Marriage Minded by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2023-02-18T12:35:36+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Geez, you can really be a dope sometimes, you know that?” Tess Carpenter flipped a hamburger over on the grill and threw her best friend a disgusted look.

Sara’s arm jerked, nearly knocking over the root beer can which rested on the picnic table next to her elbow. It had been almost a week since she’d seen Ryder and talking about him still made her jittery. “Thanks a lot,” she said indignantly, trying to mask her hurt feelings. “I knew I could count on your support.”

Tess made an elaborate shrug. “Hey, what are friends for? To set you straight when you’ve done something reeeally stupid.”

Sara drummed her nails on the plastic blue-and-white checked tablecloth. “I fail to see how you can call trying to protect the twins stupid.”

Automatically, she glanced toward the far end of the Carpenters’ backyard, where the twins and the two Carpenter kids were taking turns swinging on an old tire tied to the limb of a shady oak tree. The Carpenters’ dog, a frisky boxer named Max, was making an eager effort to participate.

“You’re not trying to protect the twins,” Tess said. “You’re trying to protect yourself.” She pointed her metal spatula at Sara like an accusing finger.

“Protect myself? From what?” Sara demanded scornfully. “Ryder? He can’t hurt me. I got him out of my system a long time ago.”

“Liar.”

“I am not.”

“Are so.”

“Am not.”

“Are so.”

They glared at each other, chins set stubbornly, hands clamped on hips, for about five seconds before they burst into giggles.

“Maybe you’re right,” Sara admitted when they finally stopped laughing at themselves. “I guess Ryder can still get under my skin a little. But that’s not why I told him to stay away from Nicholas and Noelle.”

Tess flung out her arms as if she were throwing herself on the mercy of the court. “For Pete’s sake, give the guy a break, would you? Stop treating him like a criminal.”

Sara squinted at her suspiciously. “What are you, president of the Ryder Sloan Fan Club?” She cocked her head and began to tick off direct quotes on her fingers. “A creep, a coward, a no-good louse I was better off without. Isn’t that what you once called him?”

Tess groaned. “Sara, that was ten years ago. Good grief.”

“And during the few short weeks he’s been back in town, you’ve completely revised your opinion of him, is that it?”

Tess peeked under a burger to check its progress. “Hey, all I know is what I see. And since Ryder’s come back, he’s tried to set things straight with you, gotten to be buddies with the twins, and in general acted like a pretty decent guy.”

Tess plopped herself down onto the picnic bench next to Sara. “Seems to me you’re being too hard on Ryder. Maybe you’re trying to get even with him for the way he once hurt you. Subconciously, of course,” she hastened to add at Sara’s expression of outrage.

Sara sat up stiffly. “I told you, I’m only trying to shield the twins from any further unhappiness.

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