The Memory of You (Sanctuary Sound #1)(89)

He grasped her face and kissed her again, tenderly suckling her lower lip before he dipped his tongue into her mouth. He could smell her skin and the scent of her shampoo. The heat of her mouth and her warm hands around his neck had him aching to whisk her up to her room and make love, finally, after all these years apart. He pulled away.

“Ryan?” she asked.

Had he shivered? “Hm?”

She pressed her fingers to the creases between his brows. “You look so sad.”

The front door slammed open, scattering his thoughts like the pile of mail that fell to the floor. They both jolted upright as Claire thumped inside, red-cheeked and wild-eyed.

She stopped short upon finding them in the living room.

“Oh! I didn’t expect you two to be back so early.” She closed the front door before bending to pick up the mail and return it to the table. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

“Wait!” Steffi said. “What happened to you?”

Claire’s disheveled hair made it look as if someone had tossed her into a barrel and shoved it down a hill. Her chin quivered. “Not what. Who!”

“Who, then?” Steffi asked.

“Peyton’s ambassador, that’s who!”

Peyton’s ambassador?

“Logan?” Ryan sat forward. He hadn’t seen him or Peyton in years. “He’s in town?”

“Did you know?” Claire demanded of Steffi. Panic etched itself across her face, tugging her features downward. “Why wouldn’t you warn me?”

“Warn you of what?” Steffi approached Claire the way one might approach an injured wolf.

“Logan says Peyton’s coming home after this first course of treatment to have her mastectomies and recuperate.” Claire closed her eyes, her body so tense it quivered. “Surely she mentioned it during one of your talks.”

“No, she didn’t.” Steffi reached for Claire’s arm, but Claire pulled away. “I swear, Claire. I had no idea.”

“I hope not. I really hope not. It’s hard enough to know that you’re still friends with her.” She gestured between them with a jerky motion. “We’re partners. You should have my back. I don’t want to be blindsided by Peyton ever again.” Claire’s voice trilled.

Ryan sought to break the tension. “Why is Logan in town? I thought he lived in the city.”

“Visiting his mom, I guess. I don’t know. I tried to avoid him when I spotted him in Connecticut Muffin, but he followed me onto the street. As if being humiliated by one Prescott in my life wasn’t enough . . . he chased me down in public to deliver that news.” Claire trembled, whether from anger or sorrow, he wasn’t sure. She pressed her fingers to her temples. “I can’t believe she’d dare show her face around here. Why can’t she leave me in peace?”

“I don’t think she’s trying to torment you,” Steffi said. “She probably needs to regroup someplace quiet and comforting. Who doesn’t want to go home when she’s sick?”

“Quit defending her!” Claire thrust her index finger toward Steffi. “I doubt you’d like it if Val said she was moving to town and you had to worry about running into her. And Val didn’t even do anything to you. She didn’t steal Ryan . . . you threw him away!”

“Hey!” Steffi cried. “Don’t attack me, Claire.”

“Everyone, cool down.” Ryan stepped between the women. “Claire, I get that you’re upset, but Steffi’s not your enemy. Neither am I. Let’s not say things we’ll regret later.”

“I didn’t mean it.” Claire started crying in earnest. “I’m upset. I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder to avoid Peyton. I don’t want her here.”

If Claire could’ve moved quickly, Ryan sensed she would’ve bolted upstairs. Instead, she ambled up with her cane, a steady thud echoing throughout the small home until her bedroom door closed.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Steffi said, still looking up the stairwell. “Mentioning Peyton around Claire is like setting off a live grenade. She can’t get over the whole thing with Todd.”

Ryan understood Claire. Some pain reverberates over and over until you think you might lose your mind, rupturing like a volcano at the slightest provocation.

“It takes time to process betrayal. Look at how I reacted to seeing you for the first time in years.” Ryan shrugged. “She got caught unaware. And if I recall, she always had a little crush on Logan. Maybe that flustered her, too.”

“Middle school crushes don’t count.” Steffi continued to watch the stairs and listen for activity. She looked back at him and let loose a defeated sigh. “Does it feel like we can’t get five minutes of peace?”

Ryan grabbed her into a hug and gave her a quick kiss. “Look at it this way . . . going through difficult stuff together will strengthen our resilience, right?”

Steffi wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his shoulder. “I wish I could help Claire. She needs to talk to someone . . . maybe a counselor.”

“Maybe you could do a two-for-one?” he teased, unable to resist the easy opening.

She slapped his ass. “Ha ha.”

He’d made the joke, but in truth, it wasn’t funny. “Why do you think Claire should talk to someone but you won’t consider it?”