Page 25 of Promised Summer
“Look what I got our girl!” Ryker said when I took a seat. He pulled out a mini hard hat from a bag at his feet and fastened it on Lily’s head. “You’re going to look so good in your work outfit!”
I’d gotten her a safety vest since I’d been taking her to work at the construction site with me. I set up a tent under the shade, far enough away from where we were working, and put her on a leash long enough for her to roam but not endanger herself. Having a dog on-site was probably not allowed, but who was going to say anything when I was in charge?
Was this an abuse of power? Probably. But I hated the idea of Lily being home all alone when I’d just got her. And bringing her on-site seemed to have given my crew an unintentional boost in morale after playing with her during breaks.
Lily was confused by the foreign object that was placed on her head and pawed at it. It fell right off and landed right next to her, where she proceeded to use it as a pillow for her chin.
We all laughed.
“Oh, well. I tried,” Ryker said with a sigh and petted Lily’s head. Sam smiled indulgently, his eyes sparkling as he watched his fiancé.
The two of them had a rocky start. They pretended to be fiancésto rent an apartment, but it somehow all worked out for the best. They were now engaged for real and their wedding was set for the spring.
Knowing the extremes Ryker and Sam had to go through just to rent a place made me feel slightly better. Rentals hadn’t become easier to come by after the influx of people moving to Kither Springs, all due to Wren’s influence.
My brother’s boyfriend was a famous travel vlogger who’d made a series of videos of our sleepy little town and put this place on the map. The revival of our town was much needed, but it also meant rent prices had been driven through the roof. It made finding a decent place to live harder, and maybe if Ryan couldn’t find a suitable place, then I could ask him to move in with me instead.
The idea that had flashed through my mind made me feel like shit. I knew Ryan wanted to find a place of their own so Karla could feel at home and grow roots, and here I was, hoping they failed so I could keep them with me. When had I become so selfish?
“What are you thinking about, my friend?” Ryker’s question drew me out of my thoughts.
“Nothing,” I muttered, more out of instinct than anything else.
Ryker and Sam gave each other a look that spoke volumes.
I glared at them.
I was all for my friend finding the loveof his life and being happy and all that shit, but I did not like feeling like they were using theirso-madly-in-love-they-suddenly-had-magical-telepathic-skillsto gang up on me.
Sam was the one to attack first.
“Are you thinking about a certain new Kither Springs resident and his daughter? I’ve heard they’ve been spending a lot of time at your place recently. Been spending the night, even.”
I crossed my arms. “And how did you hear that?”
He gave me a look that said the answer was obvious. “His mother is my Gramps’ neighbor.”
“Auntie Mae. Of course,” I muttered curses under my breath.
They both shot me sympathetic smiles, having been victims of her gossiping habit as well. Their fake engagement was supposed to be kept on the down-low, but Auntie Mae had publicized it to the entire town, which caused quite a headache for them.
“I’m just worried about you,” Ryker commented and patted my shoulder. “This is Ryan we’re talking about, and I know how badly he hurt you once before. You tend to give your entire heart when you’ve decided on something, and I can already see that happening with him. And let’s not forget youjustgot out of a relationship, too. It might not hurt to take things slow.”
Everything he said was true. Ididjust get out of a relationship, and it might seem like I was diving headfirst into my next one, but this was different.
With Deke, he was the one who pushed foreverything. Dating, moving in, trying to get me to propose…I wasn’t free from blame for going along with it, even if it felt like I was sinking myself while going through the motions.
I wasn’t doing that now. Each step forward with Ryan and Karla felt like I was carving a special place for myself. A place free from quicksand.
I knew Ryker was speaking with my best interests in mind, but how was I supposed to explain to him that with Ryan, there was notaking it slow. Not when we had so many years apart to make up for.
I covered his hand with mine and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you for caring, and I really mean that. I’m very lucky to have friends like you.” Ryker beamed and Sam’s smile wasn’t any less bright. “I know what I’m doing. I promise.”
The words were said to comfort my friends, but dear god did I hope they were true and I wasn’t setting myself up for another heartbreak.
“Okay,” Ryker said softly. “Just know we’re here for you.”
I smiled, took a sip of my water, and looked around. “Anyway, where are Dan and Clay? They’re not usually this late,” I asked, genuinely curious, but also trying to change the subject.
