Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
RYDER
“ Y ou outdid yourself on this one, Ryder. She’s more beautiful now than the day she was born.” Steve grins and walks around the car. He owns an exotic dealership and has been bringing me gems he finds for the past two years. Most of the time, they need minor work, and just some added extras to make them stand out, but this one was in bad shape when he brought her in.
I grin at the McLaren sitting in front of me. He’ll easily be able to get a million and a half out of her with the restore job I did. She’s brand fucking new, and with the gleaming burnt orange color and exposed carbon fiber elements, she stands out like a jewel.
“She’s a beauty, all right. You should get a pretty penny for her.”
“I’m half determined to keep her for myself, but my wife will kill me if I bring home another one,” he laughs. “Somebody, though, is going to have fun with this one.” His eyes gleam like a kid in a candy store.
“You always do find the best treasures hidden in those auctions you go to. You did good with this one.”
“I have the easy job,” he laughs. “You are the one who brings my vision to life. Let’s get you paid up. I can’t wait to get her on the lot. The boys are going to piss themselves.”
Laughing, I walk him to my office. I try not to grimace at the paperwork strewn across my desk. My least favorite part of owning my own business is having to deal with the office side of things. I’ve gone through three office managers in the past year alone since Mary retired.
Mary worked for Jimmy and was the absolute glue holding the place together. It’s been harder than I thought it would be to replace her. It quickly became obvious that the last three I hired really had no interest in the job but rather more interest in trying to sleep with the owner…me.
When they realized I wasn’t mixing business with pleasure, their work slacked off to the point of me firing them and just dealing with the office shit myself. I’ve got cars coming in and out of here on a daily basis, and I don’t have time to mess with the hassle of training someone else.
I print out the invoice that I typed up this morning and get Steve taken care of before saying goodbye. I know he’ll be back soon with another one for me. It’s the thrill of the hunt for him to find the next best thing that keeps him coming back. It’s clients like that who are golden to me and put more money in my pockets than I can spend.
I shut down my laptop and turn off the office lights as I walk through the workplace waiting room. I wanted my garage to stand out, and I take pride in how clean I keep it. I installed wooden floors in the large waiting area, which has comfortable couches and a full coffee and snack bar. TVs are hung on the wall, showcasing races throughout the day.
Windows line the whole length of one wall overlooking the garage. Often, clients and car enthusiasts come and watch us as we work. The more rare and exotic they are, the more the word gets around in the car community that we have one here.
I had a kitchen put in for the guys in the back to use on lunch and dinner breaks when they work late. I’ve hired the best around to have on my team, and with what I’m paying them, they are really good at keeping things clean and efficient around here. We work on high-end cars, and I want the place to reflect that.
In the beginning, I worked my ass off with Jimmy to try and impress Eve’s dad, but all he saw was a mechanic in a garage who could never be good enough for his daughter. I’ve built this business in three years to over a million-dollar company, and even though I could care less what he thinks anymore, it still gives me satisfaction to know what I’ve turned this place into. I’ve been featured in car magazines more times than I can count and it just continues to grow. Plans are in the works to expand in the next two years to add on another garage and a showcase room where clients will be able to display their cars on a rotating basis.
My cell phone rings as I lock up the front door. I glance at Jake’s picture that pops up.
“Hey, Jake. I know I’m running late. Steve just left, so I’m locking up the shop now.”
“Just checking. I know how you lose track of time when you’re working. Travis and Sophia just got here, and we’re about to fire up the grill. Max has been asking about you.”
“Tell little man I’m on my way, and he better be prepared for Uncle Ryder’s slam dunks in the pool.”
“Will do,” Jake laughs. “See you soon.” He hangs up, and I throw my phone on the passenger seat. I’m looking forward to seeing them all again. I don’t make it down to see them as much as I should so it’s been a minute since I’ve seen Max. I can’t believe he’s already finished with first grade and will be seven soon. The time is passing by way too fast.
I pull up to our house a few minutes later and park in the garage. Since we turned one stall into a home gym, Travis and I got dibs on the other two. Miles is gone a lot, traveling with his band, and there was no way I was parking my Porsche in the driveway. He drives his motorcycle anyway when he’s home, which he keeps in the garage, so the band’s van is a permanent fixture in our driveway when they’re not using it.
“Uncle Ryder!” I grin when I walk through the door and hear Max.
“There’s my favorite car guy. Are you ready to help me this summer? I’ve got a lot of big jobs coming up and will need your help.” I pull him in for a hug and ruffle his hair.
“Yes! Dad already told me I could go as much as I wanted to this summer.”
“I’ve got a GT3 coming in next week. I thought we would start with that one since it’s your favorite. You can help me decide on the modifications. The client wants me to look it over and give him a list of what I think it needs.”
“Awesome,” he grins before bending down and playing with Nemo, his one-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever. Travis let Max name the poor dog, and he got stuck with being named after his favorite movie when he was five.
“Hey Ryder.” I look up and see Travis. Married life looks good on him. They’ve been married for a year now, and I’ve never seen my brother happier. Sophia is the best thing to ever happen to Max and him. I stuff down the pang of jealousy that hits me out of nowhere before smiling at the two of them.
“Trav.” I walk over and hug my brother. He’s an inch taller than me, at six feet four inches. I pull back to grin into his grey eyes, which are identical to mine. His black hair is under a backward hat, and his broad chest is covered in tats that extend down both arms. They must have been swimming because he’s wearing black swim shorts. “I’m glad you guys are able to spend the summer here again.”
“Me too. Now that I’ve hired a couple more tattoo artists, the shop basically runs itself. I have a few portraits that I need to finish, but I brought my supplies with me.”
“If you need a quiet place to work, feel free to use my place when I’m not there.”
“I’m sure I can find a place around here somewhere, but if I can’t, I’m definitely taking you up on the offer,” he chuckles.
“Hey, sis.” I grin at Sophia before pulling her in for a hug. With her black hair and beautiful green eyes, she and Travis look damn good together. Jake and Miles love to get under Travis’s skin every chance they can get by letting him know how hot they think she is. She’s a kindergarten teacher and had Max in her class when they first moved there. We still laugh at the fact that she and Travis hooked up without knowing that tiny detail. In a way, Max brought them together, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
You can tell how much she loves Travis and Max, so it was easy to love her right away and accept her into our family as one of our own. She adopted Max shortly after they got married. His birth mom left Travis and him when he was only four weeks old and then recently passed away last year, so she’s the only mom Max has ever known. He thinks she hung the moon. He still gives her flowers from the backyard every Friday, just like he did when she was his teacher.
“Hi, Ryder. How have you been?” She pulls back from the hug and searches my eyes. She’s the only one I can’t hide my feelings from. It’s like she can peer into my soul and see through the mask I put on every day to hide the pain that still creeps up.
“I’m doing good. Business is growing, and I get this view every day to wake up to.” I wave my hand at the windows overlooking the ocean.
“He’s doing better than good. He’s got a date tomorrow night.” Miles grins over at me and winks.
I should have known I wouldn’t be able to sneak and have this date without everyone hounding me about it. I feel Sophia’s eyes on me, and I glance back at her.
“You have a date tomorrow night?” She asks before breaking out into a grin.
“With who?” Travis chimes in, and I run a hand roughly through my hair.
“Just a girl I met at the grocery store while buying Jake’s damn muffins. It’s just dinner. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a huge deal,” Travis grins. “This is good Ryder. I’m proud of you for getting back out there. You deserve to have some fun.” He puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes.
“I’m proud of you too.” Sophia smiles. “Maybe we will get to meet her this summer.”
“Maybe. Let me just get through the date first before you all start setting a wedding date. I’m taking it day by day.”
“That’s all you can do,” Sophia says softly. I nod and look away before I get too deep with my thoughts.
Ever since Wednesday night, my dreams have returned with a vengeance. I wake with thoughts of Eve, and I’m either wiping away the tears that have fallen while I sleep or fisting myself until I cum because my body betrays me with images of hers. Deep down, I still feel a bit guilty over this date, and I think it’s coming out in my subconscious while I dream. It’s the only reason I can think of as to why the dreams have suddenly appeared again. If I can just get the first date over, it will get easier. It has, too.
“Where did my nephew go?” I look around, needing to find something else to occupy my thoughts. I spot him and Nemo over by the big leather sectional in the living room. “Do you and Nemo want to go down by the beach?”
“Sure! Let me get his ball.” He runs to his room before coming back out.
“I’m going to change out of my work clothes real quick,” I say as we walk toward the cottage doors. “We’ll be back in a few,” I call out over my shoulder.
“Trav and I are putting steaks on soon, so be back in thirty,” Jake calls out as I leave.
“Will do.” The ocean air hits my face as I walk on the back deck to my place. It’s almost six, so the sun is lower now, casting that pre-glow over the water, getting ready to set in a couple of hours. Max plays with Nemo on the deck while I run inside to change into shorts. The two of us always end up in the water, so it’s better to be prepared.
“You ready little man?” I ask Max when I step back outside.
“Yep. I brought my tennis ball. Nemo loves to play catch now, and he can jump up and catch it in the air!”
I laugh at his excitement. “I can’t wait to see that.”
I follow him down the stairs to the beach and smile when my feet hit the sand. I’ve always loved the beach. A lot of good memories have been made right here in the sand. I think of my first kiss with Eve that night at the bonfire as I watch Max toss the ball to Nemo. We made a lot of promises on these beaches. It’s hard to keep the memories away in moments like these when I watch my nephew play in the sand.
“I’m going to marry you someday,” I whisper into the night. Eve is snuggled up against my chest as we lay there on the beach, watching the stars. “One day, we will be sitting on this very beach while our kids play in the sand and jump in the waves.”
“I don’t think anything would make me happier than being your wife. We should probably graduate high school first, though,” she giggles.
“Yeah, we probably should,” I laugh. “How many kids do you want?” I run my hands through her hair and play with the silky strands.
“I’m an only child, and I’ve always wanted siblings, so I definitely want more than one. What do you think about four?”
“Technically, I’m an only child too. I can’t imagine not growing up without my brothers and Savi. I think four is a perfect number,” I say, grinning and moving my body so I’m on top of her. “It’s going to take a lot of practice to make four perfect babies.” I lean down and kiss her neck.
“I think I’m up for the challenge,” she grins before I capture her lips with mine and silence us both.
“Uncle Ryder, I found a crab!” Max pulls me out of my thoughts as I’m slammed back into the present. My hand is rubbing my tattoo over my heart without having any knowledge of doing so. I quickly remove it and put on a smile for Max as I walk over to see his ocean treasure.
“He’s out like a light,” Sophia says, walking out of Max’s room and sitting down next to Travis on the sectional couch. He pulls her in close as she lays against his chest. I take a sip of my bourbon to dull my envy as I look at the two of them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m truly happy for them, and they deserve this kind of love, but it’s hard to watch them and not want what they have.
I see Jake studying me, and I give him a small smile to reassure him that I’m good. All my brothers have been there for me since Eve left but it’s Jake who’s seen me at my worst. Travis had his own struggles to deal with at the time, being a single dad and raising Max, and even though Miles canceled a lot of shows to be home during that time, I forced him to get back on tour. It’s Jake, though, who would help me up off the floor after I would down a bottle of whiskey or bring me lunches at work because he knew I wasn’t eating enough and working too many hours to escape the pain.
“Do you have a lot on your schedule this summer?” Travis looks over at Miles, lounging on the chaise.
“We’re booked every weekend, but they’re all in Florida, so I’ll be able to hang out with everyone through the week. I took the Fourth off, though. I wasn’t missing our epic bash we are throwing.” He grins over at Jake.
I’m proud of Miles. He’s been chasing his dream of being in a successful band since the day he got his first drum set at four. They’ve been touring up and down the coast, making a name for themselves for the past few years. By looking at him with his tattoos and a couple of piercings, he gives off the rocker vibe, but they have a nice blend of country mixed in with rock and reggae. They are quickly being recognized around here as the band to come and watch.
“Everyone is looking forward to coming here on the Fourth. Cole and Skye confirmed the other day that they can make it. They’re flying in the day before and driving down with the rest of the group.” Sophia grins over at Miles. “I’m glad you took that weekend off. Just try not to blow your dick off this time.” Her eyes shine with laughter as she tries to hold it in.
“I’m guessing Travis told you about my incident,” he raises his eyebrows at Travis.
“What? She’s my wife. I tell her everything.” Travis laughs.
“I’m glad my dick is the topic of conversation at your house. I mean, I know how impressed you were that one time you saw me naked in the gym shower, but to talk to your wife about it?” He shakes his head and tries to look serious. “That takes a lot of trust in the relationship that she won’t jump ship to the bigger brother.
Jake and I laugh as Travis hits him in the head with a throw pillow. “We all know who’s the biggest in the room here.”
“Yeah, me,” Jake and I say at the same time and grin.
“It never ceases to amaze me how many times guys will compare dick sizes to each other,” Sophia laughs and shakes her head.
“Well, when you have one to be proud of…” Miles grins into his bourbon.
“Jesus, can we get off the topic of my brother’s dick sizes in front of my wife?” Travis glares at us, causing Mile’s grin to get wider.
“So when is Savi coming down?” Sophia changes the subject before Miles starts to press any more of Travis’s buttons.
“In a couple of weeks. She just finished up with finals and is hanging around to celebrate with a couple of her friends before heading here,” Jake says. “Mom and Dad won’t be able to make it back until later this summer, but they are definitely coming to the wedding.”
Sophia’s brother, Maverick, is getting married, and we all got the save-the-date invites in the mail for their wedding next May. My parents have become close with Sophia’s family, and we all instantly took a liking to her brother and her friends.
Weddings are not my favorite to attend. They bring up too many emotions for me that I don’t want to deal with. I ended up leaving early at the last one I went to and made up some work excuse. This is Sophia’s family, though, and Travis is a groomsman, so I’m going to have to suck this one up and try and make the best of it. If tomorrow night goes well, I might bring a date this time and actually have a good time.
“My mom mentioned to me that Meaghan and Trevor are coming…Savi too. It means a lot to me that you all will be there. I know it means a lot to Maverick and Bella, too.” Sophia smiles at us.
“Your family is our family now. We wouldn’t miss it.” I smile back at Sophia before downing the rest of my drink. “I’ve got an early morning, so I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see all of you tomorrow.” I stand up and say my goodbyes before heading outside to my place.
There’s an uneasiness in the air that I can’t put my finger on. It’s got me restless and on edge. I make my way to the shower to rinse off the saltwater from earlier, hoping it will calm my nerves. Between not sleeping much because of these dreams lately and having my first date in three years, it’s no wonder I’m feeling like this. I get out and throw on some grey sweats when I hear a knock at my door.
My heart starts beating out of my chest, and I rub the tattoo over my heart, puzzled at why I feel something big is about to happen. My brothers usually just barge in, and something tells me that it’s not them on the other side of the door. Dragging in a deep breath to calm the nerves that have suddenly flooded my body, I walk over to the door and open it.
All the air in my lungs escapes. I grip the door frame for support so hard my knuckles turn white as I stare into blue eyes, the color of the ocean—eyes that were once my whole world.
“Eve…” I whisper in a pained voice, not even believing that what I’m seeing is real.
“Hi, Ryder,” she says softly. Her voice filters through the air, and I close my eyes briefly at the sound. How many times have I begged to hear that voice again? So many emotions slam through me at once that I’m unable to comprehend what they all mean. The one that takes me by surprise, though, is the one I never thought I would ever look at her and feel. All the hurt for the past three years comes crashing down on me, and anger quickly takes its place.
“Where the fuck have you been for the past three years?” My heated stare pierces her blue eyes as they widen in shock.