My lip is bleeding, which doesn’t surprise me, considering I’ve been chewing it for most of the day.
While dabbing at my lip with a tissue, I look at the mess of clothes trailing all over the bed and into my suitcase. We’re going away for five days, so I don’t really need as many clothes as I obviously thought I did.
I make room on the bed, and sitting down, glance at my cell to make sure I haven’t missed any calls. A few hours earlier, I’d called Ryder but it had gone to voicemail so I hadn’t tried again. I presume he’s still at Brittany’s house, which makes me worry that things aren’t going well.
The wait is really playing on my nerves and I don’t know what the hell I’ll do if he comes back and tells me the divorce is off. What if he sees her and decides he can’t go through with it because of how she is? Or maybe he’ll realize that it was her he’s loved all these years. It’ll tear me in two if that happens.
Tossing the tissue into the trash, I begin to sort the mess on my bed out before emptying my suitcase to start again.
Gah, I hate packing.
It takes me about fifteen minutes to get everything either in the suitcase or back into the closet and still no sign of Ryder.
He’s been gone hours when I expected him to be gone only a couple.
As I walk out from the bedroom, I hear a key in the lock and watch as a troubled Ryder walks through the door.
My heart beats frantically when I recognize the look of sadness on his face. It keeps me in the doorway, instead of moving forward to greet him.
But when he lifts his head, his face becomes alight with pleasure at seeing me. There is no way that smile—which reaches his eyes—is only for my benefit. He is genuinely happy to see me. And that’s what I was waiting for.
I start toward him at the same time that he drops his keys on the table by the door and moves toward me.
He catches me up in his arms, and holding me tight, inhales against my neck. “God
, babe. I missed you.”
“I’ve been really worried . . . I called—”
“I know.” He kisses my forehead before using his hand to press my head against his chest, his fingers sliding through my hair. “I’d just walked out of Brittany’s house and had no idea what to say.”
I try to push him away to look into his eyes while he’s talking, but he holds me against him.
“I went in there expecting an argument or to be kicked out, but instead I had Evan, her brother, apologizing and Brittany practically handing our divorce to me . . . shocked the fuck outta me.”
My heart would lift if he sounded happy about everything, but he doesn’t. He sounds . . . sad.
I run my hands up and down his back, wondering what’s going on with him. Brittany giving him a divorce without any fallout is something that I was hoping for, but the way he’s reacting is just weird.
Ryder contracts his fingers in my hair, and tilting my face up to his, gives me such a loving look before his lips softly sweep along mine. “Don’t look so worried. It shocked me, but I’m all right now.” He quickly kisses me again. “I called to see Jace on the way back.” He smiles. “He was finishing up coaching softball to some kids, and their teacher has him in knots.”
“That’s good, right?”
He frowns. “Jace doesn’t think he’s worth anything to anyone, which is total bullshit, and all down to the bitch of an ex.” He sighs. “He lost his right leg below the knee about five years ago.” Now a smile appears. “She’s a sexy, little red head so I think he’s going to give in before too long because little does he realize, she’s already under his skin.”
Sexy, little red head?
“And how long did you spend with sexy, little red head?” I step out of his hold. I know there’s nothing to it, but the devil inside me says I have to tease him.
His brows nearly reach his hairline.
I start to giggle. “You are so easy to tease.”
He rolls his eyes. “My eyes stayed on her face.” He holds his hands up and in a Boy Scout salute. “I promise.”
Laughing, I tell him, “I trust you, and besides that, the guy who drives the delivery truck has nice thighs.” I smirk.
“Does he now?”