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Ryker made a noise that could be a grunt of agreement or a scornful scoff. His face was in its usual rigid lines, but this time Bryce didn’t sense a smile lurking under the surface. Maybe he felt Kate was calling him out? Remembering his earlier admission that he was rusty at relationships, she rushed to rescue him.
“It’s not natural. I had a year of practice. Before culinary school, I was a nanny for this executive in Tampa. The boy’s name was Quinn, and he had two dimples you only saw when he belly laughed. So I spent my days seeing how many times I could make him giggle.” Bryce shifted Elise from one arm to the other, catching Ryker’s gaze and smiling. “Don’t you love babies? I used to say I wanted ten, but now I realize four is more realistic.”
Ryker’s face went funny, like he suddenly had indigestion. “I’d better go check on the cupcakes. Mom should be here already.” He pivoted, then vanished out the front door.
Bryce tried not to be hurt by how abruptly he’d turned away. After all, he clearly cared, since he’d called in the Matthews cavalry for this impromptu Easter bash. Why was she always so sensitive? But she felt validated when Kate whispered under her breath.
“Ryker gets a little stressed out in crowds, or hectic situations. Don’t let it bother you.”
There wasn’t any time to be bothered, because between hanging bunches of flower garlands and taping up Easter Bunny and egg pictures to the front store windows until it looked like something out of a Martha Stewart Easter catalog, thirty minutes flew by. Bryce’s heart did a nervous flop as her phone binged with a text notification.
“It’s Imani. She says, ‘Hey, sorry but we’re not going to be able to make it to the party. Zander jabbed himself in the eye applying the Easter Bunny’s eyelashes and whiskers, and we’ve spent the better part of an hour at the ER.’” Bryce scanned the rest of the long text from her friend and the girls’ dance teacher. “Oh no! Zander has a lacerated cornea. But they’re picking up eyedrops from the pharmacy and the doc say he’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
“That means we won’t have an Easter Bunny,” Kate said, disappointed. “He got the only costume Ray had.”
Bryce’s spirits fell. She’d wanted to give the girls an epic holiday, but fate was conspiring against her. She shrugged, trying to look on the bright side. “It’ll be fine. The girls will have eggs to hunt and—oh, crappers—the eggs!”
She raced to the kitchen. The eggs sat in the pot of water, but both were stone cold. She’d never turned the burner on.
“Nooo!” Bryce grabbed the sides of her head.
“What can I do?” came Ryker’s voice from behind.
She spun, throwing her hands up. “Sprinkle magic dust and make these eggs cook in the next thirty seconds, and heal your brother’s cornea so we can have a bunny here today.” She hated how high her voice sounded. “Honestly, if there’s a way to screw up a perfectly good plan, I’ll find it. Kate and Imani had everything under control—all I had to do was cook some freaking eggs. You think I’d get that right. And now the Easter Bunny isn’t coming because Zander poked himself in the eye. At least there’s decorations. Thank goodness for that.”
Ryker said nothing, just opened his arms to her.
She threw herself into them, her nose buried into his neck, inhaling his soothing scent—he smelled like cars and tools and strong soap. She grew calm, breathing him in, and, after a moment, she pulled away.
“Hug emergency?” he asked as his hand cupped her cheek.
She nodded. Tears threatened, and she blinked rapidly, refusing to cry. “Thank God you were here, saving the day. My hero.”
His shoulders dropped. He chuckled wryly, kissed her forehead, then released her.
“Start the water. Blow bubbles to occupy the girls. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”
“Where are you going?”
“Doing hero shit,” he muttered. “Time to nut up or shut up.”
With that odd non sequitur, he left.
“Bryce?” Kate stuck her head around the wall into the kitchen. “They pulled up out front. The girls are here.”
Flipping the burner to high under the eggs, Bryce grabbed a handful of the tiny bubble wands Kate had brought and went out into the dining area.
Ryker was right—she hadn’t ruined the day. She’d cook the eggs, hide them hot, then by the time the girls found them, they’d be cool enough to decorate. There was no reason to freak out. She’d blow bubbles, as instructed. Whatever Ryker was up to, well, Bryce’s spirits were buoyed by the fact he’d come through for her. Because that’s who he was.
The Paynes entered first, followed by her nieces, and Bryce grinned as Addie shrieked at a goblet-shattering decibel. “Aaah! It looks like a fairy garden in here!”
Her new white fairy wings were perky and looked like they were made for the frilly, pink-and-white Easter dress. She was like a pixie come to life, and someone had done her hair in a braid that went around her head, like a crown, the end hidden by a white spray of flowers.
“You look beautiful, Addie-bell.” Bryce gathered her up in a quick hug and kiss, the stress melting off at the transported look in Addison’s eyes.
“Nana braided my hair like Mommy used to,” Addison said, and Bryce hid the pang she felt at not measuring up. Aware of Kate and Drake standing in the nook by the front windows, she called her niece’s attention to the decorations.
“Doesn’t it look wonderful in here? Ms. Kate and Mr. Drake did all of this as an Easter surprise. They brought bubbles for you, and when the eggs are done cooking, we’re going to hunt for them, and then decorate—”
