by Dora Hiers
“Yeah. But I don’t see a move to Hawaii happening anytime soon. I don’t think Danae would do well there.”
Panic clawed at Ryker’s chest. “What does Danae have to do with whether or not you and Ella move to Hawaii?”
Stephen snorted. “Are we talking about the same person? My sister, Danae? The farthest we’ve lived apart is right now, and we’re only about a mile away from each other. I don’t think she’d survive any greater distance.”
What was wrong with Stephen? Did he not see Danae’s strength? “I think Danae would do just fine.” Especially if Ryker had anything to do with it. “You would be surprised at your sister’s strength of character.”
Stephen raised his eyebrows. “Your tune sounds a little different than before we left. What’s going on?”
“You really don’t want to know all the details. The ten second summary is that Danae’s being harassed and threatened by a male who doesn’t like her fundraising efforts for the orphanage.”
Stephen sucked in a breath. “You’re kidding, right?” He mashed a hand through his hair. “So the break in at her house…that wasn’t a one-time thing?”
Ryker shook his head. Stephen didn’t know all the details about that break in, but Ryker wouldn’t be the one to share them. Danae could do that, in her own time. “I’m thinking everything’s connected.”
“Everything?” Stephen’s voice came out weak. “You mean there’s more?”
Ryker nodded, amazed at how much Danae had endured and not broken. How could Stephen think she wouldn’t survive without him? She was definitely a fighter. Not only would she survive, she’d blossom. “Starting with the night of your wedding.”
“Our wedding night?” His friend’s tanned face paled.
“The threats had escalated to the point that she wasn’t safe in her own place. She’s been staying here.”
“Here? With you?” Disbelief laced Stephen’s voice.
“And Lorie.”
“Ah.” Relief relaxed Stephen’s features.
Ryker’s jaw tightened. Was his reputation so bad that his friend would think so poorly of him? “Did you think I would take advantage of her, Stephen?”
Stephen clapped him on the back. “Why do you think I called you in to watch over her while I was gone? No, Ryker, I knew I could trust you to take care of Danae.”
He raked a hand through his hair, guilt pinching his conscience. “Stephen, would it be too much of a stretch for you to think of Danae and me as more than just friends? With our disastrous backgrounds, do you think we could make a relationship work?”
Stephen gulped, appeared to swallow with great difficulty. Obviously, his friend didn’t think it would work. Disappointment stabbed his chest.
“You’ve always said Danae was like a sister to you.”
Did Stephen have to remind him? “Yeah.”
“You feel differently now?”
Ryker nodded. “I want to build a lifetime of good memories with Danae. So that the bad ones are erased.”
“Then I think I better take over. Danae can stay with Ella and me.”
He caught his breath. Stephen didn’t think he was good enough? Just what Ryker knew all along. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Stephen’s hand clapped his back again. “It means welcome to the family. What do you think it means?”
Relief rolled through Ryker’s gut. He couldn’t move forward without his friend’s blessing. “You’re probably extending that welcome a little too fast. I’m not sure Danae feels the same way.”
“Oh, I think you’re wrong there, my friend. But, I’ll let you two work that out.” Stephen grinned. “Danae’s not your sister, Ryker. She’s my responsibility, not yours. I’ll take over from here. You concentrate on the other part.”
A cough sounded from nearby.
Stephen’s grin faded. Ryker looked in the direction of the cough.
Danae. With her fists planted on her hips, the twinkle absent from her eyes, replaced by an angry glitter. “Stephen’s right, Ryker. I’m not your sister. Not your responsibility. But, Stephen, you’re sooo wrong. I can take of myself. I don’t need either of you!”
****
How dare Stephen and Ryker talk about her as if she were a possession?
Danae fiddled with the key in the lock, anger broiling in her stomach. Finally! The door swung back and banged against the drywall.
She dropped the gym bag and plopped the mail on the table. Envelopes fluttered to the floor but she let them scatter.
She turned and gestured for Stephen and Ella to leave. Knowing her brother, he’d come in and make one last attempt to talk her into staying with them. Like she would stay with the newlyweds. Ha!
Danae didn’t wait for their car to pull out of the driveway. She slammed the door and twisted the deadbolt.
She flung her sweater against the couch, retrieved the stuffed animal from her bag, and stalked down the hallway leading to her bedroom.
Yeah. Her bedroom. Her house.
Not Ryker’s house. Here. 235 Ridge Avenue. Her home. For as long as she paid the rent.
So, why were her eyes stinging? She swiped at them with a forearm, refused to give in to the raw pain of hearing Stephen’s words and the relief she’d seen on Ryker’s face.
Ryker had been more than ready to get rid of her. Inexperienced as she was, she hadn’t seen that coming. But Ryker had seen the world. Been engaged. What did she know about relationships?
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Except…that his kisses were sweet, powerful stuff. Intoxicating.
Danae flung herself across the bed, the stuffed giraffe clenched tightly in a fist, tucked against her heart.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Slow. Don’t hyperventilate.
Danae closed her eyes, repeated the process, determination steeling her will.
“There will be no more kisses from Ryker McLane.” She opened her eyes, pulled out the arm with the giraffe, holding it close enough that its fur tickled her face. “Do you hear me? No more kisses.”
Apparently, kisses meant nothing to him.
Not so for Danae. Each kiss was a precious piece of Ryker, linking her childhood fairy tale dreams of happy-ever-after to the longing growing in her heart for a lifetime with the man she’d loved all her life.
“What was I thinking?”
Danae took another deep breath and sat up. She tucked the giraffe next to her ragged doll on the nightstand. “Those happy-ever-after dreams are just that. Dreams. Fiction book endings. I won’t make that mistake again.”
God protected her. She didn’t need Ryker to keep her safe.
God, I know You have the power to keep me safe, with or without Ryker’s help. I trust You to handle the threats on my life.
Help Ryker see that I put my trust in You, that as a daughter of the King, I depend on You to take care of me. I’m not Ryker’s responsibility or even Stephen’s.
But more than this, Lord, if Ryker sees nothing else, help him know that You love him.
She picked up her phone, punched in Lorie’s number. “Lorie, can you come stay at my place tonight?”
****
Ryker rubbed the back of his neck then rolled it around to work out the kinks.
Camping out in the truck in Danae’s driveway wouldn’t hasten his recovery from spleen surgery.
Or endear him to her.
She didn’t answer his calls yesterday. Or return his messages. Stephen said she refused to stay at his and Ella’s place too.
He couldn’t stay at home. All he’d done was worry about whether she was safe or not. At midnight, he’d brewed a fresh pot of coffee and hopped in the truck, armed with a thermos and a playlist of Danae’s favorite worship songs.
Ryker checked his phone. Five a.m. Saturday morning.
Today was the fundraiser carnival at the orphanage. Had the prankster decided to call it quits? Ryker doubted it. For some reason, the creep didn’t want this fundraiser to take place.
He stepped down from the truck, leaving the flashlight stowed in the cab. He didn’t want to frighten Danae.
He inspected the front of the property then made his way to the back, glancing at the grave markers beyond her back yard. He shivered and tugged his light jacket tighter. Her living this close to a cemetery gave him the creeps.
A shrill whistle pierced the stillness of the early morning quiet. Ryker’s hand jerked to the cold metal of his weapon, on alert, then relaxed. It’s just a train.
The light in the family room burned bright, just like it had all night. Lorie’s car sat in the same spot, sandwiched between his truck and Danae’s tiny sports car.
Wait. A light glimmered from Danae’s bedroom. Danae was awake at five a.m.?
Not likely. He’d better check it out.
He trudged to the front door, knocked, not hard enough to wake Lorie, but enough that Danae should be able to hear if she was up.
He waited.
Knocked again. This time he heard footsteps, soft padded ones, stop on the other side of the door.
“Danae, open up. It’s me, Ryker.”
The door didn’t budge. “Ryker?”
“Yeah. It’s me. Is everything all right?”
“Yeah. Peachy.” She cleared her throat. “What are you doing here?”
“Danae, I’m not leaving until you open up the door and I see that you’re fine.”
The deadbolt clicked. She inched the door open, peeked sleepy, swollen eyes through the small gap.
“I’m serious, Danae. I want to check things out inside. I’ll leave as soon as I see that you’re okay.”
She swung the door open wide.
Ryker stepped inside and locked the door behind him.
“Hey! You don’t need to close the door. You’re leaving.” She was dressed in a pink long sleeved tee, sweat pants and those furry slippers. Tendrils of hair pointed in all directions. Fists planted against slim hips, eyes blazing, she looked ready to toss him out.
“It’s forty degrees outside.” He waved the empty thermos, tilting an ear to the little swishing sound. “I could use a refill.”
Her eyes widened and her stance relaxed. “You were outside all night?”
“Most of it.”
She stared at him for a minute, those brown eyes warming. She snatched the thermos from his hand. “You’re in luck. I just made a fresh pot.”
“What are you doing up at five o’clock?”
She glared at him over a shoulder, on her way to the kitchen. “What are you doing staking out my house?”
He followed, briskly rubbing cold palms together. “I wasn’t staking out your house, Danae.”
“Then what?” She poured coffee into the thermos.
“I was making sure that you’re safe.”
“You’ve been relieved of your duties, remember? You fulfilled your promise to my brother. I’m not your worry anymore.” She screwed the lid on, turned around, gripping the thermos so tight, her knuckles turned white.
Did she really believe that? He scraped fingers against the bristles on both his cheeks. “This had nothing to do with your brother.”
One brow arched. Her voice came out whisper soft. “No?”
“Not anymore.” Shaking his head, he took a step toward her.
She flicked a long swirl of hair behind an ear, tucked her bottom lip under her teeth, and loosened her grip on the thermos.
“Danae, this creep, whoever’s trying to scare you, doesn’t want you to hold this fundraiser today. I’m going to make sure he doesn’t get to you.”
“Why, Ryker? Why are you doing this?”
He sucked in a breath. This wasn’t the time or the place to get into it, but he didn’t want to leave things this way. Didn’t want her second-guessing his feelings for her. Or her feelings for him.
He advanced another step. Took the thermos out of her hand and set it on the counter. Reached for her hand, warmth seeping into his cold fingers. “Danae, I—”
“I thought I heard voices.” Lorie’s sleepy tone filtered through his love-addled brain. “Danae, is everything okay?”
Ryker took a deep breath, sighed, released Danae’s hand and turned around. “Good morning, Lorie. Sorry to wake you.”
Lorie startled. Who did she expect to be in Danae’s kitchen this early in the morning? “Oh, hey, Ryker.” Lorie’s worried gaze landed on Danae.
The opportunity for a quiet conversation broken, Ryker stepped away from Danae and grabbed the thermos from the counter. “Now that I know you’re safe, I’ll be leaving. Lock the door behind me.”
Danae’s slippers padded behind him. “Ryker—”
“No worries, Danae. We can continue this conversation later.” He pressed a palm against her hair, breathed deep of her berry scent, and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. He drew a shaky breath, turned and stepped onto the porch, waiting for the sound of the deadbolt to lock behind him.
Satisfied Danae was safe, awake, and with Lorie around for added buffer, Ryker hopped in the truck, and cranked the engine.
He raked a hand through his hair, waiting for the heater to warm the cab. That hadn’t gone quite the way he would have liked. Would he get another chance for an intimate moment with Danae?
He sighed. He needed a shower. And more coffee.
Then he’d offer his assistance at the orphanage. Danae wouldn’t refuse. And that way he could make sure that creep didn’t get close to her.
****
Danae locked the deadbolt, pressed her forehead against the cool metal on the front door.
“What was that all about?”
Danae turned to face Lorie’s heavy-eyed gaze. “Ryker wanted to make sure I was all right.”
Lorie’s eyebrows spiked to the top of her head. “Really? He came by to check on you at five in the morning?”
“Apparently he camped out front all night. He saw my light go on and wanted to check on me.” A small smile tugged at Danae’s lips. “He couldn’t believe I was up so early.”
“Yeah. Me, either.” Lorie adjusted the cinch of her robe tighter. “So he stayed outside all night, in forty degree weather, to make sure you were safe.”
“Looks that way.”
Lorie rolled her eyes, shook her head.
“What?”
“Are you blind?”
“Blind to what?” The scent of caffeine pulled Danae back to the kitchen.
“He cares about you.”
Yeah, but not the way that counted. “Ryker cares about me like he would a sister.”
Lorie snorted, a shoulder resting against the doorframe to the kitchen, her arms hugging her waist. “Really? I don’t hear your brother knocking on the door.”
The smile slipped from Danae’s lips. Her fingers paused at pulling the mug from the cabinet. “My brother just got back from his honeymoon.”
“I’m just saying…”
Danae set the mug on the counter and poured the coffee. “Do you want some?”
“How could you even ask me that question,” Lorie glanced at the clock on the microwave, “at this ungodly hour?”
Danae grabbed another mug, filled it, inhaling the steamy rich aroma, and handed it to Lorie.
“Tell me what Ryker said to make you so distraught yesterday.”
“It wasn’t anything he said. It was what my brother said. Something like, ‘Danae’s not your sister, Ryker. She’s mine. My responsibility.’ And then something about taking over from here.”
“Ah.” Lorie nodded. “So you didn’t actually hear Ryker’s comments. Only your brother’s.” Lips pursed, neck angled, Lorie tapped her forefinger against her chin. “You know what I think?”
Danae shook her head, not sure she wanted to hear her friend’s observations. She sat down at the table and sipped, savoring the warmth of the coffee as it slid down her throat.
“I think you caught the tail end of a conversation that wasn’t meant for you. And you’re reading too much into it. Ryker didn’t
say those words. Your brother did. From what I’ve seen, Ryker feels entirely different.”
Did he?
Lorie continued. “And if a handsome marshal camped on my doorstep all night to make sure I was safe, I’d grab on with both hands and not let go. How often does love come knocking at five a.m.?”
16
How often does love come knocking at five a.m.? Lorie’s words replayed in Danae’s head.
She scanned her notes. Ugh. Shaking her head, she erased love and rewrote loose wires. She needed to keep her head in the game, or they wouldn’t be ready to open in two hours.
“Hey, Danae, want me to man the moon walk?” Amber did her version of a slow-motion walk on the moon, arms and legs jerky and stiff, mouth in an “oh” shape.
Danae laughed and continued walking, clipboard in hand, noting the tasks that still needed to be accomplished. “Sure. Do me a favor, though, and record your name on the signup sheet for that, okay?”
“Where is the signup sheet?”
Danae gestured toward the administrative office with a pencil. “Over there in front of the Henderson cottage.”
Amber nodded and looked around. “So, where’s your bodyguard today?”
Danae pretended she didn’t know who Amber was talking about. “My bodyguard?”
“Yeah. The cool dude that took us to the football game. Ryker. Wasn’t that his name?”
Danae so didn’t want to have this conversation with Amber. But how could she build on the trust and rapport with Amber if she didn’t open up herself? She nodded and glanced at the time on her phone. Nine a.m. “Yeah, Ryker. Probably sleeping.”
Amber whistled. “He’s hot, Danae, totally hot.”
Moving into uncomfortable territory now. “Hot doesn’t make the man, sweetheart.”
Amber scrunched her forehead. “Maybe not. But come on, Danae, you have to admit the guy has the goods.”
Danae chewed on her bottom lip and cringed. It hadn’t been that long ago that she spoke like Amber.
“Speaking of His Hotness, here he comes.”
“What?” Danae’s eyes jerked up from the clipboard. The pencil tumbled to the wet grass. “Who?”
“Who do you think?” Amber strode away toward the Henderson cottage, stopping to talk to Ryker, smiling and laughing, gazing up at him with total teen adoration.