Hayden made a face at her dorky comment. “Who are you here with?”
“A friend,” she said as she nudged towards Ryder sitting in the booth. His head was down, and he was staring at his phone.
Hayden squinted as he tried to figure out who the guy in the booth was. Stormy could read the judgment all over his face. He was probably wondering why she was hanging out with some other guy less than a week after her husband died.
“It’s Jett’s brother,” Stormy said in an attempt to squash any harshly incorrect thoughts going through his head. “He’s in town. Staying at my place. He leaves tomorrow. We’re just getting dinner.”
For some reason Stormy always felt the need to explain herself to him.
“Ah, I see,” he said as he kept staring at Ryder. The moment Ryder turned to look over towards the bar, Hayden turned his head the other way as fast as he could. Sitting in the corner, hunched over in the booth and dressed in leather, Ryder probably looked pretty intimidating.
The bartender sat her drink down on the bar, and she slapped a five dollar bill down in its place.
“Excuse me,” she said as she brushed past Hayden and returned to her booth.
“Was that guy bothering you?” Ryder asked as she returned.
“Ha. Hayden? No. He’s harmless,” Stormy said. “Just an ex.”
Ryder’s curiosity was clearly peaked at the mention of her ex. “Interesting.”
“Interesting how?” Stormy said. “Everyone has exes.”
“Do you still talk to him?”
“Not if I can avoid it,” she said. “He’s pretty much an asshole. He dumped me before he went off to college years ago. Tried to get me back when he found out I was getting married. He’s a very lost soul. I feel bad for him actually.”
“Been there. I, too, was once a very lost soul,” Ryder said, though he didn’t seem to care to elaborate on that.
The food arrived, hot and steaming, and the conversation seemed to cease as Ryder shoveled heaps of mixed vegetables and bites of cheap sirloin steak into his mouth. Stormy picked at her chicken sandwich and concentrated more on her drink. She was ready to go for a third drink until she stood up and nearly fell down.
“Maybe you better cool it with the drinks,” Ryder said as he reached out and braced her arm. “You’re a total lightweight. Want some water? I’ll get you some water.”
Stormy sat back down as Ryder ran to the bar to grab her a refreshing and much needed glass of ice cold water.
“Drink up,” he said as he continued funneling his dinner into his mouth.
She sipped on the freezing cold water and felt a little embarrassed, but she sort of liked how Ryder looked after her. The things he did were the things Jett would’ve done. The Jacks boys were nothing if not chivalrous.
With empty plates and full bellies, Ryder took care of the check and escorted Stormy out to his bike. She was very much tipsy, but she could still feel the stares of all the locals as they walked out together. She could only imagine what was going through their heads. The idea of California was sounding better and better to her but it wasn’t realistic. She couldn’t expect Ryder to hold her hand and take care of her if she moved out there. She’d have to start from scratch. She’d have no one and nothing, and she was sure she’d be homesick.
Ryder helped her inside the house and walked her to her room where he hoisted her into bed and covered her with layers of blankets and sheets.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you undress,” he said. “I hate to make you sleep in jeans. I just don’t think it would be right for me to – “
“Mm, hm,” Stormy said as she interrupted him. “It’s okay.”
The room was spinning as she melted back into the soft mattress. It was dark outside and under the pale moonlight that spilled through the curtains, Ryder looked exactly like Jett.
He lingered for a bit on the edge of her bed as if he had more to say.
“I really miss Jett,” he said. “I want you to know I’m sorry I couldn’t have spent more time with him over the last eight years.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” she mumbled.
“I just never really got to tell him that,” Ryder said as he looked down. “I missed out on so much, and now he’s gone. You’re all that’s left of him.”
“Me?” she asked, confused.
“Yeah. He loved you more than anything, Stormy,” he replied. “Spending the last few days with you, I get it.”
Her heart melted a little. His words meant more to her than anything and they were exactly what she needed to hear after the long week she’d just had. She rested her eyes for only a moment and then she was out.