Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
When I caught my reflection in the mirror above the sink, I muttered, “Fucking hell.” At least I’d showered this morning, but everything else needed help. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and changed out of my pajamas before stepping back and taking another look at myself.
The long, black tunic sweater and leggings were a step up from the ratty pajamas, but I still looked pale and exhausted. No wonder he’d hopped on a plane. He probably thought I was minutes away from needing medical attention, and he wanted to be there to drive me to the hospital.
When I returned to my bedroom, I found he’d cleared some space on my desk and was unpacking a bunch of takeout containers. “I asked your friends to stop off at a couple of restaurants on the way here,” he said. “I’m starving, so I thought we could have dinner together.”
I took a seat on my desk chair while he sat on the edge of my bed, and I told him, “Thank you. This all looks amazing.” He’d recreated our first virtual date with my favorite sushi, salad, and cheesecake for dessert, in addition to getting several things for himself.
Ryder pulled a couple of mason jars from a bag and removed the lids before handing me one. After I took a sip of my mojito, I asked, “How long can you stay?”
“I have to fly back Saturday morning. Dwight needs Sunday off for a family event, and Tank’s about to head to the UK for several weeks.”
“Is he taking a vacation?”
“No, one of the sports magazines he works for commissioned him to write a series of articles comparing rugby culture in the UK and the US.”
“Well, since you’ve never been here before and your time is limited, let’s get an early start tomorrow. There’s a lot to see, so we should start with the classics, like the Golden Gate Bridge.”
He shook his head. “There’ll be other visits to San Francisco, and more chances to see the sights. This time, I’m here to make your life easier, not to give you more to do. I want to cook for you, run errands, do your laundry, give you a massage—just help you, in any way I can.”
“There’s no way I’d want you to fly all this way and end up doing my laundry.”
“When you visited me, you fed chickens, filled water troughs, cooked with me, and did all sorts of other things that would never appear on a vacation itinerary,” he said.
“That was fun, though.”
“It would mean a lot to me to know I took some of the pressure off of you, and that I left you in a better place by the end of this visit.”
I couldn’t really argue with that. “Okay. We’ll do it your way.”
“Excellent.”
“I’m excited about introducing you to the rest of my housemates, and Logan, and his family. But tonight, all I want to do is climb into bed after dinner and curl up in your arms.”
That made Ryder smile. “Sounds like a plan.”
Sure enough, after we finished our meal and cleaned up, we got ready for bed and slid under the covers. “This feels so good,” I murmured, as I snuggled against his chest and he wrapped himself around me.
“It really does.”
“I can’t thank you enough for dropping everything and coming here like this. It’s the most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“I care about you, Hal, and your happiness is everything to me.”
His actions had already told me that, loud and clear.
The next morning, I woke to find a note from Ryder on my nightstand. It said: Hi, baby. I’m downstairs in the kitchen, come join me whenever you’re ready.
I stopped off in the bathroom to fix myself up a bit before heading downstairs. A familiar smell filled the air, which told me he’d baked his freakishly delicious blueberry muffins.
Everyone was gathered around the long picnic table in the backyard, including Logan and his husband and son. As soon as I stepped outside, Ryder stuck a cup of coffee in my hand, kissed my forehead, and said, “Good morning, baby. How’d you sleep?”
“Wonderfully, thanks to you. Did you do all of this?” The table was covered with several quiches, bowls of colorful fruit salad, three types of muffins, banana bread, and pitchers of orange juice.
“I wanted to make sure you ate a good breakfast, so I had some groceries delivered and made enough for your friends while I was at it. Kit was a big help. I couldn’t have done it without him.” Kit smiled shyly from the other side of the table. “I didn’t know what time you were gettin’ up, so I went with stuff that would hold at room temperature.”
“Thank you. It all looks amazing.”
“Take a seat, and I’ll make you a plate.”
I slid in next to Logan and said, “I see you met Ryder.”