Alana sauntered off behind the display case of pastries to help a customer, and Ryder leaned back on the bench seat. She was right. Saying goodbye to Dottie wasn’t worth hurting Lexi over. Not after the day they’d spent together. Not after she’d put this warm, happy feeling into his chest. He’d rather sever his own arm than hurt her.
Lexi had showed him something he thought no one would ever be able to. She showed him what a monster Serena had been, and not just for cheating on him. For draining his savings and using his dog as leverage. How had he put up with that shit for so long?
Because you wanted the bond so badly.
Thank God for Lexi showing him what a healthy relationship could be.
She’d opened his eyes to so much, and now he wanted to get his shit together more than ever before. He wanted to get his business off the ground and save money for a family. He wanted to fix the hole in his middle so she would never have to question if she was enough to make him happy.
Ryder wanted to give her everything.
His computer chirped, and he dragged his gaze to the glowing screen. Serena was calling. Seeing his dog one last time was right there, right at the click of a button. All he had to do was accept, but if he did this, it would hurt Lexi. A vision of betrayal in her eyes flashed across his mind, and he winced away from the thought. He couldn’t do this. He loved Lexi. Real love, not the forced kind.
Ryder slammed his computer closed and grabbed his cell phone. He scrolled through the last couple of pictures he’d taken until he came to his favorite of Lexi.
He’d taken it after they’d slept together out in the woods the other day. She’d just gotten dressed, and she was sitting with her back to him, arms wrapped around her drawn-up knees as she overlooked his favorite view—the one he hadn’t shared with anyone else. Her long, black hair was hanging in silken waves down her back, and he’d planned on sneaking a picture of her, just like that. But right before he’d taken the picture, she’d turned and given him such a beautiful look over her shoulder. Her green eyes were bright and happy, and a stunning smile stretched her lips. Shocked by her beauty, he’d rushed the picture, but it had somehow still come out perfectly clear. His girl and his favorite view, surrounded by his favorite woods, and this was now his favorite picture of all time.
Alana had been right about him looking to the future and appreciating what he had.
Ryder had never posted about who he was dating on his accounts. They were for fun, and his followers had come to expect half naked pictures and jokes from him. But right now, he wanted to shout to the world that Lexi had come in and dumped his life upside down in the best way. On each account, he posted the picture of his beautiful Lexi with the caption:
I searched the world and finally found her. #sexylexi #backoffboys #allmine #hoohoo #pussyryder #sheisgoingtokillmeforpostingthis #writediedhappyonmytombstone
His notifications started going crazy with the likes and comments, but he wasn’t in the mood to absorb the attention right now. All he wanted to do was call Lexi and hear her voice.
He tucked his computer under his arm and made his way behind the counter. Alana was helping a couple choose pastries, but he snuck into the conversation, hugged her shoulders, and kissed her cheek with an animated smack. “I’m bringing a plus one to the wedding, okay?”
Alana giggled and wiped his kiss from her cheek. “Well, ask Lexi nicely then, Ry-Ry. Girls like romantic gestures.”
He offered Alana a wink and made his way to the door. “I know what I’m doing.”
“I feel like that’s not a true statement,” she called from behind him, but he wasn’t up for the banter.
Ryder had a dozen plans rattling around in his head right now and a lot of prep work to do before tonight.
The bell dinged above the door as he exited, and in a rush, he tossed a wave back to Alana, who was watching him through the window as if he’d lost his mind.
But he hadn’t. His head had never been so clear.
It was his heart he’d lost.
Chapter Nine
“Oh, noooo,” Lexi drawled out as she bounced and bumped her way through the gate.
There was a cabin at the edge of a clearing with strange-looking plastic, green shutters and a couple more cabins up the dirt track that wound around jutting black boulders.
She’d definitely thought Ryder lived by himself.
Ryder, Weston, and Aaron sat on the front porch of the first cabin, and up the trail, Alana, Harper, and Wyatt were walking toward her Jeep. Shit, shit, double shit.
Ryder’s greeting grin was beaming as she hit the brakes and rocked to a stop next to Ryder’s jacked-up, gunmetal gray Chevy pickup. Beer in hand, he jogged down to meet her, but skidded to a stop by the driver’s side, his eyes on her cleavage.
“What are you wearing?” he asked, his voice muffled through the door.
Heat blazed up into her cheeks, and she couldn’t meet his eyes. She searched the back seat for a jacket or hoodie, or for fuck’s sake, a burlap sack would’ve worked about now. But of course, there was nothing since she’d just cleaned her ride out last night.
Her mortification was infinite, and now the other Bloodrunners were gathering around her Jeep.
Well…there was no help for it. She couldn’t just turn around and speed out of here, even if that was exactly what she wanted to do.
Ryder pulled open the door as she unbuckled. Boneless and full of shame, she slid from the seat and clamped her hands in front of her thighs.
“Holy fuck, you look hot!” Ryder crowed. He pointed to each boob in turn. “That’s mine and that’s mine.”