His father’s brows dipped as he set aside his magazine. “Ryder.” He stood, tucking his glasses into his pocket. “Good to see you, son.”
Ryder nodded.
Renata ran into the great room. “Ready or not, here I come... Hey, baby brother.” She hugged him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Off to find some rug rats.”
“Have fun.” He smiled.
“Don’t eat all the cookies,” she chastised before heading out.
“I’ll try,” he answered, aware his father was watching him. His unannounced arrival was suspect. He didn’t drop by. Hell, he had no idea why he was here. But he was.
“Hunter here?” Ryder asked.
“Looking for him?” his father countered.
“Not really, why?”
His father shook his head, waving him into the kitchen. “Lola and Carl dropped the boys off earlier, after feeding ’em a bag of sugar each from the looks of it. But there might be some cookies left over in here, if you want.”
Ryder nodded, following his father into the kitchen. Hunter was washing dishes, a towel thrown over his shoulder.
“She found ’em yet?” Hunter asked.
“No, but I found something,” his father said.
Hunter turned, smiling. “Hey.”
“Look how domestic you are,” Ryder teased. “And it’s only been, what, two months?”
Hunter shook his head. “Jealous?”
Ryder arched an eyebrow at his brother and stuffed a cookie into his mouth.
“How’s John? Anything new at the garage?” Hunter asked.
Ryder shrugged. “Been pretty steady since the storm. Mostly weatherizing though.”
“Nothing to sink your chops into?” His father smiled.
Ryder shrugged.
“Heard you were on the circuit for a bit, how you took a nasty spill. Glad to see you’re no worse for wear.” His father had always hated Ryder’s ro
deoing. Teddy Boone believed in hard work, responsibility and family. Sometimes Ryder wondered, if he hadn’t torn their family apart, would he see respect in his father’s eyes instead of wariness and disappointment? He’d never know.
He watched his father move around the kitchen, spry and agile. “Ride times good?” His father offered him a large glass of milk.
Ryder nodded.
“How’d you do?” Hunter asked.
Ryder shrugged.
Hunter laughed, shaking his head.
A squeal from the other room made all three of them jump.
“Found you, Eli!” Renata laughed. “You can come out, Cody. Eli’s it.”