Chapter 7

Seven

Ryder

I stay close behind Kandy as we step into the diner. I wasn't lying when I told her I had no intentions of letting her face her friends alone now that the news spread. But I have to admit, I thought Ted exaggerated when he said the whole town expected breakfast. Scanning the restaurant now, I realize he was right.

Wall to wall people pack the joint with no room left to sit. Booths are four people deep on both sides and the stools are all taken just like the tables in the middle. The Halloween decorations are still intact though and it looks like Kandy has no intentions of moving the jack-o-lanterns any time soon.

People sit and stand three deep at the counter as Ted rushes to fill coffee mugs. I catch sight of Theo with an orange apron to match the Halloween decor tied around his waist, weaving between tables and bodies with his own coffee pot. I had no idea this many people still lived in this tiny New England town.

Kandy comes to an abrupt stop in front of me and my arms slide around her middle to steady us both.

She leans back against me briefly and whispers, "Holy shit, Ry. You're good for business."

I chuckle. "I guess so, sweetheart," I whisper back.

She rewards me a soft laugh that vibrates through her and touches my soul.

She turns a little to where I can read a mouth thank you on her lips.

I feel better knowing me being here helps make this moment easier for her. And feeling her body against mine reminds me about what we started this morning, but didn't get to finish.

Jesus. Her pussy is addictive. I woke up thinking of her sweetness and I couldn't stop myself from sliding down for a taste. Since sunrise this morning I've been exceedingly conscious of the clock ticking on my time with her and the limit to the number of chances I have to taste her. Or to claim her tight little body with mine.

She has me so wound up, I'm contemplating hiking her over my shoulder, doing a full U-turn back to her place and forgetting about the diner for the next twenty-four hours.

But it's clear my fantasy is dead before it has a chance.

"They're here!" Someone calls from the far corner of the diner. As one, every head in the place turns toward us.

Creepy as fuck.

Silence washes over the joint for a brief moment. I swear, not even the clink of a spoon stirring coffee can be heard. And then the silence is broken by a deafening cheer.

People hoot and holler. A few stomp their feet and smack palms against tables. I hear a few calls of "finally!" and "way to go!"

It was overwhelming and completely nuts how involved people are in other's lives.

I hate that Kandy has her back to me. I can't see her face to see how she is taking this ridiculous display, but it can't be good. I'm pretty sure no woman in the history of the world would be happy to have a cheering mob show up to celebrate her losing her virginity.

Damn small towns. I figure this is why my parents left all those years ago. No way it was all about the money.

I figure Kandy has to be sitting somewhere between mortified and distraught.

I send up a silent prayer that she won't cry. I don't have a clue what to do in the face of Kandy's tears.

But I've underestimated my Kandy. She pulls herself from my arms and throws me a quick wink over her shoulder before turning to face the cheering room. She inhales deeply and lets out an ear-splitting whistle, holding her hands up, palms out. It takes a minute, but the room finally settles to a murmuring with a few quick outbursts here and there.

"I don't know what you're all so happy about. I thought y'all liked my pie."

HA! I don't hear cheering anymore.

A deafening silence moves over the room as everyone starts to get the implication of Kandy's words.

"Hold up now. Just wait, wait. You're not going to be making your pies anymore, Kandy?" Tommy asks from his spot in the middle of the room.

Kandy shrugs with a sassy grin I've come to love. "Funny. When I woke up this morning, the urge to bake pies was totally gone."

She turns and gives me a mischievous look. "Must have been the mysterious and spooky powers of the wedding dress."

"Could be." I nod, playing along. "Good thing we are set to burn it tonight!"

"Damn, Kandy, that's just mean. You know we're all just happy you're not pining over that moron anymore." This came from one of the guys standing by the counter.

Kandy rolls her eyes and turns back to the crowd. "I appreciate everyone's deep and abiding concern about my love life. If I knew you were all so interested, I would have updated my social media more often. What do you think, Theo, should I start sending out a newsletter or do old-timers want me to post a bulletin down at Town Hall?" She casts her gaze over the entire crowd.

I couldn't fight the chuckle that shakes my shoulders at seeing the discomfort flitting across the faces of pretty much every single man in the room.

"Now, no need to get testy, Kandy. We were all just concerned about you. Wanted to make sure you were okay. No offense, Ryder, but you've been gone a while and people well, they change." Theo gestures to me.

"Hmm." Kandy taps her chin with a finger. "And I wonder who would have let them all know there might be a reason for concern in the first place? Who was it who came to fetch me for a call yesterday morning? Who would have had more gossip than anyone about the status update in my life?"

Kandy looks pointedly at Theo, and damn if the old man doesn't blush and squirm in his spot. "Aww, Kandy, c'mon."

"Yeah, I'll give you aww, Kandy . You're cut off. No pie for you for a month!" She points her finger at Theo before turning the finger on the rest of the crowd. "As for all of you, if any of you want to eat pie again in this town, I suggest you sit down and shut the heck up while I work on getting you breakfast."

And damn if every person in that room doesn't clamp their mouths shut and shuffle to try to find seats. I swear I'm tempted to swipe her up and head back to the city so she can help me corral my board of directors. The pushy lot of them step on every nerve I have left and from the looks of it Kandy is my solution.

Kandy moves to the kitchen. "And you all better be hungry for pancakes and bacon because that's all I'm cooking today. Drag me out of my warm bed on my day off for this shit and think…" Her voice trails off as she disappears behind the swinging doors.

I look around the room to find more than one person suddenly extremely interested in their placemats or coffee cups, unable to meet my eyes. Anger and pride wars in my chest. I am so goddamn proud of my girl for standing her ground and not letting her neighbors get to her.

On the other side, even though I have a feeling these people mean well and truly care for Kandy, I won't be here to serve as backup come tomorrow, and it pisses me off to think of Kandy facing down this crowd of busybodies without me at her back.

I stand to my full height and clear my throat. Slowly, all eyes in the room turn toward me. I carefully examine the faces staring at me. A few look away as sheepishness creeps into their expressions, but most meet my eyes, their features careful as their gazes weigh my mettle.

My first instinct is to threaten violence, but I hold myself in check. I might be all Marine and former SEAL at heart, but I didn't build one of the most successful tech companies in the world by giving into my baser instincts. One look at this crew tells me the threat of finding themselves on the receiving end of my fists will not be the deterrent I want it to be. This is a rough group. Chances are these men don't think of a brawl as a warning, but rather as a fun way to spend a Sunday morning.

I need another way to keep them from hounding Kandy once I leave. In the short time I've been here, it has become exceedingly clear the people of this town count on Kandy for far more than her pie. As I look around the room, meeting the gazes of each man in turn, it becomes clear to me, Kandy is the heart and soul of this town.

I pull on the hard-ass bulldog face I used on my men. "I can appreciate you might all be concerned about Kandy and this," I flick my hand to encompass the room, "gathering is your way of letting me know she has your protection. I get it. Most of you only knew my parents and not me. Let me put you at ease. Me and my old man aren't too different. Tommy I think sees it more than most." I nod to my father's old friend and get one in return.

Satisfied expressions pass over a few faces, telling me I've hit the nail on the head. Yes, this is a small town and many of them came in for the latest round of gossip, but many of the men here came here to let me know I need to watch my step where Kandy is concerned.

"But," I continue, "I'm letting you know, embarrassing Kandy and intruding into places in her life you have no business intruding—that stops now. Your concern has been noted. But I plan on sending a few of my boys back this way to fix a few things and set up some security at Kandy's place. If I get even a hint from them that you guys are pulling this shit again, I'll be back."

"You think we're afraid to take you on?" This comes from a man sitting on a stool at the counter. He is about my size and the glint in his eyes tells me he might welcome the chance to take his fists to me. As I look him over more closely, I can see a hint of anger simmering in his eyes.

Isn't that interesting. This guy, and likely a whole bunch of others, showed up for another reason this morning. One I forgot to consider.

They wanted to see if the gossip was true. They wanted to find out for themselves if Kandy had given her body to someone. And the reason they are so interested is because they all had hopes of being the guy she finally gave it up to.

My chest tightens. And looking at this man, I can see why he thought he had a chance with my Kandy. He looks a lot like me—big, bearded, an attitude clearly showing he isn't afraid of shit. If I'm proof Kandy has a type, then once I move on, this guy can easily take my place.

Fuck. Just thinking about it has me wanting to pound my fists into him.

Rage fires through me and fuels a need to stake my claim; fight off anyone wanting a piece of what is mine.

Except Kandy isn't mine.

We'd both made it abundantly clear what our expectations of this weekend were—three days of fucking before I rode off into the sunset. My fists curl as I grit past the rage feeding into bad ideas.

I lock gazes with my doppelganger and offer up the only reply I can think of to his silent challenge. "I have no doubt that all of you together could take me down. But I'd go down fighting." I war with myself to relax. "That isn't what I am getting at. If I get word you all are pulling this shit again, I'll be back. But the next time I ride out, it'll be with Kandy on the back of my bike. And I won't be bringing her back here."

Theo snorts. "Like Kandy would ever leave here."

I arch a brow at him and grin. "I don't know about that, Theo. I can be awfully convincing."

My words hang between us and I can see the truth dawning on all of them.

I grin as I meet their eyes in turn and the truth settles over the room. I made my point loud and clear.

Thinking about how to celebrate my victory, my gaze skates over the brawny guy who stood up to me. He returns my stare, and damn if I catch a small flicker of satisfaction looking back at me.

Miracles happen.

I won, but I also admitted I will be leaving. Now all I can think of is how once I do, he'll still be here. And now Kandy has an idea of exactly what she'd been missing in a man.

Fuck me.