Page 76 of Hungry Hearts

I check on Ruby in the tub to make sure she’s okay and go back downstairs to finish cleaning the kitchen, wishing Ryder was here with us. With me. As soon as I turn on the faucet, water sprays all over me. I screech and reach blindly to turn it off, but the water continues to shoot in all directions.

“Shoot. Shit. Ah.” I drop the floor and open the cabinet doors under the sink, looking for the water valve. This happened once before and Flynn fixed the leak. I turn what I think is the valve, but I can still hear the water spraying.

I crawl across the kitchen and reach for my phone on the counter and call Flynn. “Help. My kitchen sink is possessed again.”

“Did you turn the valve like I showed you?”

“I think so, but it must be something else. Would you mind coming over?”

“On my way.”

That’s what I love about Flynn. He’s only five minutes down the road and has my back whenever I have a problem. I like to think of myself as an independent woman, but being single and a homeowner has its own set of problems.

I’m not ashamed to say I wish I had a man around to take care of problems like this. Thankfully, I have Flynn.

My chest tightens at the thought of betrayal to Ryder. I wish he lived closer. I wish his hours coincided with mine. I wish I could call him whenever I have an emergency. I know he’s not a fan of Flynn, and Laney’s teasing about him having feelings for me has me second-guessing calling him.

My doorbell rings and my heart instantly flutters, even though I know it can’t be Ryder. He has a VIP party tonight that paid heavily for his tableside presence, so he texted me less than an hour ago with the dirty things he wants to do to me tomorrow night to make up for it.

It hasn’t even been two minutes, and already, Flynn is here.

“That was fast.”

His gaze drops to my wet top. I’m wearing a sweatshirt and black leggings, so nothing is see-through, but his eyes rake over me nonetheless. For the first time since we were young teenagers, I’m self-conscious.

I fold my arms across my chest. “Want me to grab the tools you got me?”

“Probably a good idea.”

I hurry to the basement and grab the pink toolbox he gifted me as a housewarming present and find him on all fours with his head under my sink, ass in the air.

Flynn has a nice body, but I don’t find myself fantasizing about it or him. Dirty thoughts invade my brain as I imagine Ryder, shirtless, fixing my sink.

“Got a wrench, babe?”

Babe?He’s never called me that before. Adam never even called me that. There have been a few times when Ryder has called me baby, but it was in the throes of passion and...I liked it. I’m not sure how I feel about Flynn’s use of the word.

His hand is still outstretched behind him and I place a wrench in it. A few seconds later, the water stops spraying. I stand back and watch him tinker around with the pipes. When he stands up and looks down at his wet shirt, he chuckles and takes it off.

I’ve seen Flynn shirtless plenty of times. At the lake. At the ocean. At backyard barbecues. It’s never fazed me to be near him. He’s lean, cut, and has a decent amount of chest hair. I’ve witnessed many women swoon over him. I’ve always laughed at their obvious obsession with one of my best friends.

I study him now, not with a female appreciative stare, but with unease. It feels wrong to be standing so close to a half-naked man when Ryder and I made promises to each other. I don’t desire Flynn, but guilt still churns in my stomach.

I twist my hands in front of me and stutter. “I’m, um, I’m going to check on Ruby.”

She’s still playing with her Barbies in the tub, but the bubbles are gone and the water is cool. “Time to get out, Pruney Ruby.”

She giggles. “That sounds like something Ry-Ry would say.”

“It does, doesn’t it?”

“When is he coming over again? I miss him. He’s my prince.”

My heart stutters in my chest. Ruby is loved by so many. Me, her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even her teachers, but she’s never built a strong attachment like she has with Ryder. And the feeling is mutual.

“He’s coming for dinner tomorrow, remember?”

“What time?”

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