Healing Her Soul (Mayflower Series #2)

Chapter 4

Ryder wanted to strangle the girl crouched down in the middle of the road right in front of him. He nearly had a heart attack when she appeared out of nowhere. His heart pounded erratically even as he got out of the car, only to recognise the auburn hair before him.

He had ended a long day of work and had just dropped off his partner before heading home. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of the girl at the bakery on his way home, not expecting to almost kill her in the process. If he had even blinked, he would have run right over her.

“What the hell, Julia?!”

That seemed to pull her out of her own panic as her head rose and she peeked beyond her fingers. It was as though time moved in slow motion for her as she began patting every inch of her body from her arms to her face, making sure she was alive. Good, did she finally realise the gravity of the situation?

Ryder grew impatient, needing to tell her to get off the road until he noticed her trembling fingers that did not stop. Instantly, his irritation dissipated. He knew Julia well enough. Something must have spooked her to make her dash across the road without looking.

He slowly crouched down in front of her, being mindful not to make any sudden moves.

“Hey…You alright there, Julia?” Ryder asked as he carefully placed a comforting hand on her arm.

She whipped her head toward him, and for a moment he recognised the emotion in her eyes before she blinked them away and replaced it with a look of indifference. He knew that look, he had seen it so many times before. It was the look of fear, a type of fear one gets when they have utterly given up. It was not a look he liked seeing on his firecracker.

“You nearly killed me, Officer,” Julia stated as she made to stand up and dusted herself off. His firecracker was back, yet he knew what he had seen. Could it be because he nearly hit her? Probably. Yet, his officer instincts were nagging at him that there was something else.

“You sure you’re alright?” Ryder was convinced she wasn't, because he caught her eyes darting up and down the street. There was definitely something.

“What are you looking for? Is that what made you run into the middle of the road?” Ryder asked, concern in his voice. He looked up and down the street as well, hoping to catch a glimpse of what had spooked her.

“Excuse me!” Julia huffed and crossed her arms, drawing his attention back to her. “I was just walking here and you came out of nowhere and tried to run me over!”

“Really now, THAT’s the story you’re going with?” Ryder, too, crossed his arms.

“Well…..Yeah,” Julia shifted her gaze away from him.

He eyed her for awhile, trying to decide what to do with her. She had closed off from him and there wasn’t much he could say to get her to open up.

“You know what? I forgive you, Officer Cooper, and….” Julia announced, although the irritation never left her tone.

“Forgive me?” Ryder chuckled, cutting her off before she could brush him off and disappear.

“Yes. I forgive you so good night.”

Julia made to walk away, but Ryder took a side step and blocked her path immediately, earning a glare from her.

“Nice try there, firecracker,” said Ryder, “Now get in the car. I’m giving you a lift home instead.”

“Excuse me?” Julia scoffed.

“You heard me. Get in.” There was no room for argument in the tone he used. Ryder ignored her silent protests and made his way to the driver’s seat. He closed the door and waited while Julia had an internal argument with herself. He watched her as her eyes darted around the street yet again. She took a step toward the pathway and visibly stopped herself, slowly turning her body toward the car instead.

Finally, she huffed and made her way to his passenger side. This was one of the few things he enjoyed about her. She had entertaining expressions whenever she debated with herself.

The door slammed shut.

“Took you long enough,” Ryder teased as he shifted his car into gear. He didn’t miss the eye roll that Julia gave him. She had such lovely hazelnut eyes. It was a pity that he mostly received glares from her.

He remembered the day he met her. Max had called him for a favour. He had gone to the Smith’s barn to talk to Maddie about her options if she reported her abusive father, and there, he met the most fascinating woman; Julia Fisher. He had never seen her before, although he had come to learn later that she had lived in Mayflower for a period of time before she left.

He remembered it like it was yesterday.

Ryder had explained to Maddie the situation and she was hesitating just as Julia had appeared. Julia had appeared hesitant and a little scared at first. He could see her eyes flicker back and forth between the ground and Maddie, trying her best to get the words out, but ending in stutters. It wasn’t long before the friction between estranged sisters had begun to get out of control. His officer instincts kicked in almost immediately. He had instructed Julia to join him on his smoke break while Maddie cooled down.

At first, he had pegged her for the shy type, trying hard to have a say but not having the confidence to say it. In his line of work, characters like that were more of a hindrance than help. When he had pulled out his e-cigarette and taken a puff, however, he was in for a rude awakening.

“Why are we out here when we should be in there convincing her to do the right thing?” Julia snapped. Her tone was a shock to him. Where was the mouse he had seen just moments ago?

“I’m Ryder, nice to meet you too,” Ryder stuck out his hand, but instead, was met with her glare. Unfriendly and a snapper. He placed his hand back in his pocket as he asked, “And how are you related to Maddie?”

“I’m her sister,” the impatience in her voice grew. Ryder took a drag of his cigarette, taking in this new information. She was not pleased with his response and rolled her eyes, trying to enter the barn.

Immediately, Ryder took a step in her direction, stopping her in her tracks.

“And what would be the right thing to do?” He asked casually.

“To report him! Send him to jail for what he has done and what he could do!”

The snapping needed to stop. Ryder was beginning to feel irritated. He was still an officer of the law trying to do his job, and he demanded respect. He gazed at her intensely, causing her eyes to dart away.

“Before you march back in there, stay here with me and take yourself out of your own situation for a moment,” Ryder began. “You are asking a seventeen-year-old child, who has known no one but her father for most of her life, to put the only adult and blood relative she knows in jail. It’s not so simple a decision anymore, is it?”

Stunned, Julia opened her mouth and closed it. Ryder could see her mind thinking and processing the perspective he had just given her. Good, at least she was a person of reason and not a hot-headed, stubborn mess.

“Give her time to decide, that is all I ask,” said Ryder calmly. He knew she had understood because the next moment she quietly leaned against the barn wall. Ryder took another drag of his e-cigarette before Max came out to tell them that Maddie was ready to listen.

As he stood by the door with Julia, he could sense her uneasiness ooze out of her. Silence filled the air as they waited for her to say her piece, and when she did, Ryder was in for another shock. Gone was the shy mouse and the snapping turtle who had stood outside with him. With her shoulders squared, and a new-found determination, she said her piece.

Once all was said and done, she left without expectations.

That was the moment Ryder knew he needed to get to know her, the girl with so many sides. She had strength in her that not many had. The next year and a half was spent with him visiting her at the bakery almost everyday, trying his best to convince her for a date, but she was a stubborn one. For some reason, she tried her best to hide, but it made her even more intriguing to him. There was never a dull moment with her.

“You doing alright there?” Asked Ryder. He could see her shoulders relaxed as she leaned her head against the window. Gone was her anxiety.

With a sigh, she looked out the window absent-mindedly and replied, “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“You wanna talk about it?” Ryder knew he was trying his luck getting her to talk, but no harm trying.

“Not really. No,” she responded.

Ryder stole a glance at her. He could tell her mind was far away. There wouldn’t be much he could get out of her. It would have to be a conversation for another day. Might as well lighten the mood with something else.

“You know, today I nearly got into a fight with Cheryl’s pregnant wife over the Danish Pastry you recommended?” Ryder joked, in an attempt to get her out of her head.

“You fought with a pregnant lady over a pastry? Cheryl didn’t have you arrested?” Julia raised an eyebrow.

“‘Nearly’, being the key word here, firecracker. I would never give away something you recommended without a taste first,” Ryder winked at her, earning another eye roll. “We had a compromise.”

“Good god, what did Louise make you do?” Julia sounded in disbelief. No one could win a pregnant lady, and that was something even Ryder himself agreed upon.

“It’s more of what did I suggest she make Noah do?” Ryder smirked, knowing his plan was simply genius. Louise was Noah’s older sister, and she liked to play match maker a lot. She had tried countless times to match-make Ryder, but to no avail. In recent months, she had taken more interest in her younger brother’s love life, especially because he was rather shy in that department. That, plus everyone in their small circle already knew the tension between him and Maria Sinclaire.

“You’re a cunning man,” Julia chuckled.

“I’d like to think of it as I’m a man who cares for this town’s citizens,” Ryder grinned.

“You are insufferable,” Julia laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound Ryder had ever heard.