Page 14 of Call Sign: King
“I missed you guys. It looks like Aunt Ginny has been taking good care of you. In fact, I think she might be giving you too many treats.”
“I heard that,” his aunt’s voice teased from behind him. “How many times have I asked you to give me a heads up when you’re coming out to the office?”
“Why? So you can run all your male visitors out?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” she said. “I like to stock up on your favorite foods when I know you’re going to be here.”
Ryder pushed to his feet, turning to greet his favorite, and only, aunt. “And I told you I don’t need special treatment. More importantly, why aren’t you having to shoo men out of here?”
He was only sort of joking. Ginny Helms had just turned sixty and had never married. Before he’d taken the plunge himself, he hadn’t given her choice to remain single a second thought. Now that he knew how rich loving Khloe made his life, he found himself wanting his aunt to find someone to share the rest of her life with, too.
“Will you stop trying to get rid of me? I like being the caretaker of The Library, even if it is kinda lonely out here when you’re gone for long periods like you have been lately.”
That’s when it hit him. “Are you under some impression that you can’t allow anyone on the property? This is your home. It has always been your home. Just because we don’t want random guests coming and going anymore doesn’t mean you can’t invite vetted people on the property.”
“That’s just it. I don’t want you and Axel putting together a damn dossier on every person I might want to invite out to dinner. And I’ll have you know, I did have company just last week.”
“Oh, do tell,” he said, still on one knee scratching behind Bailey’s ears.
“We’ve made progress,” she said, pausing long enough for him to glance at her. “Your father actually asked how you were doing this time.”
Ryder groaned. “Great. Just what I need. The old man sticking his nose into my BSO work.”
He’d worried the aging man would figure out something was up when Ryder had bought out Ginny and turned their old family property into a veritable fortress.
“Not at all, although I know he’s curious. He’s smart enough not to ask too many questions. To be honest, he was asking about you and Khloe. He watched a few of her movies recently.”
Ryder wasn’t crazy about his father knowing about his marriage. It wasn’t that the old man didn’t know how to keep secrets. The head of the L.A. chapter of a notorious motorcycle club, Griffin Helms knew where all the bodies were buried, and more importantly, how to keep them that way.
“Yeah, well it’s not hard to do. All you need to do is turn on the TV, and you can find her everywhere.”
Just thinking about it made Ryder uneasy. No matter how proud of her he was, his wife’s growing fame was the antithesis of his own need for anonymity.
“Too bad you didn’t bring Khloe with you this time. I think she had fun planting flowers with me the last time she was out here.”
“She still talks about it,” he answered truthfully. It made him feel guilty for not setting aside more days to spend here with his wife. As great as their beach house in Malibu was, it was still the home of the very famous Khloe Monroe. Only when he got to whisk her away to either The Ranch or The Library did Ryder feel like he was truly with Khloe Helms.
The dogs happily trailed behind them as the pair crossed over the front porch and into the two-story lobby turned great room. During the renovation, he’d let his aunt choose all of the decor in the non-secure areas of the property and she’d turned the resort into a luxurious mountain retreat. Considering Santa Clarita was only an hour north of the smoggy city, it’s foothills and canyons were like a slice of heaven.
“Have you eaten?” she asked, heading in the direction of the gorgeous kitchen.
“Not really. I was in a hurry to get here. I have a meeting in less than a half hour with D.C.”
Ginny called over her shoulder. “You head to your office. I’ll bring you some coffee and your favorite breakfast burritos.”
“You don’t have to wait on me, you know. You’re caretaker of the property, not of me personally.”
His aunt turned, grinning. “Honey, I’ve loved you since the minute you were born. Being able to help you now after all of those years you were away and undercover — unable to check in with us with any regularity — well, it brings me great joy to be able to help.”
Ryder swallowed trying to deny the lump in his throat. Before meeting Khloe, he never got that damn lump. Now, since opening himself up to love, he got emotional at the damnedest things.
“In case I haven’t said it recently, I’m glad to be back too.”
Ginny grinned. “Now… if only we can get you and your father back on speaking terms.”
“Don’t push your luck,” Ryder threw back before heading across the room in the direction of the fortified office complex. “I’m gonna get to work.”
He barely had time to get settled behind his desk when it was time to jump on the call with Brandon Webster, his old boss at the CIA. Since Ryder spent most of his time working with the America’s BSO team, his path didn’t cross as often with his old employer considering Brandon was in charge of the CIA’s European division.
