Page 64 of Rescuing Ryder

Ryder brought in a book and as soon as she opened the file, he set the timer. It irritated her, yet she pushed it away, concentrating on reading the notes from beginning to end. It took longer with her fuzzy sight in one eye, frustrating her. Claire delved into the record and wrote along the margins.

Lost in her thoughts,Claire didn’t hear the timer sound. Ryder sighed as he rose from his seat and pulled the folder away.

“Hey!” she cried.

“The alarm went off and you didn’t even attempt to stop,” he groused. “Follow the rules, Claire Bear.”

She sighed, putting down the pen in her hand. Claire rubbed her temple to soothe away the dull ache.

“Come here,” Ryder ordered her softly as he sat on the couch.

She leaned on him, enjoying the feel of lying in his arms. He placed a cool cloth over her eyes. Ryder massaged her shoulders, tense neck, and temples.

Claire moaned, relaxing into him. “Don’t stop. You have magic fingers.”

“I can think of a few other things magical,” he teased.

“You’re now formally released from babysitting duty. You must feel relieved,” Claire hedged.

Ryder continued to massage her temples, not liking where the conversation turned.

“Yeah, now I can pick up my man card. They revoked it when they discovered me sleeping in the pink abomination,” he teased. Wondering if she hinted at him leaving immediately.

“Did Kassie keep your room at the cabin? Do you need to check in with her?” Claire asked.

“She already texted me. The cabin’s ready,” he confessed. “Will you be all right if I leave you alone? Will you follow the rules?”

“Yes,” Claire sighed.

“Will you join me for dinner tomorrow?” he asked.

“I want to talk to Chase and Kassie. They deserve to know what happened between us. Technically, I was your physician.” Claire rose from his chest and gripped the edge of the sofa.

“You’re making something out of nothing. I already requested a transfer. I’m attending all my appointments with Dr. Hill,” Ryder answered, his voice rising.

“It doesn’t make it right. I have a responsibility to report it. They can decide what disciplinary action to take,” she explained.

Ryder shook his head. “What the hell, Claire? Did you forget about last night? Will you report our sex life to them, too?” Ryder stood and paced the floor.

“I don’t regret last night,” she breathed. “Please don’t get mad. I always follow the rules and hold myself to a certain standard.”

“I hope you didn’t lower them for me,” he snarked.

She rose and went to stand in front of him. Claire cupped his cheeks as she searched his face. “Stop. Let’s not do this. I’m not sure how to feel about this. I’m lost, Ryder. You’re here because you sought help. Tex talked you into it. Whatever we decide to do, I need to keep you safe. You never want to talk about serious stuff. You joke or use sarcasm to deal with the pain. At some point, you’ll need to discover things for yourself and I want you to come out of this healthy and whole.”

“What was last night then? Did you feel jealous I switched to Dr. Hill and he seemed to handle everything as well as when you worked with me? You turned it into a Dr. Claire Meyer’s hands-on therapy session?”

She jerked back as if he slapped her.

“I’m sorry. Geez, Claire.” He ran his hand through his hair and stalked toward her. She stepped away.

“Thank you for taking such good care of me. I appreciate everything. Maybe this might be a good time for you to leave.” Claire refused to meet his gaze.

Ryder swiped the scruff along his jaw, fighting against leaving and wanting to rail at her.

“Goodbye, Claire.” He went into the bathroom, stuffing his personal items into his bag. He crossed to her bedroom, retrieved the laundry basket filled with his clothes, and crammed them inside.

She didn’t move from her spot in the living room as he walked through the hallway and exited the house. Ryder’s gut screamed for him to turn around and hold her. His pride, however, won. He pulled out of her driveway, returning to the cabin where his journey started. Ryder threw his bag into the closet, fighting the urge to find Kassie and demand to leave. He walked to the closet and hit the button over and over.

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