Resisting Ryder

by Blakeley Wilde

  Ryder smirked as he looked her up and down. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

  Stormy’s cheeks burned red, only from embarrassment rather than heat. Jett had always told her how sexy and beautiful she was, but she never believed him. She thought he was just being nice. It felt good to hear Ryder tell her that too.

  “Stop,” she said as she swatted her hands towards him.

  She trotted into the kitchen to grab a chilled bottle of water from the refrigerator and tossed one towards him. They gulped the refreshing, chilled water and stood in the kitchen in silence. Ryder was standing exactly where she had found Jett lying bleeding and unconscious the day that he was killed. She forced herself to think of something else. She had to replace the bad memories with the good or else she’d never move on. She’d be trapped, reliving those moments over and over again, just like Brooklyn said.

  “What’s wrong?” Ryder asked.

  “Nothing,” she said as she shook her head.

  He stepped towards her and kissed her mouth sweetly.

  “I had fun with you tonight,” he said.

  “Me too,” she replied. “I’m getting tired. Mind if I go to bed?”

  Ryder looked disappointed but he understood. “Nah, go ahead. I have work to do anyway. Not tired yet. Still on west coast time.”

  She stood on her toes and kissed him goodnight before heading back to her room. The moment she was changed and under the covers, she grabbed her phone and posted a quick ad to Craigslist advertising her house for rent. She told him she was going to move. She had to keep her word.

  Now she had to decide if she was going to go undercover in his MC gang. With Jett’s passing, she had kind of hoped to get out of the dangerous MC lifestyle. With Ryder, she knew she was just going to get sucked right back in.

  CHAPTER 16

  Sunday morning, Stormy and Ryder shared a peaceful hour over two cups of cheap gas station coffee and a box of donuts that Ryder had run out to grab from the store. They flipped through the Sunday paper, discussed current events, and shoved their faces full of sticky, sprinkle-covered confections.

  “What would you be doing now if you were back home?” Stormy asked. She wanted to get, in bits and pieces, a glimpse of the life that awaited her out there.

  “I probably would sleep in until at least nine or ten, get up, take care of some MC business and check on a few things for Veronica. Every day’s a work day for me,” he said. “What would you be doing if I wasn’t here right now?”

  Stormy didn’t want to answer him. She didn’t want him to hear how pathetic her life had become. Her routine was literally doing nothing while he was out living his life to the fullest.

  “Pretty much nothing,” she said. “At least nothing compared what you’re used to. Things are a lot slower here. Especially with Jett gone now.”

  Ryder nodded and asked no questions as he flipped the page of the newspaper and sipped his steaming coffee.

  “I was really hoping to get out of the biker club world,” Stormy mused.

  “To tell you the truth,” he replied. “So am I. That’s why I work so hard on my side business.”

  “I thought once you’re in, you can never leave?” she asked.

  “There are ways,” he said. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

  “Oh.”

  “So are you interested in helping me find out which of my guys killed Jett?”

  “I knew you’d ask that again,” she sighed. “I want to, but I don’t want to. What does it matter? Jett’s gone.”

  “And whoever took his life has to pay,” he said with gritted teeth. “Don’t you think?”

  “Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Are you sure this is going to work?”

  “No,” he said poignantly. “I’m not sure of anything. But I do know if I don’t try, it’ll eat at me the rest of my life.”

  “Fine. Whatever. I’m in,” she agreed. She reached for her phone to check her email and was shocked when she saw three different email responses to her rental post on Craigslist. “Hm.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve got three people interested in renting this place,” she stated. “Maybe that’s a sign?”

  “Damn right it’s a sign,” he said with a grin. “That or you’re asking too little for rent. But either way, that’s pretty awesome.”

  She clicked through all of them and each one had local numbers and seemed legit.

  “Stormy the Landlord,” he said. “Add it to your resume.”

  “I’m sure it’ll help me get a bazillion nursing job offers,” she laughed.

  “You never know,” he sassed.

  She walked to the next room to start making phone calls and came back ten minutes later.

  “I, uh, guess I need to pick up a little. I’ve got a couple showings this afternoon,” she said, a little dazed.

  “What are we waiting for?” Ryder asked. He was super excited as he began collecting the garbage on the table and straightening up the random assortment of kitchen clutter on the counters.

  Stormy followed suit and began frantically picking up everything in sight and shoving it anywhere it would fit.

  “This is nuts, right?” she said. “This is really happening.”

  Ryder spun around, placed her head in his hands, and kissed her forehead. He couldn’t even contain his excitement.

  A few hours later, there was a knock on the door. It was a younger couple who had recently relocated to Coleville for some insane reason. The wife seemed disgusted with the entire trailer, but the husband was fine with it. They said they’d be in touch as they walked out.

  “This reminds me of the home I grew up in as a child,” the husband kept saying. “It’s almost the exact same layout and everything.”

  “I refuse to live in a trailer,” the woman would whisper to him.

  The second showing was in the late afternoon and it was to a single guy. He worked in construction and had a long term gig in a nearby town and needed a place to live for a year or so. He even offered to do some repairs around the place and work on fixing some of the plumbing issues when he had time. He was needing a place to live as soon as possible, as he was rooming down at the Starlight Motel just off the highway.

  Ryder’s eyes pleaded with her to say yes as the deal was almost too good to be true.

  “Why don’t I get the paperwork together and you can come by tomorrow to sign everything?” she said, though Ryder suspected she was just trying to buy more time.

  The young man shook their hands, gave her his number, and left.

  “You’re going to go through with this, right?” Ryder asked. He clearly needed a little reassurance from her. “I sense a little hesitation from your end.”

  “It’s just all happening so fast,” she whined.

  “It’s happening exactly the way it’s meant to happen,” Ryder insisted.

  “You want me to get on a plane with you two days from now,” she stated. “I haven’t even said goodbye to my family yet. Or Brooklyn for that matter.”

  “You act like you’re going to another country or something. I will fly you home anytime you want. Your friends and family will always be just a plane ride away,” he promised.

  Stormy chewed her nails, a horrible habit she’d picked up as of late, as she stared down at the cheap, laminate floors. She was quite sure, in that moment, that she was going to miss seeing those every day. They had become familiar to her and for some reason, comforting.

  “I’m your safety net,” he said. “Jump and I’m right there.”

  She raised her eyes to meet his and saw the sincerity behind them.

  “I know,” she said. “I’m doing this. I promise.”

  Ryder smiled. He had pretty much been nonstop smiling the entire day. “I’m going to print off some legal paperwork for your little transaction here, just to be safe.”

  She loved that he thought of those things. She certainly didn’t.

  “You know, if you’re going to
whisk me away with you, you’re going to have to meet my parents,” she said. “Nothing serious. Nothing like that. They just need to know who you are and that I’m not being kidnapped or coerced by some psychopath.”

  “Fair enough,” he said as he clicked around on his computer.

  “And you should probably meet Brooklyn too,” Stormy continued. “I’ve sort of told her a lot about you.”

  “Not a problem,” he said, never looking up once. Nothing seemed to faze him. He was as cool as a cucumber. Stormy wished she had an ounce of what he had in that regard.

  Later that evening, they made their way to Stormy’s parents’ house. It was just past supper time, and she was sure they’d be curled up on the couch watching the latest edition of Sixty Minutes or some other news show.

  “Knock, knock,” Stormy called as she walked in the front door. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

  Her parents came out from around the corner within seconds and stopped dead in their tracks. Her mother opened her mouth to say something and then stopped.

  “This is Jett’s brother, Ryder,” Stormy said. “Ryder, this is George and Maureen, my mom and dad.”

  Ryder extended his hand and exchanged handshakes with them both.

  “It’s very nice meeting you,” he said. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  George stood in silence and stared at Ryder. It was never good when George was silent. He looked him up and down, taking in every square inch of his denim and leather ensemble.

  “I’m so sorry about your brother,” Maureen said with sympathetic eyes. “We really loved him. He was so good to our Stormy. He was gone too soon, that’s for sure.”

  “So what brings you back to Coleville?” George asked. “Weren’t you just here a few weeks ago?”

  Maureen nudged George as if he’d spilled some top secret of hers, and Stormy threw an angry glare towards her mother for telling him about Ryder in the first place.

  “I was just checking on Miss Stormy here,” Ryder said. “We’ve become quite good friends these last few weeks.”

  George’s eyes widened as Maureen smiled. Stormy could tell her mom was already smitten with him, and she was sure he reminded her of Jett. Maureen loved Jett to pieces.

  “Oh, yeah?” George asked, arms crossed. “Where you been staying?”

  Ryder cleared his throat nervously.

  “At my house,” Stormy replied. “On my couch. I wouldn’t dare make him stay at some flea infested motel.”

  “I’m very grateful for that,” Ryder chuckled.

  “Anyway, I came by to say that I’m leaving in two days,” she stated.

  “Leaving for…?” Her mother seemed confused.

  “I’m going to move to Los Angeles for a bit,” she said. “Just to try something new. I need a change of pace. A change of scenery.”

  “What?!” Her mother covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief. “That’s crazy talk.”

  “My mind is made up,” she said. “I’ve found someone to lease my place for a year. I’m leaving on Tuesday.”

  Ryder watched on the sidelines as Maureen and George scoffed at Stormy’s plan. They made several valid arguments, all of which Stormy carefully rebutted. Stormy was sure he was worried they would talk her out of it or make her change her mind. He had worked so hard to talk her into taking this leap of faith with him, and he was counting on her to help him find Jett’s killer. He’d be devastated if she collapsed under the pressure of her gawking parents.

  “We should probably go,” she said as she realized the conversation was going nowhere. “I’ll be staying with Ryder here until I can find a place of my own and get on my feet. I’ll call you when I get there. Come on, Ry.”

  They left the house, her mother almost in tears and her father’s face beet red, and she didn’t look back once.

  “I was worried you were going to change your mind,” Ryder admitted once they got back in the car.

  “Never,” she said as she turned towards him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight that trickled through the shiny glass windows.

  He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. He was a little old-fashioned, and she loved that about him.

  The moment they returned to the trailer, Stormy wasted no time and started packing for Tuesday. She emptied out her side of the closet into a couple of suitcases and filled a carryon bag with some personal items. She left out what she’d need for the next couple days, and all that remained in the house was her furniture and Jett’s things.

  “Do you want me to box up Jett’s stuff?” Ryder asked as he stood in the doorway of her bedroom. He had caught her staring into the half-empty closet, gazing at what remained of Jett’s wardrobe. “You don’t have to touch anything. I’ll box it up. We can put it in storage and keep it safe.”

  Stormy sunk down on the bed into a pile of exhaustion.

  “That would be nice,” she said. “There should be some empty boxes outside in the shed.”

  Ryder left and returned with a few large, cardboard boxes and began carefully folding Jett’s clothes and boxing them up. He took another box to the living room and packaged up Jett’s books and DVD collection. By the time he was done, all traces of Jett had been clean wiped away. All that was left were memories that played in Stormy’s mind, little moments frozen in time forever.

  The next day, the young construction worker stopped by to sign the lease agreement. He promised to leave the house in better shape than he found it, to fix things, to keep it clean, and to be gentle on the furniture. He could tell this was much more than just a house to Stormy. He reassured her up and down that the house was in good hands, and Stormy could do nothing else but trust him.

  He paid his security deposit in cash, and she told him she’d leave the keys under the mat for him Tuesday morning. Their flight was to leave at eight, so they’d be gone by five at the latest.

  The man left, and Stormy was quiet as the reality of what she was doing sunk in.

  “Hey,” Ryder said as he put his arm around her. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she said.

  “Don’t be so negative,” he said. “Live a little.”

  It was easy for Ryder to say. He wasn’t giving up anything except a little extra space in his condo. He wasn’t uprooting his entire life and moving away from his friends and family. If it didn’t work out, he could send her packing and go back to living his west coast, biker bachelor lifestyle.

  “I’m trying,” she said. “It’s just scary, that’s all.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Stormy sat in a window seat next to Ryder on the plane. The distinctive, stale smell of airplane oxygen filled her nostrils as she watched people shuffle in, bags in tow, and find their seats. He had secured them two seats together in the first class cabin of the plane. The seats were roomy and comfortable. She was already sipping champagne and wrapped in a warm blanket as she clenched onto his hand nervously.

  Ryder claimed he wanted the trip to feel extra special, so he cashed in some frequent flyer miles for the first class upgrade. Stormy couldn’t help but feel out of place amongst all the upper crust people that surrounded them in first class. They were, by far, the youngest and most underdressed, but she tried not to let it get to her.

  She heard the jet engines firing up and watched as the flight attendants secured a few things and got into position. The captain made his announcement over the loud speaker, and the doors were latched and locked.

  The plane taxied to the runway where it came to a complete stop before gently taking off again. It started out slow, then fast, then even faster as she felt the nose of the plane lift up. It tickled her stomach until she felt the rear of the plane lift up as well and they were sailing upwards, straight through the air. She was officially headed to Los Angeles with Ryder. There was no turning back, at least not yet.

  Stormy spent much of the four hour flight resting her head on Ryder’s shoulder and breathi
ng in the comforting scent of his organic, lemongrass body wash. She was trusting him to take care of her and to follow through with his promises.

  They touched down a little after noon and were some of the first to exit the aircraft. They walked, hand in hand, down the terminal and towards the baggage claim area. Ryder was in Heaven with Stormy by his side. Every so often he’d squeeze her hand and smile at her, as if he was reassuring her that she’d made the right choice.

  “Brooklyn!” Stormy blurted out as they waited for their bags.

  “Huh?” Ryder asked, confused.

  “I didn’t say goodbye to her,” she pouted. “I didn’t even tell her I was leaving. I’m such a shitty person.”

  “The last couple days were sort of nuts,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll understand.”

  “She wanted to come out here with me and visit,” Stormy said.

  “And she still can,” he replied. “Fly her out next weekend or something. My treat.”

  Not only did Ryder want to take care of her, but he wanted to spoil her as well. He was almost too good to be true.

  “Really?” She was almost in disbelief.

  “Yeah,” he insisted. “You can call her when we get to the car if you want. Make the arrangements. Whatever. Not a big deal.”

  Their multiple bags came veering around the carousel as he scrambled to grab them all. Stormy laughed as she rushed to help him. They wheeled their bags out to the shuttle and rode it to the long-term parking area where his red Audi was waiting.

  The air was dry and warm and the palm trees were swaying in the breeze. It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, and Stormy felt nothing but hopeful.

  When they arrived at his condo, it looked exactly like it had a couple weeks ago when she had first visited. She wondered if he was a clean freak or if he had his own housekeeper, but she figured she’d find out soon enough.

  He wheeled her bags to his room and parked them in front of his walk in closet. He shoved a bunch of his clothes to the side and tried to make as much space for her things as he could.