Page 33 of Headstrong Cowboy
Ryder rubbed his chest in an attempt to soothe the ache developing.
“Are you in pain, Ryder?”Eunice Bloom looked over the top of her reading glasses.They were seated in the living room, and she had a book resting on her lap.
“No, I’m fine.Why?”
“You were rubbing your chest.I was worried that you might be having a heart attack.”
“Mom!Why would you say something like that?”Chrissy demanded, but she was looking at him with concern coloring her brown eyes.
“What?It’s a perfectly reasonable question to ask when you see someone rubbing their chest.I’d rather be proactive than not say something, and the unthinkable happens,” Eunice responded without any guile, as if they had this type of conversation all the time.
He shouldn’t find it amusing, considering Eunice made a valid point, but he did.“Thanks for your concern, Eunice, but I really am okay.There’s no pain.”
There was still an ache, but he wasn’t about to tell Eunice that.Besides, it was an emotional ache, not a physical one.
“Are you sure?”This came from Chrissy, who was perched on the edge of the couch, still studying him intently.At least she’d lost her distant attitude with him.
“I really am, little flower,” he murmured, loving the way her cheeks pinkened at the nickname.
“Okay.”
As much as Ryder wanted to stay there, prolong the evening, his leg was beginning to throb from the strenuous physical activity of helping Chrissy and her sisters clean up the waterlogged structures.“I should go, though.It’s been a long day, and I’m sure you’re all exhausted.”
A flash of disappointment crossed Chrissy’s features before she plastered a smile on her face, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.The distance from earlier was crawling back and Ryder wanted to claw it back, but he wasn’t sure how to when he didn’t know what was causing it.
“Thank you for helping my girls, Ryder.”Eunice went to stand, and he strode across the floor to help her from her chair.
“It was my pleasure.I’m glad I was here for you all.”
Eunice patted his cheek, as if he were her son and not a man she’d only met that day.“Not all men are happy to be given instructions on what to do.”
“This is true, but your daughters knew what needed to be done.If they hadn’t told me where things went, I would’ve made many a mistake.”
Eunice studied him, not quite believing he was telling the truth.He wasn’t flat-out lying, but he knew how to deal with flooded floors.“Hmm, anyway, I hope we’ll see you again.”
“I’m sure you will, ma’am.”If he had his hat on, he would’ve tipped it toward Eunice, but it was sitting on a peg in the mudroom off the kitchen.He would collect it on his way out.
“Mom’s right.It would’ve taken us a lot longer to get everything done if you hadn’t been here,” Chrissy commented.
He wanted to sling his arm around her shoulders and pull her close to his side.He didn’t, though, because he wasn’t sure if she would reject his touch.“Always.Walk me out?”he asked, not wanting to say goodbye to her in front of her mom.He wanted a few more seconds in private with this woman.Wanted to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright when he didn’t have a clue about what was going on to put that wariness in her eyes.
“Of course.”
With one last goodnight to Eunice, Ryder followed Chrissy out, through the kitchen and into the mudroom, where he collected his hat.The cool fall Montana air hit them as they exited the warm house.Chrissy rubbed her hands up and down her arms and this time, he didn’t hesitate.He cupped her elbow and turned her so that they faced each other.
“May I?”he asked.Considering the kisses and touches they’d shared over the last couple of weeks, he didn’t want to assume that she would be happy being hugged by him.
She nodded and he pulled her close, reveling in the way she fit perfectly within his arms.Her head reached his shoulder and, as she tucked her face against his neck, he sighed and closed his eyes.
They could’ve stood there all night, for all Ryder cared.He was just so grateful to have her close to him that he wondered if he had been projecting his own misgivings about the situation all night.
“You should go back inside.It’s cold out,” he murmured after a few more moments of holding her close.
“I don’t want to.When I’m in your arms, I can forget everything that’s going on.”
Ryder didn’t know if Chrissy had set out to be so brutally honest with him, but he was glad she had.“I feel the same.Nothing seems insurmountable with you close.”
He framed her face and kissed her, pouring his growing feelings for her into the kiss.Telling her how she made his heart swell.How she took up all his thoughts when they weren’t together.They were words he couldn’t say out loud yet, but maybe he’d get the chance to—one day.
