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Her crazy factor was one of the things he loved most about her.
He grinned. “I’m on board with that. Well, wait...” His grin faded and he held up his index finger. “I have to amend that response. I’m on board as long as you only do safe crazy stuff. I can’t have you getting hurt by jumping off a roof or stealing cars or something that extreme.”
“Damn, there go my retirement plans...” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, deal.”
His smile returned. “Good. Glad that’s settled. Seal it with a kiss?”
“Fuck yeah.” She pressed her lips to his enthusiastically. He returned the kiss and teased her mouth with his. He nipped her lip lightly then pulled away.
He said, “Let’s get this shopping thing done and get back home so I can have my way with you.”
“Sounds good, Mr. Blue Eyes.” Jade laughed, pulled a ball cap over her hair, and climbed out of the truck.
He chuckled and climbed out also, then he followed her into the store.
They picked up apples and sunflower seeds for Chester, plus some fresh produce and groceries for themselves. They also grabbed some essentials — like Nerf guns. Ryker grinned when he thought about the Nerf gun wars about to go down at the cabin.
When they went to check out, a high-pitched squeal snapped Ryker to attention. He glanced around and found the source to be a tween girl nearby, shaking with excitement and looking at Jade. He relaxed a little, but the encounter still had him on edge.
Jade smiled at her and held a finger in front of her lips, with a silent shhhhh, then gestured her over.
The girl approached Jade and said, “I’m Amy and I’m such a big fan. I want to dye my hair like yours when I’m old enough! Can I get a picture with you?”
“Sure, Amy. Ry, can you take a pic for us?” Jade pulled her hat off and ran her fingers through her hair, then wrapped her arm around the girl and leaned in for a picture.
Ryker wasn’t happy that a fan spotted Jade so close to the cabin, but he still took the girl’s phone and snapped a picture of the two smiling faces.
Jade gave Amy a hug and the girl beamed at her. “Keep rockin’, Amy,” she said. They fist bumped, and Amy excitedly went back to shopping.
Jade pulled her hat back on and laughed. “Let’s get outta here before I get small-town mobbed.”
Ryker growled and pushed their cart to the register to check out.
They loaded the bags into the back of the truck and headed back to the cabin.
Ryker was upset with himself for letting his guard down in public. What if that had been Jade’s stalker, not a fan? He was supposed to be protecting her but instead he’d grown too comfortable and forgotten about the potential danger.
His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.
“What’s wrong?” Jade asked as he parked in front of the cabin.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me, Ryker. Lying doesn’t suit you. You haven’t said a word to me this whole ride, plus you look like you’re about to hulk-smash the steering wheel. I know something upset you. Talk to me.”
Of course Jade would call him out while he was still pissed at himself.
He sighed. “I let my emotions cloud my judgment. I dropped the ball as your bodyguard. You aren’t safe when I’m not alert, and I obviously wasn’t alert when a 12 year old approached you before I even noticed her. That could’ve been Rosé.”
“It wasn’t Rosé. He has no idea where we are. Plus, you would notice a grown man approaching me way before an innocent little girl. And even if he did know where we are, he’s not going to do anything to me in a superstore with all those cameras around. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“This time. It wasn’t a big deal this time. But what about next time? I can’t let anything happen to you, Jade. It would destroy me.”
He finally turned his eyes to hers.
She looked him in the eye and said, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and put on your big-girl panties. Nothing happened. I don’t need protection from a 12 year old fan in the middle of a small town Walmart. I can handle that on my own.”
She reached over, pulled his fingers off the steering wheel, and took his hand in hers.
