Up In Flames

Chapter 27

Awkward.

From the moment, Emma woke Happy and Rory up in the monitor, throughout dinner that evening and the entire next day it was awkward. Rory did everything she could to keep busy and avoid the conversation he had tried to initiate after they’d had sex. The roles were reversed for once and neither liked how it felt. As much as she wanted Happy, Rory knew his sudden change of heart and his willingness to transfer was merely possessive and obsessive. Tucson was not what he truly wanted and it wasn’t where she wanted to be but there were far too many issues between them to dive back in for all the wrong reasons.

Rory caught Happy eyeing her through the open bedroom door. “Hap, I thought you were taking her out for a walk? Why are you back so early?”

“She’s miserable,” he complained. “I don't know what’s wrong with her.”

“Molars.” Rory said as she dabbed some lip gloss on her bottom lip. “She never had a bad time teething but these ones are rough.”

“You're not going.” With unbelievable gentleness, he zipped up her dress.

“We're not having this conversation.” The dress was backless so Rory buried herself in her closet to find a shawl or sweater. “You told me you didn't want me. I didn't want to leave, I didn't want to come here of all places, I didn't want to end shit and I wanted to talk. What I wanted didn't matter to you so what you want doesn't matter to me.”

When she stepped out Happy was right there. “You gonna fuck him? Nobody,” he growled and pushed her back into the closet, “Fucks you like I do.”

“Guess I’ll find out.” She spat bitterly as he pressed his body against hers in the back of the closet. “You're hurting me.”

Happy stepped back and to the side to allow Rory the room to exit the closet. “Go, I'll be here with Emma.”

“Hap,” her voice cracked. “You really want to work on this? I can't keep running and moving Emma around, we need stability. I need to know you're not going to push me away or get a nasty blowjob.”

“Go on your date.” His eyes were glued to her bed as he said it. Happy wasn’t sure he could provide those things, he wanted to but he was a practical man and he knew that it might not be possible.

Rory nodded her face puffy and red as she tried not to cry. “Don't wait up.”

--

“I flipped twice, in front of this huge crowd, and that was it,” Ryder laughed. “I knew I needed college because the whole extreme sports thing wasn't happening.”

It had taken Rory some time to relax and cheer up but it was easy to when such a handsome man was smiling at her. They were seated outside and were just finishing their dinner. “That was probably the smarter move. I wish I would have gone that way, college and a proper career.”

“What was that improper career?” More serious than before, Ryder seemed drawn to her as moved closer. “I know you said you're home with Emma now but before that.”

Bringing her wine glass to her lips, Rory avoided eye contact. “You probably won't believe me.”

“It's that crazy?” A few strains of hair fell into his eyes as he shook his head. “I doubt it. Come on, I want to know.”

Puckering her lips as she thought about it, Rory decided just to say it. His reaction would be a wonderful gauge. “I was a recovery agent, you know like a bounty hunter and after I settled down with Emma’s dad I did PI work.” She waited for the hysterics to begin but Ryder looked at her with bright, interested eyes.

“Really?” He smiled and examined her face. “That's so cool but you don't look like, well, what I'd imagine a female bounty hunter to look like.”

“Because I'm not butch?” She asked, feigning outrage.

“You're just too beautiful,” Ryder said. His voice hit her ears like a song. “I don't mean to be cheesy, it's true though. I've never met someone like you, you're so different.”

Looking down at her nearly empty plate Rory fought tears. “I'm more like f-“ she stopped and bit back the expletive, “screwed up.”

“I don't think that's on you. I think that's on your ex. I may be wrong but I've picked up on the way you've worded some things and it's just my opinion.”

“What happened with Gwen’s mother?” It was prying but Rory for monumentally uncomfortable after being the focus of conversation.

Ryder could see he’d pushed too hard and eased back into his chair. “We were together for a while, party kids, while I tried my horrible luck with BMX but it didn't last. Few years ago, we ran into each other, she got pregnant with Gwen although we were never together officially. It was just a fling. Gwen hated that I didn’t feel that anything. I was committed to the baby but not her.” His usually sparkling eyes became cloudy. “She had bad postpartum depression but I had no idea, she never said anything, she hid it so well. The first weekend I had Gwen at my place for a night, you know when she was old enough and finally on formula, Bailey killed herself.”

Before he'd even said it, Rory was already expecting a tragic end. Covering her face and regretting the question intensely, Rory shook her head. “I am so sorry.”

“Thanks.” He forced a sad smile. “Looks like we both have some darkness we're working on.”

“Mine isn't such a tragedy it's more like stupidity.”

“How about I judge that? I'll be much less harsh than you.”

“Okay. Our relationship until I got pregnant was great, weird but I liked it. He didn't want me to keep Emma so I bolted, went home to Oregon and had her there. I felt guilty as all hell so I ended up back in California when she was about three months. It was rocky at first but we made it work, he stepped up and I could see he loved her despite his reaction to the pregnancy. Six months ago he cheated, said it was work related and that was the first crack, then someone broke into our home kidnapped Emma and attacked me. He couldn't handle it, he felt guilty that he wasn't there to protect us, so he broke up with me and sent me here to keep me safe. I never wanted to come here.”

He was clearly enthralled by her story. “Then why did you?” It was the last question she expected him to ask. “I mean I get leaving after the attack but why did you listen to him?”

Replaying it in her mind, Rory didn't know. “I trusted him, maybe, I don't know. He's got…friends here I guess and that provided some support if I needed it.”

“I told you I'd be honest,” he warned her. “I don't think you're stupid I think he was controlling and obsessive and I'm not just saying that because of this story. I read people and it's one of the first things I picked up from you.”

Rory's head cocked to the side as she put serious thought into his opinion. “No I can't say I agree. I'm not just some chick who just rolls over. That was why we were so good together I always held my own and went right back at him.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I think I need to leave.”

Ryder sighed and reaching across the table grabbed her wrist. “Please, I’m sorry.”

Without thinking, her years of work experience clouding her judgement, Rory tried to  yank her arm away from him but he was much stronger. “Let go.” It was far from threatening but it was last thing Rory expected and she did not like it.  

“Rory,” Ryder stood keeping his hand on her wrist. “Please stay. I didn’t mean anything by it; I was too honest, I’m sorry.”

Where he had come from, Rory didn’t know, but she was thrilled and relieved to see Happy suddenly behind her, climbing the white wrought iron gate that separated the sidewalk from the patio. “Get your hands off her, unless you want to have a problem.”