Page 20 of Save Me

He’d never felt the urge to draw her before and as much as he wanted to wonder why he did it today, he already knew.

Because she’d finally let him get close last night.

And not just with the kiss.

Last night he had finally gotten a glimpse of the real Ryleigh. She showed him vulnerability where she normally showed disdain and snark. Not that he didn’t appreciate the honesty of those emotions, but it was nice to finally see another side of her.

When he brought her here to make milkshakes, Ryker had made sure to keep the conversation neutral. He didn’t want to spook her or make her uncomfortable in any way. So they’d talked about his renovations on this house.

His haven.

A year ago, Ryker could have picked anyplace in the world to live, and something had drawn him to the tiny town of Laurel Bay. Part of him felt that it was the universe leading him to Ryleigh, but…that remained to be seen. Still, he’d been driving through on his way down to Myrtle Beach and stopped to eat at Donovan’s Pub, and the rest was history.

The mid-century modern house was a bit of an oddity in a coastal town, and it was exactly what attracted him. There was a connection there and he couldn’t help but buy it and save it from any further neglect.

There were definitely a lot of similarities there that a therapist would have a field day with, for sure.

He’d spent months renovating the place and finally had it to a point where it felt like it was truly his. There was a stamp he’d put on it that almost made him feel like he’d been the only owner. The best part was how the lot next door was vacant. He’d purchased it and now had a little space between him and his neighbors. It wasn’t that he disliked people; he just enjoyed his privacy. And with the large screened-in back porch with the built-in grill, he enjoyed being back there without any prying eyes.

Maybe he’d get to cook dinner for Ryleigh out there sometime.

Maybe.

Coming to his feet, Ryker swiped a hand over his face and knew he needed to do something, to think about something other than Ryleigh. He had another drawing he needed to work on; actually, he had about a dozen drawings to work on so he needed to get his head out of his ass and start working.

Walking out to the kitchen, he washed up and made himself a sandwich, which he ate standing at the kitchen island before grabbing a bottle of water and heading back to his studio. As soon as he sat down in his chair, he knew it wasn’t going to happen today. There was no way to force it; either the muse was there or it wasn’t. Rather than fight it and frustrate himself, he knew he needed to get out for a little while.

And not go to the pub.

Although…it probably wasn’t the worst idea. Ryleigh wouldn’t be there because of the fight with her mother, and Kate was rarely there on Friday nights. He could go and have a drink, maybe gossip a little to Ronan and do his part for the cause.

I’m pathetic…

Yeah, that was becoming more and more apparent.

Still…it was all part of their big plan and he was going to do whatever he could to make sure she didn’t change her mind or cut him loose.

Before he could second-guess himself, he was out the door and in his truck. When he pulled up to Donovan’s, it was just as crowded as it always was. He parked down the street a bit and made his way through the crowd to the bar. Ronan nodded at him before coming over.

“The usual?”

Ryker nodded. He was a creature of habit. He enjoyed the same drink every time he came in and Ronan never asked questions.

“So, I hear you’re dating my niece,” Ronan said as he slid the glass over.

So much for not asking questions.

With a curt nod, he replied, “I am.”

“Can’t believe you wore her down,” the older man said with amusement. “Of course, her mother just about pitched a fit last night. It was something to see.”

“I’m sure.” He took a sip of his drink and hoped Ronan would share a little more.

“I told her you were good people, but…obviously you’ve seen the way she is. Personally, I think she’s too hard on Ryleigh, but…no one listens to me. I’m just the guy who walked away from his family, so…” With a shrug, he walked off to pour some more drinks.

Okay, that was both anticlimactic and informative…

Not that he knew what to make of it.

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