Page 77 of Rescuing Ryder

“Oh, yeah. Serenity Securities works on the mountain. They’re helping investigate David Kilner and when he escaped. I’m sure they’ll reach out to you soon. Did you check to see if you received anything from him?”

“I forwarded my mail to my office while I stayed with my mother. You know how slow snail mail runs. I’m still receiving items. I’ll alert you if anything shows up. Then, you can alert the security people. I take it they provide security for you with all this happening?”

“They’re keeping an eye on things. Be sure to let me know,” she stated as she finished the last of her pasta. “Thank you for bringing lunch. It was delicious.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Dr. Klein gathered their take-out garbage and placed it in the bag.

“How about I make some coffee for us? I ordered cupcakes from the local bakery. We can enjoy them in the living room while we chat.”

“It sounds perfect.” He rose to take his plate to the kitchen when someone knocked.

“Leave the dishes. I’ll take care of them after our visit,” Claire called behind her.

Ryder turned to face her as she opened the door. He eyed the car in the driveway before glancing back at her. She didn’t bother to answer the question in his expression. If he cared, he wouldn’t have left her home and disappeared.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“May I come in?” he replied, lifting his brow.

“Do you need to?” she gritted out.

“Do you have a problem?” Ryder scanned the area behind her.

“Nope. I’m perfectly fine.” She started to shut the door, tired of playing his game. His hand shot out and stopped it.

“Claire Bear.”

“Ryder.”

He rolled his eyes and appeared to count to ten. “May I come in and talk to you for a moment?”

“I have company,” Claire stated.

A growl came from Ryder’s chest, warning her she tested his patience and almost making her giggle. Claire moved to the side and allowed him to enter.

“We finishedlunch and moved to the living room if you want to join us for coffee and cupcakes.” Claire shut the door and turned toward the kitchen. Ryder peeked inside her office and then into the living room. Discovering a tall man with glasses and a dark blue suit sitting in his favorite recliner, he walked inside.

“Hello. I’m Ryder, a friend of Claire’s.” He extended his hand.

The man stood and clasped Ryder’s offered hand. “I’m Dr. Gregory Klein, a colleague of Claire’s.”

She returned to the living room, carrying a tray of cupcakes, petit fours and three cups of coffee. Bowls of sugar and creamer accompanied them.

“I see you met Ryder,” Claire stated cheerfully.

Ryder scowled at her as he regarded the physician. He appeared a bit older than her, but not enough to matter. Dr. Klein’s dark curly hair appeared perfectly styled and the suit seemed expensive. The car outside in the driveway proved the doctor led a comfortable lifestyle.

Did Claire want this type of life? She followed the rules and wore expensive suits. He knew her lingerie came from exclusive stores. Ryder didn’t particularly mind the latter. He witnessed her wearing T-shirts and shorts to fit in with the teens. She kept a nice collection of vintage tees with his favorite bands in her closet.

He sat on the couch beside Claire, who frowned in his direction. She passed her colleague a cup and a plate with his selection.

“Ryder, do you want a cupcake or petit fours?” She directed her attention to him.

“I’ll take a cupcake,” Ryder said harshly.

Unlike the careful placement of Dr. Klein’s cupcake, she picked his up and slammed it down on the plate while plastering a fake smile. Claire almost appeared scary.

“Thank you,” he snarked at her before directing his attention to Dr. Klein. “Claire tells me you worked together on the Kilner case.” Ryder ignored the searing glare coming from Claire’s direction.

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