On the Way to a Wedding by Suzanne Stengl Read Free Book Online Page A

himself like he was dressed for his lawyer office. And for some reason, he seemed content with himself. Like he’d just won a round of negotiations.
    Ryder had returned. As he stepped up on the porch, his heavy work boots dropped pieces of mud. He reached for her arm, ready to pick her up like a caveman and haul her to his truck.
    She hopped back. “As long as we’re here, can I see what the rest of this place looks like?”
    “Certainly,” Pro said.
    Ryder let go of an annoyed sounding breath. “It’s not like she can move around, Pro. Let’s get out of here.”
    “I can hop,” she said, touching Pro’s elbow. A second later, she felt Ryder lift her into his arms and she had a moment of dizziness. She clutched her hands around his neck. “Put me down. I can walk.”
    “Yeah. Sure you can. With a broken foot.”
    “It’s a sprain. Why do you have to keep making it worse than it is?”
    Pro seemed to ignore them as he walked off the porch and headed along the brick walk that edged the cabin. Ryder followed, carrying her.
    One of his arms lifted around her back, his fingers pressing over her ribs. His other arm pulled under her knees, pinning her snug against his chest.
    She had a horrible urge to put her head on his shoulder.
    They came around the cabin to a bricked patio, puddled with rain. Beyond the patio, natural grasses and early wildflowers bordered the area. A dirt path led away, about thirty feet, to a fire ring.
    Six wooden benches surrounded the fire ring in a hexagon. The wet benches steamed in the sun. The fire pit waited, ready, neatly stacked with wet wood.
    Beyond the fire ring, the path continued down a slope to a small turquoise colored lake. Ryder set her down, keeping his arm around her waist.
    His arm felt . . . reassuring?
    “We used to come out here every summer,” Pro was saying. “There’s a great fishing spot down there. Can you see?”
    She could see it. She could see it all. And she wished she could stay. For a long time.
    But she needed to go back to Calgary. Leaving had been a silly impulse and she never acted on impulse. Except—she sighed heavily, shoulders slumping—except for last night. And now, even though she didn’t want to go back, it was the only decision that made sense.
    “You’re cold again,” Ryder said. “You should have taken my jacket.”
    “I’m fine.” She tried to keep from shivering.
    Ryder studied her a moment. Then he turned to Pro. “Can we go now? I’ll have time to check on the site after the hospital.”
    Her breath caught as she thought about the hospital. That was second on the list of things she had to do. First she had to face her mother, who would not understand. And then her mother could drive her to the ER. She couldn’t take any more of Ryder’s time.
    “You can bring me to my mother’s house. She’ll take me to the Nose Hill.”
    “You mean you do what she tells you?”
    Her heart stuttered. Knowing he was right, she straightened her shoulders. She did do what her mother told her. At least . . . she always had. She was the perfect daughter, and look where it had got her.
    · · · · ·
    “We’re here,” Ryder said.
    So far he’d seen minimal damage from last night’s storm. Calgary seemed to have been on the edges. A few fallen poplar limbs littered front yards. Debris settled at the storm sewer openings. The light fluctuated and dark patches of clouds rushed across the sky, but the sun still fought its way through the gray.
    He’d had to insist that she take his jacket. And then after she’d given him her mother’s Varsity Estates address, she’d snuggled under his jacket and fallen asleep. The poor thing was worn out.
    Whoa. Not a poor thing. A ditzy female who didn’t know how to take care of herself. She was worse than his mother.
    But . . . he had to admit, he kind of liked watching her sleep. Her dark hair curled all around her face. Her lashes were impossibly long, covering those strange green