Page 35 of Safe Harbor
"What?"
"Uh, just find it a little weird that you and Lucy were having casual conversations about speed boats."
Casual conversations about speed boats between other more enjoyable activities was more like it. But Ryan couldn't dwell on those thoughts because he was out in public and the naked woman he was thinking about was sitting next to him in a very attractive dress.
"You told me to go up there."
It was a little more defensive than he expected, and Andy seemed to realize that he had struck a nerve.
"Yeah, I did tell you that." Andy's voice had a tinge of humility to it. "I guess I just didn't expect you to have fun without us."
He gave Ryan a smile to try and break the tension, and Ryan smiled back.It's all good, he was trying to wordlessly tell his trainer. And it was. It should be at least. There was no reason for him to be defensive about what he and Lucy did at the cabins this summer — at least nothing that Andy needed to know about.
It would've been fine if they had just moved on from the conversation as the waiter came to start clearing plates away. But then Lucy had to say something.
"Plus, I actually got Ryan to read a few of those thriller paperbacks from the bookshelf that my dad always has up there."
"Really?"
This time it was Sydney looking at him in surprise, but it was a surprise with a big smile on her face. It was less teasing than Andy's remark, more playful and excited. It was like she found out her kid got an A on a test in school or something. Like she was proud of him.
"That's awesome," she told him. "You know I have someX-Filesnovels that I think you might like."
"That's a TV show." Ryan pointed his fork at his neighbor. "And you and I are still working through season 4 so don't spoil anything."
"I promise the books don't spoil anything. They're just novels with Mulder and Scully trying to solve a case, but they're like a show tie-in."
"I guess those sound cool."
"We could start a book club!"
Ryan looked up to see Sydney staring at him with a huge teasing grin on her face.
"No."
"Bummer." She gave him a mocking pout and grabbed her wine to take a sip. "I do have to give you credit, Lucy. You've had quite an effect on him."
You have no idea, Ryan thought.
He turned to see Lucy looking at him with a little glance, a little glimmer that she may have been thinking the same thing. She had been reserved during dinner so far tonight when it came to him, treating him like he was just a friend and nothing was different between them. He sort of understood that given the circumstances. But just now, something changed in her for a moment. Some little bit of her acknowledged him as more than just a friend and the move stuck out to him.
"I just needed someone to read with me when I was slaving over my paperwork." She turned and gave Sydney a small smile. "Paperwork I don't have to worry about anymore."
"So my paperwork," Sydney said glumly.
"Your paperwork, which is done." Lucy raised her glass in her friend's direction. "Congratulations on that almost being over with."
Ryan grabbed his drink and tipped it in Sydney's direction. "Yeah, congrats on that."
"Yay, my old boss is going to jail tomorrow," she replied sarcastically.
"And he's going to jail because he broke the law and you helped me put a case together against him," Lucy said.
"While your favorite neighbor had his appendix removed so you could fall in love."
Everyone at the table laughed at Ryan's addition, and to be fair, it was the truth. Ryan looked over at Andy, who was staring lovingly at his new fiancée. It was almost eighteen months ago when Sydney's boss got busted by the feds and she came home to find the athletic trainer for the Detroit Pirates trying to get into Ryan's apartment while Ryan was laid up after his appendectomy. It was Ryan's surgery that gave Andy an excuse to come over more often, to have a reason to see Sydney. She needed something positive in her life when everything was falling apart around her, and that something was Andy.
It was kind of like what Ryan needed this summer — something positive in his personal life when his professional one was falling apart. He found that up north with Lucy. But here he was, sitting next to her at dinner and it felt like she was far away. There were the little moments, like when her foot would brush against his leg or she would turn and smile at him. But those were in between moments when she seemed to be distracted or talking about something with Sydney and totally ignoring him. They were acquaintances again, which was fine. He wouldn't push anything if she didn't want to be more than that, if she didn't want to pursue the relationship that developed this summer on the banks of Harbor Lake.
