Girls of Summer(84)
“What about your sister?” Juliet settled into the corner of a sofa.
“She doesn’t come down here. She is a dedicated farmer and doesn’t like being away from home.”
“Interesting,” Juliet said. “You’re always traveling and she won’t leave her home.”
Ryder was in the kitchen, and he returned with a glass of red wine and a board with cheese and crackers on it. “This is all I’ve got. I tossed your clothes in the dryer. When they’re dry, I’d like to take you out to dinner.”
“Maybe we can stop by my house first,” Juliet said, accepting the wine with a smile. “Even if my clothes are dry, I won’t want to wear them to a restaurant.”
They clicked glasses and looked out the high sliding glass windows.
“The wind is dying down,” Ryder said.
“And the tide is going out.” Juliet looked up at him. “Ryder, thank you for coming to help with the sandbags.”
“You’re welcome. It was the right thing to do, but you must know I came because of you.” He added, “Also, it was a great photo opportunity. I got some fabulous shots on my phone. I’ll have Georgia in my Boston office add them to my other photos for my next slideshow and lecture.”
“Where is your next lecture?” Juliet nibbled a bite of cheese. The physical work of hefting sandbags in the storm had exhausted her. She wanted more than a nibble. She wanted a five-course meal.
“I missed the one scheduled for tonight in Narragansett,” Ryder said. “I don’t have to leave the island for two more days.”
Juliet smiled down into her glass, pleased that he had skipped a professional engagement to stay with her, helping during the storm, even if it had provided a great photo opportunity.
Watching the waves through the window, Ryder asked, “Have you thought any more about what we talked about? About you working for me, and traveling with me?”
“Yes, of course I have. It’s complicated, and what you’re suggesting isn’t—clear.”
“I see. Okay. I’ll rephrase. I want you to travel with me and work for Ocean Matters but also sleep with me. Would you like me to propose marriage?”
Juliet tossed her head. “You do have a singular way of going about things.”
“That’s because I don’t know you that well. I haven’t been with you that long.”
“You haven’t been with me at all,” Juliet reminded him.
“I’m here right now,” Ryder said, meeting her eyes.
Juliet looked away. “Can we talk?”
“Of course.”
Juliet perched on the end of the sofa. Ryder sat in a chair across from her.
“You look very businesslike,” Ryder said.
“I’m trying to think how to say this. First of all, if you ever propose to me, please be a bit more elegant than you were a moment ago. But second, don’t propose to me yet. I would say no.”
“Juliet—”
“Listen, please. I’ve told you about my parents, the divorce, all that. It’s made me afraid of marriage. At least getting married quickly. My mother and father knew each other for only a few months before they married.”
“So,” Ryder said, “a long engagement would work for you?”
“I don’t know,” Juliet said. “Ryder, I am so attracted to you. But that doesn’t mean I could spend my life with you. And another thing, I’m not sure I want children. Maybe someday, but not soon. Not for years. And children often come with marriage.”
“I’d like to have children someday,” Ryder said softly. “I think you and I would have great children.”
“Ryder, you would have great children with a lot of women.” Juliet shifted away from his look. “It’s difficult being rational when you’re making me feel so…gooey.”
“You prefer being rational to being romantic?” Ryder asked.
“I don’t trust romance,” Juliet said. I haven’t had very good luck with romance, she thought quietly.
“You said you’d like to see China.”
“Yes. Yes, I would. I’d like to travel, see the world, and now that Theo is back on-island, and now that my mother has Mack in her life, I feel free to travel. I’ve always stayed near Nantucket so that I can be here quickly if she needs me, and now she doesn’t need me. I like this feeling of freedom. I’m not used to it yet.”
“I have to go to China soon, you know.” Ryder reached over and took Juliet’s hand. “You could come with me. You could be my assistant. I need an assistant. You could have your own room in the hotel. I wouldn’t press you. We could see how we work together, how we travel together.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, smiling at her. Seeing her, and wanting her so much it showed on his face.
“Not this time,” Juliet said. She let her eyes rest on him, adoring the sight of him, his sexiness, and his intelligence.
“Ryder, listen. I’m going to start my own business. I’ve had a lot of really good offers from organizations that want me to build their websites. I want to catch my breath, find a good lawyer, and map out a business plan. I’ll be able to work on the websites from anywhere, as long as I have my computer with me, but I think at this stage, in the beginning, I might need to hold some face meetings. I might have to travel to L.A. or Houston.”