Page 58 of Riding Danger

There was no doubt in my mind that I loved Ryder. Besides the fact that he was a good dad and treated me right, he complimented me well. While I was all rigid and routine, he could go with the flow. I wasn’t naïve enough to think it wouldn’t cause arguments from time to time, but we suited each other.

Unfortunately, that also meant he was not good at planning and time management. When I’d looked at his schedule for the last two days, I wasn’t sure how he was going to fit in everything.

He had a meeting at Moore Studios, and one with his record label. Then there was the meeting with the lawyer to finalize the termination of his former manager’s contract. He needed to fit in a meeting with his former bandmates. It was on the books as a lunch date, but there was a star next to it. His assistant, who still lived and worked in L.A., explained that the star meant the paparazzi were informed that he would be there.

The idea was to get a photo op and provide some buzz for the single. The idea was to garner some interest for a possible album.

As I pulled up his schedule once more, my mind raced. Joel would be returning to work next week and along with that, my secondment to Salinger Security would be over. I was really going to miss having a more flexible schedule. But that only made my next decision easier.

Then and there I made a decision. “Lilly, could I borrow the company jet?”

“What on earth for?” Her frown was comical. It was not the kind of request I would ever make.

“Ryder’s in Los Angeles. And I don’t think he’ll make it home in time.” I wasn’t a rambler but I needed to be to get all the words out. “He’s over booked himself and honestly, I just want the three of us to spend the holidays together.”

Lilly’s face softened. “Sorry, kid.” She looked genuinely upset. “Nick has already offered it to someone else.”

I let out a long sigh and started picking up my things. “I knew it was a long shot. Maybe I’ll call Theo.”

Theo’s company also had a private jet. It was not something I ever considered using since I wasn’t sure where all that money came from and, as a cop, I could get into trouble if I allowed him to do me favors. But beggars could not be choosers.

Unfortunately, Theo couldn’t help either. “Hunter is using the jet today.”

Hunter was Theo’s Head of Security and his right-hand man. I think he became one of Theo’s closest friends when we started pulling away from him. Not intentionally, but we knew what his father’s businesses did and we were shocked when he took them over after his father’s death.

“Thanks Theo.”

“See you in a little bit.” His smile was evident in his voice. “I need to go get Cat from the airport.”

That perked me up. After some DNA tests were done, it turned out that Cat was Theo and Tiff’s half-sister, thanks to their father’s less than savory activities. Cat was also my foster sister. She’d been rescued a while back and hadn’t been home yet. From what I understood, she’d been off on another mission almost immediately. “I cannot wait to see her.”

It took me another while to pack up and get out of the building. Tiff had left a while earlier to help Maggie set up at Forte Femme. Since her divorce, Maggie had moved into the manor and kept the house clean in lieu of rent. The Reverse Cowgirl was profitable but not enough. The saving of staying at the manor helped a lot.

Grace, Cat and Sky all kept a room there as well. It was safe to say that each of us had lived on the property from time to time. A small smile filled my face at the thought that all my sisters would be home for the first time in a long time. And both Holden and Owen would be in town. Holden was a SEAL, who was rescueda few weeks earlier and put on mandatory leave. As for Owen, I wasn’t sure how he managed to get home, but I would take it.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy to see all of them, I really was. Still, the evening wouldn’t be the same without the one person I wanted with me.

That was all forgotten as I pulled up to Forte Femme. There, leaning his ass against the door of a black SUV, stood the man of my dreams. His smirk, and the way his hands were shoved into his pockets were all kinds of sexy.

As I pulled into the driveway, he walked over to me. He opened my door and leaned inside. The kiss was nothing short of magical. One hand went around his neck so I could toy with the hair at his nape. His hand cupped my scalp, the tug on my hair almost painful.

Slowly he pulled back. “Fuck, I missed you.”

“Right back at you.” I didn’t tell him that I tried to make a plan to fly to him. But I didn’t need to.

“Rumor has it, you doubted I would be here on time.”

“I saw your schedule and I wanted to be with you, no matter where you are.”

It was the truth. I loved my family and friends. And we had a lot of traditions. If I missed one, it wasn’t the end of the world. Everyone did from time to time.

“Shi, this is my home.” He helped me out of the car and took my face in his palms. “You and Ethan are the most important people in my life. But my friends are here, too. Jason and Theo included me in that throw down against those assholes.”

I rolled my eyes. He was being ridiculous. “You can’t bond over a fist fight.”

“We’re guys. Of course we can.” He took my hand and led me to the front door. “Just brace yourself. Tiff and Mags went a little overboard.”

I loved that he was comfortable shortening their names. So caught up that he had made it home in time, I didn’t even realize what he was saying to me.

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