The Year of Living Shamelessly (28 page)
Read The Year of Living Shamelessly Online
Authors: Susanna Carr
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary
Katie saw her friend Melissa at the cash register and waved her down. Her friend’s cheeks were rosy from the cold morning, and her blond ponytail was bouncing from side to side as she made her way to the table.
“Good morning,” Melissa said in a chirpy voice as she removed her red puffy vest, revealing her yellow warm-up jacket. “Isn’t it beautiful outside? The sun is shining and the air is cool and crisp, perfect for jogging.”
“I can’t stand morning people,” Hilary muttered, her red hair flopping in her face like a curtain. She burrowed deeper into her oversized gray cardigan, as if she couldn’t face the day just yet. “No one in their right mind should be this happy before noon.”
Melissa just smiled, which prompted a cranky growl from Hilary. She plopped down in the booth opposite Hilary and Katie. “I’m glad to see you survived the bondage club and are both back in one piece.”
“You should have gone with us,” Hilary said, pouring a packet of sugar into her coffee. “We were the belles of the ball.”
Katie wanted to roll her eyes as she listened to Hilary’s revised history. Belles of the ball? Couldn’t her friend have tried to get a little closer to the truth? Like that they were so invisible nothing had happened?
“I bet you were,” Melissa said as she scanned the menu. “I wish this place would offer something low-carb.”
Hilary growled in the back of her throat.
“Getting a sore throat?” she asked Hilary.
“January first is two days away,” Hilary informed her. “Pig out now and detox in the New Year.”
“I treat my body like a temple,” Melissa informed her with a haughty tilt to her chin, “not like I’m on a bender in Vegas.”
Hilary arched her eyebrows. “What exactly are you trying to say? That I treat my body like a casino?”
“I wouldn’t dream of saying such a thing.” Melissa closed the laminated menu with a slap, as if indicating she was changing the subject. “So, how was your Seattle trip? I was worried about you guys, and when Jake and Ryder came by asking questions, I thought it was best to tell them.”
“Don’t worry.” Katie patted Melissa’s hand. “They weren’t happy to find us there, but everything turned out fine.”
Melissa put her elbows on the table, then looked around the crowded café before asking in a low tone, “Did you
finally
complete your New Year’s resolution? And, Hilary, what about you and Jake? Rumor around town is that you guys didn’t get home until the next morning.”
finally
complete your New Year’s resolution? And, Hilary, what about you and Jake? Rumor around town is that you guys didn’t get home until the next morning.”
Katie was struck by something in Melissa’s questions. She tilted her head and considered the eagerness in her friend’s face. “Melissa, did you send them our way because you were worried about us, or to help us with our goals?”
“I don’t know.” Melissa thought about it for a moment. “Both, I guess. I figured you wouldn’t mind your knights in shining armor riding out to save you.”
“Did you hear any other rumors?” Hilary asked, pouring yet another sugar packet into her coffee. Katie sensed the tension in her friend. She hoped Jake hadn’t revealed anything about their night in Seattle.
“I heard this strange one about Katie that didn’t make much sense. Something about her dangling off a ledge half-naked to get Ryder,” Melissa said and shrugged.
Katie felt the sizzling blush flooding her cheeks but chose not to say anything. She was sure she had Mrs. Graham to thank for that rumor.
“I assumed it was some kind of metaphor. Although”—Melissa wagged her eyebrows at Katie—“last night I heard something about you visiting the sex shop and coming out with a very little bag. Anything you’d like to share?”
“You know what they say.” Katie leaned closer to Melissa. “Good things come in small packages.”
“So you
were
there.” Melissa’s eyes brightened with interest. “And what’s this about you dangling naked on a ledge?”
were
there.” Melissa’s eyes brightened with interest. “And what’s this about you dangling naked on a ledge?”
“That’s not true,” Katie said, waving her hand carelessly. “I was wearing lingerie.”
A shadow fell on her. “Helloooo, Katie.”
Katie winced as she heard Darwin Jones’s voice. It was the third time in a week he had surprised her. Something was definitely off with her Darwin radar. She must be so focused on Ryder that she was blind to everything else that went on around her.
“Good for you on taking my advice,” Darwin said, leaning his hip against her booth and giving her a close-up of his belt buckle. Today he wore the one that spelled out “Stud” in gold and rhinestones.
“I . . . did?” Darwin gave her advice? What was he talking about?
“You went to the sex shop,” he reminded her in a booming voice. Katie sensed people turning their heads, but she wasn’t going to look around to confirm it. “But why didn’t you call me? I would have been glad to show you around.”
“That’s okay,” Katie said politely. “I managed all on my own. It was so nice seeing you, but—”
“And you were supposed to call me the other night,” Darwin complained, not taking the hint that she wanted to talk to her friends alone. “What happened?”
Katie narrowed her eyes as she tried to follow what he had just said. She really had no idea what he was talking about. “I was? I don’t remember that.”
“When I gave Hilary the directions to the bondage club,” Darwin explained, gesturing toward her redheaded friend. “I gave her my cell phone number so we could hook up. That was the price for my information.”
Katie gave Hilary a threatening look. She had made a deal with Darwin to hang out with him? Was she nuts? “Is that right?”
Hilary shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Must have slipped my mind,” she muttered against her coffee cup and took a big swallow.
“I could have gotten you the VIP treatment,” Darwin confided, slicking back his already slicked-back hair, “but I didn’t see you until Ryder carried you out.”
“He carried you out?” Melissa repeated, her eyes widening. “Were you drunk?”
“I would have stopped him,” Darwin said, puffing out his chest, his tight TV test pattern sweater stretching to the limit,“but when he claimed you as his own, I couldn’t interfere. You know the rules.”
“Here comes Ryder now,” Hilary said, perking up. “He doesn’t look happy that you’re talking to his woman.”
Katie saw Darwin turn several shades of green as Ryder strode from the cash register to where she was sitting. Her heart did a funny little flip as she watched his approach. Wearing a black hoodie, jeans and hiking boots, he wasn’t dressed to impress, but it didn’t matter. Ryder Scott was a force of nature in this tiny café, and his dark masculine beauty took her breath away.
Ryder towered over their table and gave a nod of acknowledgment to her and her friends before focusing all of his attention on the hapless Darwin. The men were the same height, but Darwin seemed so insignificant next to Ryder. Darwin was heavier, but Ryder moved with such a lethal grace it was obvious that he could take Darwin down in a split second.
“Jones.” Ryder’s low, husky greeting hinted at the anger roiling underneath the surface.
Darwin gave a wheezing cough. “Ryder. I was telling Katie—”
“I heard what you were saying to Katie.” Ryder didn’t move closer, but there was something in his voice that made Darwin lean back. “And you must have been mistaken.”
“M-m-mistaken?”
“Ryder, you don’t have to concern yourself with this.” Katie tried to inject herself in the conversation before Darwin lost all bladder control.
Ryder didn’t listen to her. He kept his laser focus on Darwin, who was beginning to perspire. “I don’t like it when people gossip about Katie.”
“It’s not gossip,” Darwin babbled nervously. “I saw her.”
Ryder leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Be very careful about what you decide to say next.”
Darwin paled and Katie decided she’d had enough. As much as she appreciated Ryder’s protection, he didn’t need to traumatize guys like Darwin. She slid out of the booth and stood between the two men.
She flattened her hand on Ryder’s chest. “Ryder, leave Darwin alone. He meant no harm.”
Ryder glanced down at her. His expression hadn’t changed. She knew why Darwin was sweating bullets, but she wasn’t afraid. “Sit down, Katie.”
“No.”
Displeasure flickered in his eyes. “Katie”—he wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled down her hand—“I need to talk to you. Privately.”
She gave a sigh of impatience and looked over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back,” she promised her friends.
Ryder ran his hands through his hair as he escorted Katie away from the table.
Just when Darwin slumped against the booth and sighed, Ryder backtracked and stared down at the other man. “I got my eye on you now, Jones.” Then Ryder kept walking, not waiting around for Darwin’s reaction. He knew his words would have a strong effect.
“You don’t have to intimidate Darwin like that,” Katie whispered fiercely as Ryder guided her past the other tables. “He’s annoying, but he doesn’t mean any harm.”
“You shouldn’t lead him on like that,” Ryder said in a harsh and low voice, his self-control slipping. He stopped into the alcove with the pay phone next to the restrooms. Katie needed to understand why she drove him crazy. “Do you need to have every man in Crystal Bend panting after you?”
“Lead him on?” Katie’s jaw dropped. “I do not! I’m trying to be nice because I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”
“Stop encouraging him,” Ryder ordered. It amazed him that Katie didn’t understand her sex appeal with other men. “Don’t talk to Jones, don’t look in his direction, and stop smiling at him.”
“Oh, you are being ridiculous.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I am not going to be rude to Darwin because you’re jealous.”
Ryder’s eyes widened. “Jealous of
Darwin
?” His voice rose in disbelief. “Now who is being ridiculous?”
Darwin
?” His voice rose in disbelief. “Now who is being ridiculous?”
It sounded ridiculous. Outrageous. And yet, he knew there was some truth to it. Katie had chosen to be with him right now and he didn’t want any guy—even Darwin—intruding on his time with her. He was a possessive man and he didn’t share. At all.
“Darwin is
not
harmless. I heard everything he said the moment I walked in here,” Ryder continued. The guy was lucky he’d held back, because otherwise Darwin would be kissing the sidewalk right now. “Everyone heard him. I did what I had to do in order to protect your reputation.”
not
harmless. I heard everything he said the moment I walked in here,” Ryder continued. The guy was lucky he’d held back, because otherwise Darwin would be kissing the sidewalk right now. “Everyone heard him. I did what I had to do in order to protect your reputation.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “You’re trying to protect my reputation? In case you haven’t noticed, I didn’t have much of one until this year.”
Oh, he’d noticed all right. He’d noticed the guys she dated and hated every minute of it. But she was his now and that meant he protected everything about her, including her reputation.
She gave him a sharp, sudden look. “Unless it’s your reputation that’s really worrying you.”
He scoffed at the suggestion. “I don’t care about that.” He never had. Katie should know that.
“But you don’t want people to know about us, do you? Am I your dirty little secret?” she asked, crossing her arms, as if the possibility hurt. “You can give it to me straight, Ryder. I can handle it.”
Ryder rubbed his hands over his face, digging the heels of his palms against his eyes. How had he gotten into this conversation? One minute he was warning her about the dangers of Darwin and the next he was defending himself. “You could never be anyone’s dirty little secret.”
“Thanks, I think.”
Ryder lowered his hands. “I don’t care what people say about me, but I do care what they say about you.” Didn’t she understand that he wanted to protect her from prying eyes?
His motives weren’t completely noble. He didn’t want her to have a single moment of regret over what they experienced together. Some people in town would gladly pick at what he shared with Katie. He would keep the ugliness at bay for as long as he could, giving their relationship some time to bind and strengthen, so that when he left, Katie would remember him with love and affection.
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