Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Ryder blew past all of that. What we had went beyond anything I could have imagined for myself and a partner. Every day, we intertwine our lives, minds, and hearts a little more. I’d turned into someone I didn’t recognize, but in the best way. For years, my mother had been harping on me about the time I spent fulfilling obligations. She complained that I had taken on responsibility beyond my years and that it had become an integral part of my personality.
She wasn’t wrong, but that’s the hand life dealt me.
So that’s the hand I played.
But it seemed I’d swapped out a few cards, and I now held the King of Hearts.
“Good enough,” Ryder said as he tossed the final wad of paper towels into the tall black trash can in the corner. One thing Parker was militant about was the cleanliness of his restrooms. He insisted they would not look like the average club or bar.
“Yeah. It’ll get sanitized later.” I reached for his hand, and together we walked out to rejoin the party, for a few minutes anyway.
“Damn. You forget how loud the music is. I’m so ready to be home. Let’s find your boy, wish him a final happy birthday, and tell his sparkly ass we’re out.”
I laughed. “Sounds like a plan… or maybe not.” I stopped walking without giving Ryder a heads-up, which caused him to bounce back when my arm stretched too far.
“What’s wron… oh damn.” Ryder returned to my side, tilting his head to get a better look at Trevor, who stood with his back to the wall as someone I didn’t know devoured his mouth.
“Should we…” I shrugged. “I don’t know, intervene somehow?”
“What?” Ryder gaped at me as though I’d grown a second head. “Are you crazy? Hell no, we should not intervene. Let the man get some birthday lovin’.”
“But he doesn’t want that guy. He wants Parker.”
Ryder’s eyebrow arched. “Seems like Parker made it pretty clear he doesn’t want Trevor. He’s a free man, Alex. Let him have some fun. It’s his damn birthday.”
I frowned. With the way Trev had his legs wrapped around the guy’s waist and his hand fisted in the dude’s hair, it sure looked like he was enjoying himself.
Ryder kissed my cheek. “He needs this, Ally. He’s been pining after the man for years. Something needs to break the cycle. Maybe this is exactly what he needs. Or…” He pointed across the room to where Parker stood glaring at Trevor and his make-out buddy with murder in his eyes as though his glower could pry them apart and vanquish Trev’s new friend on the spot.
I grunted, drawing a grin from Ryder.
“You’re such a papa bear, but Trev’s a big boy.”
“Yeah…” I wasn’t convinced this wouldn’t blow up in Trevor’s face, but Ryder was right. It wasn’t my business. Trevor was a grown-ass man who was allowed to make his own decisions. And he deserved a bit of fun on his birthday. If he woke up with regrets, I’d be there to meet for a drink tomorrow with a supportive ear.
“I love how hard you love people, you know that?” Ryder whispered in my ear.
I leaned into him. “All right. I get it. I’m being overprotective.”
Chuckling, Ryder threw his arm around my shoulders. “It was a genuine compliment.”
“I know. But let’s go. I’ll text Trev later.” I grabbed his hand, and we made our way out of the club, stopping a few times to say goodbye to my co-workers and friends. We made a point to steer clear of Parker because I wasn’t certain I could keep my thoughts to myself.
Humid summer air greeted us as we stepped outside, leaving the pulsing beat behind us.
“Ugh, it’s so damn sticky. I’m ready for fall. Bring on Halloween. Oh!” Ryder grinned at me. “Do you carve pumpkins each year?”
Carve pumpkins. How old were we? “I do not. Can’t remember the last time I did that.”
He grunted and bumped my shoulder. “Well, you’re doing it this year with me. Fall is my favorite season, so I’ll be dragging you to all sorts of festivals. Farms too.”
“Farms? You don’t exactly strike me as the farm type.”
He scoffed and pulled his hand from mine to jam it on his hip. “Uh, yeah. Where do you think we get the pump—”
My phone rang, interrupting Ryder’s ode to fall. “That’s probably Trev wanting to bust our balls for leaving without a goodbye.” I dug in my back pocket for my cell. “Shit, it’s Gladys.” My stomach sank as I stared down at the screen.
Gladys Rivers had lived in the house next to mine since the day she was born. I’m pretty sure the house was originally her grandparents’, then her parents’, and now the sixty-two-year-old widow lived there alone with three cats and nothing but time on her hands. She’d planned to watch a movie with my mother tonight at our house. They’d been on a Bette Midler kick the last few weeks. Her name flashing on my phone at close to midnight couldn’t mean anything good.