“I’m already involved, dammit. Why are you protecting him?”
“It’s you I’m protecting, you idiot. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Ryder shrugged. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself.”
“Not against a handgun, you can’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I want you to stay the hell away from Jerome Slater. Ever since I’ve known him I know he carries a gun. He says it’s for protection and that may well be but I don’t want him using it in a fit of rage. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
Ryder was silent for a while and then he let out a puff of air, a subtle sign of his frustration. “I guess I should thank you for the warning but it actually makes me even more determined to get this guy out of town.”
Blake gave a grunt. “That makes two of us. But how do we get rid of him?”
"That is the question…” Ryder’s voice trailed off as his mind raced around the problem that this unwanted visitor posed. In the end he could come up with only one conclusion. The best way to divest the man of his exaggerated sense of confidence was for Blake to do what she should have done from the get-go. She would have to put the matter in the hands of the authorities. That would have him flying out of Pequoia so fast she’d only see the trail of dust that he would leave behind.
But when Ryder said as much to Blake, thinking she would jump at the chance to have the man gone, she hesitated.
“Um…let me think about how I’m going to do this.” Her face still, she stared off toward the garden he’d made her out back.
“What’s there to think about? It’s as simple as making a police report. They’ll take it from there.” When she didn’t immediately agree he paused then shook his head. Blake was a mystery he could see he wasn’t going to figure out any time soon.
He was just about to say so when she lifted her hand to touch him on the arm. “Let’s go inside. You must be hungry after your long drive.” She smiled. “I’ll fix your favorite, roast beef and mashed potatoes. I’ll have it done in no time.”
He remained quiet as they turned toward the house but she must have guessed the direction of his thoughts because she gave a soft sigh and then she spoke.
“When we get inside we’ll have a long talk,” she said, “and then we’ll put this behind us once and for all.”
***
Next morning Blake was up even earlier than usual, which was surprising seeing that she’d gone to bed so late. After she’d made dinner for Ryder they’d sat there and talked, way into the night, and for a man who was the reserved type and a woman who didn’t have much use for gab that was quite a feat. It was like they didn't want the evening to end.
Ryder was just as surprised as she was. She could tell by the way he paused from time to time and just gazed at her, a thoughtful look on his face. It was hard to explain but there was just something between them, something that clicked. It was more than just a physical attraction. It was a synergy that made their thoughts flow like two streams that would meet and make one river. It was a connection that soon had them finishing each other’s sentences.
The first time it happened Ryder laughed but then it happened again. And again. And then it came so naturally that they no longer questioned it.
Before they’d reluctantly said their goodnights and headed off to bed she’d heard so many stories about Ryder’s brothers, Ridge and Rafe and Ransom, that she almost felt like she knew them. And, of course, she’d told him about her mom and Becky. They each got an earful that night.
And before that they’d talked about how to deal with the Jerome Slater situation. As much as she’d wanted to leave things alone for a bit longer Ryder had convinced her it was time to make Jerome pay for his crime. And that was what it was, plain and simple. She couldn’t keep skipping around the fact that he’d committed a crime.
She’d made excuses, hiding behind the fact that on discovery he’d put the money back. More than that, she’d hesitated to make any move simply because of what they’d had. After they’d gone so far together, after she’d fallen in love with him, after she’d trusted him he’d rewarded her with dishonesty and deception and she couldn’t even think. All she could feel was shock and hurt and pain…and if she should admit it to herself, shame.
How could she have been such a fool to put all her confidence in him? How would she hold her head up if the world found out that she, a competent and respected business owner, had fallen for that trick? It was bad enough that her family knew but did her business colleagues have to find out, too?
But she’d hidden away long enough. It was time to take the bitter medicine and make full disclosure. Time to go to the police.
Her mind finally made up, Blake felt infinitely better and there was a spring in her step as she descended and made her way toward the kitchen. She was stopped in her tracks when there was a knock at the front door. Immediately, she changed direction and went to open it. When she saw Chris standing there she smiled. “You’re out early today.” She stepped aside so he could enter. “What gives?”
He shrugged. “I’m only like fifteen minutes early. I was up, chillin' with some music, and then couldn’t get back to sleep so I just decided to head on over.”
"And I don’t mind at all,” Blake said as she led the way to the kitchen. “With all the mouths we have to feed we can do with an early start.”
“Don’t I know it.” Chris was already shrugging off his denim jacket as he followed her.
Within another twenty minutes Todd had arrived and soon they’d fallen into their daily rhythm, moving quickly and efficiently as they got things ready before the restaurant opened. Then, just before opening time, the kitchen door opened and Ryder walked in, looking newly shaved and smelling fresh as morning.
“Hey, what are you doing up? I thought you’d sleep in this morning.” Her hands full of pancake batter, Blake greeted him with a broad smile.
“And let these kids show me up? Not on your life. I’m up and reporting for duty.” He straightened his back and clicked his heels together, making them all laugh at his attempt at a military posture. “So what do you need done? The eggs, the grits, what?”
“We’re good,” Blake told him, “but we could do with some help getting the food out there. How about being our server today?”