Weekend Fling with the Surgeon

“For whatever it’s worth, they were fools for letting you go.”

Silence met him, and he wondered if she’d say anything at all.

Then she softly said, “Seems the world is full of fools.”

The pain in her admission punched him. McKenzie was so much more than both men. Ryder couldn’t understand why either would have let her go.

“You’re better off without them.” His words seemed blasé even to him. Just something people said when someone ended a relationship. But his words were true. If the men hadn’t cherished McKenzie, had been willing to let her go, she was better off without them. “Surely you recognize that?”

“As you’re better off without Anna?”

Had he said Anna’s name out loud? Ryder knew he hadn’t. But then, one of the things he’d always admired about McKenzie was her sharp mind.

“I am,” he acknowledged. He was. Although he hadn’t seen it at the time, Anna hadn’t been the right woman for him.

Ryder waited for McKenzie to respond, but despite the fact she lay awake for a long time, she never said anything more.

Just lay in her bed, her breathing even, but not to where he thought her asleep.

Which meant what?

He’d done nothing wrong. She’d dragged him into this wedding weekend. He’d had every right to ask about Reva, to think a man had come between her cousin and her.

McKenzie bringing him to Tennessee might have been the best thing for everyone involved. He could see that now.

Everyone, that is, except Ryder, as the last thing he needed was to be a rebound guy, again.

CHAPTER TEN

MCKENZIE HAD LAIN awake a long time and once she’d fallen asleep had passed out to oblivion to everything around her.

She’d not heard Ryder get up, get a shower and leave the room, but he wasn’t on the floor.

Panic hit.

Had he had enough of this crazy situation and left?

The thought that he might be gone made her head light. Please don’t let him have left. For so many reasons, she wanted Ryder with her in Tennessee.

Not the least of which was how happy she felt when he was near. How aware she’d become of her body when near him.

He’d been doing her a favor and she hadn’t given him all the facts.

He’d been used in the past. Yet, he was essentially allowing McKenzie to do the same, to use him to pretend everything in her life was wonderful when it wasn’t.

Why had he agreed to come with her to Seattle?

Thanks to his having blocked her out after those first few weeks he’d been in Seattle, they barely knew each other.

Yet, truth be known, Ryder knew more about her than any person in Seattle, including Paul.

She owed Ryder an apology. He’d had every right to ask about her life since she’d dragged him right smack dab in the middle of it.

She’d gotten so angry at him the night before, but in truth, she’d been angry at herself, ashamed of herself, and perhaps having a bit of a pity party for herself, which she detested.

Please let Ryder forgive me.

Getting out of bed, she paused long enough to go in the bathroom to brush her teeth, then went searching for him, wandering into the kitchen where she found her mother, Aunt Myrtle, Julianna, and a few cousins spread out around the kitchen.