The Devoted Groom

by Cami Checketts

  Ryder smiled, nodding. He wanted to stay in this room where Bree and Tate were, but he needed a shower before he got too close to her. He could hardly wait for Tate to wake up and see if some miracle had happened. Maybe this was the first time he talked in his sleep and there would be a huge change today.

  He crept closer to Bree but stayed far enough away she couldn’t smell him. “I’m going to shower quickly. Then I’ll be back.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yes, you shower. Hard-working football stars reek.”

  He chuckled. Maybe he hadn’t stayed far enough away. He strode to the stairs and down them, rushing through his shower. His sister, Navy, often gifted him with good-smelling body washes and shampoos. At least he’d smell good for Bree, if she hugged him again. If Tate willingly talked today, he’d hug her and then some.

  As he came out of the bathroom, he could hear Bree talking. He hurried through his bedroom and out into the main area. Would this be the moment that he finally heard his son’s voice?

  Bree was in the main living room by herself. She was facing the rear windows overlooking his backyard, wearing a simple white tunic and red leggings. She turned and saw him, giving him a flickering smile but quickly turning her back on him.

  “I need to go,” he heard her say. She sounded distraught and excited, if that combination were actually possible. “Yes, thank you, Peter. Okay, I’ll see tonight.” She tapped on her phone and then whirled to face him. Her smile seemed strained. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” Jealousy and frustration filled him. She had a date with some Peter guy tonight? He inclined his chin upstairs. “Little man still sleeping?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her phone. “I have to … is it all right if I run an … errand tonight?”

  How could he say no and why did she seem so nervous? He wasn’t her jailer. He was her employer. Before this moment, he would’ve been happy to give her time off whenever she needed it. But not to go on a date with Peter. What kind of a stuffy name was Peter? An errand? What would she “see tonight?” She was dating someone. That sucked, and why was she lying to him?

  “Um, sure. I’ll be fine with Tate.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I mean, he is my son and we’re always happy together.” He forced another smile, hoping she didn’t realize how jealous and petty he was feeling. He didn’t even know her, but he and Tate needed her. They were happy together, but Jasmine brought sparkle into their lives he didn’t realize they were missing. This Peter guy shouldn’t have any claim on her.

  “Thank you.”

  He heard Tate’s door closing upstairs and released a sigh of relief to be done with this awkward conversation. Spinning away from Bree, he ran for the stairs and went three-quarters of the way up then dropped to his stomach. Would his son scream “Daddy” when he grabbed him? His heart was thumping hard and fast.

  Tate bounced down a few stairs. Ryder leapt to his feet and growled, “Rarrr!”

  Tate shrieked and laughed. Ryder lifted him off the stairs and threw him into the air. He caught him easily, rubbing noses with him. “Good morning, buddy.”

  He waited, hoping and praying.

  Tate simply grinned at him, clasped his face with his soft hands, and rubbed noses with him again.

  Ryder’s stomach plummeted, but he tried not to be disappointed. Bree hadn’t even been here a day yet, and already, she’d heard Tate talk in his sleep. It would come. Patience wasn’t easy, but it would all work out. “You hungry, my man?”

  Tate nodded quickly. Ryder padded down the stairs to where Bree was waiting for them in the living room. Bree opened her arms when they got close and Tate leapt to her. She hugged him. Tate snuggled into her arms like he’d known her his entire life. Ryder pushed past the disappointment of Tate not talking and was back to the surge of jealousy that Bree was going out with some guy tonight. He and Tate were already much too invested in her.

  Chapter Five

  Bree thought today had gone well with Ryder and Tate. They’d done some speech therapy but mostly just let Tate play, and Bree played with him. It was important Tate was fully comfortable around her, and so far, he seemed to be. Him leaping into her arms this morning had made her heart swell in a way she’d never felt before. Hugging Tate’s father in the gym earlier was definitely stirring feelings she hadn’t felt before, but she couldn’t be falling for her famous boss.

  She could tell Ryder had hoped for a miracle this morning after Bree hearing Tate say words in his sleep, but he took Tate’s lack of speech in stride. She was impressed with Ryder Quinn, who was nothing like the stereotypical football star she’d built up in her mind. If she wasn’t so distracted thinking about finally finding her sister tonight, she would be thinking about fighting her attraction to him.

  Twisting and scrunching her hair with the curl-boosting glaze, Bree glanced at her face in the mirror. Would Jasmine recognize her? Would her little sister be as cute and funny as she’d been as a child? Would they look as similar as they had? Jasmine would be twenty-two by now. A full-grown woman. Bree said the prayer she always said for Jasmine: Let her be safe and happy. Now, the prayer also included a more selfish thought: Please let her want me in her life.

  She put in some dangly silver earrings, smoothed down her floral sundress, shrugged into a white short-sleeved sweater, and grabbed her leather purse off the side table. The purse was too boring for her style, but before yesterday, she hadn’t had the money to replace it.

  Walking out of the room and along the balcony, she descended the stairs. Something smelled fabulous, but she was so nervous her stomach was twisting. She could see Ryder and Tate through the archway into the dining area. Ryder hadn’t seemed thrilled she was leaving tonight, but he hadn’t said much about it. Did he want her working with Tate around the clock or was it possible he liked having her around? She’d enjoyed her time with him and Tate immensely. She just needed to keep the focus off his picture-perfect face and body. Those lines she’d asked him not to cross had disappeared and she didn’t mind at all.

  She bit at her lip as she strode to the dining room. The fixings for steak fajitas were spread on the table.

  Ryder stood as she walked in. “Wow.” He swallowed and said, “You look fabulous.”

  Was there more than a hint of desire in his blue eyes? Bree shook it off. This was not the time to explore that. “Thank you.” She tucked a curl behind her ear and rubbed at Tate’s curly head. “What’s up, little man?”

  He grinned up at her then shoved a chip in his mouth, chewing loudly.

  “Do you want to eat with us?” Ryder asked, his voice hopeful and cautious.

  She shook her head. Her stomach was rolling too much to eat, and Peter had been insistent that the message he’d overheard said Jasmine would only be at the mall for a short time. “No, thank you.” She backed away, clutching her purse. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  He nodded, his jaw clamped tight. “The code’s 1991 for the gate.”

  “Your birth year?” she guessed.

  “Yeah.” The tension in the room was growing so much that Tate stopped plunging chips into his mouth, his gaze was swiveling between them.

  “Now, that’s original,” she said teasingly. “Hopefully, no one tries to break in.”

  He gave her half a smile then flexed his arm. “No one can get past these guns.”

  Bree laughed and felt better. “Wow. I don’t even have a response for that one.”

  He winked. “Just kidding. The security company gets an alert when someone uses the code. If they aren’t approved, the cavalry shows up.”

  “Am I approved?”

  His eyes swept over her, slowly, carefully. “You’re more than approved.”

  Bree’s throat went dry. “Thank you,” she squeaked out. She had to break away from Ryder’s blue gaze or she’d be late and risk losing her sister for another fourteen years. Bending down, she kissed Tate’s cheek. “See you, buddy.”

  He wrapped his soft arms around her neck and gave her
a squeeze. Bree was already falling in love with this little guy. She straightened and focused on his too-handsome father. “Bye.”

  “You’re going to have to take my sport utility.”

  “What?” She couldn’t possibly drive his fancy Lexus.

  “It’s either that or the Camaro.”

  “Well, that’s a no-brainer. I’d look hot in that Camaro.”

  He laughed, but his eyes were giving her a compliment she really appreciated.

  “I’m teasing, Ryder. Where’s my car?”

  “You said you wanted it towed away. Kars4Kids came while you were doing therapy with Tate. You’ll get a tax donation too.” He grinned and winked. “Until we go shopping for a new car, you drive my Lexus. Just put the key that’s in the console in your purse. It’ll click open when you get close.”

  “Well this just got awkward.” She couldn’t believe he’d done what she’d asked and gotten rid of her piece of crap car. Donating it to a children’s charity made her like him even more, and he was going to let her drive his Lexus. “I’ll just call an Uber.” But that might make her late for Jasmine.

  “I insist.” He stood, and the beautiful glory of him almost overwhelmed her. “Unlike some men, I will always take care of you.”

  Bree wasn’t even sure how to respond to that or what he meant by it. Did he think she dated losers? “Well, um, thank you. See you soon.”

  Ryder nodded. Bree hurried away, her heels clicking on the distressed wood floor. She went through the mud room and out the garage door. Getting into the Lexus, she sat and melted into the leather. That man was going to own her heart if she wasn’t careful. You’re more than approved? Wowzas.

  She pushed the garage button, backed out, and drove slowly down the driveway. The front gate opened automatically. Gaining speed, she hurried toward the freeway, taking I-67 to the south side of Dallas. The car responded smoothly to every bit of pressure on the wheel or the gas. It beeped at her if she got too close to the white line or tried to change lanes without enough space. If she hit the cruise button, it would speed up or slow down with the vehicles in front of her. She didn’t even have to press the gas or brake if she didn’t want to. Sweet. She’d never enjoyed driving before now.

  She drove to the mall where Peter claimed her sister was meeting some people. What would Jasmine’s friends be like? What would she be like? Bree’s excitement grew. The wait was finally over, and soon, she’d be hugging her little sister.

  The drive seemed to take much longer than twenty minutes, but she finally pulled into the sprawling parking lot of an older shopping center. South Dallas wasn’t the best area, with gangs and drugs, but she figured she was safe in a brightly lit mall parking lot. She hoped Ryder’s beautiful vehicle was safe. She climbed out, and as she touched the door handle, the locks clicked. Clinging to her purse with sweaty palms, she hurried toward the mall’s west entrance, avoiding looking at the groups of people loitering in the parking lot and outside the entrance. She heard a few catcalls and some lewd comments, but she rushed on.

  Safely in the mall, she pushed out a breath. Would Jasmine be with a rough crowd? What if her sister had been caught up in bad influences—drugs or gangs? Bree shook those thoughts off and started praying again. She clipped briskly down a side hallway and into the main hallway. Down another side hallway, she found the clothing store where Peter claimed Jasmine would be meeting people at exactly 7:13. Why so specific on the time? Why “people,” why not friends? Her upper back was growing more tense by the second. She had no clue what to expect, and the excitement she’d had earlier was growing into uneasiness.

  She walked into the store and pretended to peruse a rack of sweaters near the front. Glancing around, she saw a few young women shopping and a bored clerk looking at her phone. Nobody was even close to what she imagined her sister would look like. She pulled out her phone. 7:12. One more minute, and she’d see her sister. The excitement returned, and her stomach pitched. Maybe she should’ve eaten some of Ryder’s delicious-smelling food. Ryder and Tate and their peaceful home seemed very far away right now.

  She squared her shoulders and slipped her phone back into her purse. She heard a rush of feet and glanced up. Older teenage boys surrounded her. Her heart beat faster. One leered at her and muttered, “She’s hot.”

  The shortest of the group pushed up into her face with his own scarred and terrifying face. His dark eyes were much too close together. He just looked mean. “You got our stuff?”

  “I … don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, pretty girl, or we’ll carve up that beautiful face.” He flicked a knife out of his pocket and pressed the open blade against her chest.

  Bree’s heart was beating so fast she couldn’t catch a breath.

  “You know the drill. You give us our stuff, and we give you info.”

  “H-h-help!” she screamed.

  A hand clamped over her mouth, and she was flipped off her feet and pinned between the boys. They moved quickly, rushing her out of the store and down the side hallway. They banged through a door labeled Security. Thank heavens. She’d get some help. She’d been in some terrifying situations growing up, but it had mostly been teenage boys trying to get her to kiss them, never someone pulling a knife and threatening to cut her face.

  The boys rushed into the room, and an older security guard glanced up from his monitors. He stood. “What’s going—”

  Two of the boys rushed him, knocking him off his feet with rapid jabs and pinning him back into his chair. One of the boys whipped out a thin rope. They had him tied in his chair with duct tape slapped over his mouth before he could put up any resistance.

  The hand over Bree’s mouth still muffled her screams and made it even harder to breathe. What kind of a mess was her sister involved in? These boys must’ve mistaken Bree for Jasmine. Was Jasmine dealing drugs? Was she getting information for the cops and working with scum like this to accomplish it?

  “Sorry, Pops,” the mean-looking kid said. “We just need your office for a few minutes. Only place without cameras, right?” He winked. The display of monitors definitely didn’t show an angle of this office.

  “Now.” He turned his attention back to Bree. She could hardly stay on her heels. She was so overwhelmed by weakness and terror. “Where’s our stuff?”

  Bree shook her head, but the hand on her mouth stayed firm. The door to the office burst open, and Jasmine strutted in. There was no denying it was her sister. She was the most beautiful person Bree had ever seen. They looked very similar with their fine bone structure, large brown eyes, and full lips, but Jasmine’s hair was straight and hung down almost to her waist. She was a few inches shorter than Bree, and she looked tough. Her muscular shoulders were revealed in a fitted sleeveless red dress, and spike heels showcased her lean legs.

  “Looking for me, boys?” She arched an eyebrow playfully, and then she moved. Wow, did she move. Two of the boys came at her. Jasmine was a blur of fists and legs. Her body whipped and contorted. Bree was in such a state of shock she stopped struggling and screaming and just stared. Why was her sister taking them out? How was she able to take them out?

  One boy fell to the ground whimpering and scuttled away from the fight. Jasmine had the other one in a headlock. He went limp in her arms, and she dropped him and pointed to the two holding Bree. “Don’t make me wait.”

  They released Bree and hurled themselves at Jasmine.

  Bree scurried back toward the wall, but the small leader moved in on her, pointing his knife at her abdomen. He sliced through the thin fabric of her dress. She gasped and flinched away from him.

  “Don’t move.”

  Bree heard the battle raging behind her, but she could only focus on the punk with his knife closing in on her. She wasn’t anywhere near as tough as her sister, but she’d been in her share of fights growing up in foster care and sometimes being in rough schools. She brought both fists down hard on the kid’s wri
st and heard a satisfying crunch, a squeal, and a clatter from the knife falling to the ground.

  Bree bent quickly, sweeping the knife up and pointing it at him. “Don’t move,” she said. He held on to his wrist and glared at her with such hatred she almost took a step back. She steeled herself and glared back.

  “Nice,” she heard Jasmine say. Bree risked looking away from the kid to see Jasmine standing over the other four boys. “I didn’t want to give them the drugs anyway.” She winked. “I’ll just take this trash.” She wrapped an arm around the leader’s neck and dragged him toward the door.

  “Wait!” Bree hurried after her. “I’m your sister!”

  Jasmine’s eyes focused on her face. She frowned and then nodded. “Good to see you, sis. Can you cut that guy free so he can deal with these punks?”

  Bree glanced at the security guard. She strode to him and used the knife to slice the rope binding him to the chair. He stood, pulled off the duct tape on his mouth, and pushed a button. Sirens blared. Bree dropped the knife on his desk and put her hands over her ears. She turned to Jasmine. Her stomach dropped and despair rushed in. Her sister was gone.

  Chapter Six

  Ryder waited and waited and waited for Bree. He’d settled Tate into bed and set up camp in one of the overstuffed chairs in Tate’s room, hoping that he’d hear his son talk in his sleep and hoping that his beautiful speech therapist would return to them soon. As her boss, couldn’t he have demanded she stay with them tonight? He would’ve happily taken her out to a restaurant, the theater, a basketball game, anything to keep her with them. Even if it meant dealing with paparazzi and all the attention they would get. He could almost read the headlines now: Ryder Quinn, finally back in the dating game. If only he could date Bree. He shook his head. She was his employee, and he’d known her two days. He couldn’t be this invested already, but the past two days had been some of the best he could remember. Bree was a light and a joy that brought fresh air to his damaged heart.