Page 5 of Fierce-Hyde

Hyde took a bite of the loaded burger, and some secret sauce and a pickle fell onto the paper it’d come wrapped in when he’d ordered it at the cafe in the building. He’d picked up lunch for him and Ryder and they were currently eating it in the small cafeteria.

“But it’s good,” he said, around a mouthful.

“And clogs your arteries,” Ryder said. “My wife would kill me.”

Hyde laughed.

His ride-or-die in high school and college was not only married but had three kids.

He’d never thought he’d see the day.

Or maybe he was so jealous over the fact that Ryder settled down, that he tried to change his ways and see if he could find it too.

“Got to stay strong and healthy to keep up with Tommy,” he said of Ryder’s oldest, who was in middle school now.

Hyde shouldn’t have been shocked to find out Ryder had gotten his girlfriend pregnant in college. Only that Ryder didn’t know it’d happened for nine years.

The truth was, it could have happened to either of them with the reputation they had with the ladies.

Hyde changed that a few years ago though.

He spent his time proving it over and over and obviously didn’t do that great of a job with Shana.

Those were regrets he’d have for the rest of his life.

“Don’t you know it,” Ryder said. “But if you keep eating like that, you’re going to get soft and then have a hard time picking anyone up.”

He snorted. He wasn’t so sure he’d get soft because when he wasn’t working, he was working out.

No amount of sweat, pain, and tears could bring Shana back, but he sure the hell was burning through the calories trying to get rid of the guilt.

“Not anything on my radar,” he said.

Ryder gave him a sympathetic look, but he pushed it off and took another bite of his burger and then chased it with some fries.

Very few knew what brought Hyde back to Durham and applying for an engineering job at Fierce.

He was cocky enough to know he’d be hired and still set out to prove he had what it took to be employed here, not just because he all but grew up in the Fierce household, but that he was smart and took his career seriously.

He hated to start over and thought for sure he’d be doing that. He didn’t come in at the bottom, but not a project manager either like in his last job.

It seemed like everything in his life was starting over and it was the kick in the ass that he needed.

“Used to be what controlled the dial,” Ryder said.

He knew his buddy was joking. “Times change,” he said. “Look at you.”

“Good point,” Ryder said, finishing his chicken sandwich and then having a few chips. “Got any plans this weekend?”

“No,” he said. “Why?”

Ryder shrugged. “No reason. I was thinking about trying to get out on the golf course. Drake mentioned he and Noah were going to go. We could have a foursome if you don’t mind golfing with your boss.”

Hyde snorted. “I don’t have a problem with it,” he said. “As long as he doesn’t care I might beat him.”

“Why do you think I’m asking you?” Ryder said. “I rarely beat Drake and Noah. Now I’ve got a fighting chance.”

“Glad to know I’m good for something,” he said, smiling. It wasn’t even forced like most of his other smiles had been in the past four months since he moved here.

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