Sheltered(37)

“You know, I tried to teach him how to cook,” Kathleen says conspiratorially to me. “Poor Ry could burn water.”

“I’m not much better,” I say and smile at her. “I got a wild hair one time and tried to make deviled eggs. I didn’t know how long it took to boil eggs, so I just figured I’d do an hour to be safe.”

“Oh, honey, what happened?” Jackie asks as he laughs.

“They were like shriveled dust inside.” I laugh thinking about it, but then remember how I broke I was at the time, so I still had to eat them anyway.

“With enough Dukes, anything is edible,” Kathleen says and winks at me.

She’s right. I slapped in some mayo and called it egg salad. It wasn’t too bad after that. I’ve tried over the past few months to get better at cooking, but it hasn’t been going the best.

“That just means Lily can never leave us,” Ryker says and nods over to the table nearby.

Lily is putting out a platter of finger sandwiches along with the other food and then wipes her hands on her apron.

“You know I’m only staying for the money. I keep telling Mrs. Kathleen to make me an offer.” Lily laughs as she hangs her apron up. “Y’all enjoy the food and leave the dishes. Especially you,” she says, narrowing her eyes on Kathleen. “I don’t want to see you with your hands in my sink. Lord knows I need something to keep me busy.”

Kathleen holds her hands up in defense as everyone says goodbye to Lily. She exits out the back and I watch through the window as she goes out to the garden. Ryker says she loves the sunshine and spends hours out there working on her vegetables and plants.

“Thank you,” I say to Ryker as I take the plate of food he piled up for me and take a seat at the table where Lily set out places for us. Everyone else comes over and sits down with their plates as Ryker brings me coffee.

“So,” Kathleen says, and I can almost feel my stomach drop. “Are you enjoying your captivity in Perscia?”

For a moment I have to think about what she means, but then I remember that’s the name of the estate. It hasn’t been that long since Ryker told me, but it feels like a lifetime ago.

“For a prisoner, I have to say it’s pretty great so far.”

At that exact moment, Ryker pours cream in my coffee and places a tray of desserts next to it. He even uses a spoon to stir it, and it’s almost ridiculous how he dotes on me.

“Considering he’s never done this before, I’m happy to see the accommodations are suiting you.” She’s so casual as she talks about her son kidnapping me as she sips her coffee.

The thought of Ryker doing this before me never even crossed my mind. Ridiculously it makes me feel special to know that he’s never gone this crazy for someone. That I’m somehow different for him. Like he is for me.

I decide that I don’t have much to lose and go for the direct question. “Would you mind telling me why he decided to do it?”

Kathleen looks to Jackie and gives him a sad smile. He looks back at her and places his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. Something passes between them, and I feel like I’ve somehow made them somber.

“I’m sorry…” I start to say, wanting to go back to the playful feeling we had just a second ago.

“No, it’s fine. You have every right to ask,” Jackie says, and I can see the sincerity in his eyes. “And Ryker has the obligation to explain it to you. But not today. Today is for meeting you and getting to know the woman who has our son in knots.”

I glance over at Ryker, who is watching me. He’s got his hand draped across the back of my chair and I feel his thumb brushing along my neck. He’s so casual and at ease. It’s something I haven’t seen in him before, and I really like it. He looks sexy and my mind drifts back to waking up this morning.

“Have you had a chance to visit the peach groves?” Kathleen asks, pulling me from my dirty thought about this morning and sending me straight to the dirty thoughts of the orchard. “It smells heavenly this time of year.”

I almost choke on my coffee as I hear Ryker chuckle, and I think about his comments when his head was between my legs.

“Um, yes,” I say, patting my chest. “It’s really beautiful.”

“We should take a walk out there later. I haven’t been this season and I’d love to grab a basket before they’re all gone.”

“I think we can handle that.” Ryker looks at me and answers my unspoken question. “When they’re in season and picked, we donate them to the farmers market and local food banks.”

“That’s so nice,” I say, mentally marking down another thing about Ryker that makes my heart melt. Can he really be this perfect?

“He’s pretty great,” Kathleen says, and I can hear the pride in her voice.

“All right, enough about me, why don’t you guys interrogate my woman,” Ryker jokes as he tickles my side.

He looks relaxed and so at ease with his family here. I haven’t seen this side of him, but now that I have, I want it all the time. Could he be this way with me?

His parents ask me questions, but they’re careful not to ask one that would make me uncomfortable. We talk about how I liked riding Diamond and what kinds of foods I like. There’s never any talk that might lead back to my job before I came here, or what led Ryker to take me. I wonder now and then if he briefed them on what to say before they got here, but then decide I like the safe talk. It makes me more relaxed and less afraid of landmines I’m not willing to talk about. From the looks of it, Ryker comes from a good home with good parents. My upbringing was the polar opposite of what he experienced, and I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. My mom sucks, and I don’t have any family to speak of, but I refuse to let that define who I am.