I thought he was going to tear the place apart.”
“That’s crazy. You do attract all the best customers,” I smirked.
“Right now, there’s a woman in the store who is asking a million questions. And after yesterday, I needed a break. So, when I saw River walking by, I snagged her and told her I’d pay her fifty dollars to watch the store for an hour.”
I winced, hoping she didn’t lose half the store in that time. “She’s just so…”
“Idiotic?”
“I was going to say trusting.”
“Which is the same thing. River is one of the kindest people I know, and that’s going to get her in trouble one day. But I think she can handle the shop for an hour. I gave her very strict instructions.”
“Well, you know she worked with Josie for a while.”
“I know,” she sighed. “But since I don’t have any herbs that can be mixed up and potentially kill someone, I figure I’m okay.”
Chuckling, I finished up arranging the tables that had been messed up, then got to work fixing the mess Emily left behind when she rifled through the clothes. No doubt the changing room would be a mess.
“So, I heard you had a visitor the other night,” she hedged, not really asking for more, but giving me an opening if I wanted to share.
“Ryder came by. He insisted we talk.”
“And?” her eyes lit up.
“And I didn’t share. He stayed on the couch, thinking he could pry the information out of me. And when I got up in the morning, he had some cereal, and then told me he was going home. So, I guess that’s that.”
“Oh…So, no phone number or anything?” she asked, the disappointment evident in her voice.
“No,” I laughed. “And I wasn’t expecting it either.”
“But you’ve been seeing a lot of him since he’s been home.”
“Yes, running into him at the bar. That’s not exactly a date or getting together for coffee.”
“Still…it might have been nice.”
“Delaney, in what way would it have been nice? If we’re to believe the rumors, he just got out of a relationship. That’s hardly the type of man I need in my life.”
“No, but it could have been fun,” she smirked. “Ryder looks like the type of guy who’s very gentlemanly.”
“And you think that’s what I want? A gentleman?”
“Well, I bet he’s very respectable in all ways.” A slow grin spread across her lips. “But I bet he’s very unrespectable in the bedroom.”
“God,” I laughed, tossing a shirt at her face.
“What? It’s a valid theory! You’ve seen his tattoos, right?
And those muscles?” She fanned herself. “I mean, when I saw him walking around in a t-shirt, I nearly expired, and so did some of the old ladies. I’m telling you, if he was still in town, I would beg you to take him to bed just to tell me all the juicy details. ”
“I’m hardly one to kiss and tell.”
“Maybe not, but you could give me measurements.”
“Delaney!”
“Shoe size!” She exclaimed. “There is nothing wrong with telling me how big his shoes are!”
“And even if I slept with him, which I can’t because he’s gone, I would not tell you his shoe size!”
She sighed heavily. “You’re no fun.”
A police car drove by, sirens blaring. Delaney popped up, a worried look on her face. “Why do I have a feeling they’re headed to my store?” she asked, bolting for the front door.
“I told you not to leave River in charge!”
“Waiting on another date?” JR asked, popping an umbrella in my drink.
Beaming up at him, I took a sip. “It tastes so much better with a little pink at the top.”
Rolling his eyes, he started cleaning up from making my drink. “So, who is it this time?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “Some suit.”
“Wow,” he muttered, sighing heavily. “You sound really excited about this date.”
I shrugged, taking a long sip, trying to be enthusiastic about meeting someone new, but my mind was still on Ryder. I shouldn’t be disappointed he was gone, but over the last few weeks, running into him at the bar had become the highlight of my week, and now that was gone.
I wasn’t even sure I liked the man.
Not really. I mean, he was hot, and interesting to talk to, but there was no chance of a future there. He had his own issues, and clearly, they were strong enough that sticking around wasn’t an option.
“Well, maybe if you’re lucky, this guy will be better than the last two.”
“Highly unlikely,” I sighed.
JR walked away as someone at the end of the bar signaled him. I stared at the bottles on the shelves, reading all the labels out of sheer boredom. Glancing down at my watch, I only had five minutes until my date was supposed to show up.
And honestly, I wasn’t really sure I wanted him to. My life was such a mess right now, and with everything going on around town—the rumors and gossip constantly spreading about me—I wasn’t sure it was worth it to chance it with someone new.
“You know, I heard somewhere that Friday was the best night to go out on a date.”
A small smile tilted my lips, but I refused to let it slip free. Turning on my stool, I looked up at Ryder, cocking my head at him.
“Interesting. I heard that Tuesdays and Thursdays were the best nights for dates.”
“And yet no one is here,” he said, looking around the nearly empty bar. “Is this seat taken?”
I should say no. After all, I was supposed to be meeting a date. But instead, I found myself shaking my head.
His smiling eyes found my drink. “Interesting choice. Are you daydreaming about being on vacation somewhere?”
“Nope. Just wanted something different. The umbrella makes the drink.”
“Is that so?” he said, grinning at me. “I might have to try that.”
“I think you’d like it.”
“That’s highly unlikely, but I’m always up to trying new things.”
He flagged down JR. “Give me what she’s having.”
“Would you like a pink umbrella, too?” JR asked, quirking his eyebrow at Ryder.
I nearly burst out laughing.
“Don’t be silly. Real men don’t like pink. Make it blue.”
Chuckling, I couldn’t help the smile that seemed permanently sealed on my lips from the moment he sat down.
My eyes roamed over his suit, how it was unbuttoned at the top and his tie was pulled loose.
It was different from what he normally wore around here, which begged the question, why was he wearing it?
He nodded, as if reading my thoughts. “I made it all the way to the airport. I almost got on the plane before I realized something.”
“Yeah? What was that?”
He sucked in a heavy breath. “That I didn’t really want to go back to New York. Not yet, at least.”
“And your first stop was The Beaver and Boot?”
“Well, it is Thursday night.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“And I figured that I might as well check out whoever you might be meeting.”
“How do you know I’m meeting anyone?”
He leaned back, taking in my tight, black dress that came down just below my knees. The only reason I could get away with wearing this thing was because of the shapewear I had on underneath.
His eyes landed on my heels, and then darted up to mine in question. “Those should be illegal.”
“They’re just heels.”
“They’re fuck me heels. A man could get ideas when he sees a woman wearing those things.”
“Well, interestingly enough, I didn’t wear them for you.”
“I figured,” he nodded thanks to JR, taking his drink.
Surprisingly, he drank out of the tiny little straw instead of the side of the glass. “What are you doing?”
“What?” he asked, taking another sip. “Am I not doing this right?”
“You’re a man! You can’t drink out of the straw!”
“Everyone else does it. Why can’t I?”
“Because you look like a sissy. And you can’t sit there in that suit, with your muscles bulging and tattoos showing, and—”
I cut myself off, worried I was about to say some very revealing things. Like how sexy I thought he looked.
“Well, the only tattoos showing are at my wrists. That’s hardly showing off my tattoos. If you want to get a look at those, I’d have to take off my shirt.”
Heat flooded my veins at the implication. We were verging on new territory from which we could never come back if we crossed that line. But part of me just didn’t care. He was gone, and then he came back. There had to be a reason for that.
“Well, taking off your shirt really shouldn’t be done in public. If you actually wanted me to see your tattoos, we’d definitely need someplace more private.”
His eyes darkened at my words. Oh, God. I was really doing this. My heart raced and my stomach flipped as I waited for his answer. Suddenly, it felt like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room.
“Just say the word,” he growled, his jaw clenching as he waited for my answer.
“My place or yours?”
“Yours is closer.”
I slid off the stool, taking a final sip of my drink as I grabbed my purse. “You’ve got the drinks.”
He pulled out his wallet and tossed a twenty on the bar top. His hand slid around my back, venturing dangerously close to my ass. My breath halted in my chest as he leaned down, his lips brushing against my neck.
“You’d better be really fucking sure about this,” he growled in my ear. Then his lips slid over mine and his tongue slipped into my mouth.
I groaned against him as his hand skimmed over my ass, gripping it hard. His length pressed against me, and there was no longer any question in my mind.
Delaney was going to get her answer about his shoe size.