Page 17 of Rescuing Ryder

Ryder’s jaw clamped shut at her dismissive attitude and then she got him with the damn running comment at freaking 0400. Well, now he knew how she got the tight ass. Shaking his head, he exited her office and the hospital, turning toward the entrance of his cabin.

The mountain air hit him as he stalked down the path; undecided if he felt impressed with her or pissed she forced his hand at running. Before the mission, he ran all the time to let off steam. He stopped when he returned home. Why should Ryder enjoy the pleasures of running when the death of his brothers caused so much pain?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Claire walked to the beginning of the trail and warmed up in a pair of leggings and a blue running shirt. Pulling her hair into a ponytail, she waited for Ryder to appear. At precisely 0340, he stepped out of his cabin. Even from a distance, she saw the bulging muscles of his arms and thick chest. He turned toward her and started a small jog. As he grew closer, he noticed her on the path and slowed down to a walk.

“I didn’t know where you wanted to meet. Where did you want to run?” he asked as he approached.

“Right here.” She walked over to the path and knelt to flip a switch, making the wooded path glow in light. “Do you need to stretch?” she asked as she began stretching her legs.

“No. I’m all set,” he informed her smugly as if he couldn’t run circles around her.

She smiled, beginning with a slow jog and he followed. The sound of their feet tapping the pavement echoed along the path. The familiar pattern brought a sense of comfort to his mundane existence. The world melted away as he caught up to her and matched her stride. She never glanced his way and seemed to concentrate on whatever she listened to on her ear pods.

Fifteen minutes in, Ryder started breathing harder and his thigh hurt like a bitch. When did he become such a wuss? The woman beside him didn’t appear winded which made him push himself harder. By the time they made it to the end of the path and turned around, his lungs burned and his breath came out harsher than he wanted.Man, after eighteen months, I let myself go.

Ten minutes later, she slowed her pace as he fell increasingly behind. Shame filled him. A woman kicked his ass and it didn’t appear as if she even broke a sweat. She slowed to a walk as Ryder caught up, smiled, and pulled the water bottle from her side.

“Did you forget water?” she asked.

Yeah, and a puke pail.

“Yeah. I thought you kinda kidded about the whole running thing. I haven’t hit the pavement in a hot minute.”

“You don’t say?” Claire smirked. “Come on, I left some in my car. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to rain. I’ll meet you at the track in the therapy room.”

They walked toward her car, she opened the passenger side, pulled out another water from her cooler and handed it to him.

“Why don’t you shower and change? I’ll meet you at my office in twenty. It doesn’t come out of my time. I want to load up my boxes and meet the moving truck by 0700,” she stipulated before running up the stairs. He gulped more of the water and watched as she entered the building, not once appearing winded from their hellish run. No way he’d allow her to make him feel like a pussy again.

Shaking his head, Ryder jogged back toward the cabin, pulling his shirt over his head as he walked through the cabin to the shower. Anticipation ran through him as he dressed, and he tapped it down. Running always gave him an outlet for his stress; he’d forgotten how good it felt to shut everything out.

When he entered her office twenty minutes later, she appeared before him in a t-shirt and shorts, showcasing a pair of shapely legs. Claire pulled her hair into a ponytail and a Seattle Seahawks baseball cap rested on her head.

“I didn’t picture you as a football fan, Doc,” he admitted as he took the box from her arms.

“I’m not Doc. That’s Chase. Call me Claire. I never liked Dr. Meyers. I sound like a sour lemon. We’ll take these down and I’ll have everything indoors before the rain.”

“Are you trying to trick me? You’re not talking to me or asking me a bunch of questions? It feels like a trap,” he asked her quizzically.

“It’s not a test of any kind. If or when you feel like talking, then you will. In the meantime, you’ll help assemble all my stuff. Which reminds me, do you know anything about plumbing? My kitchen faucet started leaking.” She grabbed the next box, followed him to her vehicle, and placed it in the trunk. She checked her watch. “We have four more and time to eat. Bryanna’s bakery basket will arrive any minute. We can eat a quick breakfast before we return to my home.”

“How long have you worked for the foundation?” Ryder asked as they climbed the stairs to retrieve the next load.

“I started working here about a year and a half ago. Doc and I worked together at the Veterans Hospital in Seattle before Kassie built the foundation.”

“You must like it since you decided to settle down in the town,” he stated as they exited her office and returned to the car.

“The town’s lovely. Plus, I’m still close enough to Seattle to walk around the museums, go to a game, and shop,” she explained. “Nothing beats the ten-minute commute to work after braving the traffic in Seattle during rush hour. Where do you live?”

“I thought you knew. I have a feeling your brain works like a miniature computer.” He took the load from her arms and put them in the backseat.

“I focus on the reports. I know you live in Virginia, but I don’t know your location. I’ve visited there several times, and it’s a lovely state, especially in the fall.” Claire walked toward the steps.

“I live in Newport News. It’s near Colonial Williamsburg.”

“Did you grow up there?” Claire asked as she handed him the last cartons.

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