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Cold might be necessary, or he might not sleep at all. "I'm usually too hot."
She glanced at him. "What else are you wearing?"
"My old desert ABU pants and undershirt. My desert boonie hat, when I can stand to wear it. Probably an old T-shirt for around camp with silkies. Couple of pairs of socks. Sandals." He didn't want to carry a bunch of extras.
Erin bit her lip. "My turn to ask a slightly weird question. Umm, which arm are you bringing?"
Ryan laughed. "That's a good question. Think I'll probably bring the grasper I wear for work. It will be more useful."
"Good idea. I don't think anybody will care, and if they do, they can pound sand." Erin scowled.
"Hey, chill. I'm sure it will be fine. Hopefully, they won't freak out if I strap it to the back of my pack while we're hiking." He laughed at the mental picture.
She sputtered, then laughed outright. "Wow, that might be quite the sight for someone running into us on the trail. Which rarely happens."
They pulled into the business garage to unload the boxes. Ryan left his stuff in the foyer, then rode over with Erin to pick up his clothes from her house.
In the kitchen, Erin pulled an oatmeal container from her cabinet. “I got the breakfast makings and a system, so don’t worry about helping. You’ve got enough to do.”
He walked back to the shop, hauled all his stuff upstairs, and looked around. There was no sign of Wiz, except she'd stripped the bed and put the sheets in the washer. He threw them into the dryer and got his other set.
Time for a twenty-minute nap and a shower before going out with Erin and her friends. It was probably a huge mistake, but he had no easy way out.
If he was honest with himself, he'd take any excuse to be with her.
Chapter 22
Danger Brews
Erin pulled in front of the shop, and Ryan exited and locked the door. He must have every color of cargo shorts and every long-sleeve logo T-shirt in existence. But he looked good in them. All too good, since he'd obviously just gotten out of the shower, and his T-shirt clung to all those muscles.
"Hey." He got in Smoky and shut the door, careful not to slam it.
A guy who understood how to treat a classic car was refreshing. "Hey. Ready for this?" She wasn't.
"Night out with hot women? Sure." His smile flickered.
She chuckled at his attempt to psych himself up. He was an adult; he could tell her if it was too much or too boring. Perhaps he would, or he might suffer in silence. If he'd open up a little...
Smoky roared down the highway, making quick work of the drive, and they pulled into the brewery. Not many cars in the lot, so it probably wasn't too busy. Erin pulled into a spot on the far side of the parking lot to protect Smoky from door dings. Inside, there was no sign of Sam or Deb yet. Erin turned to Ryan. "If you get me a summer ale, I'll order some food."
"Deal." He wandered to the bar, scanning the room.
Erin ordered a selection of snacks and found a table in the back. Just like Michael, Ryan would feel better with his back to a wall in view of the door. Around the room, more than a few guys did the same thing. Okay, no more of that. Tonight's about having fun. Ryan brought their beers. She waved down Deb and Sam, standing in the doorway. They waved back and walked to the bar. "Let me know if it gets too noisy in here for you, Ryan. I'm not up for an all-night session, anyway. Too much stress this week."
He smiled at her, a small, kind of sexy smile, but said nothing. Deb and Sam joined them, and she exchanged hugs. Both women hugged Ryan too but with a lot more body contact. Erin's spurt of jealous anger shocked her. What was she, sixteen? But when Sam lingered long past politeness, her anger grew. Even when Ryan stiffened and pulled away, she was a little miffed.
"You got sexy and silent here to come out for the night! Good for you." Deb winked.
"Good for us." Sam ran her hand down Ryan's chest. He grabbed her hand and slapped it on the table. Sam laughed. "Oooh, hard to get. I like it."
Ryan glared at her for a second and went back to examining the room. Looking for threats, probably. Erin shook her head. "Lighten up, Sam, or I'll never get him out with us again."
Sam rolled her eyes but then pointed at her. "I got the email with the video. I'll be filing that request for a restraining order, with the video attached and referencing the sheriff's reports from the assault. No promises, but I think that will do it."
"What are you talking about?" Deb's brow wrinkled.
"Erin's told you about Chaz, right?" Sam arched a brow.
