Page 22 of Rescuing Ryder

Two large hands grabbed her by the shoulders, and she let out a blood-curdling scream.

“Claire! It’s only me,” a familiar voice reassured her as Ryder scanned the area behind her to discover the danger she fled from. “Hey. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I can’t sleep and thought about you fixing the damn fireplace. I prepared myself to see fire engines and an ambulance,” he attempted to calm her.

Claire stepped out of his hold and shakily held her hand to her throat.

“I…I…decided to stay at the hospital tonight. You didn’t need to concern yourself,” she explained.

He remained in the doorway observing her. She must’ve appeared terrified as his gaze softened. “What’s the matter, Doc? Did the small-town noises get to you?” he asked quietly.

“Claire. I’m not Doc,” she absently corrected him as she attempted to regain control.

“Easy, Claire.” He lightly brushed her arm in a soothing gesture. “May I come in? You might want to tell the lady next door you’re fine because she’s leaning out her window with her phone in hand.”

She walked to the door and gave the elderly woman a slight wave before returning inside, shutting the door and locking it.

“I know this sounds like a cliché coming from me, but do you want to talk about it?” Ryder asked as he led her to the kitchen, searched the cabinets for a glass and filled it with water.

Claire adamantly shook her head. “No. I’m fine. Can you stay while I pack a bag?”

“You don’t appear or sound fine. Sit down and drink some water. If you want to go to the mountain, I’ll stay until you’re ready. What spooked you?” he asked quietly as he passed the drink to her.

“My imagination must be getting the best of me. Maybe it’s the wine I drank earlier. I thought someone might be inside my house,” Claire admitted to him as she used two hands to hold her glass steady.

Ryder’s head jerked up. “Damn it, Claire. Why didn’t you lead with that? Stay here.”

He disappeared around the corner and she bent her head to stave off the nausea. She gripped the glass and listened to his footsteps as he climbed the stairs and searched the upper floor. When he returned, she let out the breath she held.

Ryder searched her face.This appeared way more than thinking someone entered her house. He took in the pallor of her cheeks, the sheer terror in her eyes, and her shaking hands.

“No one’s inside. I cleared the rooms and secured all the doors and windows. Did you hear one of those atrocious purple shutters clang against your stomach medicine pink house?” he teased to make her relax.

She gripped the counter of the bar. “I must’ve overreacted. Thank you for checking it out for me. Did you need something?”

He chuckled. Her hair stood up in all directions and her eyes appeared larger than usual. She appeared scared shitless. Yet she still cared to ask about him. “Hey, Claire Bear. I came to make sure you didn’t set your house on fire. Since I can’t sleep and you’re clearly…awake, why don’t I fix the fireplace door you took off?”

She groaned. “I planned to put it back on. Unfortunately, it didn’t cooperate.”

“I don’t know about you, but I could handle some coffee if you got any. Where’s your toolbox?” Ryder asked.

Claire slid from the stool, opened a cabinet and put on a pot of coffee. “I put it in the living room.” She pulled two cups and set them by the brewer.

He retrieved the pink toolbox and returned it to her. Claire shook slightly and appeared pale as she stared at the dripping beverage.

Walking toward her, Ryder viewed her crossed arms and thoughtful expression. He poured a cup of brew, untangled her hands, and placed the mug in them. The warmth seemed to bring her back to the present.

“You don’t have to do this,” Claire murmured.

“I know. Aren’t you always encouraging people to accept help? Why don’t you come into the living room, drink your coffee, and keep me company while I figure out what havoc you created now?”

She slightly smiled as she followed him into the other room. Claire sat on her sofa as he knelt before the fireplace and tried to understand how she removed the glass.

“Why did you remove the glass?” Ryder asked.

“I wanted to see the fire. I cleaned the dust out and the dang thing refused to start. They told me I only needed to flip the switch.”

Ryder leaned over and turned the gas on before standing. “I think you might’ve missed a few steps.”

Claire slid from the sofa and peered into the fireplace to see how he readjusted the fake logs to sit straight in the box. A piece of dust she missed caught her attention, and she reached to grab it.

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