Rescuing Ryder (Serenity Securities, Team Hawk #1)

Chapter 39

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Claire sat down on her new sofa and surveyed the room. The women went straight to work, cleaning, scrubbing, organizing and putting things into place. It appeared as if nothing occurred. Dinner baked in the oven, and she waited to see if Ryder planned to return.

Her phone rang and Claire smiled as she recognized the number.

“Hello, Dr. Klein,” she answered.

“Hi, Claire. I wondered how the doctor's appointment went. Can we schedule a lunch date in Seattle?” he asked.

She frowned. “I’m sorry. I’m not able to drive for another four weeks. My eye improves daily and I’m hoping we can meet next month,” Claire informed him.

“Can I drive out to see you?” Dr. Klein asked. “I feel responsible for putting you on Kilner’s radar. I’ll bring you lunch from the little Italian place around the corner,” he coaxed.

“Sure. What day do you have free?” she asked.

“I’m free on Friday. I’m taking a day off to visit my mother. They do therapy in the morning, and she rests in the afternoon. I’ll visit with you and then head there in time to join her for dinner,” he offered.

“I’m free on Friday. Shall we say around noon?” Claire pulled up her calendar.

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.” He disconnected the call.

The door rattled and Claire sat closer to the panic button in the living room as she tried to recall if she locked the door after the women left. When Ryder appeared in the living room, she removed her hand and smiled at him.

“I didn’t know if you planned to come back. Maddie made a casserole to feed an army and placed it in the oven. It’ll be ready in ten minutes,” she explained as she scanned his face. Something seemed off as Ryder smiled back at her.

“Great. I missed lunch running a few errands if you’re inviting me to stay,” he said as he moved closer to her.

“I don’t plan on eating it myself,” Claire laughed. “Do you plan to stay tonight?”

“Do you want me to?” he asked softly as he sat beside her on the couch.

Claire lifted her chin to face him. “You always have a choice. I want you to,” she whispered.

He brushed the hair falling into her eyes. “Did you read the file today?”

Claire shook her head. “The ladies left only a few minutes ago. I decided to enjoy the fire and wait until after dinner.”

“After dinner, I’ll give you an hour to work and then let’s play a game,” he suggested.

“What kind of game?”

“One I plan to win,” he teased as he leaned over to her ear. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine.

“Oh yeah? We’ll see,” Claire challenged, making him chuckle.

“I’ll wash up and take dinner from the oven. Do you want to grab plates and silverware?” Ryder stood.

“Sure.”

“I saw Kassie made a list this morning. Those women resemble a tornado when they’re together,” he called as Ryder washed his hands in the bathroom. “I’m surprised at how much they accomplished for a day’s work.”

“You didn’t see the half of it. After you left, Catherine’s mom, Carol, and her husband, Jake, stopped in with Kassie’s godparents, Joe and Maddie. They went to Seattle and picked up stuff on the list and some of the security team from the mountain helped load it. They brought back a moving truck stuffed to the brim.”

“Wow. They handled everything,” he murmured. He already viewed her office when he walked by and from the sounds of things, the rest of the house appeared replaced.

She frowned. “Not everything. Did you know Whiskey uses woodworking to calm himself for his PTSD episodes? Of course, Samantha only needs to call one of the men, and they come down to help him, too. He built the coffee table. Whiskey assured me he could sand the top down and fix the pretty design. I didn’t realize his talent.”

“Whiskey still encounters bad days enough to need someone?”

“Everyone heals differently. It’s one of the things I love about working at the hospital. We don’t push people out if their insurance expires or they complete a ninety-day stay. They stay until they’re ready. Some things don’t heal overnight, and it may take years for someone to realize them. We hope we’ve provided them with the skills to face whatever happens when they leave here. If they find themselves overwhelmed, Kassie keeps the door open. She recently purchased additional land and plans to build another cabin community.”

“Whiskey comes to group sessions. He runs them,” he stated.

“Yeah. We still oversee them. He loves to give back,” Claire bragged about her friend.

“How can you trust a man, who hasn’t healed himself, with his fellow brothers?”

Claire glanced up at Ryder. Something about his question seemed more significant than he let on. “Because he has a team of brothers who support him. They never give up.”

“How do they trust him to have their back?” he pressed.

“They trust him.”

“How can they risk their lives with someone who can lose their shit at any moment?” he asked, his voice rising.

The chime sounded on the stove. Claire went into the kitchen. She opened the stove, and Ryder frowned as he moved her out of the way to retrieve it, knowing she still experienced some dizziness.

She pulled two new plates from the cabinet and placed two forks and napkins beside them.

“We can scoop it out and take our plates into the living room.” Claire reached for the big serving spoon.

“Why?”

She moved the plates closer to the stove and wrapped the fork inside the napkin.

“Why what?”

“Why do they trust him? If you can’t predict what will set him off, he’s a danger to the men,” he argued.

Claire turned to Ryder. “Whiskey serves his brothers and helps those who come to us for aid.”

Ryder remained quiet as she dished out the food and followed him into the living room. She watched as he shoveled the food into his mouth, but he chewed on something else entirely.

When she finished, she put her dish in the dishwasher and headed to her office. Pushing the bottom of the false drawer, she pulled the file out of its hiding spot.

She sat at her desk and opened the folder. Searching through her notes, she recalled the expert testimony and the witnesses. The notes in the margin, where Dr. Klein pointed out Kilner’s mental instability and how it went beyond temporary insanity. She read her first impression of David Kilner when she went to interview him personally.

Kilner appeared angry and violent when she tried to question him. The staff kept him handcuffed to the table and Claire sat a good distance apart from him as she asked the questions to prove his mental state. When she questioned him concerning his wife, he asked her if she was married. Refusing to give him any information on her personal life, she still thought the question odd. Now, it bugged her more and more. Regardless, his wife and her mother didn’t deserve such a horrible death.

The day she inquired how he disposed of the rest of their bodies still sent chills down her neck. Kilner laughed and described to her how he sauteed them in butter and ate them. He licked his lips and laughed hysterically as her face must’ve mirrored the horror she felt.

“Hey, Claire Bear,” Ryder’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

“You didn’t follow the rules. You’ve sat in here for over two hours. Did you find anything odd or out of place?”

“No. I didn’t read the entire time,” she volunteered. “I remembered the trial and when I went to evaluate him for his temporary insanity plea.”

“Why did you go?” Ryder asked. “Didn’t Dr. Klein already interview him?”

“Dr. Klein’s mother went hysterical and attempted to escape the private nurse he hired for her. The police found her three blocks away from her home babbling nonsense. He arrived at the office, incensed, his mother managed to escape the medical team he hired. I decided to interview Kilner myself while he dealt with his mother.”

“Do you work with the prosecution often as an expert witness?”

She shook her head. “No. I prefer to heal people. I worked on my doctorate, and Dr. Klein allowed me to rotate between different areas in my field. I went to psychiatric facilities, sat on boards, and worked with geriatric patients, veterans, and kids. I enjoyed the veterans and helped part-time with the teen unit when they became overwhelmed. Kassie and I met there.”

“Did Kilner threaten you when you met him the first time?”

“No. He ranted a lot.”

“Did he mention how he discovered you moved?” Ryder mulled over her answers, trying to discover a connection.

“No. I guess I’ll never know.” She sighed.

Ryder moved toward her desk and closed the file. She opened up the false bottom and tucked it safely inside.

“What did you do while I read? Why didn’t you barge in demanding I stop after the hour?” Claire asked.

“I lost track of time. My friend Tex called. He and his family decided to fly into Seattle this weekend for a visit. We started talking about where they might stay. I heard Kassie say something about a bed and breakfast around here. Do you know anything about it?”

“I stayed there for a bit. Let me check with Kassie. Sometimes, if the cabins remain empty, she allows visitors to stay there. She says the mountain can offer peace a soul needs even without experiencing trauma.”

“Thanks.” Ryder moved to the side as Claire exited the room. He followed her down the hall to the living room.

“What’s this?” She asked as she noticed a giant bowl of popcorn, lemon-lime soda, and a deck of cards on the floor. Pillows were stacked in piles before the fireplace, not enough to get overly hot but enough to enjoy the fire.

“I believe you accepted my challenge to play a game.”

Claire smiled as she dropped to the floor on top of the pillows. “Are we playing Go Fish? Nugget insists on playing it every time she comes to visit Kassie.”

“Who does Nugget belong to? I can’t recall a Nugget,” he asked, trying to remember the Serenity kids.

“She’s Bryanna and Saint’s daughter. Her name’s Miya, and we call her Nugget. Have you met Whiskey’s son, LJ?” she asked as she shuffled the cards.

“The one obsessed with helos?” he asked.

She laughed. “I see you met him.”

“The guys seem to take fatherhood seriously. They invited me to the facility the other night for PT. We finished and they went into the pool area. The kids splashed and played while all the moms sat in a circle. When we showed up, they left and the guys took over.”

Claire stopped shuffling to peer at him. “Why do people find it surprising when men care for their kids?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not criticizing. I’ve never seen many men who don’t gripe about babysitting their kids. They seem happy about it.”

“First of all, they aren’t babysitting. They’re taking their responsibilities seriously. It’s their kids. They also participate in school runs, drops, sick kids, and Whiskey helped with the school play. It allows the women a few minutes of girl time and a break from the babies. It’s healthy.”

“My dad never helped my mom out. I found it odd, but strangely, I enjoyed my time with the kids. Emma acts as the leader of the group. Melody barks orders like her dad. Miya’s a little sprite with an infectious smile. LJ and Caleb pretended they flew a helo the entire night. Faith splashed in the water with Michael and then fell asleep even with all the kids screaming. Leo’s baby watched the entire time. Chase told me about Tori’s adoption. She and Emma resemble their mom.”

Claire smiled. “They’re great kids. They love to pitch in at the hospital, especially on movie nights. Now, what are we playing?”

Ryder’s face lit up as he grinned ruefully at her. “Strip poker.”

An hour later, Claire sat on the pillows staring over her cards at Ryder, who pretended innocence. The only clothes she wore consisted of one sock and her bra and panty set. Her mouth firmed in a straight line as she concentrated on her cards. With his chance to glimpse at her in lingerie, Claire guessed he allowed her to win the last couple of hands to enjoy the view.

However, Ryder sat in his boxers, a shirt, and socks. Determined to win, she threw him another glance before setting down the straight flush and smiled.

“Wow. It appears you’ve picked up a few tricks of the game,” Ryder complimented her as he laid down two pairs.”

“Yeah, I must have beginner’s luck,” she quipped as she picked up the cards and shuffled them thoroughly.

“Do the cards bother your eyes? I bought the bigger numbered set.”

“They’re fine. Thank you for thinking of purchasing them,” Claire said as she dealt the cards.

“I’ll take two.” Ryder slid the cards toward her.

“Did you forget to remove your T-shirt?” she reminded him slyly.

He grinned as he pulled it over his head. Her eyes roamed over Ryder’s chest and landed on his tattoo. She never dated anyone like him. Her last two relationships consisted of a lawyer and an accountant, not precisely the tattoo type. Claire’s gut plummeted at the thought. Their sessions didn’t seem like therapy. They felt more like dates. The easy banter, the teasing, and his sarcastic remarks felt more like things couples did than a doctor/patient relationship. Claire knew she needed to take a different approach with Ryder and her plan worked. Now anxiety gnawed at her, as she thought of her professionalism. For her, the lines remained black and white. Somehow, this relationship blended between the lines, pointing her toward the gray.

“Do you see something you like?” Ryder asked huskily.

Claire felt the heat draw into her cheeks, realizing he caught her staring. “Can I ask you something? What does your tattoo mean? I know a lot of my patients pick a design to remember someone or remind them of the motto they live by. I wondered about yours.” She leaned forward to examine it more closely. The Navy anchor contained a trident through it. A bald eagle sat on top, its wings spread, displaying the American flag. The sun’s rays beamed around it. A vine adorned with thorns wrapped around his arm, chest and side.

Ryder sat up and wiped the scruff along his jaw. “It reminds me of the brothers I lost. Gunner said to live a life worthy of them.”

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“It’s a memorial,” Ryder stated bluntly, wanting to close the topic.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. The design’s mesmerizing, and it fits you.”

“Of course it does. It’s my daily reminder.” Ryder stated gruffly, almost angrily.

Claire paused. The physician in her wanted to keep questioning and peel back the layers of the man before her. Ryder didn’t want to discuss it. She let it drop.

She pulled one card from her hand.

“This weekend, Kassie planned a fall festival. It’s a great time for your friend to visit. She invited the entire town and the proceeds help veterans restart their lives. They planned an all-day event. Then, she rented Bear’s barn on the opposite mountain at night for a costume party. All the residents who want to go will be bussed over. She even drove a busload of teens to the charity store to pick out old clothes for some scary costumes for a haunted hayride. I don’t know how she finds the time.”

“It must be nice to work when you want to,” Ryder commented.

“Kassie works hard. She and Chase strive to make this a haven for the residents. She’s loved working with teens for as long as I’ve known her. Kassie wants to give them a safe place and a sense of normalcy.”

“There’s nothing normal about a bunch of traumatized veterans. Don’t they worry about something happening around the kids?” he asked.

“No. They’re vetted carefully. The kids come from broken homes, the state, and sometimes the streets. This place resembles more of a home for some than where they came from. Sometimes, the older kids who left come to visit. Two kids received scholarships and attended college. If it weren’t for the hospital, they might be lost with no choices and now they have an entire future ahead of them.”

“It’s different. You feel it as soon as you drive up the mountain. Chase says some employees live there. Why did you choose to move into town?” Ryder concentrated on his cards.

“I needed a change. When I work at the hospital for days, I forget about the beauty surrounding me. When I leave for a few days, I appreciate it when I return.”

“Don’t you tire of people coming to you with their problems? It must be exhausting sometimes,” Ryder stated as he frowned at the cards in his hand.

“No. Everyone’s different. We all struggle in some way. When I figure out what a patient needs to feel whole, it’s like discovering the last piece of the puzzle. When it does, I know the person will make it. They’ll fight for what they want, making me happy to participate in part of the journey.” She beamed.

Ryder set down the cards. “I’m tired. Can we finish this another time?”

“Sure.” Claire glanced at him, confused.

Ryder rubbed the back of his neck, appearing uneasy. “I think I’ll take the couch tonight. Call me if you need anything.”

Claire nodded mutely as she placed the cards back in the box, disappointed she ruined their game. Claire only wanted to open up to him and share part of her life.

Ryder picked up the popcorn bowl and took it into the kitchen. She went to her room and closed the door. He wasn’t ready. She respected his boundaries because she wasn’t his doctor. More confused than ever, she wasn’t sure if Ryder considered her a friend with benefits or a lover.