Page 82 of The Archer Brothers

“No, I’m all set. We’ll be back by dinner.” EJ jumps up with a triumphant “Yes!” and doesn’t even say goodbye to us. As soon as the door shuts, Ryley is back in my arms, cuddled up where she belongs.

The doorbell rings and Deefur starts barking. He runs to the door before I have a chance to get up and answer it.

“Can’t believe they forgot something,” she says as I follow behind the anxious dog.

“What’d you forget?” I say, swinging the door open.

“Hello, little brother.”

Evan stands before me with a cocky grin on his face. Behind him stands the woman who left me and has been on my mind all day. Call it fate, or just dumb luck, either way I’m not sure how I feel about seeing her right now.

“Cara,” I say, sounding out of breath. I want to ask Evan if he called her, brought her for a reason, but I know he didn’t. He wouldn’t have known how to find her.

“Hello, Nate.” She’s formal, and not how I remember her at all. The way she used to say my name told me that she cared and right now she makes me sound like a subject.

“Are you going to invite us in?”

I want him to leave and take Cara with him, but I don’t say that. Instead I push the door open and step aside. Evan walks in first and as soon as Cara is over the threshold, I shut the door behind her.

“How long have you lived here?”

Thisis why I don’t want Cara here. I don’t want to do this with her. Answering twenty questions about my relationship with Ryley that started well after she and I broke up is none of her business. But in her line of work, she probably already knows how long I’ve lived here.

“What are you doing here, Cara?”

She turns and smiles softly. “I think we have a mutual acquaintance.” She leaves me standing there as she walks into the living room.

“Cara,” I hear excitement in Ryley’s voice, and when I round the corner they’re hugging. I guess that’s a good sign.

“I knew you’d play dirty, but this is low,” I say to Evan as quietly as I can.

He chuckles. “Cara found me,” he says as his facial expression changes. “She has information that I think you’ll be interested in.”

I watch her and Ryley talk animatedly on the couch, wondering what Cara could know and if any of it will help us figure out this mess.

“But, yeah it’s pretty damn convenient, isn’t it?” he says with a smirk on his face.

BRINGING CARA HERE IS probably the best idea I’ve ever had. Seeing Nate’s reaction to his ex-girlfriend standing next to me was priceless, except that wasn’t my intent. She’s here strictly for work. The simple fact that she’s willing to help us means a lot and I’m not willing to pass up the resources she has. I’m not telling my brother that, though. He can think whatever he wants and if it gets him away from Ryley sooner, so be it.

As much as I want to see Ryley and Cara hate each other, they don’t. They’re standing in the middle of the living room hugging and carrying on like long lost friends. I don’t know how Cara can be like that with her, knowing that Ryley is now engaged to Nate. Maybe it’s just me that has a problem with Ryley and Nate.

Not wanting to be caught in another awkward situation, I head into the kitchen. I’m thankful that Nate isn’t in here because I need to get my head straight. Cara asked some important questions last night that got me thinking and that’s how we ended up here this morning. Carole, McCoy, River and Rask are going to be joining us as well. We need to put our heads together and map out a timeline.

When Ryley walks into the kitchen she finds me leaning up against the counter. We make eye contact and there’s a small hint of a smile that’s playing on her lips. I want to taste those lips so damn badly, but I told her that I couldn’t do this anymore and I meant it. It’s not that I don’t want her, I do. Those feelings will never go away, but I can’t be a yo-yo...

If she wants me she’s going to have to show me.

Looking at her now I see the same beautiful woman who sent my heart into a tailspin the first day we met, bruised eye and all. Every fiber of my being is pushing me to go to her. To turn my mind off and listen to my heart, but I can’t. Being without her for six years was hard enough, and knowing she was waiting for me when I came home is what kept me going. Right now I feel like I’m dying on the inside without her and I don’t know how to tell her how I feel without sounding like a broken record. In all our years together I’ve only pleaded with her once and that was when she tried to break-up with me before I went to basic training. It may be time to start begging again.

“Did you call Cara? Did you ask her to come… for Nate?” she asks, moving closer to me. I’m not sure if I should be offended that she and Nate think so little of me, but whatever. If Cara being here works to my advantage, so be it.

“I think you give me too much credit, babe. She found me at Magoo’s last night.” Ryley is close enough to me that if I were to push myself away from the counter I’d be in front of her in a flash. She wouldn’t be able to resist me even if she tried.

“We should talk,” Cara says as she enters the kitchen with Nate following, interrupting whatever moment Ryley and I were having. His disgruntled appearance doesn’t escape my attention either. I’m glad to see that he’s feeling like I have this past month, even if Cara is only here to do a job.

“Outside,” Nate orders. I motion for Ryley to go first because I like watching her walk in front of me with her stupid short shorts and oversized Navy t-shirt that I have no doubt was mine. I used to buy the shirts and wear them a few times before she’d think she was stealing them. She’ll never know I let her do it because there’s just something sexy about the woman you love walking around in your clothes.

“Where’s EJ?” I ask, as we walk down the deck stairs into the backyard.

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