by Amy Woods
They spent the rest of dinner together, and Ryan felt the good company and good food spread over him like a salve. Watching the sun set over rolling hills, its fading beams of light stretching out over the river’s clear blue water in the distance, he let thoughts of work slip away, allowing himself to soak up the comfort and familiarity of being home.
And then, finally, it was time for everyone’s favorite part of the entire day.
Katie’s excitement was contagious, spreading through everyone around her as she helped set up for the hayride. While most of the families relaxed and let their bellies settle after dinner, Ryan and the other guys used pitchforks to transfer hay that had been dropped off near the barn into a few of their trucks. Katie wanted to help, of course, but Ryan wouldn’t allow it, promising that if she’d just keep her hands off anything heavy and let him do all the lifting, then she could have the pleasure of keeping him company in his truck through the rides.
Katie laughed, the last shreds of sunshine bouncing off her cheekbones, illuminating her long, dark hair like a halo.
“Someone thinks awful highly of himself,” she teased, and Ryan felt heat fill his face.
Damn, he loved her flirting.
The sound of her voice and the sultry undertone lacing her words resurrected a part of Ryan that he’d thought long dead. Being with Katie, especially this Katie, the bold, brave Katie standing in front of him now—the one he hadn’t realized he’d missed so much until he’d stepped back into her life—made him feel alive again.
“You’re the one I think highly of, Katie,” he said, and the complete honesty of his words didn’t even surprise him. She had that effect on him. It was an inexplicable power she held over him. He couldn’t go long without being himself around her, without being completely open and exposed.
He wasn’t much good at emotional stuff, but it was almost as if...they were meant to be in close proximity to each other, as if they couldn’t be wholly themselves apart from the other.
Even a few days ago, he would have expected such a thought to freak him out, but now, being with her in a place they’d always loved, a place where they’d spent so much of the best parts of childhood, it seemed almost natural that they would come together again.
His words must have awakened something inside her because the next thing he knew, she’d stepped closer and closer until she was almost in his arms, and then...she was. And in the next instant, she’d laced her fingers around his neck and pulled his face down until he could feel the soft warmth of her breath on his chin.
He wanted to kiss her with every nerve in his body, and it took a mighty force to keep him from doing just that. He didn’t even care that several pairs of eyes were on them, that some of the other adults had stopped what they were doing to prep for the hayride, in favor of focusing on him and Katie.
“Do you really mean that?” she said softly, the sound of her voice causing his pulse to speed up.
Keeping a hold on his racing heart, on the ache building in his groin, he wrapped his arms around her waist, still careful to maintain some distance between them. There were kids around, after all, he reminded himself, so he couldn’t give in to his impulse and lower her into the hay to make love to her underneath the setting sun. He’d have to keep it together.
Plus, there were things they needed to address before he would allow himself to let go. There were things the two of them needed to talk about, things he had to say to Katie before they could be together...if that was what she wanted.
All signs pointed to yes. The dilated pupils making her eyes almost black, the tiny tap dance he could see her pulse doing in that soft spot near her ear and the raw heat that filled up the ever-decreasing space between them.
It was almost too much. The urge to have his mouth on hers was no longer tolerable, so he pulled away, instantly greeted by clear disappointment in her expression.
“I do mean it, Katie. More than you know, but we need to talk. That is—” he stared straight into the seemingly endless depths of her eyes “—I need some time alone with you.”
She nodded in agreement but he could see that she was deeply affected by the quick separation of their bodies. He regretted causing the sad look in her eyes, but if he was going to give his heart to Katie Bloom, it would be with no strings attached, with everything on the table. He needed to know what was going on in her life, what had happened to the father of her baby, before he’d give her his heart.
Because when he did, when he knew where she stood and if she was on board, he would give her everything. And it would be the last time.
So it had to be right. It had to be perfect.
And there might be a little pain to get through first.
Katie brushed hair away from her face and stepped a few feet away, her hands on her hips, making her seem nervous or irritated. Ryan wanted to comfort her, but the kids were gathering around, eager to pile into the truck and circle around the campground. He focused on the hayride to get the awkward moment with Katie out of his mind. It was such a simple thing, dried-up grass in an old truck bed and, honestly, a pretty boring loop of dirt road, but even Ryan had to admit it was a heck of a lot of fun. Even though their parents had always tagged along to help chaperone the trip, he and Katie had looked forward to the half hour out of their sight to tell ghost stories in the back of a pickup, the stars overhead the only source of light.
Ryan and Katie and the other adults helped the kids get settled and tossed a couple of blankets into the back of the truck in case anyone got chilly in the crisp, late-October air, and then Ryan opened his passenger door and helped Katie up into the cab. They’d reassured Shelby that she could join them if she wanted to, but to everyone’s joy, the little girl’s earlier shyness seemed to have passed, and she wanted to ride in the back with the rest of the kids, provided Ryan and Katie promised to take care of Jeff in the front seat.
They agreed, and Katie happily settled the turtle on the seat between them, buckling in his little plastic shelter for good measure, checking for Shelby’s seal of approval.
After a bout of rain the week before, the skies were clear as could be, casting the perfect backdrop for the millions of stars twinkling overhead. Ryan rolled down the windows before starting up the truck. The kids in the back squealed with glee and Katie, having forgotten the uneasiness of their moment earlier, bounced up and down in her seat to Ryan’s delight.
Nothing made him happier than seeing her so happy, he realized.
If she’d let him, when the time was right, he would offer everything in his power to do that very thing for the rest of their lives.
* * *
The silence in the truck with Ryan was so deafening that Katie could barely think, still reeling from their almost-kiss.
She hadn’t felt so alive since she’d found out she was pregnant, and even then, the news had been bittersweet, given Bradley’s reaction.
What was going on with Ryan was different, amazing...terrifying.
Each moment they spent together was filled with an electric buzz of tension that she knew they could both feel, but then Ryan would pull back, almost as though he was afraid to acknowledge what was going on between them.
When she’d seen him across the room a few days ago at the pub, she’d walked out, completely committed to the idea of not facing their past and never seeing him again.
But now...now she couldn’t even imagine, could barely remember what life was like without him. He’d arrived so suddenly, his presence shocking to her system at the time, but since then, he’d filled almost every crack in her world.
Yeah, she still didn’t have a job to go back to, and there was the baby to worry about, but for some reason, a reason she didn’t even need to understand, Ryan made all of that seem small in comparison to the raw desire that overcame her when he drew near.
All she knew was that she wanted more of him, but every time they got close to giving in to what they both wanted, he pulled away again.
“Rya
n,” she said, her voice coming out too loud in the silent car, “what happened back there?”
His eyes remained on the road as he drove through the night, the soft hum of the parents in the back telling the kids ghost stories seeming far away. Katie couldn’t tell what was going through his mind, but she wanted to draw near, to comfort him with her warm body.
But not quite enough to risk getting pushed away again.
“I told you about Sarah,” he said softly, his voice tight with emotion, “but I didn’t tell you the reason I’m back in town.”
It was true. She’d been wondering off and on, but the heightening awareness of their attraction had distracted her from finding out.
“I just assumed you were here to visit your parents,” she said, giving him the only reason she could think of for his appearance in Peach Leaf. Part of her wished he’d come back just to make amends with her, just to tell her...what? That he wanted to be with her? That he wanted their friendship back?
“That’s part of it, but there is more,” he said, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were white.
“Well, tell me, then,” she said.
He pulled in a deep breath, letting the air out slowly as she waited.
“I’m part of the reason the museum is shutting down.”
His words didn’t make sense, didn’t explain what he meant.
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused. “My boss told me that the museum is being razed to make room for a hospital.”
“Cancer treatment facility,” Ryan corrected. “And your boss is absolutely correct.”
Katie still didn’t understand. “What does that have to do with you being back in town?”
“My architecture firm in Seattle was hired on to take care of the planning aspect of the job—the blueprints and development of the building.”
It made sense now. Katie had known that Ford Construction was the builder and that Ryan’s dad would be in charge. And she could only assume that Ryan had studied architecture in college, because it had always been his dream—he’d always had an incredible talent for taking things apart and putting them back together in ways that improved them—but until he’d spoken the words out loud, she hadn’t put two and two together.
“Oh,” she said, her voice gravelly like the road beneath the truck’s tires, “I see.”
Her heart was pounding as she tried to make sense of things, to put all the pieces together to form something whole and comprehendible.
“Did you know about the museum getting torn down when you signed on for the job?”
He didn’t answer her, but when he briefly glanced at her before turning back to the road, she saw all she needed to.
“You did, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Katie,” he said, an urgency in his voice. “But I had no idea you worked there. If I’d known, I might have—”
She held up a hand.
“You might have what?”
She wanted him to say he would have reconsidered, but he didn’t...just let her question hang in the air.
She shook her head and gave a pained chuckle. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Even if I didn’t work there, it’s still a major thing for this town.”
“Yeah, I know that, I do.” He hesitated before continuing, “But so is the cancer center. It will mean a great deal to a lot of people. It means better health care, better treatment for a disease that affects so many and more jobs—”
“What about my job?” she asked, her voice quiet but tinged with emotion. She didn’t want him to see that this was hurting her, but it was, and she couldn’t hide it anymore. She’d tried for the past few days to keep positive, both for her own good and for everyone else’s. It seemed everyone was trying to just ignore the inevitable—they were all trying to enjoy their last Pumpkin Fest without talking about the elephant in the room, but Katie couldn’t hold back any longer.
“You’ll find something else, Katie. You’re an intelligent, hardworking woman, and everybody in Peach Leaf knows that. No one will hesitate to give you a new job.”
“That might be true if there were jobs to be had, Ryan, but things are slow to recover from economic blows in a small town. You might have forgotten that when you moved away to Seattle, but that’s how it goes for those of us who stayed.”
She took a deep breath to calm down, focusing her attention out the window, taking a moment to slow her heart rate and to try to enjoy the last few miles of what could be her last Pumpkin Fest hayride.
When she spoke again, her head was clearer, and she knew better what she wanted to say. “I know the cancer facility will offer more jobs, and I know it’s a good thing for the town. I do. But—” she choked up “—but the museum is important, too. At least, it is to me. I worked there for five years, Ryan. I started as a ticket seller and now I’m teaching and directing programs. And I’m about to be a mom.”
She closed her eyes and squeezed them tight, willing away tears. “I’m in no position to start all over at another job.”
“I know it is,” he said, looking at her again, his hazel eyes full of emotion. “And I do care about that, more than you know.”
He reached over to lay his large, strong hand over hers, the feel of his skin distracting her from her agitation.
“I grew up in this town, too, Katie. I’ll miss the museum, the Pumpkin Fest and the hayrides, too.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned back to the window to keep him from seeing them fall.
“And even though they’ll be farther away, the artifacts, the buildings will all be kept safe and you can visit them when you want.”
Katie wiped her eyes. Maybe she was being silly by trying to hold on to the past.
“You don’t need to worry about a job, either, Katie. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of...whether that means finding you a position at the center or something else.”
His voice sounded rocky when he spoke the last part of that sentence, and if she’d been able to speak without her voice breaking, she might have asked what he meant. She did not want a job that she didn’t earn herself, but she had the baby to care for, so she might not have a choice.
“I’d really prefer not to have to take a charity job,” she said, her voice thankfully solid, brushing over her next unspoken words—though I will if I have to.
Ryan’s mouth, the one she’d almost kissed only a half hour earlier, curved at the corners in a sexy grin. “You always were stubborn as an ox, Katie Bloom,” he said.
She wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. Katie would not lightly accept any attempt on his part to secure her a job, and she would not allow him to use the pull of his family name to make the situation easier on her than it would be for her coworkers and friends who would lose their jobs when the museum closed. She didn’t want Ryan Ford’s help. There was plenty she did want from him, she’d realized over the past few days, but that wasn’t part of it.
When they returned from the hayride, Katie let Ryan help her out of the truck, then handed over Jeff the turtle to take inside the cabin. A hint of the dizziness she’d felt earlier returned briefly, but luckily Ryan didn’t notice and it passed while he helped the kids and parents out of the back of his truck.
The sight of him holding a sleeping Shelby brought back some of the tears she’d shed earlier, and she thought again of how hard it would be on the girl to return to the children’s home the next day. She made a mental note to visit more often in the coming weeks to make sure Shelby was okay, especially since she would soon have more time on her hands.
When everyone was safely out of the trucks and into the cabins for the night, Katie was finally able to relax a little. She helped Shelby brush her teeth despite the child’s drowsiness, and they made it through only half of one of the bedtime stories Katie had promised earlier to read. She tucked the little girl in tight before brushing her own teeth and returning to sit on the edge of her bottom bunk. She said good-night to Paige, Lucy,
Shiloh and some of the other women and tried for a little while to sleep before eventually giving up, knowing her dreams would be filled with Ryan Ford.
Chapter Ten
The pull of the clear night sky and the cool air drew her out of her bed a few hours later, and she shoved her feet into flip-flops, wrapping her robe around her shoulders. Lucy was propped up in her top bunk over Shiloh, reading with a book light, and Katie stopped to tell her friend that she’d be right back—she just needed to step out for some fresh air.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lucy asked, her forehead creasing with worry.
Katie waved a hand, brushing off the other woman’s concern. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just need a minute to myself after all the chaos.”
Lucy smiled and, after further reassurance from Katie, returned to her book.
Katie grabbed her cell phone and turned on the flashlight app as she walked outside.
The night was gorgeous, and she stared up at the stars as she wandered the grounds, no real goal in mind of where she might want to go. She passed the guys’ cabin and couldn’t keep from wondering if Ryan was in bed, able to sleep far better than her. Their earlier conversation still weighed on Katie’s mind, and no matter how much she paced, it wouldn’t go away. She thought of him as she snuck some apples from the kitchen to feed the horses, and even letting them tickle her palm with their noses didn’t ease her stress.
Eventually, she meandered down to the river, slipping off her flip-flops to let her feet soak in the cool water like she had earlier when she’d ridden out to the stream with Shelby and Ryan...
“Is there room at all in your thoughts for me?”
Katie wasn’t even startled at the sound of Ryan’s voice. Maybe she’d heard his footsteps drawing up the soft dirt path behind her, or maybe she just wasn’t at all surprised that he’d come out to find her.
But his statement rattled her to the bone. “Quite the opposite, actually,” she said, turning her head to the side, unable to see him in the darkness. “There doesn’t seem to be room for much else at the moment.”