Sunset Thunder

  Chapter Nine

  RYDER WAS GOING to bust a gut laughing. He couldn’t help it. Watching Violet attempt to cast her line, without pressing the release button, was priceless. Twice. Not once, but twice and the confusion that danced across her face was precious.

  These were the moments in life that his mother had always talked about. The moments when work escaped your thoughts and worry was temporarily pushed away, leaving you with only the now. And right now...was perfect.

  Not only was Violet sensitive about harming worms, like his mother, but she fished as badly as his mother too.

  When Violet’s blazers and makeup, another quality she shared with his mother, were stripped away, there was the foundation of the real Violet. And apparently the real Violet didn’t know how to fish. His guess was she’d never done it a day in her life.

  Laughter was on the tip of Ryder’s tongue. He grasped at every ounce of strength not to laugh, afraid it would send that confused and accusing look across her face into a fit of anger.

  “Are you going to get me another pole or stare at me all afternoon with that dim-witted look across your face?”

  Her question was an insult, but damned if he found it as attractive as the rest of her. Ryder had to admit, he’d never had a bossy girlfriend before.

  Girlfriend? Girlfriend!

  Violet was not his girlfriend. Violet wasn’t even girlfriend material. And, furthermore, Ryder was not looking for a girlfriend. His life was too full now that his mother was gone, his dad’s sanity was gone, and he was re-constructing the Carlex chain of stores. That left no room for a girlfriend. There was no room left in his broken heart for a girlfriend.

  Ryder pushed up to his feet, but didn’t walk to her. “Am I getting this straight?” he asked, unable to keep from teasing her.

  Teasing her was better than the alternative...kissing her, touching her, staring at her like a fool looking for love. He was not looking for love.

  “Thee Violet Caliendo, has never been fishing?” It was beyond obvious.

  Violet didn’t say anything. She simply stared.

  Stared!

  He was finished staring with Violet.

  “And now, Violet Caliendo is speechless,” he teased further. Teasing was good.

  “I am not speechless,” she said right away. “I am trying to figure you out.”

  He wasn’t expecting that type of honesty in her. And she wasn’t the only one. He was trying his damndest to figure her out too and at the same time himself, while everything else was telling him not to.

  “And what is with this Violet Caliendo? And the tone when you say my name?” she asked.

  It was because her actions, her words, everything about her continued to surprise him...and he was enjoying it.

  “It’s okay to be speechless,” he said instead of saying the truth. 

  “I didn’t say it wasn’t okay to be speechless.”

  Ryder stepped onto the swim platform and took the fishing pole from her. The fishing pole that was in perfect working condition, but this woman had no idea how to use it.

  “Don’t get your panties in a twist,” he told her, leaning the pole against the back of the boat.

  “Who says that? Don’t get your panties in a twist?” She lowered her voice to mimic him and it took everything not to laugh.

  “Who doesn’t know how to use a fishing pole?” he asked instead.

  He unsnapped her life jacket.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, her hands grabbing each edge of her lifejacket and landing directly on top of his.

  He was planning on teaching her how to cast a line...without her life jacket.

  “What are you doing?” she repeated.

  Wasn’t it obvious? “Taking off your lifesaver.”

  “Why? Are you planning on pushing me overboard?” He liked this snappy temper of hers he was bringing out.

  The thought of pushing her in the water made him grin. “Do you really think I would?” The idea was playing on his mind.

  “No,” she said, but it lacked conviction.

  There was no way Ryder would ever push Violet Caliendo into the water not wearing a life jacket. He didn’t even know if she could swim. But he liked the idea.

  Ryder snapped her buckle back together.

  Violet’s eyes fell down to where her hands still covered his. Her eyebrows drew together and he took the distraction as an opportunity to slip his hand away and remove her sunglasses.

  “Hey!” she cried reaching for them, but he put them on the top of his head and she didn’t dare reach for them.

  Violet glared at him. “What are you doing?” She was an attentive person, and the fact that she suspected he was going to push her off the swim platform and into the water...which was almost accurate...was written across her face...with a pinch of amusement. Amusement. It suited her.

  “Do you know how to swim?” he asked, snapping the next buckle together.

  The fingers of one of her hands that remained on his, tightened. The richest, bluest, fullest eyes stared back at him. “Do you know how to swim?” she retorted.

  Of course Ryder knew how to swim. His family were avid boaters.

  In one quick motion, Ryder pulled her glasses off his head, and his from his eyes, tossing them onto the towel behind them, and then his arms wrapped around Violet and her bulky lifejacket.

  Violet surprised him with a laugh.

  He lifted her up, for a split second wishing he did know whether she could swim or not, preferring her body pressed against his, and jumped in the water. She screamed his name, following them as they were engulfed by the cool water. He let her go underwater, but her arms wrapped around his neck, they swam to the surface together.

  Violet’s laughter bounced off the water as they broke the surface and she didn’t let go. His arm automatically went around her, under the life jacket, rubbing against the top of her derriere, as they bobbed.

  “I can’t believe you actually did that,” she laughed.

  Ryder wouldn’t admit it, but he was surprised he’d done it too. The impulsiveness and the fun reminded him of what he was like before his family started to deplete.

  When his mother had died, Ryder and Donald had each other, but when Donald began to forget things, Ryder was left alone. He hadn’t found anything or anyone worth being impulsive or fun with...until now.

  “You don’t even have a life jacket on,” Violet said. “You could drown.”

  “That’s why I’m holding onto you. I trust you.” Ryder meant for it to come out in a teasing tone, however it came out deep, low and in an unmistakable bedroom voice that Violet caught. Her laughter faltered, dragging her smile down, but the glimmer of temptation that washed over her face was superior.

  “Ryder...” The whisper of his name was pleading him not to go down this road, but the passion in her eyes was begging him to go for it.

  Sophia and Parker’s shouts came rushing to the rear of the boat and Violet pushed off Ryder.

  “What happened?” Sophia asked.

  “Was it a big fish?” Parker inquired, searching the water.

  Droplets of water were running down Violet’s face. “We fell in,” she lied.

  We fell in. Ryder laughed before splashing Violet. He swam to the platform, climbing aboard. “We didn’t fall in,” he corrected, scooping Parker up first. “I threw your mom in.”

  Parker laughed hysterically as Ryder lifted him high in the air. “Are you ready?” he asked, but it was more a warning.

  “Yes!” Parker exclaimed, and Ryder left him barely enough time to get the word out, before Ryder tossed him overboard. Parker’s laughter overtook him before he hit the water.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Ryder caught Sophia taking off and reached his hand out, lightly grasping her arm. She turned, laughing and tugging her arm free. “Forget it!” she laughed and ran to the edge of platform. She jumped into the water, wrapping her arms around her legs, causi
ng a cannon ball splash.

  Once she surfaced, Ryder followed. His splash was much larger and when he emerged, all three of the Caliendos were splashing him.

  “Tag team!” Ryder pleaded.

  He sliced the water with his hands spraying them all and enjoying their laughter, objections and threats to get him back.

  He soon found himself laughing so hard his stomach hurt. A laugh he’d thought was lost with his parents and the losses in his life. Right now, he wasn’t living in the regret, sadness, the feelings that were a constant part of his life. Twice in one week, when he hadn’t been ready, he found the feelings removed from him leaving room for happiness to develop. And both times it was in the presence of Violet Caliendo.

  If anything, he should thank this woman for drawing him out of the shell he’d been living in the last two years and for reminding him how wonderful life felt when it was lived.