Healing Hearts (New Hope Falls #6) - Kimberly Rae Jordan Page 0,27
have some supper for you again, if you don’t mind relatively simple food.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Consider it payment for your help with our jungle.”
Ryker shrugged. “I don’t need payment.”
“Maybe you don’t need it, but I need to offer something in exchange for you helping us out this way. It was becoming a stress for me.”
“In that case, I’ll happily relieve you of some food.” Ryker pulled the door open and stepped out onto the porch. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Ryker!” Bryson called out as Ryker walked to his truck.
Ryker turned around and walked backward for a couple steps. “Bye, buddy.”
“Time for bed, baby. Go to the bathroom, I’ll be right there.” Sophia locked the door and drew the curtains over the front picture window before heading for the bathroom.
Bryson stood on his stool, washing his hands. She quickly prepared his toothbrush and oversaw him using it since he still considered a single pass with the brush over his teeth sufficient.
When Sophia had him settled in his bed with the books he wanted her to read, he looked up at her. “Do you think Ryker likes me? Even if I don’t like to go outside like him?”
Sophia hurt a bit at his words. She ran her fingers through his curls, feeling her heart pulse with love for him. “I think he likes you just fine.”
Bryson’s sigh of relief was audible, and Sophia was left wondering how she could ask Ryker to be more distant with Bryson when her little boy would likely take it as a rejection. Plus, she’d gone and asked the man to eat in her kitchen for the next few days…
That wasn’t her smartest idea. Hopefully it wouldn’t backfire completely on her.
CHAPTER SIX
Ryker walked up the sidewalk that led to Sophia’s house. His plan was to just head on around to the shed in the back yard, but he spotted Bryson standing at the storm door, waving at him through the glass. He took a moment to wave back, but then he continued on.
It wasn’t that he wanted to ignore the little boy, but he hoped that by staying outside, it might give Bryson the opportunity to think about venturing outdoors himself. He understood how his fear had developed, but it wasn’t sustainable in a young child. At some point, he’d have to go to school—unless Sophia planned to homeschool—and that would mean he’d need to be able to go outside.
And even if Sophia planned to homeschool, it would still make life difficult for them both if he was unwilling to spend any length of time outside. Case in point, her being unable to do yard work.
Ryker wondered again about approaching his mom for some advice, but he didn’t have enough details about Sophia and Bryson’s life before they came to New Hope Falls. She would ask him questions—because that’s what she always did—and then wonder why he didn’t have any answers.
In the meantime, he’d continue to hang out with the pair…at least until the yard work was done for the month. If he hadn’t had anything else to do, he could have gotten it all done in one day. But instead of just one long day spent mowing, cleaning up the flower beds, and trimming the hedges, he was going to be there for at least three evenings doing the work.
He focused on mowing and weed-whacking the back yard since he’d managed to finish mowing the front yard the night before. When the sun began to set, casting deep shadows across the yard, Ryker put all the equipment away. He’d been surprised by the quality of the tools he’d found when he’d checked them over the previous day.
The shed was organized, and everything in it was in good condition. Having things there made it a lot easier than him having to cart everything over from Michael’s. Plus, then he’d have to answer questions from his boss about what he was doing, and he wasn’t really in the mood to do that.
Frankly, he was rarely in the mood to answer questions from anyone these days. Except maybe Bryson. The boy’s lack of experiences that most kids his age should have had made Ryker curious, of course, but it also made him want to help the little guy expand his horizons.
“You can come in this way, Ryker!” Bryson shouted from the back door.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” Ryker called back, then went about securing the shed for the night.