Page 22 of All Because I Found You

He crossed his arms over his chest. “What now?”

“Can I maybe use your bathroom?”

Okay, that was definitely not the favor he had expected. “Do you not have a bathroom?”

“I do. It’s just your house is literally five minutes away, and since you live in the boonies out here, it’s at least fifteen minutes until I can get to my house. Ten to make it into town, but I’m not sure I’ll make it ten.”

His eyebrow arched at her admission.

“I told you. Two cups of coffee and forty ounces of water. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t an emergency.”

Having Raelyn outside his house was one thing. Inviting her inside was an entirely different story.

“Please?” She crossed her legs for good measure and bent her knees.

He took a deep breath, wondering if this woman was sent by the devil himself to torture him. “Fine,” he grumbled.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed. “I’ll follow you.” She jumped in her car and started it immediately while he slowly took his time getting to his truck.

Chapter 8

Raelyn pulled into Ryder’s driveway and hurried out of her car. She should have used the bathroom at the florist, but that had been the last thing on her mind. Ryder took way too long to walk from his truck to the front door.

“My eighty-year-old grandma moves faster than you,” she snapped.

He lifted his key as if his arm were drenched in molasses. Raelyn snatched the key from his hand and shoved it in the lock, bumping him out of the way with her hip.

“Whoa there.” He held his hands up after he regained his balance from the jolt.

“Bathroom? Where? Now!”

“Down the hall, second door on the right.”

She took off until she spotted the door and hurried in. There was no way she would have made it home, and she was grateful Ryder didn’t laugh in her face and drive off. Though she would have just followed him anyway, it was nice to get the okay.

After washing her hands, she dried them on a faded navy blue towel that was as thin as paper. When was the last time the man bought himself new towels? This one looked like it’d been around from the time his grandfather bought the home.

She stepped out of the bathroom, and now, without her bladder on the verge of bursting, she took in her surroundings. There was a lot of wood—wood floors, wood molding, wood paneling on the bottom half of the walls and all of which were dark, not helping with the haunted house vibe one bit. The top half of the hallway wall was white and looked freshly painted. The white helped tone the dark wood down, but there were no personal touches. No pictures of friends or family. No paintings. No sconces or signs. Nothing.

“Did you fall in?” Ryder asked from the end of the hallway.

She rolled her shoulders and glided down the hallway. “If I did, would you come and rescue me?”

“No.” He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and blocking her path. His t-shirt pulled tight against his biceps, and her eyes lingered on the stretched cotton. His frame dominated the narrow hall, and she swallowed at the overwhelming presence he exuded. “I’m assuming you made it in time.”

“It was a close call, but don’t worry, you won’t need a mop.”

“You honestly think I would clean up your mess? That would have been your problem.”

“You’re really not a team player, are you?” She held her hand up. “I already know your answer.”

“Really? And what’s that?”

“Your favorite word, of course. No.”

“Then you got your answer.”

“Is it exhausting being so growly all the time?”

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