Ryder

by Dale Mayer

  *

  When Ryder walked into Mac’s hospital room, he knew instinctively Mac was expecting him. “When did she call you?”

  Mark grinned. “The minute you left her hotel she called to tell me how much she’d come clean and that I was to tell you the truth.”

  Ryder grabbed a chair, swung it around and sat on it backward beside the bed. “So tell me what the truth is. I went through hell these last few years because of her. I don’t want to go back there again.”

  Mac nodded in understanding and launched into an explanation. He ended with, “The stalking stuff was pretty wild.”

  “I heard a rumor about your ex-girlfriend doing something similar. It sounds like it was really intense,” Ryder said. “That must have been rough.”

  “You didn’t hear all of it,” Mac said, shaking his head. He told Ryder a few of the more outlandish things his ex-girlfriend had done.

  “Jesus. Caitlyn’s nothing like that.”

  “No, she wasn’t, but I was afraid she might end up that way when she started stalking you.” Mac launched into an explanation of how she would sit outside Ryder’s apartment and wait until he got into his vehicle and then followed him. When he was at the gym, she’d go to the coffee shop across the street where she could see him easily but couldn’t be seen. She could keep an eye on where he was going, what he was doing. “She did this for months.”

  Ryder sat back and stared at Mac. “I never knew. I kept thinking I saw Caitlyn’s face in every woman around me. I figured I was just so exhausted that I needed to get a life and put her out of my mind. I deliberately didn’t look. I stopped looking at all women.”

  The two men shared commiserating glances. Mac continued. “She was really lost. She felt so guilty for what she’d done and how she didn’t know how to fix it. And the hardest thing for her was, she desperately needed to talk to you, but she couldn’t seem to call you and set up a meeting even when she did find you. I wasn’t going to bring her to the party. I knew you wouldn’t want to see her in a public place. I also knew she was really struggling. I tried to get her to call you half a dozen times, but she wouldn’t, so I brought her. It never occurred to me that you’d think the two of us were together until you avoided me afterward.”

  Ryder snorted and stared out the window. “What a waste.”

  “Yeah, but she’s very dear to me. So, as much as I know, she loves you,” Mac said. “I need to know you won’t turn around and hurt her back.”

  Startled, Ryder looked at him. “She and I were best friends for twenty years. We would still be best friends if we hadn’t taken the step to being lovers. I’m definitely leery about ending up in the same place we were before. That’s why I’m here right now and not in her hotel room …”

  Mac nodded. “Yeah, I’d say that’s a wise choice. But I do know she loves you, so you guys should get through this fine.”

  Ryder grinned. “Glad to hear that.” He stood up, smacked his hand against the bed and said, “Isn’t it time you get off this thing? The world is falling to pieces without you.”

  “Ha.” It was Mac’s turn to snort. “I’ll be out of here soon. I’m headed stateside in a couple days. It’s rehab for me next.”

  Ryder turned and walked toward the door. “It would probably be good for Caitlyn to see the two of us together.”

  “We were always friendly. It was only because of her that we stayed apart.”

  Ryder turned to grin. “Isn’t that the truth?” With a wave he walked from the room. His heart was light. For the first time in a long time, the future looked damn bright. All he needed was another few days with her here. And then he knew he could get past all this, and they could move forward.

  He just hoped the war would hold off long enough to give them time.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning Caitlyn woke up with smile on her face. As soon as she got out of bed though, she winced. She stared down at her swollen feet and sighed. “I knew I should’ve worn sneakers.” She headed for a shower, then quickly dressed, expecting to hear from Ryder any moment. She’d been afraid he would be called away overnight, but there had been no phone call, and, for that, she was grateful. Just then her phone rang. She raced to answer it. “Good morning,” she cried out cheerfully.

  He laughed. “Well, that’s the way I like to be greeted.”

  She sat down on the bed, the towel wrapped around her body and said, “I had a great night.”

  “Excellent. Then maybe we can start with breakfast somewhere, then visit Mac this morning if you want to see him again. I understand he’s heading stateside before you, so this could be your last chance to see him before he leaves.”

  “Perfect.” She glanced around for her clothing, realizing she didn’t have much in the way of options. “I can be ready in ten.”

  “As I’m already in the lobby, make it five.” And he hung up.

  She laughed, threw down the phone, picked up her sundress and, just before he knocked on the door, was ready. She opened the door, smiled at him and said, “I made it. Let me hang up my wet towels.” She dashed back into the room and hung them in the bathroom. Ready, she picked up her purse and said, “Does Mac know we’re coming?”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to him yet.”

  “Let’s go see him first. I can wait for breakfast.”

  He had a vehicle from the base and within seconds they were on the road. He drove straight to the hospital. They walked upstairs to find Mac’s door closed. She knocked. When she heard his voice, she stuck her head around the door. “You up for visitors?”

  His face split into a big grin. And seeing Ryder behind her made his grin widen. “Well, if the two of you are friendly again, I’m definitely up for visitors.”

  She laughed and said, “We’re definitely friends again.” She cast a teasing glanced at Ryder and said, “Right?”

  Ryder nodded, then spoke to Mac. “I hear you’re leaving today.”

  “I am. They need my bed. A heavy influx is coming from the north.” His voice was neutral, but his gaze was not.

  Caitlyn looked from one to the other and said, “Our men?”

  Mac nodded and looked to Ryder. “Have you been called out?”

  “Not yet,” Ryder admitted. “But I’m expecting a call.”

  “It’s easy to forget,” she murmured. “It’s like we’re a world away.”

  He nodded. “It is. But it’s always there in the back of my mind.”

  “Well, forget about it until it happens,” she said in a firm voice. She sat down on Mac’s bed and said, “What will you do when you get home?”

  “See the dogs for one,” he said with a big grin. “They’ll be more than happy to have me home for a while.”

  “Absolutely. How will you make sure your ex doesn’t find you?”

  “I heard through the grapevine she’s found somebody new,” he said comfortably. “Are you worrying about me?” He picked up her hand and said, “You’ve only got a week or so left on your tour, so make sure you stay safe. When are you due back?”

  “Tomorrow morning.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  They visited a little bit longer, and then, knowing she might be out of time with Ryder, she stood and said, “Text me or call me when you get back so I know you landed.”

  On that note they left, and Caitlyn asked, “Where do you want to go for breakfast?”

  “I suspect I’ll have a couple hours left before I’m recalled.”

  She smiled. “Then let’s go.” Just as they drove toward the exit, his phone rang. He pulled off to the side, and her heart sank. “Don’t tell me …”

  Quietly he said, “Devlin, what’s up?”

  “Outbreak of fighting in the far north side,” she could hear Devlin. The rest of the conversation blurred as she deliberately tuned it out. She stared outside, realizing she was likely spending her last day here alone, without Ryder. Her heart broke at the thought of missing out on another day with him. She
knew she should be damn glad to have had the time she had, but she wanted more.

  When he put away his phone, she turned toward him. “And?”

  “We have two hours.”

  She looked at him in surprise, her heart jumping for joy. “Really? I figured you’d be leaving right now.”

  “I’ll be gone soon enough. What do you want to do for two hours?”

  “Breakfast on an outside patio and then I don’t want to waste time seeing other people. I want to spend the time with you.”

  His gaze slid her way. “In what way?”

  She hesitated, then said, “Maybe at the park where we were yesterday.”

  He gave a short nod and said, “Coming up.”

  An hour later they were walking hand-in-hand with some of the local coffee. Every minute disappeared so fast that she wanted to stop time, but there was nothing she could do. Her heart ached. So foolish when she knew this wasn’t goodbye. But in a way it felt like it. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

  “I always have to go,” he said quietly. “There is always going to be another mission. At least for a while.”

  “I know, and I’m okay with that. It just feels like our friendship is still so fragile, and we need more time together.”

  “It’s mending,” he said. “You know I want more. But I want more only if you do too.”

  She reached out and stroked his cheeks. “I almost suggested you stay this morning. But I didn’t want our time together to only focus on sex.”

  “Does that mean you …?”

  She placed her finger on his lips and said, “Yes. But not a fast-sex scenario because we’re out of time. Next time, when we have hours to be together.”

  He checked his watch and said, “I have to take you back to the hotel and leave. Damn.”

  She winced. “I forgot you still had to travel to the base.” Arms linked, they walked where his vehicle was parked. “You’ll stay safe out there, right?”

  He laughed. “Let’s just say I won’t take any unnecessary chances.”

  She smiled. “If you don’t, then I won’t.”

  “Good point. Make sure your remaining days are good ones.” They got into the vehicle and returned to the hotel. Not wanting a long goodbye, she hopped out of the vehicle and stood on the side. “Go,” she said. “You need to.”

  He gave her a shuttered look. “No kiss goodbye?”

  She stepped forward and kissed him. Not a kiss of friendship. Not a kiss of passion either. A kiss of love.

  As he stepped back, she realized she’d been blessed with a new insight into her feelings, even though she had been determined not to go looking for them just yet.

  *

  He hated to walk away from her. But he was relieved they had a promise of getting back together again. Right now he had to refocus. He reached the base just in time to see Mac being helped into a jeep. “You doing okay there, Mac?”

  Mac nodded, his face gray. “There’s just something about finding out you aren’t as healthy as you thought.”

  Ryder studied his friend and said, “You’ll make it. Get home. Get well. I’m heading out right now.”

  “And Caitlyn?” Mac asked. “Where is she?”

  “I just dropped her at the hotel. She’s due at camp tomorrow.” He hesitated. “You are sure about her, right?”

  Sagging back in the seat, Mac said, “Absolutely. She’s yours. You should know that by now.”

  “I know she’s my friend,” he said. “We just haven’t gotten to the next level.”

  Macklin’s eyes drifted closed as he regained his breath. “Well, you should. It’s always been about you, buddy, always been about you.” Just then the driver arrived, and Mac was taken away.

  Devlin and Easton walked up beside Ryder with Corey in tow. “Well?”

  Ryder shrugged, knowing what they were asking but not really having a full answer. “Let’s just say we’re friends again,” he said cautiously. “But we didn’t get a chance to go any further.”

  Devlin said, “You will have time for that in the future. Right now we have to kick some enemy ass.”

  Ryder’s face lit up. “Great, I could use the outlet right now. Where are we going?”

  “Back to where we came from,” Cory said with a smirk. “Chances are you’ll see Caitlyn sooner than expected.”

  Ryder’s face split into a big grin. “Even better.” And he hopped into their transport jeep. There were definitely some positives to having Caitlin here. Getting to see her from time to time was one of them.

  Chapter 15

  Before she knew it, Caitlyn was en route to the same camp she’d been at before. She hadn’t heard from Ryder since he had left yesterday. But then she didn’t expect to. They each had a job to do, and the military always needed good men and women to fill their ranks.

  Medical staff was always in short supply too. One doctor with several nurses was often forced to handle multiple life-threatening cases at the same time. When there were just not enough hands, they grabbed anybody close enough to help. As long as the people could follow orders, they were strong-armed into helping.

  Hours later, when she walked back into her barracks, her old bed waited for her. She’d only been gone two days but still … Soon she’d be stateside. In a weird sense it was a relief. Something about having a corner in this world to call home made a difference. She dropped her bag and did a quick turnaround. With any luck the medical center hadn’t changed much either.

  Inside the med center she found everything calm and quiet. Frowning, she walked to the back, only to find the room empty. She stopped and slowly turned. There were no patients and no medical personnel. Where the hell was everyone?

  She walked into the supply room and froze. Dr. Carter had collapsed, unconscious on the floor. Blood poured from a wound to his temple. She dropped to her knees at his side, her hands moving from head to toe, checking him over. His pulse was strong, and he didn’t appear to have any other injuries. She found a steel pipe on the floor beside him with blood on the edge. Her heart sank.

  She pulled out her phone and made several calls. She had military men pouring into medical within seconds. They took one look and, with grim faces, on her instructions, carried Dr. Carter to one of the beds.

  She glanced at the men and asked, “Where is the rest of the medical team?”

  The men exchanged hard glances. One stayed behind and stepped forward. “We’ll find out.”

  Just like that three left. One stood at attention at the end of the doctor’s bed. She glanced at him, then loosened Dr. Carter’s shirt collar. “I just landed. I have no idea what was here before or even who was working. I need to check the schedule to confirm.”

  He found the schedule and brought it to her.

  She glanced through it and said, “Colleen and Wendy should’ve been here this whole time. Dr. Bruce too. I don’t know about Dr. Robertson. We need to find them.”

  “A search is underway.”

  She had to be satisfied with that. All too quickly her sense of complacency and calm had disappeared, and panic returned. She had no idea what was going on, but it couldn’t be good. What had happened here?

  She quickly washed Dr. Carter’s head wound, dressing it lightly, happy to see there didn’t appear to be a skull fracture. Stitches would help, and she’d do them herself if it came to that. But Dr. Bruce should be the one.

  She spoke to the soldier. “Check the supply cabinets. Make sure they’re still locked.”

  He gave a clipped nod, walked into the back and started banging doors. He came around to the front again and said, “Doors unlocked, and cabinets empty.”

  She swore under her breath. “Which explains the head wound for Dr. Carter. He likely interrupted someone stealing medical supplies. Not an unusual occurrence.”

  The guard walked to the front of the tent, stepped into the doorway without actually exiting the medical center and studied the surroundings. Then he walked to the rear of the clinic. “How o
ften do you use the back door?”

  “I don’t,” she said. “But, before I left a couple days ago, we were busy. The smell in here was pretty strong. We had both doors open, letting in fresh air. Depending on how much cleaning had to be done, the cleanser itself would add to the smell.”

  He nodded and didn’t say anything.

  She pulled out her phone and called the supply desk. “When was the last time supplies were sent to the medical center?”

  “Requisition was filed a couple weeks ago. A new shipment came in two days ago. Several more cases came in this morning.”

  “Well, reorder exactly what was delivered. Plus a whole lot more.”

  The supply clerk’s voice was harsh when he asked, “Why?”

  “The medical clinic has been completely cleaned out,” she snapped.

  She hung up the phone and ran a shaky hand across her temple. Obviously somebody knew the center very well. At least to know when it was restocked. There were often problems like this but never on this scale. Of course after being kidnapped, she had insider knowledge from both sides. Unfortunately she needed supplies here now. Hopefully more casualties would hold off until tomorrow.

  When she heard a heavy groan, she turned to see Dr. Carter trying to sit up. She raced to his side and eased him back down. “You were hit over the head,” she said. “Lie quietly until the room stops spinning.”

  He stared up at her, then frowned. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m just back from leave,” she said. “Only to find you unconscious in the back room and the other staff missing.”

  He sighed and lay down. “I reported some people hanging around the clinic the last few days. They were dressed like our soldiers, but I didn’t know them. We’ve had so many staff changes recently that, of course, I wouldn’t know them,” he said.

  “It might not have been any of our men. Just relax. The MPs will get to the bottom of it. First we have to get you back on your feet.”

  “How much did they take?” he asked, his fingers going to his temple.

  “They cleaned the place out,” she admitted. “No boxes are on the floor, and all the cupboards are empty. How full were they beforehand?”