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Chapter 7
Dakota managed to avoidRyan the entire next day as she and her girls settled into their apartment. She had to make a trip to buy a couple mattresses and a couple small pieces of used furniture, and for the time being, until she saw how her money held out, they were going to make do.
In the meantime, the girls and her were subsiding on dry cereal, crackers, and cookies. Her girls didn’t mind that at all.
She allowed them one day to get settled in, and then the next day, she took them to the school to register them and get them started.
It took longer than she was expecting, and she was starving by the time she got back to Strawberry Sands.
She had a ton of things to do, and she was grateful that the school would feed the girls at least. They’d have one healthy meal that day.
As for her, she was pretty sure they ate all the cookies and crackers, and it looked like it was going to be dry cereal for lunch.
Smells from the diner wafted toward her, but she tried to ignore them as she closed her car door and walked around the car.
She stopped abruptly as Ryan walked out the front door of the shop and stood in front of her on the sidewalk.
“Hi,” she said, trying to sound dismissive and busy, ducking to go around him.
“I was hoping I could talk to you.”
She had made it around him and started to take one more step when his words made her stop.
She didn’t want to talk to him. Didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to have anything to do with him. But she knew that that was probably wishful thinking. She needed to get over the feelings she had and try to be civil.
Although, that shouldn’t involve a long, drawn-out conversation.
“Are you hungry?” His words were low, studiously so, if she had to take a guess based on their years of friendship.
She wanted to say not really. That was a lie. Even if it was the kind of lie that she didn’t really think about as a lie, but more as a I don’t want you to feel like you have to eat with me kind of answer, she couldn’t force the words out.
Instead she told the truth. “I am.”
“Let’s grab something from the diner, and then head to the stable to eat. Or we could eat on the beach.”
He knew she loved horses. Her heart had always been with the horses. She did barrel racing, but it wasn’t because she loved the rodeo or loved the crowns or loved performing. It was because she loved horses.
“I think I’d rather not,” she found herself saying.
“Please? I need to talk to you.”
“Talk.” She lifted her chin, turning around to look at him. “I have things to do.”
“Let me help you with what you have to do, and we can talk while we’re doing it.”
