Chapter 27
All my voice work is done for the day, since I wrapped up a project, and then I took a couple of hours to prep the next. I haven’t turned my phone on today. I was worried that I’d get more photos, and I don’t think my mental health can stand any more.
Don’t get me wrong. Ryker did a damn good job of making me forget all about it through the night, and I love that he wanted to do that. That he needed to be as close to me as I needed to be to him.
But it doesn’t change the fact that it happened, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get all the photos out of my head. Seeing him in intimate situations with beautiful women honestly makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t know, and I don’t want to know, how many women he’s been with. He’s been a professional athlete at the top of his game his entire adult life. Of course women threw themselves at him. I watched it happen.
It was disgusting.
But I’m no virgin. Sure, I’ve only been with four men in my life because I’ve raised Aiden for the past decade, and dating when you’re a single parent isn’t easy.
But there were men.
Four of them.
I bet I saw Ryker with fifteen different women, easy, in those photos. And I know that’s only scratching the surface.
Ugh, stop thinking about it.
I power on my phone, because as much as I’d like to leave it off, I use it for work, and I need to know if anyone has tried to reach me.
I pace behind my desk, trying to work off some nervous energy, and my phone pings with a few messages.
No missed calls.
“Thank God,” I mutter to myself when I see that the messages are just work related, and one from Gideon.
Gid: How you doing, baby girl?
Since he’s injured, I know he’s not working, so I simply call him. I know that I can always talk to Ryker, but right now, I need a best friend who isn’t my boyfriend.
“Hey, you,” he says.
“Hi, handsome. Wanna FaceTime, or is this okay p>
Suddenly, the phone rings with an incoming FaceTime call, and I accept it and set the phone up on my desk so I’m hands-free.
“I guess that answers my question p>
“I want to see your face,” Gid says, eyeing me. “You didn’t answer my text this morning p>
“I just turned the phone on. I left it off all day because I didn’t want to get any more pornographic photos of my man with random women p>
Gideon blows out a breath and cringes. “I’m sorry, Wills p>
“Unless it was you that sent them, you have nothing to feel sorry for p>
He shakes his head. “No one should have to see that. I’m tracking down the sender. I have calls out to your phone carrier p>
“The things you can find are kind of scary p>
He laughs and then just smiles at me. Gideon doesn’t often smile. He never has, so when I get one, I tuck it away in my heart.
“Is it always going to be like this?” I ask him.
“What do you mean p>
I blow out a breath and lay my forehead on the desk, close my eyes.
“Wills, talk to me p>
“I don’t want to anymore p>
He chuckles, and I squint one eye open and stare at him.
“He has baggage, Wills p>
“We all do,” I counter. “We all had tough childhoods p>
“I’m not even talking about that. He’s always going to be Ryker James, the phenom, the GOAT of professional hockey. Two-time Stanley Cup winner, MVP, and all the other things that make his ego big p>
I smirk at that. “I’m proud of him p>
“Fuck, I am too. He worked damn hard for all of it. He deserves it p>
I nod slowly.
“But it comes with the fame, and even if he’s moved to the ranch and isn’t in the sport anymore, the fame won’t ever really go away. What happened last night isn’t part of that. This was malicious and, honestly, illegal. This isn’t something you’ll have to deal with often, if ever again. It’s mostly people asking for autographs and photos when you’re in public p>
“I don’t mind that p>
“Are you telling me that last night gave you second thoughts about your relationship p>
“No.” I sit up and push my hands through my hair. “No, I’m in love with him, Gid. There’s no going back for me. He’s it—he’s the one—and I’ll fight with everything in me for him. I’m not pulling away p>
“Then why do you look so fucking sad p>
I smile at him. “I love you. You know that, right p>
“I love you, too, baby girl. What do you need? Need me to come home and fix it p>
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s what it takes for you to come home? Not getting shot in the leg p>
“Getting shot in the leg is part of my job. You’re my family. Those are two different things p>
“You’re kind of badass. You know that, right? You got shot, Gid. With bullets p>
“Yes. I was there p>
I snort.
“You changed the subject on me, Trouble p>
With a sigh, I shrug a shoulder. “I’m not… sad. I don’t know what I am. You saw them. I wouldn’t want to see that if it were you. And you’re my brother. How do you think it feels when I’m in love with him p>
“I imagine it sucks p>
“Understatement p>
“And it’s not your fault. It’s not his fault. It’s not those women’s fault p>
“Exactly. So who am I supposed to be mad at p>
“The asshole who took them, without consent, and sent them to you p>
“Who is it p>
He shakes his head. “I have a pretty good idea but can’t prove it yet. As soon as I know, you guys will know. Now, what do you need to feel better p>
“To know, I guess. So they can be dealt with and we can just move on p>
“Take them off your phone, Wills p>
“Ry already did. I don’t ever want to see them again. I think Ry and I are going to head out to the lake and swim this afternoon. It’s been hot as fuck here, and a swim sounds good. That might help p>
“Go scare the fish,” he says. “Everything else is being dealt with p>
“I know. Ry was in his office all morning on calls. Maybe it doesn’t help that there’s nothing I can do p>
“If I had a job for you, I’d give it to you. But I don’t p>
“You would not give me a job p>
Gid laughs again. Wow, two in one day. He must be feeling better. “No, I wouldn’t. Go enjoy the sunshine p>
“Okay. Did you have therapy today p>
“Yep p>
“How did it go p>
“Hurt like a bitch p>
“I’ve never understood that phrase, but I’m sorry you’re hurting. Anything I can do for you p>
“Go have fun, kiddo p>
“Okay. Love you p>
“Love you back p>
He hangs up, and I walk to the bedroom to change into a bikini. I only own two bathing suits, because summers in Montana are short and I don’t spend a ton of time on the water. Maybe now that I live out here, I’ll do more swimming, since the lake and the creeks are so close.
I’ve just pulled on a loose cover-up when Ryker walks into the room and wiggles his eyebrows.
“Well, hello, gorgeous p>
“Hi. Are we going swimming now p>
“Hell yes. I just have to change.” He disappears into the closet for five minutes and then comes out wearing only a pair of swimming trunks.
Good God, his body still does things to me. All the muscles. All the ink.
That knowing grin.
“Don’t you dare touch me.” I point a finger at him and skirt my way to the door. “If you get started, we won’t leave this room p>
“Would that be a terrible thing? I saw the way you were checking me out. You can have all of me, sweetheart p>
I snort and start down the stairs. “Easy, big guy. Inflate your ego much more, and you won’t fit through the door p>
We’re both laughing when he takes my hand and kisses my knuckles, and then we walk the quarter of a mile to the nearby lake.
“Why didn’t Ray build the house on the lake?” I ask Ryker as we follow the path. “It’s a nice size, and the views are just as good there p>
“I asked him once, and he said it was because Debbie was worried there would be snakes and a bunch of extra bugs from the water, so he built it a little ways away for her p>
I rub a hand over my chest. “God, he loved her p>
“I’d never seen anything like it,” Ryker says, shaking his head. “I think my biological mom cared about me. But I’d never witnessed someone truly loving the hell out of someone the way those two did each other. And then the three of us too. I had one hell of a shitty attitude when we were brought here, and I had every intention of being good enough to stay, but I wasn’t going to win any awards for being a good kid p>
“You and Gideon were both so angry. You’d beat the hell out of each other before you got here p>
“That was only the latest time out of dozens before that.” He chuckles. “I liked that Ray was up front and honest, right from the get-go. The one rule was ‘We don’t hurt the girls.’ I’d never respected anything more in my life p>
I squeeze his hand. “You wouldn’t have hurt us anyway p>
“Who could ever even think about being ugly to Debbie? Christ, she was a tiny thing, but she was pure sunshine. She just spewed happiness and love onto everyone p>
“She was irresistible,” I agree as we walk over a small hill and see the lake come into view. “Now, I have a serious question for you p>
He looks down at me and quirks up the side of his mouth. “Okay. Shoot p>
“Are you going to get my hair wet p>
His eyes flick to my topknot, and then he smirks. “Fuck yeah, I’m gonna get all of you wet, Trouble p>
“Damn it.” I wiggle out of my cover-up, toss it aside, and then run toward the water. There’s a beachy area that Ray built when we were teens so it would be easier to swim, and I dive right in, hair and all, and swim just under the surface.
It’s so hot today, and the water is nice and cool, and suddenly, Ryker’s with me and holding on to me.
I wrap my arms and legs around him and fuse my lips to his as he keeps us afloat in the water.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he says against my lips.
“Is that a fish in the water, or are you happy to see me p>
He chuckles and grinds against me. “That’s all me, baby p>
“We’re not having sex in this lake, Ryker p>
“Says who p>
“Says me. Anyone could come out here at any time p>
His brows lower over his eyes. “No way. All the guys are working. There’s no one around p>
Suddenly, we hear horse hooves, and Ryker’s eyes widen.
“You’ve got to be shitting me p>
I rub my nose over his. “Told you p>
“Hey, we want to swim,” Aiden calls out as he and Micah dismount their horses. I haven’t spent much time with Micah. He’s a quiet boy, but I can see that he’s eager to get in the water.
They both strip down to their underwear and then run and cannonball in, splashing us.
“So much for lake sex,” Ry mutters in my ear.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you later p>
He leans in and bites my neck and then whispers, “I can’t fucking wait p>