Ryan nodded to them, and many smiled. With his heart heavy, he walked out and headed to the front entrance of the hospital, wishing he knew what to do once Dia picked him up. Did he hold his suspicions to himself or confront her? Did he take her out to dinner, as they had planned, or ask to be returned to the cabin? For the life of him, he had no idea which way to turn. All he knew was his head was telling him one thing, and his heart was hoping against hope it wasn’t true.
Logic aside, something was off. He took a breath as he stepped out the door and saw her waiting in the parking lot. Since she was busily pecking at her phone, he slid his glasses up and took the time to study her. In profile she was perfection, just like she was head-on. Her finely sculpted forehead peeking from beneath almost white hair, her perfectly straight nose, and the pucker of her fill lips even in rest set a torch in his gut. Her slight form revealed a smooth shoulder and a lightly sculptured arm that begged for his touch. The rapid rise and fall of her breast indicated agitation, and he wondered whom she was texting with. He didn’t know how he felt if the texts were about him.
Did she feel his suspicion? Or had her reactions to him earlier been because of the change in him? Ryan took a step forward knowing he’d have to decide quickly how he was going to proceed. If his suspicions were baseless, he’d mess up what could be the most important relationship of his life. But, if by some crazy chance he was right, and there was something mystical about her, then he’d have to reevaluate everything he’d ever believed.
Deciding he couldn’t risk pushing her away, regardless of the circumstances, or maybe even because of them, he put a smile on his face and hoped like hell she bought it.
Dia looked up and over at him as he approached her side. She placed her phone in the console beneath the dashboard and eyed him warily. “Hi.”
Ryan stopped next to the door-less Jeep, glad she’d removed them before he’d met her so there wasn’t a barrier between them. “Hi.”
She sighed. “How was your dad?”
Ryan shrugged, hating how awkward everything felt. “He was doing okay, I guess.”
Dia frowned at him. “Is he terribly sick?”
Realizing she had no idea why Clayton was in the hospital and no knowledge he was actually in the psychiatric wing, Ryan took a moment to think how he should answer.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” Dia looked away, biting her bottom lip.
Ryan couldn’t do this. Not like this. Even if there was something off about everything happening, he couldn’t hurt her or, for now, consider confronting her. “Dia, I’m confused about a lot of things, but I don’t want us to be…uncomfortable, I guess is the word I’m searching for, with each other.”
“I don’t want that either.”
He stared at her for a few seconds, and she held the contact. He relaxed and was able to give her a real smile. “Then let’s not do that.”
Relief softened the look in her beautiful eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her gently before pulling back to walk around the Jeep and hop in. Ryan reached over and took her hand when she placed it on the stick shift. “Before we go, I just have to ask you one question.”
Though her eyes held caution, she nodded.
“Have you ever hurt anyone?”
Surprise pulled her brows together. “Of course not.”
The outrage in her soft voice took any doubt he felt, and he squeezed her hand before letting it go. “I didn’t think so.”
“Then why would you ask me that?”
Ryan looked toward the hospital and shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s just…this sounds stupid, but I guess I just don’t want to think what is between us isn’t real.”
She nodded as she looked him in the eyes, her own filled with concern. “Don’t you think I’m afraid too? I’ve never felt what I feel for you for anyone. And I barely know you.”
Ryan exhaled and laid his head back against the seat, knowing he’d let his imagination get the best of him. He’d spent years developing games filled with mystical possibilities and had a father who had almost convinced him they were reality. It was no wonder his mind was so clouded. He turned to her, hoping the truth of his words reassured them both. “Then let’s get to really know each other, because I don’t want to lose you.”
Chapter Six
Dia was so relieved her eyes misted, but she blinked away the tears, ready to claim it was only the wind in her eyes if Ryan questioned it. She’d spent the entire time he’d been in with his father playing over every moment they’d spent together, afraid whatever was between them had ended before it really began. Jewell had texted her right before Ryan left the hospital to apologize for being so rough on her, and she’d already been close to tears as they’d both furiously texted how hurt they both were to be upset with the other.
Now that things felt more normal, and Ryan and she were headed for a meal, Dia knew she’d have to figure out a way to keep him from experiencing anything else that would jeopardize their time together. She knew he was only in Mystic Waters for a short time and had assured herself she accepted those limitations, but until the day he walked out of her life, she wanted to know and understand what it was about him that moved everything within her. If nothing else, maybe the experience would open her up to a lasting love, when and if that was hers to have.
Dia pushed away the instant denial she would ever feel for another what she felt for Ryan. If that was the case, she was afraid she’d have a long life of loneliness, and that wasn’t what she wanted. She loved her large family and she wanted to add to it. But the thought of having children without Ryan’s dark good looks wasn’t something she could envision.
“Are you okay?”
Dia glanced over, her brows raised. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re frowning.”
Pulling into the parking lot of the pub that had only opened recently, Dia parked and turned to him. “I was just thinking about stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“About you leaving in only a few weeks.”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah, I think about it too.”
They walked from the Jeep to the wooden door. Ryan stopped her by taking her arm and turning her toward him. “Does it make you think we shouldn’t get involved?”
Dia’s laugh was sad. “I think we are already involved.”
“I agree. But you don’t want it to go any further?”
Dia bit her bottom lip and shook her head as an amazing aroma drifted her way, reminding her she’d wanted to try out the bar and grill since hearing of its opening. “Let’s go inside and order, then we’ll talk, okay?”
Ryan nodded and opened the door, waiting as she entered. The dimly lit room was pretty typical of most bars, with illuminated colorful lights broadcasting the alcohols the establishment served. They were led to a booth with a high-gloss wooden table, and vinyl seats so new they still held the smell. Ryan waited until she sat then sat across from her and the woman who seated them smiled at them both. “I’m Clara, what can I get you to drink?”
Dia looked at Ryan, and he looked at her, grinning. “You’re driving.”
Relieved she could laugh naturally, she made a face at him and ordered a glass of wine.
“What kind do you want, sweetie?”
Waving her hands, Dia shrugged. “You pick. Whatever you think is good.”
Once Ryan ordered a beer and an appetizer, the waitress left to put in their order.
“So, back to the discussion at hand. Do you want out?”
Dia shook her head quickly. “Absolutely not. You?”
“No way. So now that’s settled, tell me about Dia White.”
Grinning, Dia leaned back into the plush seat. She loved the richness of his dark brown hair, and the fact his chin stubble looked tailor-made, not lazy. The most amazing thing about his handsome face, though, was the unique turquoise of his eyes.
“You’re stalling.”
His teasing tone made her laugh. “No I wa
sn’t. I was just enjoying the view.”
Pleasure colored his cheeks, and Dia was mesmerized that she could affect him so easily. It was such a relief she wasn’t the only one. “I’m twenty-four, just, and I have two sisters who share my birthday.”
Surprise lit his eyes. “Triplets? Again?”
Dia laughed, and nodded, but kept the secrets of her existence to herself. Only the family knew, if tested, their DNA would be identical. It was something that was never revealed to anyone outside of the family. It had been hard enough for her mother to explain the different hair colors to the doctor who had delivered them all those years before. Thankfully they’d all had the infant blue eyes everyone else had at birth, so it wasn’t until their eyes changed to the colors they now had that it became an issue as well. Her family just allowed anyone who knew they were triplets to assume they were fraternal instead of identical, and she knew Ryan could be no exception.
“I told you there were a lot of us in my family.”
“That’s amazing. I was, am, an only child.”
“I can’t imagine what that would be like. Do you have lots of cousins?”
Ryan frowned. “No. None. There was just my mother and me.”
Dia reached across the table and placed her hand on his just as the waitress arrived with the drinks and a large sample platter of buffalo chicken-wings, potato skins, nachos, and cheese-sticks. She looked at the mass of food and then him as he thanked the waitress. “That’s a lot of food.”
Ryan eyed it and then her. “I’m really hungry.”
“Then dig in.”
“Ladies first.”
Dia lifted the small saucer the woman delivered with the food and filled the little plate with a small amount of everything. Though she rarely had the opportunity anymore to indulge in what most of her family considered junk food, because she rarely left her cabin and conjuring shed long enough to bother, the smells and visual effects of what was before her was too great a temptation to resist. Hoping she didn’t look like a glutton, she dipped her potato skin into the small container of sour cream the woman had also delivered and took a bite. The moan that escaped her throat would have embarrassed her if it hadn’t put a sparkle in Ryan’s eyes.
“If it’s that good, this is going to be fun.”
Dia grinned around her chewing and watched as he took his first bite. With his lips sealed together, he grinned, too, and nodded his head. Once he’d swallowed and licked his lips, he took a sip from the tall frosted glass. Dia laughed and lifted her long stemmed glass to swirl the wine. She watched as the red liquid took on the life of a mini-hurricane and her smile faltered.
Three silver spoons of blood red wine… And thee shall be mine; Thee shall be mine….
Dia sat the glass back on the table and stared at it as her mind raced with the possibility she’d actually placed a love spell on the man before her.
“What’s wrong?”
She pulled her gaze from the cursed drink to look into Ryan’s eyes. Dia swallowed and shook her head slowly. “Nothing. I, uh… Maybe I should drink water. Or a soda. I do have to drive.” She forced herself to smile even though she felt sick to her stomach. “My sister is a cop, and it would give her a big thrill to be able to pull me over and make me take a sobriety test.”
“After just one drink?”
Dia was afraid she was going to cry. What if she’d cursed him? What if the attraction he felt for her was nothing more than a spell she’d accidentally succeeded in creating?
“Dia? What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and fled to the bathroom where she splashed cool water on her face. With her chest heaving, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and allowed the water running down her face to land into the basin she was bent over.
“Hey, honey, are you okay? Your boyfriend sent me in here to check on you.”
Dia glanced over to the woman who had waited on them and nodded. “I just got a little overheated. I’m sorry.”
The woman smiled kindly and tore a couple of paper towels from the holder. “Here, honey. If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll let him know you’ll be out soon.”
Dia nodded and held out her hand. “Thanks. Would you take the wine away and bring me water, please?”
After she left Dia dried her face, glad she rarely bothered with makeup. She took several cleansing breaths and made herself leave the bathroom. Ryan was watching for her and stood when he saw her. “Are you okay?”
Taking her seat, embarrassed she was making a spectacle of herself, she nodded. “I’m so sorry. I suddenly felt sick and hot, but now I’m okay.”
Ryan sat back down. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“But you are really okay now?”
Dia nodded. “I am.”
The waitress placed the water on the table and smiled as she lifted the glass of wine. “Let me know if you need anything else, honey.”
Dia nodded her thanks and turned her attention back to Ryan. “What do you like about me?”
The question obviously surprised him. “Pretty much everything. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that this is all so sudden.”
“I thought we’d already established that. Is that what made you feel sick? Doubts?”
Thankful she could be honest, at least for the most part she nodded. “Yeah. I don’t want this to be a mistake.”
Missing the double meaning, he shrugged. “I don’t know what to do if it is. It’s easy to see why I’m attracted to you, physically, I’m sure you have a mirror. But it’s more than that. I like you. You’re chatty and fun and have a sense of freedom of spirit I don’t have. Never even knew how to have, if we’re being honest. You know I’m worried about the same thing. What if we both just stop analyzing it every minute and enjoy our time together? If it ends badly, at least we won’t have the regret of wondering. When the time comes that I have to leave, and things are going really well, which I expect, then we’ll work that out.”
Ryan grinned. “I can live anywhere. I work from home.” He made a face. “Well, anywhere that has electricity and Wi-Fi.”
Dia forced herself to relax, relieved he hadn’t said things like he felt compelled to be with her, or he couldn’t live without her. If he’d said those things, her fears would have been confirmed. She’d have no choice but to seek out her family to have his mind wiped clean, and his memory of this time filled with doing something else. She couldn’t stand the thought of him never knowing they’d met, feeling like he had, believing he was less than desirable, when just the opposite was true. Worse, she’d have to live her whole life with the knowledge of how crazy she was about him.
“Tell me about your work.”
Ryan shook his head. “I’d rather show you. You said your cabin has electricity, right?”
Dia nodded. “But not Wi-Fi. I haven’t taken the time to have it installed.”
“Good enough. I want to show you what I’ve been working to create the last few years. The reason I have to leave here in just under a month is, once I show it to the world, everything I’ve dreamed of since I can remember will come to fruition. You will be the only person to see it before I take it public.”
Dia could feel his excitement, and she couldn’t wait to see what it was that made his turquoise irises shine so brightly. “I’d love to see it. And of course you need electricity. We’ll go get your things and take them to my cabin. But I have to warn you, it’s a lot smaller than yours.”
He bit his bottom lip and then released it into a slight smile. “Are you inviting me to stay there?”
Dia grinned and looked down at the smooth tabletop. She glanced back up and nodded slowly. “I am.”
Though his eyes still held delight, they also carried questions. Dia pushed the pile of food to the side and held out her hand. When Ryan accepted it without hesitation, she took a shaky breath. “If we only have a few weeks to figure out what this thing is between us, I don’t want to waste time b
eing apart.”
“You aren’t going to get an argument from me. But I do have to come see my father and start taking care of his affairs.” He frowned. “I’ll tell you all about him sometime. I’m just not ready to talk about him yet.”
Dia nodded, relieved they would table discussions about family for later. If Ryan was going to be more than a brief encounter in her life, he’d never have to know how very different they all were. “No talk of family. We just focus on us. Agreed?”
Ryan squeezed her hands. “Agreed.”
“Then we’d better eat and go get groceries before we head back. Unless you like rabbit food, you’re going to go hungry living with me.”
Ryan laughed and released her hand to load a nacho chip with the messy chili and cheese topping. He placed it in his mouth and chewed, and the happy gleam in his eyes filled her with joy. No matter what had brought them together, she was going to live their time together to the fullest. If it turned out she had somehow put a spell on him, she’d take whatever retribution came her way and ask her family to fix his memories with kindness. Even if it meant she’d have to let him go with happy memories of these days doing something other than spending them with her.
He ate at a leisurely pace. Had it not been for the gleam in his eyes as he stared at her and spoke of inconsequential things, Dia would have wondered if Ryan was having second thoughts. Still uncertain, she finally worked up the nerve to ask him, only to make him laugh.
“Not hardly. You?”
Dia grinned. “Nope. Still working with first thoughts.” They laughed together as he paid the bill, and Dia couldn’t have been happier as they walked hand-in-hand to the Jeep.
Darkness had fallen completely, but it only took minutes to reach the grocery store. Once inside, however, shopping took quite a bit longer than normal since each possible purchase came with questions from Ryan.
“Do you have a grill?”
“Do you mind if I buy us one?”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 161
