Heartburn (Love By Design 3)

My phone buzzed inside my pocket and between juggling my gear and getting into the jeep, I was having a hell of a time getting to it. A glance at the phone advised me that Jeff wanted me to pick up some dinner before our shift change letting me know he called it in.

The Burrito Barn was clear across town and out of my way. It didn’t matter if I could have lived off tacos for the rest of my natural life. I was annoyed that he couldn’t have picked the diner where I was already headed to see my girl. My stomach growled ready to dismiss the idea and pretend I never saw the message. I was already here and now my time with Lia would be cut short. It wasn’t the way I wanted to start my evening, no bueno.

We planned to meet before her next class and the start of my night shift appeasing my appetite to see her. She had exams to study for and a paper to write for a philosophy class she said she hates. I know she secretly loves it and that’s what kept her busy this week reading all night and chatting with me via text. It’s bad enough that I’m running late because of an accident on the way into town, I cursed Evan out driving by while he directed traffic, and now I have to pick up dinner somewhere else.

So who do I see sniffing around my girl’s deuce table with her books and papers spread out covering every inch available of the Formica surface, but the esteemed dickwad Ryder West. My temper raged and I reminded myself I’m not like Damien, I’m not going to pound a kid who has no clue what the real world has in store for his privileged pro-sport playing ass. He leaned over her table and my hackles rose imagining whatever pervy thing he’s saying to her. Lia isn’t smiling, but she isn’t frowning, or chasing him away. I’m not sure how I feel about that. In a perfect world she’d be screeching something fierce and I’d have no doubt this was nothing for me to worry about.

Irrational jealously clouded my mind. I’d like to throw the punk out on his ass, but he’s got a good fifty pounds on me from playing football. I work out, but I’m not built like a brick house in my early twenties anymore. As a forest ranger for the park service, I can’t exactly go around beating the shit out of college students because I felt like it. That whole upstanding citizen bullshit I’ve got to maintain. I definitely felt like punching him, laying him out cold and stepping over his inert body while tossing Lia over my shoulder. Sometimes I hated being a responsible adult when tapping into my inner Damien seemed like a much more fulfilling option.

Observing them made me simmer so I went for surprise instead clearing my throat, “Hi there.” I lingered at the side of the table with my arms crossed over my chest puffing myself up and waited for Ryder to stand up and back away from her table.

“Whit!” Lia looked up from her seat smiling at me. Yeah, that’s right. I got her smiles and douche-canoe got nothing. Ryder stood taller eyeing me up and down. I didn’t remember the guy being such a shit head last time I saw him, but he squared his chest like he had something clever to say. He was lucky I wasn’t about to hit a kid despite my feelings about him. Someone had to be the adult and I clenched my fist ignoring the itch that wanted me to strike out first and ask questions later.

“Ryder.” I addressed him in a patronizing tone squaring off as much as he was. If he wanted to play I’d entertain this only so far.

“Yogi Bear.” Ryder nodded and the cocky little shit got on my last nerve. Lia jumped up from her seat and intervened placing her hand on my chest pushing me toward a seat. I didn’t like it and my hand covered hers pulling her in for a lingering kiss. I kept my eyes trained on the cocky kid letting him know Lia was off limits to him. She tasted like mint and chocolate and I let my tongue slip into her mouth swirling around to savor her better. A glance down at her was pure side eye and pissed female. I may as well have been marking my territory.

My pretty pixie would have to get used to it because I was this close to either laying out this joker or tossing her over my shoulder like a caveman and never letting her see daylight again. I knew it was dramatic, but that’s what she did to me. Lia made me forget I was pushing thirty and the vestiges of bachelorhood quickly dissipated with a desire to settle down into something permanent. Something with her. It should have been scaring the shit out of me, but instead I liked it. I liked the idea of playing house and coming home to her.

“I have to finish this assignment so I’ll see you around campus, Ryder.” Lia dismissed him. He paused a moment before striding off with his

bitter and arrogant swagger. It might be a blessing for him to get drafted into the NFL because the big kids would not take his shit.

I slid into the seat pulling her down with me. “What was that about?”

“Huh? What? Nothing.” Lia mumbled taking a sip of her mint milkshake avoiding eye contact.

I tipped her chin up to scan her violet gaze. I tried to not sound accusatory, “I’m not saying it was anything specific, but what did that asshole want?”

She exhaled a sigh shrugging.

“He said he needs help with his paper and wanted to know if I’d help him with research in the library next week.”

“And?” I wanted to yell, fuck no, but held back.

“And…I told him I didn’t have a lot of time. I’m interested in taking this new photography seminar with Professor Judy Rothschild who did a shoot for National Geographic last year. Gorgeous outdoor shots and light exposure I haven’t figured out yet on my camera.” Her fingertip traced a line in the table before picking up her pen to draw a flower on the corner of her paper.

I picked up her other pen and drew vines and leaves connected to her flower. I loved the way her face lit up when she talked about discovering photography. A light came on from inside her and made her glow unlike any of her other classes she shared with me. There was a privilege in watching someone discover their passion for the first time.

“You should go then. It will be good to meet her and talk photo-shop.” I tucked her in close to my chest and kissed the top of her head.

“I plan on it. I don’t know why Ryder thought he could convince me otherwise. I’m not doing him any favors. He already talked Dinah into helping him write his paper. I’m done with that.”

I shifted us in the small booth so she sat next to me now. The tone of our conversation was about to change. “Yeah, for my peace of mind, do you think you could maybe not hang out with him?” I winced when I heard the words come out of my mouth. Way to go being the secure older man in her life.

“I didn’t plan on it. He’s really not my type you know.” She kissed under my jaw and leaned against me.

“What is your type?” I played with her hair while we continued to draw our messy jungle over her study guide.

“Oh you know… big burly woodsy guys.”

“Uh huh.” I said.

“Yup.” She smiled.

I felt better but the weight was still heavy on my chest. I wished this guy would disappear or find some other girl to latch onto that wasn’t mine. “You know, I’m not asking you to not hang out with him because I don’t trust you, right? It’s him I have a problem with.”

“I know. Besides that whole group draws trouble like a wildfire.” She made black inky flames over the rows of flowers she drew. I took the pen and scribbled a monkey jumping over it before handing it back to her.