The last job she lost was only the second job she had ever held. It was at an adorable little boutique on Bridge Street and she loved the place. They sold things that she would wear and that made it easier for her sales pitch. She thought that things were going well until the manager called her into her office and gave her the old, “The numbers are down” speech. Tatum was the last person hired and so, it was only fair that she’d be the first let go during their slow time. She understood, but it still sucked, and trying to explain everything to her brother only made things worse. She already felt like shit for losing another job—her second in the last eight months, she didn’t need Jackson making her feel even more like a failure. But he did. He was good at making her feel like a fuck up and if she let herself, she’d begin to believe him. Maybe she should have told him everything—the reasons behind why both of her jobs let her go, but she shouldn’t have to. Didn’t being part of a family mean you didn’t have to explain yourself to have everyone understand you? She thought that telling her brother that she was down on her luck, and just needed a little help would have been enough, but she was wrong.
Tatum found the little bedroom just across the hall from Ryder’s and checked it out. It was nice—plain, but homey. She went out to her car and grabbed her bags. It was sad that everything she owned could fit into the tiny trunk of her sports car. After her mother died, she kept some of her pictures but didn’t want to hold onto much else. She knew that Jackson had kept a few of their mom’s things, even telling her that someday, when she had her own house, she might want them. But she wouldn’t. Tatum didn’t need anything of her mom’s except her memories of the good times they shared. She worked hard every day to put the last two years of her mother’s life out of her mind and focus on all the happy childhood memories she had of her mother, Jackson, and her. Those memories and the pictures she saved were all she needed to remember her mom.
Tatum quickly unpacked and grabbed her computer to search the job listings for the day. One thing she knew for sure, Ryder was going to get better and not need her around to help give him his pills or make him dinner. She needed to find a job and fast if she was going to be able to have a place lined up to move into when the time came.
Tatum had tracked down two promising job leads and ran to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner. She was feeling quite accomplished and very tired from such a busy day. Plus, arguing with her older brother always took it out of her. Ryder insisted on getting up and even taking a bath before dinner. She worried the whole time, that he was shut away in his bathroom, that he was going to fall and break his other leg, trying to get in and out of the tub. Of course, he let her know that he was going to be just fine, that he had broken many bones over the years, and didn’t need her to help him. She was happy that he stopped just short of beating his chest and going full-on caveman during his little fit. She stayed in his room, tidying up his bed and dirty clothes while she waited for him to bathe. He emerged thirty minutes later, smelling like aftershave and sin, wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt that did nothing to hide the fact that he worked out regularly, and she felt damn near ready to burst into flames.
She let her eyes roam his body and he chuckled, “You need to cut that out,” he warned. “Your brother was pretty clear, when we left the hospital today, about me keeping my fucking hands off you.”
“As I said earlier, what Jackson doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Tatum noticed that Ryder hadn’t mentioned their earlier steamy kiss, and she was beginning to wonder if he was too drugged up to remember it, or if he was just avoiding the subject.
“Yeah—I remember you saying that just before you took advantage of my drug-induced state,” he chided.
Tatum gasped, “I did not,” she said. “If I remember correctly, you were the one who took advantage of my sweet, innocent peck on the cheek.”
Ryder almost fell off his crutches laughing at her. “Innocent my ass,” he growled. “What’s for dinner?” he asked, changing the subject. “It smells amazing.”
“I know that you’re trying to change the subject, Ryder,” she accused. “But complimenting my dinner will always earn you points. It’s my mother’s chicken and dumplings recipe. I figured you could use a little comfort food.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed. She helped him down to his kitchen, not ready to drop the subject of their steamy kiss.
“I’ll let you win this one, but don’t think that I’ll forget about that kiss, Ryder. It was pretty unforgettable,” she breathed, pulling out his chair for him.
“Yeah, well, your brother’s temper is also pretty unforgettable, Tatum. That kiss was a mistake,” he breathed. “I was heavily drugged and didn’t know what I was doing.”
Tatum sank into the chair next to him, trying not to look as defeated as she felt. She knew he was covering, that he didn’t feel that way, but his words still hurt her feelings. “It sure didn’t feel like you were confused about what you were doing, Ryder,” she accused.
Ryder sighed and she knew that he wasn’t going to give in to her. He had already made his mind up about her and from the determination she saw on his handsome face, he wasn’t about to change it. “Listen, Tatum,” he started. She groaned and sat back in her seat.
“No,” he said, “just hear me out. I like you despite the fact that you ran me over with your car and mangled both my bike and my leg. But you have to understand, your brother is my friend and I don’t want that to change.”
“My brother doesn’t get to say who I’m with or what I do with anyone, even his friends. Let’s just call this one for what it is—you don’t want me, Ryder, and that’s fine. I understand but don’t pin this on my brother and his unrealistic rules about who can and can’t touch me. I’m his sister, not his ward,” she said.
“Someone needs to tell him that,” Ryder grumbled. “Did he do this whole caveman routine with your other boyfriends?” he asked. There was no way in hell that Tatum wanted to tell Ryder about her past dating life. She had a few boyfriends and went on lots of dates, but she only ever had only one long term boyfriend—if three months could be considered “long term”. Once he decided that they should take their relationship to the next level and she disagreed, he dumped her and quickly moved onto someone else.
“Jackson hasn’t ever met any of my boyfriends,” she admitted. Tatum hoped that her small truth would end their topic of conversation, but she could tell that Ryder wasn’t about to let things go.
“Never—not even one guy?” he asked. “Wasn’t he curious? I mean, your brother does seem to like to stick his nose in your business. Why didn’t he go ape shit crazy with the other men in your life?”
“I wouldn’t call dating, ‘having men in my life’,” she corrected. “I just never kept a guy around long enough to pique Jackson’s interest. I guess I just flew under his big brother radar with the others.”
“So, no long term guy then?” he asked.
“No,” she breathed. “Not unless you call three months long term.”