Ryker (Steele Brothers #1) Page 11

  Mackenzie lived to help others and felt most fulfilled when she was working as part of a group to further an important cause, so that made perfect sense to me. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “You do?” she asked, brightening at my enthusiasm.

  I didn’t realize until that moment how much my encouragement meant to her, and it made me wish I’d given it every chance I got. From now on I would, just as she’d always supported me, even when my dreams looked like long shot. “Absolutely. I know how much you’ve always enjoyed volunteer work.”

  “There are a few non-profits offering paid opportunities, mostly part-time, but I’m not sure I’d be qualified. I don’t have any formal work experience.”

  “Come on,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’ve chaired every type of fundraiser I can think of, from formal galas to bake sales. I’m sure you’d get a hundred people to vouch for you, no problem.” Before she could interject, I said, “Paid or volunteer, it doesn’t matter, Mac. As long as you’re doing something that makes you happy.”

  She shifted in her seat, and I could tell she was uncomfortable talking about finances. Nothing had changed since I moved out. She still had full access to our joint bank account. The houses and cars were paid for, as were the property taxes and school tuition. I never asked Mac how she spent money when we were together and didn’t need to know now. I trusted her.

  “I’d like to contribute something,” she said, her shoulders slumping slightly. “That’s always been a bit of a sore spot for me, not making my own money.”

  I didn’t know many women whose husbands earned seven figures a year yet still felt guilty about spending money. It was ridiculous as far as I was concerned, and I knew she had to get over it so we could move on.

  “Mac,” I said, reaching across the table for her hand, “what’s mine is yours. Period.”

  My lawyer had worked himself into a frenzy when he heard I’d moved out, mainly because I’d married Mac before I had two nickels to rub together and my attorney knew I stood to lose a fortune if we divorced. It didn’t take me long to convince him if Mac divorced me, I stood to lose a hell of a lot more than money. I’d lose everything that meant anything to me. She could have my money. I just wanted her.

  “You’re so sweet to say that,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “I’ve always appreciated that fact you never made me feel bad about not working. But the more successful you became, the more I felt the pain of the disparity between us.”

  “You think that’s part of the reason we drifted apart?” I asked her, desperate to know the reasons she’d started putting up walls between us.

  “Maybe.” Her eyes drifted to her hand, and I smiled when I noticed she was wearing her wedding rings again. “I know it seems silly. Most women would be thrilled that their husbands were successful and able to provide an enviable life for their family, but it always made me feel guilty that I wasn’t pulling my own weight.”

  I slowly released her hand as I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling. There were no words to describe the ways she’d enhanced my life, but I had to say something that would convince her she’d given so much more than she’d ever taken from me.

  “I work my ass off for three reasons. You. Zane. Cole. That’s it. That’s why I get out of bed in the morning. That’s why I’ve taken stupid risks and lost sleep praying it would work out. That’s why I’ve risked expansion and rode it out through recessions. That’s why I’ve made deals I never thought I would. Because of you. I wouldn’t be where I am without you, Mac. You have to believe that. You’re my motivation, the reason I do what I do.”

  “Don’t you dare make me cry here, Ryker,” she said, biting her trembling lip.

  “Without you, I’d still be part of that motorcycle… club.” I smiled when her lips twitched. “I probably would have been in jail, wasting my life away, instead of building a business I’m proud of. So when I tell you I wouldn’t have a dime to my name without you, believe it.”

  “So you don’t think it’s a bad idea to take a volunteer position just to get my foot in the door? Maybe when they see what I have to offer, they’ll offer me a paid position.”

  “They’d be crazy not to.”

  “Thanks, Ryker.”

  “For what?”

  “For making me feel better.”

  “That’s my job,” I said, reaching across the table to kiss her hand. “What are the boys up to tonight?”

  “They’re supposed to be studying for exams, but when I checked in on Cole, he was watching YouTube videos on his iPad. I told him he’d better get to work.”

  “They’ve both had a good school year though,” I said. “As and Bs. Nothing wrong with that.”

  “No, I know you’re right,” she said, taking a drink of her coffee. “They’ve worked hard, and I’m proud of them.”

  “What about summer jobs?” I asked. “They’re too old to be lazing around the house all summer doing nothing. You want me to find something for them to do at the factory?”

  “I was going to talk to you about that,” she said, nodding. “I think that’s a great idea, but I still want them to have time and energy for friends and fun. They’re only teenagers once, right?”

  “Yeah.” I knew from experience that too much leisure time as a teen could be dangerous. “So maybe twenty-five hours a week?”

  “That would be perfect.”

  “Cool. I’ll start picking them up next Monday morning. Exams are finished by then?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “I guess we should talk about Zane getting a car now that he’s taking driver’s lessons, shouldn’t we?” She shuddered. “Though I’m not gonna lie, I hate the thought of it.”

  I chuckled. “He’s a responsible kid. We won’t have any problems.” Many parents would say I was being naïve, but I trusted my sons to make good decisions and do the right thing.

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Hey, why’d you want to meet here?” I asked, shaking my head when the waitress approached to ask if we wanted a refill. “You could have just come to my place.” I wondered if she was questioning the wisdom of being alone with me after the last time we’d gotten a little too comfortable on my couch.

  “I have to hit the gym after this. Get in some cardio.”

  I knew her gym was just down the street and Nex’s suggestion reminded me I’d be missing out on a great opportunity if I let her go alone. “You mind if I tag along? I’ve been thinking about joining. Nex tells me it’s a pretty good facility.”

  “But you have a gym at home.”

  “So do you. Why don’t you use it?”

  She laughed. “It’s easier to motivate myself when I see other people working hard.”

  Motivation had never been my problem. I loved working out, but I loved spending time with my wife even more. “I’m sometimes tired when I get home from work. It might be easier if I just hit the gym on my lunch break instead. Besides, your gym is only ten minutes from my office. It’d be perfect.”

  “Do you have to stop at home to change?”

  “No, I keep stuff in the car. Sometimes I get out of the office and go for a run. It helps clear the cobwebs.”

  “I love running now too,” she said, shaking her head. “I never thought I’d say that. But jogging and hiking can be so exhilarating.” She blushed when she said, “You’ve been trying to tell me that for years.”

  I wasn’t interested in being right. I was just glad we were finding more ways to enjoy being together. “We should start running together, maybe even plan a few hikes?” I knew I’d chosen a house only fifteen minutes from hers for a reason.

  “I’d love that,” she said, clasping her hands under her chin. “I love running at night, but I never felt comfortable doing it alone.”

  “Perfect.”

  “We could go for a run right now,” she suggested. “Instead of going to the gym.”

  “Um…” I wanted to go to the gym with her, to let all t
he guys Nex mentioned who’d been checking her out know that she was definitely taken. “Looks like it might rain. Why don’t we stick to the track at the gym tonight?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  I tossed a bill on the table and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as I kissed her temple. This time the guys were watching me instead of her, sending me a very clear message: you’re one lucky bastard. Don’t I know it, boys.

  ***

  Even though Mac had a guest pass, I decided to join right away instead of taking advantage of the trial. I wanted any excuse to spend time with her and to let every guy there who might have misguided ideas know she was mine. Including her personal trainer and my old friend, Mike.

  When Mac slipped into the dressing room to change, I approached the reception desk where Mike was standing with his back to me. “Hey, stranger.”

  Mike turned around, grinning when he saw me. “Ryker, how the hell have you been, man?” He offered his hand. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Too long,” I said sincerely. I liked Mike, even though the fact that he was now single made him something of a threat. “I was sorry to hear about you and Suzie.”

  He shrugged, his eyes darkening. “It happens. I was sorry to hear about you and Mac too. She’s one hell of a woman. Can’t be easy to let her go.”

  Apparently, I wasn’t being paranoid about assuming he’d be interested in my wife. “I haven’t let her go. Never will.”

  His eyebrows shot up. It would have been comical if I weren’t so pissed. It was hard enough to think of a stranger moving in on my woman, but the prospect of a friend doing it made it that much worse.

  “You mean you guys are back together? I had no idea.”

  “We’re working things out.” I was careful not to say anything Mac might contradict, but I wanted Mike to know Mac was definitely off the market. “In fact, she’s here with me. I guess you didn’t see her head into the changing room?”

  “No, I guess I didn’t.” His eyes drifted to the locker rooms, almost as though he hoped to catch a glimpse of Mackenzie.

  “So I was hoping you could hook me up with a membership. Mac and I decided it would be easier to work out together, you know, give us a chance to spend more time together.”

  “Oh, uh, yeah sure. I can help you out with that.” He looked around almost as though he were waiting for someone to come and save him. “The receptionist usually takes care of memberships, but she must be on her break.” He passed me a clipboard with a questionnaire on it along with a pen. “Just fill that out for me.”

  I did as he asked, hesitating over the address. I didn’t want him to know Mac and I were still living apart. I finally put my old home address on the line, reasoning that it was still technically my house. My name was on the deed along with Mac’s, even if my mail wasn’t being delivered there anymore.

  “How are the kids?” I asked, passing the form back to him. “Brandon bugging you about getting his driver’s license yet?”

  “You know it,” Mike said, smirking. “How about Zane? You bought him a car yet?”

  “Not yet, but I’ve got my eye on one.” That would be a surprise not only for Zane, but for his mom too. Mac would lose it when she saw that old car brought back to life.

  “Yeah, Brandon’s got his eye on more than one.” He laughed. “Every other day he’s sending me a link to another one, telling me this is the one.”

  I chuckled. “You see much of the kids?”

  “Na, you know how it is when they get that age. They don’t want to spend time with us anymore.”

  I was grateful it wasn’t that way with my boys. We still loved hanging out together. In fact, after the belt ceremony next weekend, I was going to suggest a family trip to the cottage so the boys and I could do some fishing and Mac and I could do some hiking. There were four bedrooms, which meant we wouldn’t necessarily be sharing the master, but I hoped by then, I’d have erased any and all of her doubts about me.

  I passed Mike my credit card while Mac made her way toward the desk. “Are we all set?” She smiled at her trainer. “Hey, Mike, how’s it going?”

  “Good.” His nod was sharp, and he barely looked at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you and Ryker were back together?”

  She seemed taken aback by the question as her gaze drifted to mine. “It’s a recent development.”

  “Well, congratulations,” Mike said, shoving my card into the machine and passing the hand-held unit to me. “I’m glad you guys were able to work things out.”

  “Thanks,” she said hesitantly.

  It was obvious there was some tension between them, and I wanted to know why.

  “Guess you won’t need me anymore,” he said, tearing the slip of paper from the machine and passing a copy to me while keeping one for himself, “now that you’ll be working out with Ryker. He’s spent even more time in a gym over the years than I have. And now you’ll be able to keep up with him thanks to me.”

  Mac gaped at him before snapping her mouth shut. “I hadn’t intended to stop working with you, but you know what? Maybe it’s better if I did.”

  “Yeah, you got this great body, now Ryker wants you back.” He looked at me, his eyes narrowing. “You’re welcome.”

  I wanted to lay him out right there, not for disrespecting me but for implying the only reason I wanted my wife back was because she’d dropped some weight. That was playing right into Mac’s insecurities, which was the last thing I needed or wanted.

  “You have no idea,” I said, shoving a hand into his chest. “What you’re—”

  “Ryker, please,” Mac said, tugging on my arm. “Let’s just go and work out.”

  I considered my options. Get the satisfaction of putting this guy in his place and pissing my wife off or showing her I wasn’t the same hothead she’d married all those years ago. That she mattered more than my pride. I chose the latter, but walking away felt like a kick in the gut.

  “I’m sorry about that,” she whispered, linking her hand with mine. “I don’t know what got in to him.”

  “Isn’t it obvious? He wanted you, and now he knows he’s lost his chance.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” she said, swiping the card to gain access to the track. “Mike and I are just friends.”

  “Honey, you’re a beautiful woman. Men are going to be interested in you, especially if they think you’re available.”

  She started to stretch but not before wiggling her fingers in my face. “I’d say this huge rock makes it pretty obvious that I’m not available, Ryker.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. Even though the run-in with Mike set me on edge, seeing those rings back on Mac’s finger where they belonged put everything in perspective. Having her back in my life was the only that mattered.

  “You ready to hit it?” I asked after stretching.

  The gym wasn’t very busy and there weren’t more than half a dozen people on the track, which meant we could run side by side, using two of the three lanes.

  “Sure.”

  I kept my pace easy in deference to her much shorter legs, but she outpaced me in no time, laughing as she jogged ahead. Looking at me over her shoulder, she said, only slightly out of breath, “Come on now, Steele. Is that all you’ve got?”

  I grinned. “You go on ahead. I’m liking the view back here.”

  She rolled her eyes, muttering, “Pig” before she took off.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mackenzie

  I’d intended to head home after our workout, but Ryker convinced me to come back to his place for a drink after we called to check on the kids and they assured us they were busy studying.

  “So, what’ll it be?” he asked, bending over to look in his fridge. “I’ve got wine, beer, milk, water, juice, Coke, and…” His head popped up, and he caught me ogling his butt. “Were you checking out my ass?”

  He couldn’t blame me. He’d showered at the gym and put those faded jeans back on. The ones that were worn e
nough to hug him just right, riding low on his hips when coupled with that heavy leather belt he favored. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was just looking to see what you had in the fridge.” I walked over, pushing him aside. “This, by the way, is just sad,” I said, gesturing to the contents of his fridge. “I don’t see a fruit or vegetable in here. I thought I taught you better than that.”

  “That’s not true,” he said, pointing at a bag of apples behind some condiments. “Look, apples.”

  I picked them up and looked at him. They appeared to be withered. “I’m not even going to ask how long they’ve been in there,” I said, pulling open the cupboard that housed the garbage can. I tossed them in and shuddered dramatically. “Yuck.”

  He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around my waist and set his chin on my shoulder. “See, that’s just another reason I need you. I’m a mess on my own.”

  It felt good to hear him say he needed me. Aside from the meager contents of his fridge, his house looked clean and tidy, not at all like a bachelor pad. “You must have found a good cleaning lady,” I said, grabbing two bottles of water and passing one to him. At his quizzical expression, I said, “We just burned all those calories. No sense letting all that hard work go to waste.”

  “Didn’t Martha tell you she’s been coming by once a week?”

  “My Martha?” I asked, stunned.

  Martha had been helping me since the boys were babies. She cleaned both the house and cottage and watered our plants when we were out of town. She would even dogsit for our precious Lyla when we were away.

  “Yeah.” Ryker led me into the family room. “I take it she didn’t tell you?”

  “No.” I sank onto the sofa beside him, immediately cuddling up to him when he put his arm around me. “I can’t believe she didn’t say anything.”

  “She probably wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it and didn’t want you to think she was taking sides. You know Martha. She was worried about me when she’d heard I moved out, so when she called to ask if there was anything she could do for me, I asked if she could help out around here once a week. No big deal.”