Page 35 of Ryder

“Yes,” she mutters.

“Did he…?” Her mother asks this halted question.

I stiffen. If there’s more, I will kill that asshole with my bare hands, whoever he is.

Claire shakes her head. “It’s just this. He kept grabbing me.”

“Why?” Roy asks.

I suck in a breath. “Because you spent the day with me.”

She buries her face in my shirt, and I pull her closer, rubbing her back. I don’t want to hurt her further, but I need to have her in my arms. There are no other options.

“H-h-he…” She pulls in deep breaths and finally leans back to look at us all in turn. “He said I was his and called me a whore for going to the mansion.”

I grit my teeth and look at her father. “Who is this Smith asshole?”

Roy pulls in a ragged breath. “Claire dated him for a while a few years ago. He comes around sometimes. I suspected he was pining for her, but I didn’t know he would resort to violence. Claire, we need to call the sheriff.”

She shakes her head vehemently. “No. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Who’s going to believe me over Smith? He’ll tell the entire town I’m a liar and a whore. He threatened to do that. I’d rather no one find out. What if he convinces people not to come to the bakery? What if he…” Her gaze shifts to mine. “What if he comes after you?”

My eyes widen. “Baby, he can come after me all he wants. He won’t get to me.”

She starts crying again, breaking my heart. “Please… Can we just… Not?”

Her father paces. Her mother has one hand lifted to her lips, shaking. Tears fill her eyes. I don’t blame her. Her daughter got assaulted at their back door.

I draw in a deep breath, trying to think. “Is there someone in town you trust to keep a secret? A nurse, maybe, or a doctor? Someone who can take pictures and document the assault.”

Claire shakes her head. “Everyone in town would know if I went to the clinic.”

Roy stops pacing. “The sheriff is a good man. He’ll listen, and he needs to know, Claire. He comes in here most days for a coffee. I’ll give him a call and ask him if he can stop by now. I’ll invite him back to the kitchen to take a look at something. No one else in town needs to find out.”

Claire hesitates before nodding. “Okay.” She sniffles.

Her mother reaches for a few napkins on the table and hands them to me.

I wipe Claire’s tears and hand her the napkin so she can blow her nose. When she’s done, I ball up the napkin in my hand. I kiss her forehead. “Let’s go upstairs and pack some of your things while we wait for the sheriff. You can stay at the estate with me. I don’t want you coming and going from the bakery as long as that man is free.”

Her eyes go wide. “I can’t do that.”

Her father makes his brief call and returns his attention to us. “I think that’s a good idea, Claire. Smith isn’t going to go up to the mansion to harass you.” He looks at me. “Do you have security?”

“Yes. I saw cameras, anyway. I’m not sure if it’s all hooked up, but I’ll make sure it’s taken care of by the end of the day.”

Joyce nods in agreement. “I’ve been up there a few times. I know there are cameras at the entrance gate to the estate.”

I nod. “That gate’s been open since I arrived, but we’ll close it and make sure the cameras are on and monitored.”

“I think you’re all overreacting,” Claire says. “I’m fine. I’ll pay closer attention to my surroundings from now on. I wasn’t looking. He caught me off guard. He won’t be able to do it again.”

I lift her chin and lean in close to her face. “Baby, are you going to argue with me about every single thing for the rest of our lives?”

Her breath hitches.

Her mother gives a half-sob half-chuckle. “She’s strong-willed and pigheaded, this one. I wasn’t sure she’d ever meet a man who could go toe-to-toe with her. It certainly wasn’t ever going to be Smith Winston. He’s a pussy.”

Claire gasps. “Mom.” I suspect she’s never heard her mother talk like that.

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