by Dora Hiers
She blew out a breath. So he didn’t know. He was only guessing.
He planted a soft kiss on the top of her hand. “I’m not sure this is the right tactic. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to me, either.” She wanted time to explore this new version of Ryker. The one that promised not to think of her as trouble anymore.
****
“Let’s head toward the jeep ride.” Danae’s head popped up from studying the map, finger pointing left.
Ryker gripped Danae’s elbow, propelling her past the ticket counter, intent on keeping her close. Now that they were here, he knew this wasn’t a good idea.
People milled about the animal enclosures, hundreds of kids jumping, skipping, and crying in their excitement. Strollers bumped ankles.
Who would think the park would be this busy on a Wednesday in November? Didn’t people work for a living?
How could he protect Danae in this crowd? Why hadn’t he called in reinforcements from the Orlando division?
Why? Because he was supposed to be on sick leave. His boss wouldn’t have a problem with him recuperating in Florida. Why would he? Sipping iced tea on a sandy beach, soaking in sunshine, relaxing, catching up on the news?
But his boss might have a slight issue with Ryker attempting to lure Danae’s attacker out into the open. Or more than a slight problem with it.
If things went south, he wouldn’t have a job to go back to, for sure.
Was that what he wanted?
Danae pulled his hand, practically skipping in her sneakers, excitement lighting up her face. “Come on, McLane. Let’s go. You’re dragging.”
He let go of her hand and tugged her ponytail. “Slow down, Danae. Did you forget I’m injured? What’s the rush?”
Her steps slowed to match his, regret shadowing her eyes. “I’m so sorry! I did forget. I just want to get to the jeep ride before there’s an hour wait.”
“We’ve got all day, Danae. We’ll ride it as many times as you like.” A jeep ride he could handle. Just don’t ask him to get on that roller coaster.
“From what I’ve read the animals get up close and personal. Saunter along right next to the jeep sometimes.”
Ryker smiled. Little things brought Danae such joy. Eating a bowl of ice cream. Sitting in front of the fireplace. Walking through an animal park.
Watching someone enjoy life was a nice change. Usually, Ryker witnessed the dark side, the ugliness, what he liked to call the residue. And it wasn’t attractive. Or enjoyable. Not like this.
“Come on, Ryker! We’re next!” Danae scooted onto the jeep seat and tapped the seat next to her long, bare legs.
Did he care if he had a job to go back to?
Not at the moment.
The only thing on his mind was making precious memories with this special female.
Danae.
She’d suffered a lot in her lifetime. Hunger. Pain. Rejection. Abandonment.
Yet she made a conscious choice to look past all that and to open her arms wide. To embrace life. With joy. With reckless abandon. With anticipation that good things would happen.
They rode the jeep three times. Ryker couldn’t resist Danae’s pleading. Why should he? He enjoyed watching her face light up. They walked, ate BBQ sandwiches for lunch, and walked some more.
“Thanks.” He paid the clerk for ice cream cones and handed Danae hers.
“Thanks, Ryker. There’s a place to sit over here.” She pointed to a table under some shade.
“Great.” He sat down with a groan and pulled out his phone. Three-thirty.
“How are you feeling?” Concern glowed from Danae’s warm eyes.
“I’m good.” Not ready to call an end to the time with Danae, but his strength was all but zapped. If Danae’s harasser chose now to show himself, Ryker would be about as much protection as overcooked spaghetti.
He devoured the cone, waited for Danae to finish hers, then tossed the soiled napkins in the trash container. “I think it’s time to call it a day, Danae.”
“Yeah, I know.” Full, luscious lips pouted, then just as quickly turned into a smile. “You’re tired, and I want to check on the boys.”
The boys. Jacko, Aimes, and Lucas. How different would her smile be if she had her own boys to check on?
He threaded their fingers together and led her through the quiet parking lot. Apparently, most people were sticking around until closer to the five p.m. closing time.
They reached the car and stopped outside the passenger door. Ryker looked around, noting nothing out of the ordinary, no sudden movements, nobody moving about. Satisfied, he reached into the shopping bag and pulled out the little memento.
He held up the stuffed giraffe, delighted when her eyes grew wide. “For me?”
He handed it to her. “For you.”
Her lips formed an “oh,” and the hand clutching the giraffe trembled slightly. “Thank you, Ryker. I’ll keep him forever.”
He smiled, knowing she meant it. He’d seen the ragged doll on her nightstand.
She pressed her palms, giraffe and all, against his chest. Uncertainty clouded her face, but the zest still sparkled from her eyes. “Thanks, Ryker, for the giraffe and for coming here with me. I had a fabulous time.”
Did she know what effect she had on him? That his heart surged every time she touched him or flashed those dark eyes in his direction?
He didn’t think so. Danae didn’t play games like other females. “I had a great time, too. Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
Her eyebrows curved. “Really? I doubt it. But I will definitely dream about it.”
Yeah. Him, too. Ryker’s hands slipped to her waist, tugging her closer, while his gaze drifted to her lips. Without thinking, his head dipped. “I’ll dream about this.”
“Ryker—” Her whisper fanned his lips, fueled the blood coursing through his veins.
“Yes?” He feathered her lips with a soft kiss, aching for more, craving her touch. Just like springtime, when the trees woke from hibernation, stretching, reaching toward the sun, buds naturally exploding into vibrant color.
When had wrapping her in his arms become a natural habit? One he didn’t want to break.
“What’s happening here?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.” He whispered. Silky hair caressed his cheek. The furry giraffe tickled his chin. The berry scent of her shampoo stirred other emotions.
He did know one thing. Danae could do a whole lot better than him. She didn’t deserve the ugly world he lived in. He kissed the top of her head and took a step back.
“We better get going. We have a long drive tomorrow. And a creep to find and lock up.” Ryker tucked her inside the car, sweeping a final glance around the parking lot.
He wasn’t completely honest. Oh, yeah. Ryker would find whoever was harassing her. Pity the man.
But he wanted more. More than just the job of protecting Danae.
He wanted that job for life. He wanted to love her. To really live, to embrace life, the same way she did. To share a family, to be a family.
But what did he have to offer her?
A job? Even he didn’t know the answer to that one yet.
Health? For the most part. Minus a spleen.
Love? Yes.
But where would that leave her?
Dead.
With the rest of his loved ones.
He wasn’t willing to risk that.
14
Danae groped around the bottom of the gym bag for the keys to the shop. “Ah ha.” Brandishing them in the air, she pulled on the door handle to the truck and turned to Ryker. “I’ll just be a minute. You don’t need to come in.”
His giant hand landed on her forearm. His gaze was gentle, soft, almost tender, if she were to put a label to it.
“We had a great day yesterday, a relaxing, fun day, away from the tension of whoever’s been harassing you. But, we can’t let our guard down. Wait for me, pl
ease.”
Tempted to roll her eyes, she blinked instead. Ryker was good at his job, something she definitely shouldn’t take for granted. So she nodded and waited.
Ryker walked around and tugged the door open.
“You’re moving a little slow today. Are you feeling any pain?”
He shook his head. “Nah. Just a little sore from all the walking yesterday, then being in the car so long today. It’ll do me good to get out and stretch.” He cupped her elbow. “Come on. I’ll walk you in.”
He waited behind her while she unlocked the door to the office.
When she opened the door, a ferocious odor blasted her back against Ryker’s rock-hard chest. He gripped her shoulders and groaned. Her hand flew to cover her nose.
“Oww, what is that smell?” She broke free, jumped two steps inside and grabbed some tissues from the box. She offered a handful to Ryker.
“I’m okay.” Waving off the tissue, Ryker reached for his weapon and gestured for her to move to an inside wall, away from the door and window. “Stay here.”
“You got it.” She inched back to where he indicated, covering her nose with the tissue.
Ryker inspected each room and walked back into the front office. “It’s clear, Danae. Smells like a skunk. Maybe he got scared at something nearby and sprayed the building.”
“Yeah. I’ll hurry and get my purse from the locker. Do you want to wait for me outside?”
“No. I’ll wait here. Take your time.” He planted his sleeved forearm against his nose. “But you probably want to call your boss and let him know about this.”
“Yeah. I will. Once we’re outside.”
Danae took off for the locker area at a fast clip. Amazing how fast a person could move when a foul odor filled the air. Locker rooms always smelled like dirty socks, but this stench was beyond awful.
She unhooked the latch to her locker and opened it, glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Ryker—”, she reached in to snatch the purse she’d left behind. Her hand landed on something hard and…furry? That’s odd. Her purse was leather. She jerked the hand back, leaned closer to inspect the inside of the locker. “Ack!”
Danae stumbled backward and hunched over, wanting to heave, her hand dangling off to the side.
Was that what she thought it was? It couldn’t be, could it? She angled her head to take one more peek. Just to be sure.
Oh. She groaned and closed her eyes, convinced that she’d be wearing skunk slime and odor perfume on her hand and skin forever. She covered her mouth with the clean hand. Anything to keep from gagging.
“Ryker, I think I found the problem.” Her voice came out weak, almost wobbly. The room spun once. Then it went around again until she lost the battle between her stomach and her brain.
Ryker’s footsteps pounded on the tiled floor, stopping right outside the locker room. A short knock. “Danae, what—”
He was at her side in seconds, one long arm stretched around her back, the other gripping her arm as she heaved.
She wanted to crawl into a locker and slam the door shut. Some other locker. Not hers!
When the contents of her stomach finally emptied, Ryker left her to douse some paper towels in cold water.
Danae sank down on the bench. Hanging her head, she hid her face in her hands.
“Here you go.” He nudged her face up and pressed a cool towel against her forehead, the temperature soothing her warm skin.
She closed her eyes. “Thanks, Ryker. I’m so glad you were here but sorry you had to witness that.”
“Not a problem, sweetheart. Are you able to walk to the sink?”
“Yeah.”
He supported her with an arm around her waist to the sink then left her to inspect the offensive locker.
She lathered hands and rinsed them under the cold water. Lathered them again, rinsed with hot water. She left both hands under the water, wringing, soaping, rinsing. Would they ever be clean again? Odor free?
Would her life ever be back to normal again?
Who was tormenting her? And why?
Angry tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She didn’t care if Ryker saw her cry. She wanted her life back. Her job. Safety and comfort in her house. Whoever was doing this had stripped them all away.
“Stay over there, Danae. I’m going to take this outside and clean up a bit.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. She continued soaping her hands and rinsing while he snapped a few pictures on his phone.
She heard him talking and then emptying the remains of the dead skunk from her locker. What would she have done without him?
Thank you, God, for bringing Ryker back into my life. I don’t know what’s going on here. With Ryker or with this creep who’s trying to scare me. But You know what’s happening. Will You please reveal it? Will you protect me, and in the process, help Ryker find You? I know that You’re in control. All things pass through Your filter. Help me to trust You. With Ryker and with my life.
The body tremors subsided. The unshed tears dried up. Peace flowed through her veins.
She splashed cool water over her face, then dried her hands and blotted her face with a towel.
Ryker walked back into the locker area and washed his hands. “We’ll have a crowd here in a few minutes.”
Sirens sounded from a few blocks away, reinforcing his words.
Wiping his hands, he turned to face her, his golden eyes intense, excited. “We’ve got our first real break, Danae. We’ll catch this guy.”
“A break?” From a dead skunk left in her locker?
“Yeah. Another message. But this one said, ‘Stop the orphanage fundraiser or this will be you.’” He tossed the towel in the trash.
“Stop the orphanage fundraiser? Why would someone have an issue with the carnival? It’s just a carnival. You know, like a fair.”
The sirens blared, much nearer now. A car screeched to a stop outside the office. “I don’t know. But at least this gives us a starting point.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
****
Ryker parked a hip against the truck and crossed his arms, waiting while Danae gave her statement to the police. He scanned the parking lot, well-lit with police flashers and overhead lights. Burton’s cruiser and the black SUV were noticeably absent.
His eyes landed on Danae again. A habit lately that he couldn’t seem to break.
Danae gestured toward the office, the other hand flicked toward him. Ryker smiled, encouraged with her weak return smile. She’d be okay after she got some rest.
She nodded and shook hands with the police officer then sauntered his way. He left his vantage spot to open the door for her.
“Thanks, Ryker. For everything. Man, I’ll be glad to sink into your bed tonight.”
He grinned and waggled his eyebrows.
Her jaw dropped. She gave him a playful bump on the arm. “Don’t take it the wrong way, buster.”
“You said it. Not me.” Still grinning, he closed the door and cranked the engine. “Home?”
“Yeah, Ryker. Home.”
He liked the sound of that. He drove in silence, away from the airport, then accelerated onto the interstate ramp and merged into light traffic. “So, do you want to talk about this carnival for a few minutes?”
Danae’s head rested against the headrest, her eyes closed. “Can it wait until tomorrow?” She lifted her neck and opened weary, bloodshot eyes.
She’d had a long, emotionally traumatic day. He didn’t need to make it longer. “Yeah. It can wait.”
She dropped her head against the seat. Ryker let her rest, flicked on the radio. Light Christian music filled the air. He lowered the volume, letting the words of the song flow through his peace-hungry heart.
God, I didn’t really expect You to listen to me since we haven’t been on speaking terms for so long, but thanks for keeping Danae safe. And for helping me out on such short notice getting to Florida. And while I’m at it, I don�
�t want to leave out thanks for helping me get on that plane.
You’re different than I expected. Danae says You love me and that You’re always waiting for me, holding out a hand of welcome. I’d like to take that hand, God, if You’d let me. Help me get to know You, the real You, not the formal, uptight version I vaguely remember from Granny’s church.
Would You help me find Danae’s tormenter? Put an end to this harassment? She deserves so much more than this.
Yeah. Ryker’s gut tightened. So much more than him.
Ryker turned down his street, saw the lights burning in the house and Lorie’s car parked in the driveway. Hopefully, the furniture store had delivered the extra mattress set he’d ordered. He smiled as he eased into the garage.
“Danae—” Ryker tapped her shoulder.
She sighed and nuzzled a cheek against his palm. “Hmm…”
“We’re home.”
He may not be the best person for her future. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy spending time with her right now.
15
Ryker peered out the peephole of his front door and smiled. He opened the door and stepped back. Way back.
“Stephen, Ella! You’re home!” Danae squealed and launched into her brother’s outstretched arms.
“Nice to see you, too.” Stephen twirled Danae around then lowered her until her sneakers landed on the floor. “I missed you, too, but, hey we were in Hawaii, so I didn’t miss you for long.”
Danae giggled and punched her brother in the arm then pulled Ella into a hug. Both women laughed and took off in the direction of the family room, Danae tugging Ella’s hand.
Ryker laughed and shook his friend’s hand. He’d always envied the camaraderie between brother and sister. “How was Hawaii?”
“Great! I could probably make my home in Hawaii. Fantastic beaches, giant waves, sun and warm temps all year round.”
Ryker had no interest in sun and year-round warm temps. Not after the recent trip to Florida. “Does Ella feel the same way?”