Page 29 of Bear In A Boutique
Her first instinct was to protest, but maybe they were beyond that point. With everything happening between them, maybe it was okay to let him in. Her future was uncertain… but she could enjoy Ryker right now and not worry about tomorrow. Maybe she could let him in a little more without risking revealing her past. Her mind instantly rejected the thought. She always anticipated her next move, always had a backup plan, and never put herself in a position with someone where her past might come up. This time, with him, she was going to trust herself and go with it.
“I’m checking in at three.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
His phone chimed. Sweeping his thumb over the back of her hand, he tucked hair behind her ear, smiled, and left.
Olive thought Ryker calling the van a ‘death trap’ had been a little harsh until she drove it. The entire vehicle rattled and shook like it was about to fall off the frame. The brakes squealed, the driver’s side window didn’t roll down, and a strange smell was coming from the back.
Backing it into her camping spot made her feel accomplished and lightened her mood, but as she turned in the driver’s seat to look in the rear of the van, her mood shifted.
I don’t want to sleep in here.
It’s not permanent. Not yet.
It’s just for a few days. Get it together.
A sudden knock on the window made her yelp. Ryker stood there patiently; one eyebrow arched as if he’d been trying to get her attention for a while. Again.
She grabbed the informational binder and opened the door but he didn’t back up, leaving her little space to get out of the van without touching him. Her body nearly slid down his as she jumped out. A white shirt clung to his chest, an unbuttoned red and black flannel over the top. He was still in his dark khakiforest service uniform pants and black boots. If she had to guess, he’d merely taken off his uniform top and replaced it with the flannel, which suggested he didn’t go home after work before coming here.
He'd come straight to her.
Holding up the binder, she squeezed around him. “Time to figure everything out.”
With a skeptical twist of his lips, Ryker took the binder, riffled through a few pages, and then tossed it aside.
“Don’t you need that?”
He moved to the back of the van and opened the doors. “There’s nothing in there that I can’t figure out on my own.”
“Your ego is astounding.” She grinned.
“I work on instinct. It’s a man thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
She rolled her eyes.
True to his ego, it didn’t take long for him to find a leak in the water tank, bad wiring in the generator that made it die every ten minutes, a soft spot on the floor from water damage, and three mice nests inside a storage compartment that appeared to have been recently occupied. Olive stayed outside while he inspected things, and though she could have been making the bed and putting things away, she couldn’t bring herself to go in.
Twilight pushed its way through the trees by the time Ryker was done patching things up. He jumped out of the van, wiping his hands on a paper towel.
“I did what I could. The water tank is patched, but don’t run the faucet too long. I fixed the generator enough to keep it running if you need it for heat tonight, but I can’t guarantee it won’t die again. Do you remember how to start it if it does?”
She nodded.
“Do you have enough blankets just in case?”
“Yes, Dad, I’ll be fine.”
He’d shed his flannel at some point and his arms bulged beneath the short sleeves of his t-shirt. She straightened and wiped her hands on her jeans after stacking the last piece of wood, watching him approach with a hitch in her chest.
His gaze dropped to her lips, reminding her of the kiss and heating her blood. And then something hit her.
“Are you staying the night?”
The bed in the van wasn’t big enough for two, and there wasn’t enough room to sleep on the floor. He’d have to curl up in one of the front seats, and considering how long his legs were, that would be torturously uncomfortable.
“I’ll sleep in my Jeep,” he said quickly as if reading her mind.
