Chapter 23

Brunch...what did one wear to a Saturday brunch that was a date instead of a get-together with friends? And without knowing where one was eating? Jo's stomach fluttered strangely again as she thought about the particular man this date was with. Was it crazy to have two dates in a row? Or was it that big of a deal when they'd been seeing each other at school every day anyway?

Why did she feel like an inexperienced teenager going on her first date? It's not like this was her first rodeo.

There was just something about Ryker--she'd never met a guy before that tied her up in knots like this, yet made her feel so comfortable at the same time. Or that had her dying laughing one second before she was melting under his intense forest-shaded gaze the next.

Jo was in so much trouble.

She sucked in a breath, then decided to focus on her outfit, rather than worrying about her future for the time being. She would worry about the whole fire-control issue later. It's not like there was any guarantee that this thing between her and Ryker could go anywhere.

Yeah. That.

Nope, worrying later. Outfit now.

Okay, Jo knew what she would wear. Mom-approved brunch sundress, but with a Jo-style flair of her flannel-lined, menswear leather jacket (her mom hated it). Yep, this would do. Hey, her excuse was that the early morning air in the mountains could be downright chilly, even if it was only the end of August.

She'd just finished clipping a few tendrils of her loose hair to the side when she heard the knock at the door. A minute later she opened it to reveal Ryker leaning against the porch post, looking like an ad for rugged jeans and flannel shirts against the backdrop of the forest. He turned to look at her and she noticed his golden-brown hair looked slightly wavy today, probably from the humidity that came with the morning fog. Jo stood there for a moment, taking in the sight.

"Um, morning," she said finally, her words coming out slightly breathy. A wide grin took over Ryker's face.

"Lock seems to be working."

Jo nodded silently and stepped out, turning to lock up behind her. When she turned back around, her eyes widened as she found him much, much closer, than he had been.

"You look good," he murmured, his eyes dropping for a moment before meeting her gaze again. Had he been looking at her lips? Jo found herself hoping so.

After a beat, Jo managed to find her wits again and she smirked up at him. "Good? Wow, thanks," she said, patting his chest and moving to walk past him.

Ryker had other ideas though, as he caught her hand and pulled her back to him. "Okay then, how about gorgeous?"

She stopped and looked up at him, a grin dancing in her eyes. "Gorgeous?"

"Is that not right either?" he asked, teasing. He reached out and swept his hand over her hair, pushing a lock of it back behind her ear, away from her face. His knuckles brushed against her jaw, gentle. "I can try something else."

"I think gorgeous works," she breathed.

They were so close right now, and Jo almost tilted forward, almost went on her toes to kiss him. But with a mischievous look in his eyes, Ryker pulled back. Was he making her wait? How purposefully aggravating could one man be?

"C'mon, or it'll become lunch instead of brunch," he said, leading her down the steps.

She slipped her keys in her pocketbook, her other hand still in his. "I feel like you'd like lunch better."

"I'm willing to try brunch. If it's good."

Jo smirked. "There'll be mimosas, right?"

Ryker tossed a frown at her over his shoulder. "I don't know...? Plus we're both under age."

Jo shrugged as he opened the passenger side door for her. She flicked her eyes up at him, half-amused. "I can open the door when we're on dates, too."

"Yeah, but I like opening the door for you," Ryker said. He gestured toward the passenger seat. "I won't do it every time. How's that?"

"A grouchy gentleman," Jo said, climbing into his truck. "I guess I can get behind that."

"Oh good," Ryker said, smirking, 'I don't have to worry about pretending to have manners anymore."

Jo laughed. "If you've been pretending, I'm worried about when you show me the real you."

Ryker's eyes flickered toward her, a shadow passing over his face for a moment before he forced out a chuckle. Had she hurt his feelings? She hadn't meant to, she'd just been playing along with their banter. Sometimes it was easy to get caught up in the back and forth. "I didn't mean..."

"No worries," he said, brushing it off. "Though maybe I should hold off on letting you meet the real me a little longer," he added jokingly.

Jo leaned back against the seat, studying him curiously. She felt like she'd already met a lot of the real him, though she knew there was probably a lot more to learn about. If he had even just half as much of a history as she did, there was likely a ton of things she didn't know. But...she didn't like the thought of him pretending with her either.

Ryker glanced at her again, and catching her pensive look, he reached over and took her hand before she could pull back. And when he squeezed it, the warmth that seemed to expand from his touch was unexplainable. No one she knew had ever had this ability to make her instantly calm--how did he? When she'd known him such a short time?

"I haven't been pretending, for what it's worth," he said seriously. "I'll be the first to admit, I'm not always a gentleman, but I'm not pretending when I'm with you."

Jo's cheeks instantly flushed--holy hell. Bantering, flirting, she was comfortable with that. Straight up honesty and sweetness--if he did that too much, she didn't know how long she'd be able to keep her walls up around him.

They listened to the radio on the way to wherever they were going, taking longer than Jo thought they would to get there. She was pretty sure they were outside the bounds of Jackson's Hollow, though maybe they were on the border.

"Lexi....far...thinking..." Ryker was mumbling under his breath as he turned off the main road and into a gravel parking lot.

"Huh?" Jo asked, amused by his grumbling.

Ryker frowned, seeming a bit tense as he surveyed the restaurant in front of them which was giving off an elegant, lodge-y type vibe. He cleared his throat. "I've actually never been here, Lexi recommended it. I didn't know how far it was."

"I don't mind," Jo said, unbuckling. She paused as Ryker didn't move, then turned to look at him, grinning a little. Such a stubborn, contradictory, hot-and-cold man. "I highly doubt the residents of Jackson's Hollow will come after you with pitchforks for eating somewhere outside of town."

Ryker snorted, but some of the tension seemed to ease out of him as he shook his head. "You're ridiculous."

"I've been told it makes me more endearing," Jo said saucily as she jumped out of the truck. She'd skipped breakfast and was hungry, and she'd be damned if they had to take the time to drive back into town to find another place to eat. That simply wasn't going to be an option.

"Mmm." Ryker came around and took her hand. 'See, I let you get the door that time."

"I didn't give you a choice."

"Still counts," he said with an arrogant shrug, pulling her back so that he could grab the door to the restaurant before she could. Seriously. Men.

Inside the restaurant still had that posh but mountain feel, like someone's very expensive log cabin. There were exposed wood beams that had been stained a warm amber and there was pottery and other local artisan works decorating the room. A few large prints of the local views also decorated the walls. Jo could see why Lexi had recommended the place; it was nice but not overly fancy.

Ryker glanced around the place with narrowed eyes, as if he expected to find something he wouldn't like. Jo rolled her eyes and walked over to the podium where a woman around her age was standing, looking a little bored.

"Table for two?" the woman asked, glancing from her to Ryker, her posture changing, eyes lighting up. "Or more?"

"Just two," Jo said. To make that very clear, she took Ryker's hand as the woman got a pair of menus.

Ryker smirked and squeezed her fingers, obviously pleased by her minor territorial act. She pointedly looked away from him, a little embarrassed at herself.

They were seated at a table by the windows, and Ryker took the seat in the corner while she sat down across from him, plunking her bag onto the chair beside hers. The woman handed them their menus and sauntered away with more sashay than was called for.

"Don't you say a word," Jo said as she picked up her menu and popped it open, covering her face.

There was absolute silence, and after a few moments, Jo wasn't able to take it anymore. She had to see his face, because for real? Who actually responded to that by not saying anything?

When she finally peered over her menu, it was to find Ryker, leaning back in his chair--was he propped up on two legs? If that chair fell...But his arms were crossed over his chest, causing his biceps to bulge in a very distracting way, and a grin was plastered on his face.

Jo narrowed her eyes at Ryker as his grin turned into a smirk before he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Ugh, fine!" she pushed the menu down on the table more forcefully than was necessary. "You made your point."

"And here I was excited to play charades for our whole date," Ryker said, tipping his chair back forward so he could lean across the table toward her.

Snorting, Jo rolled her eyes and looked back down at the menu. "You and your dating games."

"What? Twenty questions is a great game."

"Said no one ever."

Ryker choked out a laugh and Jo looked up in amusement--was he trying to hide the fact that he was laughing? "It's okay to enjoy my amazing sense of humour, you know," she said sweetly.

"Someone's gotta check your pride, babe." Her stomach flipped--. Even though this was only their second date, and he was probably joking when he used it...she couldn't help but like it. It implied that she was his. And he was hers. And that damn waitress could stop making eyes at him from across the room.

"Pot calling the kettle black," she muttered, determined to actually pay attention to the menu...some kind of scrambled skillet...no, eggs benedict....hmm, chicken and waffles?

"I'm offended, I'm a very humble man," Ryker said, his eyes glinting mischievously. He took one of her hands, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. It was disconcerting, the way that simple touch affected her. "Although I am proud of the fact that apparently I can make you jealous," he teased, blatantly ignoring her earlier demand for him to not say anything.

Her eyes flew up to meet Ryker's as she scowled at him, then her attention shifted upward as a familiar, scruffy blond man stopped at Ryker's shoulder. She hadn't even noticed him enter the restaurant or approaching, she'd been so caught up in Ryker's hazel gaze.

"Well, look who's here."