Page 46 of Silent Deception
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
At the sound of a vehiclepulling up, Kristin put the last of the supper dishes into the dishwasher, rinsed her hands, and went to the front porch.
Ryan stepped out of his truck and grinned at her, his thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his Levi’s. “Is he ready?”
Behind her, she could hear feet thundering down the stairs. A second later, Cody burst out the door and skidded to an ungainly stop at her side. “I think so,” she said dryly.
Cody gave her a quick hug and raced off for the passenger side of the truck. Through the front window, she could see Hayden bowed over something that had his full attention—probably the new iPad that Cody coveted and she couldn’t afford.
“Thanks for helping smooth things over between the boys,” Kristin murmured. “It means a lot to Cody to have a friend here.”
“Trevor handled it, really. Hayden promised he’d never refer to Cody’s grandpa again, and he promised to apologize. After that, I think the boys mostly patched things up on their own.”
“Still, you’ve been so good about getting the boys together to play. Should I pick up Cody again around six?”
Ryan tipped his head toward the cab of his truck. “You could both come over now, if you’ve got time. I could bring you both home.”
“Oh. Well...” She fought the urge to smooth back her hair. “I should drive over and save you the trip.”
His grin deepened. “No bother. Just grab a jacket and come on. I’d bet the boys would like you to see how good they are now. I think we’ve got some NFL champs on the way.”
She’d once worried that Cody was developing a serious case of hero worship, and she hadn’t been far wrong. The boy talked about Ryan, the ranch, and Hayden’s cool dad from dawn to dusk, always with a touch of awe and envy that saddened her.
He’d also made some not-too-subtle hints about her getting involved with Ryan, but she’d been taking special care to keep a casual distance between them. But now, with Cody looking back at her, she could hardly refuse.
“Hold on just a minute.” In the house, she caught sight of herself as she passed the front hall mirror.You hardly have to worry about any unwanted attention.Her hair was escaping its ponytail, her T-shirt splotched with water from the pots and pans she’d just washed in the sink.In fact, you look pathetic.
Ditching the T-shirt, she pulled on an emerald sweater. Considered it in her dresser mirror. Jerked it off and decided on a crimson cashmere wannabe instead. Tried scraping her hair into a knot on top of her head, disgusted when the silky strands slithered right out of the clip.
In defeat, she simply ran a brush through her hair and let it fall straight to her shoulders, slapped on some lip gloss and mascara, and headed out to Ryan’s truck with a denim jacket slung over her shoulders.
Cody rolled his eyes as he and Hayden shifted out of the front seat of the crew cab pickup. “What took you so long?”
She ruffled his hair as he climbed in. “Five minutes, sweetie. When you get old enough to date, you’ll be cooling your heels forhours.”
Both boys groaned as they fastened their seat belts, then bent together over the iPad. She closed the back door, then slid into the front seat. “This is awfully nice of you, Ryan. Thanks.”
“No problem.” His gaze stayed on her for a moment, then he cleared his throat and shifted the truck into gear. “I can only stand office work so long, and then I have to get outside. The boys give me a good excuse.”
“Are you enjoying your stay at the ranch?”
He steered around several of the bigger potholes in a low spot on the road. “It’s been...interesting.”
“How much time do you have left?”
He rolled his left shoulder, perhaps unconsciously testing it in response. “Thanksgiving. No longer.”
“And then?”
“I’ll go back.” He glanced at her and added, “Seventy-fifth Ranger Regiment, Third Battalion. Fort Benning.”
She wondered if he knew how often he idly massaged his damaged knee or that his skin paled if he took an uneven step. Or if he realized there were dark shadows under his eyes, telltale signs of all he’d been through. “What will you do, exactly?”
“Rejoin my platoon.” His jaw tensed. “Or...I could end up as a trainer.”
