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Aspen squeezed my hand back. “Hopefully when I’m not in my granny panties.”
“If it’s the right man, he won’t care,” I responded.
Aspen took a moment to let that sink in. “You’re right.”
Emma and Jenna added their hands to ours. A collective smile filled the table as if we each knew what a precious moment it was. I knew for me, it would be one I would never forget. It sparked an interesting thought. If it hadn’t been for heartache and the awful mistake I’d made, I would have never had this moment or these wonderful women in my life. God never ceased to amaze me with what he could make out of a mess.
I prayed now that Ryder and I came out stronger and better for it too.Chapter Twenty-Seven“Hey, Chief,” Ryder sounded exhausted when he answered his phone.
“Hi, handsome, are you still working?” It was already past 9:00.
“Yeah. I’m at the office actually. Our continuous build server crashed and I’m configuring a new server.”
“I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I’m still in Edenvale. I would love to come and see your office since I haven’t had a chance yet, and I would more than love to give you a reason for a break.” I had just left the café after our book club and hoped to head straight to his cabin, but his office would do.
“Chief, I would love nothing more, but until I get this new server up, our integration testing is at a standstill.”
“Don’t you have anybody else who can do that?”
“I’m the one who originally set it up, so it falls on me. And I’m particular about it.”
“I will let you get back to work then.” I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
“Hey, how about I make us breakfast in the morning?”
“I’d like that.”
“Is 6:30 too early? We have our Scrum meetings in the morning, so I have to be in early.”
“Do I want to know what Scrum means?”
He laughed. “It’s just a development methodology.”
“Oh. All right. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I love you, Chief.”
“I love you too.”
“Good—”
“Ryder,” I interrupted him. “It isn’t always going to be like this, is it?”
“No, darlin’. I’ll make it up to you. I promise. I need to run. Good night.”
In an instant he was off the Bluetooth in my car and I was left to wonder in the silence how long these insane hours of his would last. I didn’t get to think about it too much. My phone rang.
“Hello,” I spoke out into the car.
“Darling, it’s Memaw.”
I would know her rich alto voice anywhere. “It’s late where you are.”
“No darling, it’s early. I’m in Paris.”
“You are? I had no idea you were traveling.”
“That’s the beauty of being my age and filthy rich—I don’t have to tell anyone where I’m going or who I’m traveling with.”
“Are you traveling with someone?”
“Perhaps, but that’s my secret.”
Was this someone a male? I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that. Memaw had never been with another man since Granddaddy died, as far as I knew. That was a conversation for another day. I had other bones to pick with her. “You can keep your secret, but why did you keep from me that Ryder had been to see you and that you told him where I lived?”
“Like I told him, and from the sounds of it he told you, I thought it would be more fun this way.”
My heart dropped. “Am I just a game to you too?” My voice cracked. I couldn’t bear the thought of the one person I could count on growing up using me for some sick pleasure.
“Shelby,” her voice turned somber, “you are the best thing that ever happened to me, darling. I didn’t tell you about Ryder because I wasn’t sure anything would come of it and I didn’t want to injure you further after what he’d supposedly done to you.”
“Supposedly?”
“I began to have my suspicions even more after he came to see me that perhaps all wasn’t as it seemed. The look in that boy’s eyes said he was every bit as hurt as you. That, more than anything, is why I told him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about your suspicions? Do you know how awful it was for me to accuse Ryder to his face only for me to find out that I was the one who had made the mistake?”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for that. That was all your momma and daddy.” She sounded livid.
“I do bear the blame, and it kills me.” I still shuddered at the thought of all that I could have lost forever.
“And that’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew it would eat you up and I thought what was done was done. I was proud of you for standing on your own out there. I still am. And I’m happy you and the boy are back together.”
