Always His (Crazed Devotion #1) (6 page)

“O
h no, run, it’s a monster,” Liz said in mock terror. “Run, Tori, we need to hide.”

She took Tori’s little hand and jogged down the hall as my daughter looked back over her shoulder, laughing.

“Ha-ha, aren’t you a comedian.” I rolled my eyes as I closed the front door and walked toward the kitchen.

It had been three days since Ryker kissed me. Three days since I’d seen him and three days of hiding out in my apartment. After my father had seen my eye, it was easy to convince him I needed a few days off. The sad part about it was my eye felt fine; it was my heart that ached.

“Are you planning on hiding in your apartment for the rest of your life?” I turned around to find Liz holding Victoria on her hip at the other side of the snack bar that separated the kitchen and living room. Tori was licking away on a sucker that was almost as big as her head.

I ignored Liz and her questions and pointed toward my daughter. “Honestly?”

“What?” she asked.

I swear I couldn’t wait until the day she had a child. I was so going to pay her back for all the shit she pulls, without remorse. “A sucker after she just had her bath?”

“Please, stop being such a downer.” Liz rolled her eyes in a playful manner and pulled a chocolate bar out of her bag. “I could’ve given her this instead.”

“Don’t you dare,” I threatened, and she smiled even bigger as she bit the edge of the package and tore it with her teeth. I knew the moment Tori’s eyes lit up that there was no stopping her. She had already noticed the candy bar.

“One of these days I am gonna repay you for all this. I hope you know that.” I turned around and wet a washcloth before I held it out in her direction. “You’re cleaning her up.”

“I’d be glad to,” she said as she jiggled her hips, causing Tori to bounce. Tori giggled as she alternated between the Hershey bar and the rainbow sucker.

Something told me she wouldn’t be going to bed in an hour.

I had just dropped Tori off to May Berefield, Liz and Elle’s mother’s. She had agreed to keep Tori until my dad finished up at the bar.

Today was the day Liz and I volunteered at the youth center. We did it twice a month, and it was something we both actually enjoyed. Liz was almost finished with her counseling degree and intended to take a full-time position once she graduated, but I loved feeling as if I was helping, even if it was just a little.

As I was walking up the front walk, I glance over toward the side street and stopped dead in my tracks. I would know that truck anywhere. I had fond memories of nights out by Mitchell Lake with Ryker in the back of that truck.

I shook off the memories quickly as I continued on toward the youth center. I had hoped he was at the diner across the street or maybe visiting Mr. Parrish at the hardware store, but those hopes were crushed once I pulled open the front door and took a step inside.

Ryker was out on the basketball court with a group of teenage boys. He appeared as if he had been there for some time because he was all sweaty and winded. He hadn’t noticed I’d entered until the loud bang of the door behind me caught everyone’s attention. He smiled and a few of the boys hollered out their hellos as I walked farther into the building. My gaze locked on Ryker and the tattoos he hadn’t had when he left. His right shoulder was covered with some type of symbol with wording just below. I was still too far away to see the exact details. A second tattoo across the right side of his chest looked as if it was some type of verse.

“Mouthwatering, isn’t he?” I jumped at the sound of Melanie’s voice. She was the director of the center and was married to the chief of police. She had to have been my father’s age, but she appeared to be years younger. Liz called her a cougar, but I honestly think she was just a harmless flirt.

I smiled and looked back at Ryker, who had returned to running up and down the court. His basketball shorts hung low on his hips, showing off his tapered waist and toned legs.

We stood in silence, watching as he moved with grace, his arms flexing as he shot from the three-point line. My body was soon achy from the torture I was putting it through.

He was perfection, and he knew it. And he was cocky and arrogant about it.

“That’s the guy I told you about,” I said, not taking my eyes off Ryker.

“The Marine?” she asked.

I nodded, and she let out a low whistle.

“I know,” I said in defeat. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe denying Ryker would be easy. In fact I was sure it would be harder than anything else I’d faced, but I was determined to prove I wasn’t the same gullible, dependable girl he left years ago. I was stronger, and I had to remain that way. Because I wasn’t the only one that could get hurt here. Tori could too, and I refused to allow that to happen.

“So what do you need me to do today?” I asked, trying to distract myself. I turned to face her, placing my back to the court. She smiled, and I tilted my head and arched a brow, daring her to keep going. But my look must have told her any amount of Ryker was too much.

“Liz is in the TV room. I have new furniture being delivered at three, so we have to organize and rearrange to make room in there. Plus someone donated about four boxes of DVDs and video games that need to be unpacked too.” I followed her out as she continued to list the items on our to-do list.

Entering the open room that served as the television/game room, I couldn’t help but laugh. Liz stood in the center, hunched over a stack of boxes. She had her iPod playing as her butt bounced to the beat of the music.

Melanie and I began to laugh, yet she had no idea because of the earbuds jammed in her ears. I walked up behind her and began shaking my own hips against her rear. She spun around and screeched in surprise, holding her hand to her chest.

“You ass.” She shoved my arm.

“No,” I said, doing my best to hid my laughter. “Your ass.” I wagged my eyebrows, and she flipped me off. “You were really getting in to it.”

“Don’t blame me because you have no groove,” she retorted as she turned back to the boxes, blocking me from teasing her further.

“I have plenty of moves,” I grumbled as I looked back over my shoulder at Melanie. She didn’t look as if she believe me. It wasn’t a secret that I couldn’t dance for shit. I was like Ally from that Disney show. She always looked like she was trying to swat a bug or get rid of a bee that flew up her pant leg. Poor girl had no groove and even she danced better than I did.

I
was really beginning to love the women in this town. It would appear they were all on my side, helping me find ways to get closer to Nicole. Hell, women I didn’t even know were telling me not to give up on her.

Like that would ever happen.

But today when Melanie, the woman I now knew as the director of the youth center, asked me to help move furniture, I should have realized her intentions. She led me down a hall into a large room and didn’t even give me a chance to put my shirt back on after playing ball.

“There’s no need to get dressed. You’ll just get sweaty all over again,” she insisted as her eyes raked over me from head to toe. When she paused on my chest, I knew she was reading my tattoo. Recognition flashed in her eyes, and she looked to my left as she smiled.

Then I noticed Nicole standing only a few feet away, her eyes focused on the same spot on my chest.