Page 24 of Solitary Man

Tucker walked out of his workshop by the house and strode toward us. I climbed out, then came around and opened Riley’s door. Helping her get unbuckled, I gripped her soft, rounded hips and lifted her out.

I turned back to Tuck and his step faltered when he spotted Riley beside me.

Riley’s hand slid into mine and I had to hide my surprise, the pleasure of her seeking reassurance from me spreading warmth through my chest again. I curled my fingers around hers as Tuck reached us.

“Cash,” he said before his gaze slid to Riley. “And who’s this? You get me a present?”

Tucker’s gaze was moving over Riley in a way I didn’t like. Not at all. Tuck was handsome, joked around, smiled a lot, and had experience with women.

Once a year he paid for one to come from the city to stay with him for a month. To scratch that itch, he’d told me once. I flew them to him and back out again.

When his smile widened at Riley, I had to bite back the angry growl trying to crawl up my throat.

I caught and held his eyes. “Tucker, this is Riley. My wife.”

Tuck’s head jerked back, his eyes getting wide. “Wife?”

Riley stepped forward, and I tightened my hold on her hand as she held the other out for Tuck. He took it, and she graced him with one of her beautiful smiles.

“Nice to meet you, Tucker.”

Jealousy gripped me, and I tugged her back, pulling her in close to me.

“Call me Tuck,” he said, grinning. “How the hell did a big, ugly bastard like you find a beautiful woman like this?” Tucker asked me good-naturedly.

I wasn’t feeling very good-natured myself, not when he turned that grin back on Riley. I ignored his question and opened the cargo door to start unloading his supplies, pulling Riley with me.

“We met online,” she said.

“Never knew you had it in you,” Tuck said to me.

I ignored him again.

“How long have you been married?”

“Not quite a week,” Riley said.

Tuck chuckled. “Ah, so you’ll be in the honeymoon phase? Can’t keep your hands off each other, huh? Good thing I set up the mezzanine in the barn for you, Cash. You can be as noisy as you like out there and I won’t hear a thing.”

I did growl at that. “Not staying,” I bit out. I had planned to, I always did. But I didn’t want Riley around Tucker. I didn’t like this feeling inside me. I didn’t like the way he could talk and I couldn’t. I didn’t want him talking to her, and I didn’t want him looking at her.

“Of course you are,” Tuck said. “It’s gonna be dark in another hour and I made supper. Got a nice bit of venison roasting.”

I opened my mouth to tell him thanks but no, thanks, when Riley tugged on my hand. “Please, Cash. I don’t think I could get back in that plane again today. And you must be tired?”

Her wide, pleading eyes cut off my refusal. We’d been flying all day, and she needed a break. I couldn’t bear to do something to make her unhappy, so I gritted my teeth and nodded.

She released a relieved breath, squeezed my hand, and curled into my side. “Thank you.”

Tuck clapped his hands. “Now that that’s sorted, let’s have a drink and some food.”

I collected our bags and headed for the barn, and I kept Riley tucked against me the whole way.

Riley threw her head back, laughing at something Tucker said. I couldn’t look away, my heart thundering in my chest. My wife was beautiful. When she smiled, laughed, her whole face lit up. She’d had a little bit of Tucker’s apple pie moonshine and her cheeks were flushed. Somehow that made her even more beautiful, when I didn’t think that was possible.

Tuck would never touch her, I knew that, but there was no missing the way he was looking at her. He appreciated how lovely she was, was enjoying being in her company. I could only assume that Tuck was lonely like I’d been. He liked people, was good with them like Riley was, and I could tell they were both enjoying the chance to talk. It wasn’t like I was much company for her.

“More?” Tuck said, holding up a mason jar of moonshine. “It’s the Smith family secret recipe.”