Page 52 of All Because I Found You

Raelyn had made me him believe he could live a normal life, but he was an idiot to think it was possible. The fear of what people thought about him still haunted him, still controlled his every move. It’d been eleven years, and he hadn’t been able to change it.

He'd be forever defined by the accident. He might not have physically died that day, but mentally, emotionally, he did. A few amazing nights with a beautiful woman wasn’t going to bring him back.

His phone beeped in his pocket, and he slipped it out, glancing at the screen. Raelyn’s name flashed in front of him, and while he wanted to ignore the call and act as if she never barged into his life two weeks ago, he couldn’t.

He answered.

“I don’t know if you left already, but I got a corkscrew. The great aunt apparently always carries one on her person.”

Ryder heaved a breath of relief. The shaking in his hands subsided, and he turned the truck toward his house. “I just got on the road,” he lied.

“I’m sorry. But thank you for coming to my rescue. My hero.”

If she only knew that her hero was a panic-stricken coward.

Chapter 17

The wedding was a success. Raelyn could barely contain her excitement at how well it all came together. Other than the corkscrew incident, everything else went off without a hitch. Even the dreaded mother-in-law controlled herself, though Raelyn watched her like a hawk to make sure she did. Raelyn walked away with several meetings lined up for the next week to discuss more weddings. Overall, it was a total success.

With a slice of wedding cake on the passenger seat, she pulled away from the now empty barn. The cleanup crew would be in tomorrow to help her get the barn back to its original barren self, but tonight, tonight, she was going to bask in her glory and celebrate with the only person she wanted to see right now.

While she stayed focused on the wedding, Ryder kept slipping in and out of her thoughts. When she’d spot a couple on the dance floor, she’d think about being his arms, when she noticed a couple stealing a kiss, her lips tingled at the memory of his mouth on hers, and when the bride and groom shared a piece of cake, all she could think about was surprising Ryder with a slice later.

She pulled down the long driveway that led to his house and put the car in park when she reached it. Funny how that first day the house scared her, making her think it was haunted. Now it made her smile and reminded her of the gorgeous man who resided inside who managed to make her inexplicitly happy.

Her phone vibrated, and she glanced at it to see Cindy’s name. Raelyn had sent her a bunch of pictures as requested.

Cindy: You should be really proud of yourself. Looks amazing.

Raelyn typed a quick response to thank her, then grabbed the cake and headed for the front door. Her heels clicked on the wood steps, and she gave a double tap on the door. She waited, but her impatience was getting the best of her, so she gave another few knocks.

The door flung open, and Ryder stood in the doorway, hair slightly disheveled and hanging in his face. He was shirtless, his bare chest begging to be touched, and his gym shorts sat low on his waist. She bit her lip at the delicious sight in front of her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She ignored the confusion in his tone and decided not to question it. Instead, she held up the slice of cake in her hand. “I brought you cake.”

“Why?”

“To celebrate my total success at turning your barn into what will most likely be the most talked about wedding of the summer.” She looked around him. “So, are you going to let me in, or are we celebrating in the doorway?”

He stood there for a moment, too long, in her opinion. “Is this a bad time? Do you have someone else here?”

She couldn’t even believe she asked, but this wasn’t the Ryder of this morning or even the day before. He seemed closed off, and while he wasn’t exactly the most chipper of humans, he didn’t seem particularly happy that she was there.

“No, of course not.”

“Is it a bad time, then? I can leave. I should have called first. I just thought… You know what, it doesn’t matter what I thought.” She shoved the cake at his chest and turned on her heel.

Before she could get to the stairs a strong hand wrapped around her wrist. “Raelyn, wait.”

She swung her gaze to his, eyes locking, but the usual heat that burned between them had been replaced by a deep sorrow within him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, closing the space between them and taking his face in her hands.

“I don’t want you to go,” he said, but the words sounded like they were a struggle to get out.

“Then I won’t.” She pressed up on tiptoes and kissed him gently. “But I’m not sure how I feel about standing in the doorway.”

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