Ryder

by Ali Parker

  "Boring!" He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. "You don't dream of bright lights and busy streets? People everywhere and the opportunity to be someone important?"

  We were like night and day. Always had been.

  "No." I closed the grill and walked to the edge of the porch, leaning over and looking back at Nora's place. "I want to work the land out here, help the town when I can, and eventually get married and raise a family." I looked over my shoulder at him. "I've got too much of mom in me."

  "Yeah, you do." He brushed his hands down his face. "Maybe I'll steal Dr. Nora Adam's heart and beg her to leave to go to the city with me. You think she would?"

  I laughed and turned a little to watch the sunset. "Not a chance, man. She's a smart girl and knows all of your tricks."

  "You think she's a virgin?"

  "No clue. Don't care." I turned to face my brother. "Now her older sister most certainly isn't."

  "Tell me more about this older woman."

  "She's not older. Hell, I bet she's your age." I walked back over to the grill. "She's beautiful, but something is haunting her."

  "Haunting her?" He chuckled. "You sound like you're eighty."

  "Do I?" I opened the grill and breathed in deeply. "She didn't come all the way to the middle of the country to see her sister."

  "Why would you think that?"

  "Because Nora's lived out here by us for the last three years, and I've never seen anyone visit her."

  "She's a recluse." He gave me a comical look. "Maybe it's best that I keep my dick in my pants. She might be one of those crazy cat ladies that just hasn't figured out she likes cats."

  "You're an idiot." I flipped the steaks and knelt to get a beer. "I think you'd better keep your junk in your trunk namely because she's seen the size of everyone's shit here in town. You're not exactly going to win any prizes at the county fair for size."

  "What?" He sat up, his voice dropping as I laughed.

  "You heard me. Shrimp-dick." I moved back and lifted my arms out to the side. "Hey. It's okay. You can't help it that you got the short end of the stick."

  "Oh fuck no." He got up and grabbed the baseball bat beside him, moving toward me with excitement in his eyes. "I forgot to tell you how much I hated you today."

  "Never. I'm all you got, buddy." I reached out and tugged the bat from him, popping him in the thigh with it. "And did you ever think about courting Nora? Not everyone wants to be fucked on the first date, Jeremy. She's a lady, and a good one."

  "How do you know so much about the pretty doctor?" He put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side. "And don't burn my steak."

  "She's a friend of mine, and you'd know a lot about her too if you just paid a little bit of attention." I handed him the tongs. "You think you can cook it better? Have at it, you little shit."

  "Little?" He grabbed the tongs and turned to face the grill, pulling it open again. "I'm as big as you, and we're measuring our dicks tonight. I'm pretty sure you're the one lacking. Old ass."

  "Old?" I drank down half of my beer before walking back into the house. My brother would always be my best friend. No one else could stand him much, but he was the only family I had, and one day he would grow up. A woman would force him to.

  Funny enough, I had bets that it would be the one next door.

  "Hey. I gotta take this call." He walked in and lifted his phone.

  "Steaks still on the grill?"

  "Yeah. Sorry." He jogged to the front and walked out of the house as I grumbled and walked to the back. The shadow of someone in a long skirt caught my attention. "Harper?"

  "Oh." She stopped dead in her tracks just to the right of the house and shrugged innocently. "I'm so sorry. I was lost in thought and just wondered over this way. Forgive me."

  "Nothing to forgive. Feel free to walk all over this property. We own it for as far as your eye can see. Just be careful as it gets dark. The critters come out." My stomach tightened as she wrapped her arms around her chest and smiled. Beautiful. Lost. A dormant part of me woke up.

  I wanted to know what lay behind her unsure smile and needy gaze. A divorce? A death? Both?

  "Well, sorry to bother you." She breathed in deeply and reached up to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ears only to have the wind pull it back out to play with it. "Smells good."

  "Steak. You wanna come in for dinner?"

  "No, but thank you." She turned and walked back toward her house, lifting her hand and waving as she went.

  The shawl across her narrow shoulders made her appear so much more innocent than I was sure she was. Still, there was no denying the truth. She might only be in town for two weeks, but I wanted to hear my name on her lips a few times before she left.

  Chapter 3

  Harper

  The landscape at the back of my sister's small house was breathtaking as I sat on the porch the next morning with a cup of coffee in my hands. I tried like hell to concentrate on the bright green trees and grass against the blue sky but found my gaze moving back toward Luke's big white mansion.

  I wanted to see him walk out on the porch in his undies or even a pair of shorts. He was exquisite, his voice the thing that got me most. So deep and smooth, like well-aged bourbon.

  "Hey. You want to go with me to the county fair here in an hour or so? My clinic in town is closed down for the four-day weekend because of the celebration."

  I glanced over my shoulder at my sister. Her long hair was down, the golden strands blowing in the wind. She was gorgeous, breath-taking. But she had locked herself up emotionally. Nothing would get through to her, not even me.

  "Yeah, sure. I'm just here to rest and hang out with you. Where you go, I go." I smiled and patted the seat beside me. "Come take a load off."

  "No, I have too much to get done before I need to be at the fairgrounds." She reached up and tied her hair up. "Come on, lazy bones. Let's go. The sunshine will do you some good."

  I let the conversation die as my eyes moved back over toward Luke's place. Would he be at the fair as well? Why the idea of seeing him left me feeling like a teenage girl with a crush was beyond me. It was silly, but the part of my heart that still yearned for affection let me have a little bit of fun.

  Not that I deserved it. I didn't deserve shit after the decisions I'd made. Taking my ex-husband, Peter for granted was the first of many wrong moves I'd made over the last three years. Cheating on him was the second.

  Tears blurred my gaze as I let the horror of the last few years wash over me. Who the fuck had I become? Where was the strong, pure, good woman my mother had raised me to be? Was she still inside of me?

  "Hey... let's go. Move it." My sister squeezed my shoulder softly.

  "Okay," I whispered and got up as a few tears spilled onto my cheeks.

  Her expression softened as she reached for me. "What's going on? You want to stay here and talk instead? I can get one of my nurses to cover for me for a little while."

  "No." I hugged her before moving past her into the house. "I just need to figure out how to release some of my demons."

  "Need a preacher?" She chuckled behind me.

  "Yeah. You know a good one?" I glanced over my shoulder and forced a smile. My father had been a pastor and given everything to the church. Somehow, he and my mother raised one good girl, which wasn't me. Never had been, and from the looks of things... I never would.

  ***

  "Well, well. Look who's here." My sister lifted her arm and pointed across the busy fairgrounds. People milled about, and kids ran around the adults, the laughter lifting my spirits a little. I tried to figure out where Nora was pointing to and finally landed on Luke.

  "Oh." I reached up and brushed my hands through my hair, turning to face her. "Do I look okay? Anything in my teeth?" I gave a big-toothed grin.

  Her smile lifted. "Why do you care? You falling for the billionaire next door?"

  "Someone call my name?" A handsome guy in slacks and a button-down shirt moved up in f
ront of us. He turned toward me and extended his hand. He looked a little like Luke, but not enough to determine if they were full-blooded brothers. "Jeremy Daniels. You must be Harper."

  "Yeah. Nice to meet you." I shook his hand and glanced over at my sister, who's cheeks were stained pink, and the vein at the side of her neck was beating wildly. Either she was angry or intensely turned on. I smirked, figuring it was a little bit of both.

  "Did you tell Jeremy I was coming into town?"

  "No. I don't talk with him much." She shook her head and moved back as an elderly lady walked up and pulled her attention away from us.

  "I'm right here. Jeez, Nora." He gave me a funny look and slipped his hands into his slacks. He was the hottest guy I'd seen at the fair so far, but I knew one that beat him by leaps and bounds. I wanted to push past Jeremy and make my way over to his brother, but seeming like I needed attention from anyone was out.

  "She's a little hard to deal with at times." I forced a smile. "So you're Luke's little brother?"

  "Little as in how?" His eyebrow lifted.

  "Not sure what your question is getting at, but let's go with age?" I laughed and slipped my hand around his arm as he offered it.

  "Yeah, but only by five years or so. Come on. My brother's the best chili cooker in the state. He's in the cookoff today, but we all know he's going to win." He glanced over at me. "He always does."

  "How did you know I was visiting?" I turned and walked through the crowd, trying to dodge little kids and random animals that seemed to be given the right to roam freely.

  "My brother mentioned you a few times last night." He shrugged and stopped by a cotton candy bin. "I think he might be interested in having you and Nora over for dinner."

  I stiffened and turned to face him. "Why?"

  "Um, because people eat and you guys are our neighbors?" He pulled out his wallet. "Pink or blue?"

  "Blue." I didn't miss a beat. "Do you guys have my sister over all the time?"

  My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I pulled it out and glanced down. Peter. Even after all we'd been through, he was still trying to get back into my life. There was no way in hell I was going back down that same well-worn path. He wasn't the man I needed in my life, and I would continue to hurt him each time he came back until one of us finally called it quits. He wanted security, and I craved adventure.

  "No. I wish." Jeremy glanced back toward the crowd. "I've been trying to get your sister to go out for a drink with me since she bought the property beside us."

  "Three years and no luck? You need a dating coach, obviously." I smiled as he gave me a look. Where Nora didn't like the handsome bastard, I could quickly see us becoming friends. Nothing more, but he had something about him that called to the adventurer in me.

  Now his older brother was a different story. I turned and let my eyes run up his body, taking in the thick swell of his shoulders and upper arm muscles. His white t-shirt was stained with what looked like chili powder and sweat. Where I normally would have been grossed out, the translucent shirt made it obvious that he had a rock-hard body beneath it.

  My nipples budded and I had to shift to make sure Jeremy wasn't aware of my body betraying me.

  "I'm thinking you might be just the gal." He moved into my line of site, blocking Luke completely. "What's the story with Nora? She's like an ice princess."

  "Ask her yourself. You're a grown man." I pinched off a piece of the blue cotton candy and popped it into my mouth, enjoying the sweetness of it as it melted on my tongue. "If I were you, I'd fake an illness. Bust your head or something. She's a doctor for shit's sake. Get her attention."

  His eyes glazed over a little. "That's actually a great idea."

  "Good. Now move." I took the cotton candy from him and walked over toward Luke, pausing as a blonde with a cute pixie haircut, and big blue eyes moved around him. She gripped his arm with both hands and gave him a sexy smile. I couldn't make out her words, but she was flirting by the look of things.

  I stopped in my tracks and turned to find my sister standing behind me.

  "Nope. She's just an old friend of his from high school. Get over there and have some fun." She reached out and brushed her fingers through the side of my hair.

  "Are you seriously giving me advice on fun? Last I heard, you had cobwebs in your panties!" I pushed her hand from my hair and smiled. "You go talk to Jeremy and I'll-"

  "Not a chance in hell." She crossed her arms over her chest. "He's an idiot, and I'm not interested in sex in a barn and then a car and then a closet and then-"

  "Wait." I lifted my hand. "Why are you thinking he'd want sex in a bunch of random-ass places?"

  "Because he's a playboy, Harper. That's all he wants." She shrugged. "I'm not interested. Luke isn't like that at all, but his brother is a slut."

  "So go after Luke." I forced myself to sound even, put together. I was in my early thirties, but being around my sister left me feeling a bit like a kid again.

  "Not a chance. He's handsome and a great guy from what I hear, but I just don't feel anything."

  "And you do around Jeremy, don't you?" A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

  "I hate you. Hope you trip." She winked at me, straightened her shoulders, turned and walked back toward her clinic table.

  Luke's deep voice rolled over me from behind and left my heart quivering in my chest.

  "Harper?"

  I turned and bit my lip, taking him in a few seconds before speaking. "I heard you had the best chili in the state. I thought I'd make sure you were the real deal."

  "Well, come on over and taste me then." He lifted a spoon and winked. "You like it hot?"

  Chill bumps broke out across my skin, and the air suddenly felt so damn thick. "Are we still talking about the chili?"

  He laughed. "I'm not so sure, to be honest, but get over here and let me make a fan out of you."

  Funny enough, he already had with little to no effort.

  Chapter 4

  Luke

  The blush on her cheeks looked damn good. Her deep blue eyes drawing me in deep. She had the look of a woman I could find myself falling in love with. The very thought had me pulling back as she walked toward me.

  "So... you're a chef, or is cooking just a past time?" She reached up and pushed her dark locks over her shoulder.

  "I don't have a job, so I just help out around town where I'm needed, volunteer here and there and work the farm." I licked my lips, unable to help myself. "Cooking is a hobby. You?"

  She stiffened and reached up to wrap her arms around her chest like she had the night before. The position accentuated her breasts, and my body grew hard at the thought of getting her naked and making love to her. It wasn't like me to want to take a woman to bed before I got to know her a little better, but something about the poutiness of her lips, the intelligence in her eyes. We could talk after I worshiped her body for a few hours.

  "I love to read, though I can't seem to sit still much nowadays." She glanced over her shoulder as if uncomfortable and looking for someone to save her.

  I scooped up some of the chili in a ladle and waited for her to turn back. "Onions and cheese?"

  "Both." She smiled, capturing me in the moment.

  "So you're from the big city? You always lived there?" I had to make small talk until I could get her to relax a little. Maybe digging into any part of her life was bad territory, but I couldn't help myself.

  "Yeah." She took the bowl from me and picked up her spoon, her eyes never leaving mine. "I'm a psychologist there."

  "Oh, interesting." I brushed my hands down the front of my shirt. "Now, be honest about the chili. I'm trying to win an award later today. No buttering me up in hopes of asking me out on a date while you're here."

  She laughed and blew on the dark liquid in her bowl before looking back up at me. "Are you asking me out?"

  "Do you want me to?" I smiled and watched her closely. I didn't know a damn thing about her, but something drew me in, forced me
to step forward. The way her eyes widened a little let me know she wasn't ready for anything more than a friendship.

  "I don't know." She took a tentative bite and went in for more. The soft moan that left her had my body aching.

  There was no way for me to adjust myself so that the thick erection growing by the second below my stomach didn't grab her attention. Hell, Jeremy would have used that to his advantage, but I wasn't him. My playboy days were long over, and I was fucking thrilled to have that door closed.

  Too many broken hearts, including my own.

  "Well, you think about it and let me know when you do." I reached out and wiped the side of her perfect mouth. "Come on. Let's go walk around. I need a break, and you need to experience a county fair in full effect."

  "Alright, but don't let anyone touch my bowl. Have someone watch it." She sat it down and wiped at her mouth. "And not your brother. He'll eat it and say he didn't."

  I laughed. "Wow. You've already figured Jeremy out, hm? Poor guy can't get a head start with any of the pretty girls around here."

  "Pretty girls?" She chuckled, and the sound lit me on fire. An angel with a broken heart. There had to be more to the story. Was she a good girl like her sister? A sweet woman with no desire to be involved with anyone? Not from what I could tell.

  "You don't like the term?" I nodded toward the Ferris Wheel and forced my hands in my jeans pockets. I wanted to take her hand, but even at my age, it seemed silly. Trite. Like something two lovers would do, and where I wanted that to be what we became, I was trying to be realistic. Two weeks would go by in a flash, and she didn't need her world turned upside down, nor did I.

  "I do, but I'm not really a girl."

  I let my eyes move down the length of her body, enjoying her curves more than I should have. "You sure as hell look like one to me."

  She swatted at me. "I'm a woman."

  "Agreed." I stopped beside the Ferris Wheel and stuck out my hand. Old man Timmons shook it and opened the gate without a word passing between us.