Sweet (Landry Family 6)

Ryder pulls away, the tears dried up. “Maybe I’ll get a brother someday.”

“Maybe.” I turn back to the stove and prepare it for the pancakes. “Or maybe you’ll get lucky and get a sister.”

“Maybe we could adopt one like you. Can we adopt you?”

My heart swells. “No, I’m too old to be adopted. And I was already adopted once. I have a mom and dad.”

“So you had two of them?”

“Yeah. Kind of.”

“Well, we’d totally adopt you. Wouldn’t we, Dad?”

Huh?

I turn around to see Nate standing in the doorway. He has on a pair of black shorts that hang off his hips just so and extend down to his knees.

And that’s it. That’s all the bastard is wearing to see me for the first time since he kissed me and then ignored me.

I waited up to see if he would come by my room, but he didn’t. I didn’t even hear him come in. Mrs. Kim came over with Ryder when I got home, and I told her to leave him. I tucked him in, and then I drifted off to sleep at three, and Nate wasn’t home yet.

He watches me with an unreadable look on his face. I don’t know how to respond to that, so I turn back to the stove and don’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

“Right, Dad? We’d adopt Paige, huh?” Ryder asks again.

“I thought I told you not to ask her to make you breakfast,” Nate says as he tickles his son.

Ryder giggles. “I didn’t ask her! I didn’t! Stop!”

His squeals make me smile.

“She wanted to make pancakes because she needed speeded up,” Ryder explains.

I close my eyes and groan internally.

“Then she said she’d make me one too,” he continues. “So there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Nate stands next to me and leans against the cabinet. He faces Ryder, giving me a full view of his ripped abdomen and broad shoulders.

But I don’t look at that. When I do look up at him, he’s watching me carefully.

“Do you want one?” I ask.

He holds my gaze for a long moment. I hold my breath the entire time. Finally, he speaks.

“No,” he says before shoving off the counter. “Ryder, guess who called me this morning?”

“Who?”

“Camilla. She wants to take you to the Landry Farm today. Do you want to go?”

“Yes! Please? Can I?”

“Yup. I’m going to get a shower, and then I’ll run you to Dominic’s. Eat your breakfast and then brush your teeth, okay?”

“Yes. Okay!”

I don’t have to turn around to know that Nate left the room. I can breathe again.

My heart thumps in my chest, and my brain goes into overdrive.

What the hell does that mean? Did he orchestrate that? Does he have to work?

Is it a coincidence?

I stack two pancakes on a plate and place it in front of Ryder.

“Here you go,” I say, smiling.

After I’ve turned off the stove, I pop the pancake mix back into the fridge. No matter how speedy Ryder thinks they make me feel, I cannot even face one right now.

Ryder jumps off the stool and grabs a bottle of syrup out of the pantry. “I’ve got this. No worries.”

“No worries,” I repeat as I watch him get situated again. I open the syrup and pour a little star shape onto his pancake. “I’m going to get ready. I have a few things I have to do today, okay?”

He shoves a huge forkful of pancake into his mouth. “’Kay.”

I head into the hallway toward my room.

“Thanks for the pancake, Paige Stage!”

I close my bedroom door and then lean against it and sigh.

I have to get out of here.

FOURTEEN

PAIGE

“Ooh, that’s cold.” I grab the door handle and tug it open. “You first.”

Kinsley puts her head down and scoots inside Stretch, the yoga studio we frequent. I follow quickly behind.

The studio is warm and smells like orange and cedarwood—two scents that invigorate and relax me. I take a long, calming breath and smile at Mallory.

“Hey,” I say as we take off our shoes.

“Hey! It’s good to see you again. It’s been a while.”

Mallory Landry, the owner of Stretch, is quite possibly the prettiest person I’ve ever met. She’s tall with perfect chestnut-colored hair and has the best smile the world has ever seen. She’s also ridiculously kind and funny.

“I know. I … had a thing happen,” I say, relieved to know that she won’t press. She never does. I don’t want to have to go into the eviction with her. “You know how things go.”

She laughs. “I do. Especially super-vague things that will make me think you really ran off to be a superhero and then came back to play your normal person role.”

“That’s me. Superhero.”

“That’s all we need,” Kinsley says. “Paige thinking she’s Superwoman.”

Mallory waves at us and then answers a call.

Kinsley and I get our things situated and then find a spot in the far corner. Thankfully, the session we chose is pretty empty.