Page 61 of Forgotten Pieces

“You guys still good?” I ask.

Mac pulls his lips off Laney’s neck and grins at me. “I think we are headed home.”

I roll my eyes, making no effort to hide it. “Sounds good. I’ll grab all your tabs.”

“I’m gonna stay a bit longer,” Ryder says softly.

I look at his sad eyes and mumble an okay before grabbing Mac and Laney’s tab. They pay and stumble out of the bar. Within twenty minutes almost everyone else has left except for two tables in the corner, a couple at the end of the bar, and Ryder. He is swirling his whiskey around in his glass, eyes focused on it the whole time. But I do catch him stealing a glance my way every now and again and I try to keep my heart rate from speeding up.We are just friends.

Trace reappears and lets me know he is leaving and asks if I’m okay closing down myself. I tell him it’s not a problem and watch him and his wife leave. I finally feel like I am away from prying eyes and lean against the bar in front of Ryder.

“What’s wrong?”

He glances up at me for half a second before returning his gaze to his glass. “Nothing.”

I snort. “Yeah okay.”

“I’m fine, Tacoma, just a bad day.”

I cross my elbows on the bar in front of me and lean over enough I can catch Ryder’s vision from below. “You would have left a while ago if that’s all it was. Tell me what’s going on.”

He throws back the rest of his whiskey and sets the glass on the bar. “Maybe I should head out too.”

“Oh hell no. You can’t say you’re staying when it’s obvious something is bothering you then chicken out and leave me here without an explanation.”

He finally looks at me and a hint of a smile graces his lips. “You’re bossy, you know that?”

“Damn right I am. How the hell you think I used to manage shithead bartenders at the bars in New York?” I ask, a smile forming on my lips before I blurt out, “Seven for a secret.”

Ryder sighs and nods his head toward his glass. I push off the bar and grab the Makers off the shelf and pour more into his glass.

“I talked to Shelley today.”

It hits me then that she was supposed to come back today. But she isn’t here. “And?”

He sips from his glass before answering me. “She needs to stay in California for a bit longer.”

“How long?”

He sets his glass down and rubs his hands over his face. “At least two weeks but probably three.”

“Three weeks?” I shriek. I look around at the bar and see a few people look over at me. “What happened that she couldn’t come back today?”

He shrugs. “She called me this afternoon. Figured she was getting on a plane, but she broke the news to me then.” His shoulders collapse a bit in defeat. “It was the first time she talked to me since she flew out there.”

I put my hand on his forearm without thinking. “I’m sorry, Ry.”

“It is what it is. Guess I just need to get used to it.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” I say, giving his arm a quick squeeze before letting him go.

“Want to know the worst part?”

“There is a worst part?” I answer back.

“I haven’t even unpacked anything yet. I’ve been living out of boxes for almost a week because I was waiting for her to come home so we could do it together.”

My heart breaks a little for Ryder. I know how much it means to him to have this house, a home he can grow a family in. “I’m sorry. I know how much this all means to you.”

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