Kenzie sat back in the chair and crossed her legs. “This is so humiliating,” she admitted. “But you already know I talk to myself, you already know my hometown story, so what’s one more embarrassing thing? No one there would believe you were really my boyfriend if you came as you.”
“Why do you say that?” Ryker asked. He didn’t laugh, and that alone made Kenzie feel better.
“Because I’m me. A nurse with a crappy car, student loans, and average looks and you’re”—Kenzie waved her hand at him helplessly— “you.”
“There’s nothing average about you, Kenzie,” Ryker said so seriously that she thought he was mad at her for suggesting she was average.
“You’ve dated supermodels, and this body enjoys chocolate. You are crazy smart, own all kinds of companies, and move in circles I’d be arrested for trying to join. You know something like the headline: Local Woman Arrested for Trying to Hug the President. So, yeah, no one will believe you’re in a relationship with me. That’s why I need you to be a little . . . less.”
Ryker made a noise, but she didn’t know if it was agreeing or disagreeing. “We can fix one of these issues right now,” Ryker said dryly as he shook his head, then looked up and yelled out, “Just use the gate. You’ll fall off the wall and break your neck and Trent will never forgive me.”
“What? Me?” came a feminine voice off in the distance. Kenzie blinked and turned around in her chair. There was the woman from the neighboring mailbox with half her body atop an eight-foot wall covered with climbing flowers. Binoculars hung around her neck. “Don’t mind me. I’m just bird-watching.”
Ryker rolled his eyes. Kenzie wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it for herself.
“But since you invited me over.” The woman dropped out of view.
“How funny,” Kenzie said with a shake of her head. “You have a nosy neighbor. It’s strange that she looks so much like Skye Jessamine.”
“Faulkner,” the woman said, suddenly appearing at the patio door.
“Excuse me?”
“My name is Skye Faulkner. I only use Jessamine when I’m working.” America’s Sweetheart bounded into the patio and took a seat across from Kenzie and smiled brightly at her. “And you’re the nurse who saved Ryker, right?”
“Kenzie Carys,” Ryker said, introducing them. “Meet my cousin-in-law, Skye. How much time do we have?” Ryker asked Skye as Kenzie shook her hand. Ryker’s phone buzzed, and he let out a long-suffering sigh. “Never mind. I’m sorry, Kenzie. We’re about to be invaded.”
“Well, it’s not every day you have a woman here who isn’t Olivia. I sent one little text when I saw Kenzie pulling in. I didn’t know they’d come by in person,” Skye said, a little too innocently.
“And you’ve won an Academy Award with that acting?” Ryker didn’t look impressed.
Skye laughed and Kenzie joined in. She was not expecting a teasing side to Ryker, and she found she wanted to see more of it.
“Ryker! You out here? I brought back that dish I borrowed.” A cute, petite woman was rounding the corner as Ryker shook his head again.
“That’s not my dish, Tins, and you know it.”
Her eyes went wide as she studied the dish. “Oh, look at that. You’re right. Hello. I’m Ryker’s cousin, Tinsley.”
Kenzie tried not to laugh at the pained look on Ryker’s face as he saw three more people rounding the corner. One was a woman who had her eyes narrowed and the other two looked like mirror-image grannies. One was rounded and pillowy with a silk scarf around her natural black hair and the other looked like a pale, plucked, rather scrawny chicken.
“We heard you had company and didn’t know if you had any food to serve so we brought some treats,” the chicken clucked.
“I’m just here to send the gold digger running,” the narrowed-eyed beauty said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Harper,” Ryker snapped with so much force everyone except Harper jumped. “You will not speak to my guest like that.”
Tinsley cleared her throat and stepped between the mean-eyed woman and Kenzie. “Excuse our cousin, Harper. She’s a bit overprotective. See, Ryker’s never brought a woman home before.”
Now it was Kenzie’s turn to be speechless. She shot a glance to Ryker who was staring daggers at his cousins, but even those daggers were filled with love. She’d seen the same look between siblings before. For some reason, she’d never pictured Ryker having a close family.
“How much do you want for saving his life? Is that why you’re here? For a reward?” Harper asked.
“She turned down the reward I offered her the other day, Harp,” Ryker told her.
“So she’s back to ask for it?”
“No, she’s back because I invited her. Now drop it or I’ll tell Gavin it was you who sunk his jet ski in high school,” Ryker said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Tinsley gasped. “You let Ryker take the fall for that! Your brother was so pissed he didn’t talk to Ryk for a month.”
Then all hell broke loose. Another group of people had rounded the house and heard Tinsley, and everyone started talking at once.
“Hello, dear. I’m Ruby and this is Winnie. Have a brownie,” the rounded woman with the scarf said, handing her a brownie.
“Yes, they’ll settle down in a minute,” Winnie added, taking a seat next to her. “Tinsley texted that she thought you were the nurse who saved our Ryker.”
“Kenzie Carys. And yes, that’s me.” Kenzie took a bite of the brownie and groaned. “Holy smoke. This is better than sex!”
“Then you haven’t been having sex with the right man, dear,” Ruby said, batting her lashes.
“I can take care of that for you,” Ryker said suddenly before Miss Winnie smacked him on the arm and he went back to arguing with this family about some jet ski in high school.
Kenzie flushed red and Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie shared a look before turning back to her as Tinsley separated from the pack and joined them at the table.
“Sorry for Harper. She’s overprotective of Ryker. Women have a tendency to try to take advantage of him,” Tinsley told her. “So, are you and Ryker dating?”
Suddenly the family squabble ended and silence fell on the patio as Tinsley’s question seemed to echo across the entire state of South Carolina. “Oh, um, no,” Kenzie said at the same time Ryker said, “Yes.”
Kenzie blinked and everyone’s heads turned from Ryker to her and then back to Ryker.
“Yes, we are. This was a first date, but you all interrupted and I’m sure that will send Kenzie running away now.” Ryker glared at his family who shuffled their feet.
“I think that’s wonderful you’re dating. I saw the way Ryker looked at you at the press conference. It was very romantic,” Tinsley said. “We just wanted to meet you and thank you for saving our cousin. We’ll let you get back to your date.”
“It’s not a date,” Kenzie blurted. “At least not a real one.”
“What does that mean?” Harper asked.