Ryker watched as she batted her eyes and slid from the corner of his desk. She strutted out and Ryker heard Mary Alice light into her and then heard Paxton coming to her defense. He couldn’t wait to bust everyone involved and move on. There was always a threat of some kind. While Ryker used to love these battles, his mind was on Kenzie and their future, not the constant need to succeed.
Ryker found himself wondering what it would be like to take an actual vacation with Kenzie. He imaged them on a yacht or a private beach. She’d smile at him and then he’d surprise her by going down on one knee . . .
Whoa. His mind had gone straight there on its own while his heart cheered him on. Ryker had succeeded in the cutthroat business world by trusting his gut. His gut, his mind, and his heart told him what he needed to know. Kenzie was the woman he wanted to marry.
Kenzie sat on the dock with her book and a bag of beef jerky. She’d had the most relaxing day. After lunch with Olivia, she’d come back to Ryker’s house and thrown on her bathing suit. She’d swum in his gorgeous pool, sunbathed, and was now curled up in what was quickly becoming her spot on the dock reading.
“What do you think, Bubba? Do you think the duke will cave to his overbearing mama and marry the uppity debutante or the wallflower who has captured his heart?” Kenzie asked the alligator sunning on the small beach beside the dock.
Bubba gave a low bellow in response.
“I agree. Wallflower all the way,” Kenzie said as she opened the bag of jerky and tossed a piece to Bubba who snapped it out of the air and went back to sunning.
She and Bubba had come to an understanding today. She got her dock chair and he got the sand on the riverbank. To reward his good behavior, she gave him some of her jerky as they talked. Turns out Bubba liked being talked to and really enjoyed the treats.
Kenzie’s phone buzzed and she picked it up to see another text from Ryker. He’d been sending her little texts all day to make sure she had everything she needed and to apologize again for working late tonight.
Tinsley is picking you up for dinner at the bar in an hour. Fingers crossed this will all be wrapped up soon. I was wondering, do you have any vacation time saved up?
Why would Ryker be asking her about vacation time? She did have it saved up, quite a bit actually because she always volunteered to work holidays since she didn’t have a husband or kids of her own to spend them with.
I’m glad you’re getting to the bottom of this. I hate having you in danger. Be careful tonight and let me know the second it’s over so I know you’re safe. I’ll be on the lookout for Tinsley. That was nice of her to take me to dinner. And yes, I have three weeks of vacation time saved up. Now I have a very demanding male wanting a treat.
Kenzie smiled as she saw Ryker’s immediate response. What male? Where are you?
Kenzie replied by making a video of herself saying, “Are you a good boy?” Bubba gave a guttural response as she turned the camera onto him and tossed him a treat. She sent it and saw Ryker begin to type only to stop and then start again. Finally, his text came through and Kenzie laughed out loud. What kind of treat do I get if I’m a good boy?
Come home safely and you’ll find out. Love you.
Love you, angel.
“Sorry, Bubba, but I have to get ready for dinner. Good luck with your own meal as long as it’s not me.”
Bubba gave her what she sure was a smile before diving into the water. She’d have to ask Gator if alligators could smile. But first it was time to get ready for dinner and plan what she wanted to do for Ryker when he got home tonight.
26
“I’ve never seen a gator smile,” Gator said from where he sat on a stool at Harper’s bar.
“Maybe it was gas,” Turtle said, looking at Kenzie as if he’d never heard a sillier question than if alligators could smile.
“Anne Bonny says you have a pirate’s spirit if you can get a gator to smile,” Skeeter said, holding up his beer to salute her.
“Anne Bonny, as in the female pirate?” Kenzie asked for clarification.
“Mr. Skeeter can talk to the pirate ghosts that live in Shadows Landing,” Georgina, the bartender, told her as she handed her a beer. “I didn’t believe it at first, but I swear there’s some stuff that goes on that can only be explained by this town having ghosts.”
“Black Law used to live here,” Skeeter told her and then launched into a much more detailed account of Shadows Landing history than Ryker had told her.
Kenzie was completely engrossed in the story and before she realized it the entire Faulkner family was already sitting around the large table for their Friday night dinner.
“Mr. Skeeter,” Kenzie said with awe. “You sure do bring history to life. I can’t wait to hear more and I will definitely take you up on your offer of a sail on your ship.”
Skeeter’s cheeks turned pink and he dropped his eyes to his beer. “Aw, shucks, Miss Kenzie.”
“Gentlemen, it was a pleasure talking to you tonight. Gator, make sure the next time you end up in the hospital with a bite, you tell them you’re a friend of mine.”
Kenzie waved goodbye to them, grabbed her beer, and took the empty seat at the table between Skye and Tinsley. The table seemed empty tonight without Ryker and Paxton, but then the door opened and Edie and Kord walked in.
“You’re joining us tonight, right, Edie?” Tinsley asked.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Edie said, grabbing an open chair.
“Kord, you’re welcome to join us, too,” Ellery said as she bounced her son on her knee.
Kenzie saw that Kord glanced toward the bar and then back at the table full of his friends. “Sure, thanks.”
Kenzie fell into easy conversation with Gavin about his practice and even talked to the knitting club about embroidery when they walked by to go to their own table. Once a week, the group met for knitting and then once a week a smaller group met for embroidery. She’d learned that when she had attended the most bizarre church meeting in her life—one that involved centuries old weaponry. She’d gone through the self-defense class at the church and then headed to work where Jen didn’t believe a word she told her of the class.
“It really helped my stitching,” Gavin told her.
“I wish I could stitch, but as you know I’m just an RN and not allowed to,” she told Gavin with a shrug.
“Have you thought about becoming a nurse practitioner? You have the required hands-on experience,” Gavin asked her.
“I have. I have my college degree in nursing and with the experience I have, I know I could apply,” Kenzie admitted. “I really love the ER, but with my volunteer work at Christabelle’s I’d like to be able to fully treat women and children. Right now, I’m limited on what I can do.”
“If you ever decide to do that, I’ll help in every way I can, including letting you get hours in at my clinic,” Gavin told her.
“I might just take you up on that if I can get it worked out financially and time-wise. I’ll need to work while I go to school. But, I’ve been thinking more and more of doing just that. I’d love to meet with you at your clinic to see what you do day to day and ask you some more questions if you have time,” Kenzie said. It was seriously something she’d been thinking about more and more, and here Gavin was offering to help her reach her dreams.