Page 84 of Save Me

“This must be what animals in the zoo feel like,” he muttered an hour later as every member of the Donovan family mutely stared at him.

Ryleigh stepped farther into the room and clapped her hands loudly, as if to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, that’s enough! Ryker shaved and got a haircut. It’s not a big deal,” she said loudly.

Ryker stood back in awe when everyone seemed to relax at the same time.

And then they were all talking at once.

“I can’t believe you kids bought dinner!” Kate said with obvious delight.

“We didn’t want you to have to cook…”

“How are you feeling, Dad?”

“Did you remember the fritters?”

“I forgot to bring the salad dressing!”

“You had one job!”

“Tessa made that caramel apple cake you liked so much…”

“I also made cookies and brought ice cream too!”

“Mom? Where’s the corkscrew?”

“Ew…what kind of wine is this?”

“Like you know good wine. Last night I caught you drinking an Alaskan Merlot…”

“I ordered it by mistake!”

“Why are you ordering the wrong wine? Does Ronan know?”

“So then I told the therapist that he’s not going to do those exercises…”

“Did you get the invoice for the lumber delivery straightened out?”

All he could do was stand back and blink, but Ryleigh took the charcuterie board from his hands and kissed him on the cheek. “Go mingle. They won’t bite.”

Big words from the woman who’d been avoiding these people for almost a month, he thought.

Even though most of the time he considered himself to be a bit anti-social, he also knew how to behave and interact with other people. This shouldn’t be a big deal, but after the whole faux pas with the haircut, he was suddenly afraid to say the wrong thing.

Ugh…why is this so damn hard?

He was saved from having to join a conversation when Liam Donovan walked over and formally introduced himself. “I’ve heard all about you and I’ve seen you around town,” he said, “but no one’s ever introduced us.”

They shook hands, and Ryker turned to accept a glass of wine from Ryleigh as she walked by. “Yeah, so…you’re building the fishing resort, right?”

“I am,” Liam agreed. “Well, Will and I started a company and we’re building it. Do you fish?”

“Not since I was a kid. I used to go with my grandfather, but once he passed away, no one else ever wanted to go.”

“Well, if ever you want to try it again, let me know. Even without the resort, we all tend to go once in a while.”

“Go where?” Patrick asked as he joined them and shook Ryker’s hand.

“Fishing,” Liam told him.

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