Ryker (The Ride #4) (18 page)

I whirled, the sledgehammer still gripped in my palms.

“Whoa, Pipe, watch where you point that thing.” He held up his hands in mock surrender, his expression lighter than when I’d last seen him.

“Why should I?” I taunted with a huff, drained.

“Well, we got into it earlier, baby, but I don’t imagine you want to beat me with a sledgehammer.” He chuckled, his arms crossed as he leaned casually against the doorframe.

I glared at him.

His chin lifted toward the wall I’d demolished. “How long did it take you?”

I shrugged. “Depends on what time it is.”

A laugh escaped him before he stifled it after seeing my expression. “It’s a little after eleven.”

“Okay, so a few hours,” I allowed, daring him to tease me. “Why are you so happy, all of a sudden?” I accused.

He shoved off from the wall, coming toward me. He took the sledgehammer from my hands, dropping it with a loud thump to the ground. “I’m not happy, Tink.” He shook his head. “I was a dick earlier. I’m dealing with a lot of shit and not handling all of it well. But you look so goddamned cute in here, like my own little sledgehammer-wielding warrior.”

“Cute?” I demanded, my hands on my hips.

“And super tough too,” he placated with a muffled chuckle.

“So you were a dick?” I prodded with a raised brow, wanting to get back to the subject at hand. My hours of manual labor had taken a lot of the fight out of me and I just wanted to go to bed, preferably with some sort of back rub. Ry had killer hands.

He tipped my chin up, forcing me to look up into his gorgeous green eyes. “We can go to San Diego, Pipe. I want to send Mike off right.”

My heart soared at his words.

“Let me finish,” he cut in, when I started to say something. “You always come first, you know that shit,” he continued, still staring down at me. “Don’t challenge me on it, it just pisses me off. All right?”

“Well, don’t shoot me down when I’m trying to talk something out,” I countered.

“Deal,” he agreed, his hands cupping my cheeks.

I cocked my head to the side, my hands rising to grip his wrists. “You were so pissed earlier. Why the sudden change of heart?”

He shrugged. “Time on the bike and with my brothers. I needed to cool down. It was just a few days ago that I was looking down at your bloody face inside a mangled car, baby.” He swallowed hard, looking off to the side.

I gave his wrists a squeeze, knowing the attack had been far harder on him than on me.

His eyes returned to mine, his expression fierce. “Anything that takes me away from revenge, from making damn sure that shit never happens again, is hard for me to swallow.” He paused. “But I will for you and for your dad.”

“And for you,” I added. “Ry, I wouldn’t push this if I didn’t think it’d be good for you too. We need to get out of town for a few days, have some fun. It’ll be good for us.” I gave him what I hoped was a persuasive smile.

He blew out a breath before pulling me close, resting his chin on the top of my head. “Yeah, all right.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close. “Uh, Ry?” I mumbled.

“Yeah?”

“I think I broke my arms with my little home improvement project. I can’t seem to unwrap them from your neck,” I whimpered.

He chuckled.

In the end I got that back rub after all.

Chapter 17

T
he glistening ocean welcomed us into sunny San Diego two days later. The flight was easy. My dad and Ry had talked while I’d gazed at the scenery from my window seat.

“Yoo hoo!” my aunt Caroline hollered from baggage claim. She looked every bit the eccentric artist I knew her to be. Her auburn hair was cut short around her ears, her loose-fitting dress adorned with a chunky necklace and flecks of paint.

“
Yoo hoo
?” Ryker muttered into my ear incredulously.

I socked him in the side, giving my aunt a wide smile as we approached. “Look at you, you gorgeous girl.” She beamed, wrapping me in a firm hug. “And you!” She turned to Ryker with a playful wink. “I haven’t seen you since you were a teenager. Look at these muscles!” she exclaimed, squeezing his bicep.

I muffled a laugh as Ryker shot me a look that called for rescue, his ears pink.

She wrapped my dad in a hug, as Ryker and I gave them a moment alone and went to pick our bags up. “Still a kook,” Ryker commented dryly.

“But a loving one,” I countered with a smile. “And you do have gorgeous muscles, babe,” I added with a wink.

He cocked a brow, offering me a grin. “You want to see my muscles later?”

I giggled, nodding.

“Are you laughing about my muscles?” he demanded with a teasing glint in his eye.

I gave him my most solemn expression. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Oh! There’s one of our bags!” I exclaimed as we stepped forward, beginning to collect our luggage.

Ry and I had packed light, but my Dad had several suitcases since he’d packed anything he cared to take for the foreseeable future.

When we arrived at my aunt’s house, just off the beach in Coronado, I breathed in the ocean air, feeling my body relax for the first time in weeks.

“You two are downstairs in the den,” my aunt directed as we stepped into the house. “Mike, you’re upstairs in the guest room,” she added, pointing to the stairs.

The house wasn’t large but it felt open, with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. I hadn’t been here since I was small, but it was just as I remembered.

“Why don’t you two head for the beach? Dinner’s at six,” she continued.

I looked at Ry hopefully, and grinned when he nodded in agreement.

Not twenty minutes later, I was in Heaven, basking in the sunshine. The weather wasn’t hot, with it being early spring, but I’d take any excuse to lie out on the beach. I sighed, listening to the waves and the gulls crying from up above.

Ry had decided to brave the surf to take a quick dip. I leaned up on my elbows, admiring my crazy man as his arms cut through the water with strong, sure strokes. The water had to be freezing.

I looked over when a shadow cut through my rays. “You need some more sunscreen?” a man, clad in board shorts asked with a grin as I squinted up at him.

I rolled my eyes behind my glasses. Did that line seriously work?

“Nope, I’m all set,” I replied.
And my boyfriend will kill you if you don’t get moving
, I thought in dismay as I watched Ryker rapidly approach the shore. I swore he had built-in radar for when I was getting hit on.

“You interested in a surf lesson? I was just about to paddle out.” He cocked his head toward the surf.

“No thanks.” I shook my head, my eyes on Ry as he stalked toward us. He looked delicious in his swim trunks.

“You need somethin’?” Ry demanded as he sat next to me—nearly on top of me—putting his arm around me.

Mr. Board Shorts took one look at Ry and shook his head. “Uh no, I’m all set. Have a good rest of your day.”

“Sure,” Ry muttered, as the guy moved along. “You’re wearing a one-piece tomorrow,” he muttered in my ear, before biting the lobe gently, sending a shiver down my spine.

“I don’t own one,” I answered, breathlessly.

He nuzzled my neck. “Can’t say I’m really sorry about that. You look hotter than hell, babe.”

I grinned, leaning into his freezing body. “I can’t believe you went in that water,” I laughed, shivering just from touching him.

“It felt good.” He shrugged, looking toward the sun, which was starting to dip in the sky. “We should head back. I want to get under the hood of that Acadia before dinner.”

I sighed mournfully, flopping down on my back. I knew he was right. If I wasn’t going to buy my aunt’s SUV, we’d have to come up with a plan B pretty fast.

He bent his wet, freezing head, and rubbed it over my chest. I squealed, and shoved him away. He chuckled as I stuck my tongue out at him.

This was what I’d craved, for us to rediscover levity. To be able to play.

We walked hand in hand back to my aunt’s place. “I could live near the ocean.” I sighed, blissfully, breathing in the salty air, and relishing the cool breeze against my face.

I felt his eyes on mine and turned to look up into his inquisitive gaze. “You don’t like Hawthorne?”

I squeezed his hand reassuringly. “I love Hawthorne. I love the mountains, the desert. The people.” I smiled up at him. “Do I miss the ocean? Sometimes.” I shrugged. “I’m glad I got to experience living near it during my college years. Doesn’t mean I pine for it. Despite the years near the water, all I ever wanted was you,” I admitted without shame. “I just want to make sure our babies know the ocean,” I added before I could stop myself. I hadn’t known the words were on my tongue before they were gone.

His arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me close. “They will, babe. We’ll bring them down to visit their granddad.”

My eyes welled with unexpected tears, as the crushing reality that my dad would be so far away struck home.

“What is it?” he asked, stopping midstride to look down at me.

I shrugged, swiping at my eyes. “I just thought he’d be closer,” I croaked. “I won’t have any family close by when we have kids of our own. My mom would have been so happy…” I trailed off on a rasp.

He pulled me into his arms, his chin resting on the top of my head. “I know, Tink. She would have.”

I took a deep breath and pulled back, determined to focus on what I did have—which was a hell of a lot. “But you’ll be so amazing, Ry. The very best. I couldn’t ask for better.” I smiled through tears up at him.

His eyes burned with emotion as they looked down at me. “Christ, I hope so.” He chuckled, the sound low and throaty as he swiped at my eyes.

“You will be,” I assured him. “Now, let’s go check out this car. If it’s a piece of shit we better figure it out tonight.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, taking my hand as we strode through the warm night air.

As it turned out, the SUV was in top shape. “I don’t think she hardly drove this thing,” Ry marveled, wiping his greasy hands on a rag and dropping the hood. “It’s in fucking great shape.”

I grinned. Personally, I hadn’t cared much about the car, but I was glad my excuse for our trip had played out. “It’ll be good for the dogs,” I murmured. Ettie and Mack had them for the few days we’d be gone, and I hoped they were behaving themselves.

“Room for more than dogs,” he added with a raised brow.

I groaned. “Ry, I get it, your clock is ticking. Mine is just finding its battery, so take it easy, all right?” I groused.

He chuckled slinging an arm around me as we made for the house. “All right, Tink.”

It wasn’t until after dinner that the topic of the car came up. My dad had gone up to bed; no doubt all the activity of the day had drained his energy.

“$10,000 isn’t a fair price for that truck.” Ry was shaking his head at my aunt. “Way too low.”

I shot him a surprised look. It sounded too much like he was planning on paying for it.

“Ry, I can negotiate for my own car,” I cut in, irritated.

He shook his head. “I’m buyin’.”

I crossed my arms and sat back in my chair. “That’s news to me.”

He grumbled something about arguing with two stubborn females. “Pipe, we’re building a life together. We live together. This might technically come out of my bank account, but what’s mine is yours. Plus, the way I see it, when we’re together I’ll be driving, when you have my kids they’ll be in that ride. You really gonna argue with me on this?” he demanded.

How could I argue with that? I fought back a grin and shook my head, watching my aunt’s face light up at our exchange.

“Good. Now, about the price,” he continued, addressing my auntie.

She threw her hands up in that trademark way of hers, as though the sky was her canvas. “Oh darling, I don’t really need the money. It gives me such joy to think of you two driving it. That’s the highest I’ll go,” she bartered, in the most backwards negotiation I’d ever witnessed.

Ry gave me a look, but I simply shrugged. She was a free spirit, what was I supposed to do?

“I don’t feel right about it,” Ry grumbled, shaking his head.

She pondered that for a moment, as though searching for what to say. She leaned forward and grasped his big hand in hers. “Ryker, you’re a part of this family. And you’ve taken such great care of my sweet girl here and my big brother. From where I sit, giving you a deal on a car is just a drop in the bucket,” she said with a force that countered her typical, laid-back demeanor.

They regarded each other for a heavy moment before Ry nodded, relenting.

“Good,” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I don’t know what I was thinking buying that monster, anyway. I’m going to go buy myself one of those cute little bugs instead, much more my style.” She winked.

“Thanks, Aunt Caro.” I smiled, grateful, over the rim of my wine glass.

“You’re welcome, lovely girl.” She reached over and squeezed my hand before sighing. “Time for this old bird to hit the hay. What time do you two plan to get on the road tomorrow?” she asked, rising.

“Probably after breakfast,” I answered. “We’re headed to L.A. to visit with my old roommates, then we’ll stop in San Francisco before heading home.”

“Sounds like fun.” She winked. “Sleep well.”

“You too.”

Ry and I moved to the lounger that faced the water. I curled into his warm body, sipping my wine, and staring toward the ocean through the darkness.

There was something so soothing in listening to the surf as it crashed on the shore.

“Is our set-up going to be this nice when we crash with Sam?” Ry asked, biting back a smile.

I snorted. “Not hardly. We’ll be lucky if we can find the bed under all the junk piled in my old room. It’ll be fun to see them though, and to take you out to some of my old haunts.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “How’re you feeling about tomorrow?”

I sighed, my gaze staring, unseeing, into the night. The fact that we’d be saying goodbye to my dad for a while was like a living thing that I wasn’t quite sure how to navigate. “Better than I could be,” I replied finally. “I’m so glad we came. It makes me feel closer to him to be part of this next step. I’ll just miss him.” I swallowed thickly.