Page 12 of Protecting Andie

Andie shook her head. “That’s too much.”

“No, it’s not.” He pulled open the door, and he was surprised to see the woman he knew, Cassandra, standing there instead of one of her employees.

She held out her hand, giving him a firm shake. “Rider, it’s good to see you.”

“Cassandra, thank you for coming to help.”

“Anything for you. You saved my ass on that ship.”

Andie would be lying if she said jealousy didn’t hit hard as she watched Rider with Cassandra. She could see they had a special connection. She was being ridiculous. They’d had one dinner and shared a kiss, but that meant nothing. Not when Rider had history with the woman.

She didn’t want to be jealous, didn’t want to feel the weirdness at seeing him with such a beautiful woman, and Cassandra was beautiful.

“Let me introduce you.” Rider introduced her to Derik and Emily first.

Then he turned to her and took her hand. She wasn’t sure he even realized what he was doing holding her hand. When his fingers squeezed hers, she almost melted.

“Andie, I’m sorry you were attacked. It sucks when someone tries to use their strength to hurt you. When Rider texted last night, I knew I wanted to be the one to keep you safe. I owe Rider my life. He saved me from an attack not too different from what you went through. I’ve been in contact with the police, and I’ve been assured that Tony won’t get out of jail for at least another twenty-four hours. I know the security officer here at the hotel, and he knows to keep watch this week. He added another security officer and is taking this seriously.”

Heat rose up her neck to her face. “I don’t want to be trouble.”

“Trust me, you aren’t any trouble. I’m happy to get to see Rider again. Honestly, I want him to meet my spouse. He’s coming by at the end of the day to meet Rider and thank him.”

“Oh, that’s great.” Andie took in the latest bit of information, realizing how ridiculous it was that she’d been jealous of Cassandra. Rider had friends, maybe even a few lovers, and she had no hold on him. So what if he’d kissed her? That meant nothing, not really. She needed to get her head on straight and stop thinking they had anything special. He’d made no promises to her, and he owed her nothing.

Derik’s phone buzzed, and he turned to Rider. “Our ride is almost here.”

Rider’s hug was a surprise. That he pulled her close in front of Emily wasn’t lost on her.

“You’ll be safe with Cassandra. We’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

He stepped back and put his hands on her shoulders. “I did. I want you and Emily to feel safe.”

She smiled and nodded. Of course he was doing this for Emily, not her. He was doing all of this because of Emily. They didn’t have a special relationship. They weren’t even friends, just acquaintances.

“We’ll have a good time today at the spa. You two have fun fishing.”

She watched as Rider grabbed a bag and threw it over his shoulder. She hated fishing but wished she could go with him. It was a silly thought, but she wanted to spend time with him.

Emily took her hand and squeezed. “Our appointments start in an hour. Do you want breakfast?”

Andie took her eyes off the guys as they left the room. She wanted life to be normal like it was before she met Tony. She needed to get out of her head. This week was about Emily and making sure she had a good marriage week.

“Breakfast.” Emily clapped her hands together. “Cassandra, have you eaten?”

“I did, before I came over. I’ll be outside in the hall. That way, the two of you can enjoy your breakfast together.”

“You don’t have to,” Emily said.

Cassandra flashed a smile. “I do. I need to place some calls and get some work done before the morning starts for other people.”

“Thank you for doing this. We really appreciate you coming over to watch after us. It will make the day run smoother.”

“You’re welcome, and like I said, I owe Rider.”

After Cassandra stepped out of the room, Emily ordered room service, then took Andie’s hands and pulled her over to the table, plopping down in a chair and pulling Andie down, too.

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