Rescuing Ryder (Serenity Securities, Team Hawk #1)

Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Claire winced as the specialist flashed the bright light in her eye. “It’s healing, Dr. Meyers. You won’t need anyone to stay with you daily, but no driving, limit reading for an hour every day for the next four weeks. We’ll schedule a follow-up appointment and discuss your release back to work then,” he instructed.

Disappointment filled Claire at his instructions. “What if I agree to no reading and only seeing patients?”

The doctor chuckled. “We make the worst patients. No. You failed to report you still suffer migraines and when you focus too long on something with the injured eye, you’re dizzy. I can’t stress the importance of honesty, Dr. Meyers. It might cost you your vision,” he reprimanded.

Her mouth firmed straight as Claire guessed the culprit who reported on her. She nodded when the physician refused to move from his stool until she acknowledged him.

Claire made the four-week appointment and smiled as the receptionist handed her the card, which she wasn’t allowed to read. Ryder rose when he noticed her enter the waiting room. Infuriated with him, she headed toward the door, pushed it open and walked outside.

“Claire, wait,” he demanded.

“Go to hell,” she gritted out, glancing back. She stumbled and fell against the vehicle.

A strong hand shot out to help her balance. Claire jerked away angrily and walked to the car. Ryder opened the door and waited until she settled before closing it. Starting the engine, he backed out of the stall.

“Do you feel like eating lunch?” Ryder asked.

“No.”

“Did the doctor confirm your eye’s healing properly?”

“Yep.”

“Is this all I’m getting from you? One-word answers?” he asked, miffed.

He didn’t like one-word answers? Claire sent him a middle finger. Maybe he liked sign language instead.

“Wow, Claire Bear.” He laughed. “I didn’t expect you to take the news this hard.”

She clenched her jaw, refusing to respond to him.

Ryder sighed. “I know I overstepped, but I’m worried about the headaches. You’re chomping at the bit to read the file on Kilner, and I want you to feel better before you hit the ground running.”

“Believe it or not, I can take care of myself. You went behind my back,” Claire accused.

“Yes, because you can be a stubborn twit. If you counseled a patient with your symptoms, what advice would you give them?” Ryder asked gruffly.

Claire remained silent, knowing he guessed correctly, but it didn’t mean she liked it.

“Let’s eat some lunch, take a walk, and get some fresh air,” Ryder suggested.

She leaned against the window, not caring what he decided. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before. They made love and she fell asleep. Ryder woke her around midnight, and they went to the kitchen to eat a slice of pie and ice cream from the container. They went back to bed and Claire lay on his shoulder, listening to his breathing. Her eyes closed and she relived the nightmare of David Kilner in her living room, demanding her file. Why?

As Taco mentioned, Claire didn’t act as the lead on his case. Dr. Klein kept the same records. David Kilner appeared angry and yet…desperate. What did she miss?

Ryder pulled into a parking lot and she straightened, noticing he stopped at a restaurant. Ryder opened her door and extended his hand. “I’m calling a truce. You can stay mad after lunch,” he cajoled.

Claire gave him her hand, and Ryder helped her get out of the vehicle. She didn’t let go as Ryder led her inside and into the booth. The hostess gave them two menus and he scooped both of them up.

“What sounds good?” Ryder asked. “Do you feel like a burger, soup, and sandwich? They offer a selection of brunch items.”

“I want a club sandwich with a side salad and a glass of iced tea,” she requested, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Claire Bear,” he ground out.

“I ordered food, didn’t I?” she shot at him.

He tried to take her hand when she put them under the table and stared out the window. Tears pooled and she blinked them back. One escaped down her cheek. Her head throbbed from the specialist’s probing. She closed her eyes and leaned against the window, relishing the coolness.

“Shit,” Ryder cursed as he slid into the booth beside her. “Why didn’t you tell me your head hurt?”

She shook her head, unwilling to tell him. Feeling like the twit he called her, Claire remained stubbornly silent, confused by her feelings. As a psychologist, she maintained control of her emotions. With Ryder, she contained her feelings professionally, but personally she appeared like one big hot mess. One minute she wanted to strangle him for acting like an insufferable ass, and then he turned his hazel eyes on her, and she melted into a puddle of goo. No one had ever cared for her as he did.

Ryder dug inside her purse, pulling out the prescription eye drops and pain meds. The waitress returned and he ordered for both of them before turning her to face him.

“Lean your head back,” he demanded softly.

She tilted it and allowed him to add the drops to her burning eye. She didn’t argue when Ryder handed her the two tablets and the glass of lemon-lime soda he ordered. She closed her eyes as the cool drink hit her stomach.

“Thank you.”

Ryder wrapped his arm around her and put her head on his shoulder. “Do you want me to ask her to pack up the food and we’ll take it home?” he asked worriedly.

Claire shook her head. “No. The bread will get soggy. I’m sorry. He said I no longer needed a babysitter but no driving, and refused to discuss my return to work. I even offered to only see patients and not read files.” Claire knew she sounded whiney. It made her cringe. She hated whiners.

“I’m feeling sorry for myself. I apologize,” Claire confessed.

“Don’t sweat it. I’ve been there and done it myself a few times. In fact, I did it this morning,” Ryder confessed.

“When?” she asked, curious.

“When I realized I spent another night in the pink abomination,” he acted depressed.

She punched him in the arm. “Leave my house alone. It’s one of a kind.”

“Thank goodness,” he muttered.

Claire smiled and he brushed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. When their food arrived, Ryder poured the salad dressing over her salad and mixed it in. He pierced the lettuce and assorted veggies and held it to her mouth. “Open,” he ordered gently.

“I can feed myself,” Claire informed him as she reached for the fork. He held it away from her.

“I know you’re more than capable; I want to take care of you,” Ryder murmured.

She took the offering and chewed as she leaned against his shoulder. He ate his burger while feeding her. It didn’t matter what anyone thought of him feeding a grown woman.

“How’s the headache?” he asked when they finished.

“Better. Thank you.”

“Let’s go home, Claire Bear.” Ryder placed money on the table and led her to the car.

Claire bit back tears as she realized after today, Ryder would return to the Serenity Hospital cabins and somehow, the excitement of returning to her new home dimmed. She didn’t know how to explain why she felt sad, and for the first time, Claire didn’t know her own feelings.

Ryder watched her as she retreated into herself. The usually strong woman appeared lost, and he wondered if she regretted the night before. He didn’t. Claire filled something inside him and brought out a protective side he didn’t know existed. Knowing the team members cared for her and seemed happily married, Ryder didn’t like the familiarity they showed when they pulled her in for a hug or rubbed her arm. Each took turns stopping in daily to check on her and let her know they planned to keep her within their circle. When Ryder met them for PT, they always asked about her, making him jealous.

They returned to the house and Ryder held the door open as she walked inside. Immediately walking to her office, Claire sat at her desk and pushed the drawer, releasing the hidden bottom. She pulled the file she desperately wanted to read.

“I’ll set the timer when you start to read,” Ryder reminded her.

Claire sent him a menacing stare. Picking up the file and placing it under her arm, she entered the kitchen. She poured a glass of water from the pitcher and added a wedge of lime and mint. Then she walked to the living room and sat on the sofa. Claire recalled Kilner’s threats and the fear he instilled in her, shivering at the memory of him hitting her repeatedly.

Ryder brought in a book and as soon as she opened the file, he set the timer. It irritated her, yet she pushed it away, concentrating on reading the notes from beginning to end. It took longer with her fuzzy sight in one eye, frustrating her. Claire delved into the record and wrote along the margins.

Lost in her thoughts, Claire didn’t hear the timer sound. Ryder sighed as he rose from his seat and pulled the folder away.

“Hey!” she cried.

“The alarm went off and you didn’t even attempt to stop,” he groused. “Follow the rules, Claire Bear.”

She sighed, putting down the pen in her hand. Claire rubbed her temple to soothe away the dull ache.

“Come here,” Ryder ordered her softly as he sat on the couch.

She leaned on him, enjoying the feel of lying in his arms. He placed a cool cloth over her eyes. Ryder massaged her shoulders, tense neck, and temples.

Claire moaned, relaxing into him. “Don’t stop. You have magic fingers.”

“I can think of a few other things magical,” he teased.

“You’re now formally released from babysitting duty. You must feel relieved,” Claire hedged.

Ryder continued to massage her temples, not liking where the conversation turned.

“Yeah, now I can pick up my man card. They revoked it when they discovered me sleeping in the pink abomination,” he teased. Wondering if she hinted at him leaving immediately.

“Did Kassie keep your room at the cabin? Do you need to check in with her?” Claire asked.

“She already texted me. The cabin’s ready,” he confessed. “Will you be all right if I leave you alone? Will you follow the rules?”

“Yes,” Claire sighed.

“Will you join me for dinner tomorrow?” he asked.

“I want to talk to Chase and Kassie. They deserve to know what happened between us. Technically, I was your physician.” Claire rose from his chest and gripped the edge of the sofa.

“You’re making something out of nothing. I already requested a transfer. I’m attending all my appointments with Dr. Hill,” Ryder answered, his voice rising.

“It doesn’t make it right. I have a responsibility to report it. They can decide what disciplinary action to take,” she explained.

Ryder shook his head. “What the hell, Claire? Did you forget about last night? Will you report our sex life to them, too?” Ryder stood and paced the floor.

“I don’t regret last night,” she breathed. “Please don’t get mad. I always follow the rules and hold myself to a certain standard.”

“I hope you didn’t lower them for me,” he snarked.

She rose and went to stand in front of him. Claire cupped his cheeks as she searched his face. “Stop. Let’s not do this. I’m not sure how to feel about this. I’m lost, Ryder. You’re here because you sought help. Tex talked you into it. Whatever we decide to do, I need to keep you safe. You never want to talk about serious stuff. You joke or use sarcasm to deal with the pain. At some point, you’ll need to discover things for yourself and I want you to come out of this healthy and whole.”

“What was last night then? Did you feel jealous I switched to Dr. Hill and he seemed to handle everything as well as when you worked with me? You turned it into a Dr. Claire Meyer’s hands-on therapy session?”

She jerked back as if he slapped her.

“I’m sorry. Geez, Claire.” He ran his hand through his hair and stalked toward her. She stepped away.

“Thank you for taking such good care of me. I appreciate everything. Maybe this might be a good time for you to leave.” Claire refused to meet his gaze.

Ryder swiped the scruff along his jaw, fighting against leaving and wanting to rail at her.

“Goodbye, Claire.” He went into the bathroom, stuffing his personal items into his bag. He crossed to her bedroom, retrieved the laundry basket filled with his clothes, and crammed them inside.

She didn’t move from her spot in the living room as he walked through the hallway and exited the house. Ryder’s gut screamed for him to turn around and hold her. His pride, however, won. He pulled out of her driveway, returning to the cabin where his journey started. Ryder threw his bag into the closet, fighting the urge to find Kassie and demand to leave. He walked to the closet and hit the button over and over.

A few minutes later, Whiskey appeared. “The team’s working out in the gym tonight. Why don’t we join them?”

He nodded. Whiskey waited while Ryder changed into workout clothes. Whiskey punched in the code and led the way to the gym. The men sat around the mat while Taco hit a bag. When they noticed him and Whiskey, they nodded as Taco motioned him forward. Whiskey sat beside Leo as they watched. Ryder didn’t care as he stepped up to the mat and let the pain and rage he felt inside fly.