“Where is he?” Ryker asked.
“I don’t know. He was just here! It’s like he’s vanished.”
“He can’t just vanish. This town isn’t big enough for someone to vanish into.”
“I know that!”
Ryker shook his head and locked a hand in his hair, staring around. “Are you sure it was him? There’s a lot of people here.”
“I’m sure.” But was she? “Oh, hell, I don’t know.” She rubbed at her eyes as if it would improve her sight. She’d only caught the briefest of glimpses—a second or two at the most, and only of his eyes. Yet, the recognition had been like a punch in the gut, and she’d been so certain in that moment. But now threads of doubt began to wind their way into her heart.
Could she really be sure it had been him?
Chapter Eleven
Ryker pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “It was probably nothing. You have every right to feel like you’re seeing him everywhere right now, but you haven’t even seen the guy for what, more than a year? His face might look completely different. He might have gained fifty pounds.”
She was trembling all over, but she still made herself step away. “What? In jail? Unlikely.”
“Okay¸ but you know what I mean.”
“Anyway, it wasn’t his face I saw. It was only his eyes.”
“You just saw a set of eyes?”
“Yeah. I recognized them and it was such a shock I didn’t get a chance to look at the rest of him.”
“So it could have been anyone?”
She felt herself rise in defense. “No, it couldn’t! Even if it wasn’t him, something about those eyes made me react. I wouldn’t do that for no good reason.”
“You have a reason,” he said, his voice gentle, his hand resting on her arm. “You know your ex has recently been released from jail.”
She stared at Ryker, at his clear, blue gaze as he studied her face in concern, at the fullness of the mouth that had kissed her, at the solid, square jaw. She also took in the sight of the piercings, tattoos, and muscles. Ryker looked tough, though he’d already proven to Jenna he had a soft side. If Garrett saw her with him, would he think twice about approaching her? She wanted to believe he would, but her heart told her Garrett would only view Ryker as an extra challenge.
But Ryker was right. Garrett had been constantly on her mind lately, and finding out about his early release had been a shock. She’d been so sure those had been his eyes, but as every second ticked by, more doubt crept in. She could easily have mistaken someone else’s eyes for Garrett’s.
Jenna released a sigh. “You’re right. I feel like I’m losing my mind sometimes.”
“Well, you’re not. You’re completely sane.”
She tried not to snort in derision, but she had to admit she was feeling better. The trembling had stopped and her heart had calmed to a normal pace.
“Do you want to go home?” he asked.
Home?
“I don’t have a home.” The closest thing she’d had for the past year was her car, and that was currently locked up in his garage.
His expression was deadly serious. “You do while you’re here with me.”
Her heart swelled with happiness and she gave him a smile. “Thanks, Ryker. You’re being too nice to me, you know that, right?”
He grinned. “Only because I’m expecting something in return.”
Jenna reached out and smacked him on the arm.
He laughed and pulled away. “So, seriously, do you want me to take you home—and I’m not just offering ’cause I want to get you in my bed. If you’re frightened, I’ll get you out of here.”
Part of her wanted to run and hide, but the other part of her felt like if Garrett was here in town, she wanted to know.
Also, she didn’t want to spoil Ryker’s day. She was acutely aware that he could be spending time with a couple of sexy, skinny girls like Megan and Nikki, and not a paranoid freak like her. She still didn’t quite understand his reasons for wanting to spend time with her, especially considering her background—or at least what he knew of it. Maybe he felt sorry for her and had taken her on like a project.
She shook her head and forced a smile. “No, it’s fine. You’re right. I’m sure I’m just seeing things.”
He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “As long as you’re sure you’re okay.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Jenna took a moment to ground herself, inhaling slowly and checking around to make sure there wasn’t any sign of the person who had looked like Garrett, or if she felt like she was being watched. She didn’t.