The Rule Maker (Rule Breakers) Read online

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ryder

  There’d never been a time that I wasn’t excited to get back to snowboarding. Ever. I stared at the gear packed in the middle of my living room, ready for the trip this weekend to Mount Hood.

  Stupid. I’d been out of my goddamn mind last night when I practically proclaimed my love to Zoey, days before leaving to train. I’d never told a woman that. Though, I’d never felt this way about anyone else. The thought of leaving her, and my brother, it just didn’t feel right. What was I supposed to do, though?

  If I stayed behind, I was a college dropout with an untouched trust fund and no direction without sports. Andy asked me a few weeks ago to consider a second option in case my leg didn’t hold, but that was the thing—I didn’t have one. I had to make it work, because otherwise I’d be sitting on my couch eating Cheetos for the rest of my life. Zoey deserved a better man than that. One that followed through with things.

  I drove over to Jason’s early Sunday afternoon. If there was one thing I could count on, it was my older brother doing what he did best—giving his unsolicited opinion. This time, I’d gladly take the advice, because Zoey had been MIA today with last minute tweaks to the resort, and the caginess had hit me full force.

  Jason was sitting on the bricked patio under an umbrella when his housekeeper let me in.

  “How’s it going?” he asked. His face and shoulders had filled out substantially over the past month, and I took this as a sign he was falling back into his routine. One less thing I’d have to worry about when I left for training.

  “Good. We’re all set for the soft open next weekend. All the licenses and permits are being mailed to your office.” Heidi was a godsend and deserved a raise for all the crap she dealt with the past few weeks.

  “Zoey sent me pictures. It looks great.”

  “Yeah, you guys were right. This resort really turned into something amazing.” Better than I ever could have imagined. I thumbed at my bracelet. Mom would have loved it.

  “Zoey has a good vision.”

  She had a lot of things, nothing I’d like to share with my brother, though. All I could do was nod.

  He swilled his iced tea, took a sip, and then zeroed his gaze in on me. “How long have you been seeing her?”

  “What?” I’d played it off casually the other week when he caught us flinging paint on each other. As much as I loved the dude, we didn’t exactly have a ton of heart-to-hearts where I broadcasted my relationship status.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not stupid—I saw you two at the resort. Plus, you’re all dopey.”

  It took one hell of a woman to turn me into the worst of the Seven Dwarves. I sighed. No use playing dumb. He’d pester me until I coughed up the information. “A few weeks.”

  He dipped his head and scratched at something on the table surface with his thumb. “And somehow you don’t seem happy about it.”

  “I told her I was going back on tour. And now I feel weird about it.” She’d been so open, telling me how she felt, and now I was the one in crisis mode. The woman turned me into someone I barely recognized.

  “Ah.”

  “What?”

  His lips pursed together, like he was debating on what he’d say next. “Well,” he said cautiously, “you haven’t exactly been the poster child for healthy relationships while you’re traveling.”

  “I know. It scares me.” I’d never cheat, but there were a million different ways to screw up a relationship. It was the reason I instituted the one-night policy in the first place.

  He stopped picking at the spot at the table and lobbed a heavy look my way. “Do you love her?”

  “J. It’s been a month. I don’t think anyone can fall in love in that time.” I couldn’t say that I’d ever been in love with anyone before. I never really gave myself the chance, because I didn’t want it messing with my career. But I’d turned into a sap around her. Hell, I’d kiss the damn ground that she walked on, because Zoey was just that awesome.

  He gave me a look.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.” Did I? How was I supposed to tell if this was love? Everything was in flux, and my life was essentially snowballing down a mountain with faulty bindings. One wrong move and I’d be shattered.

  I decided to turn the conversation elsewhere, to something that I hadn’t been able to get off my mind. “Do you ever feel like your career is who you are?” Ever since I made the call to Andy yesterday, something didn’t sit right. The proper reaction to starting to train again should be hopping in the car and setting up camp on the slopes, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. My hands didn’t itch to grab the keys to my truck. It sickened me to look at my bags in the living room.

  He nodded. “Sometimes I feel like it consumed every part of my life.”

  “And that turned out well.” I motioned to my surroundings. Jason was the most successful man I knew.

  He huffed out a laugh. “Besides being miserable as fuck and lonely most of the time?”

  From the outside, that seemed to be what he’d wanted. To be in his own little bubble of work, work parties, and anything to get ahead in his career. The guy had anything and everything at his fingertips, but maybe that wasn’t enough.

  I tapped my fingers on the glass table, swallowing hard. “If I don’t take this opportunity, what am I going to do?”

  “Ryder. Snowboarding is a thing you do. Not who you are. What would happen if you quit?”

  “I—don’t know.”

  “I’ll tell you exactly what will happen. Nothing will change. The world will go on. If you quit, you’ll still be the same annoying little brother you’ve always been.” He smirked.

  “You had me until the last bit.”

  “Seriously. If you’re not wanting to go on tour, why not take the money you do have and invest it in something? If you tap into your trust, you can do pretty much anything you want.”

  I shifted in the chair. Just the thought of that money made my lips curl. “Not happening.” Taking that money would admit defeat to my grandparents, taking pity funds. Ever since I was eighteen and eligible to use it, I’d made it clear I didn’t want a damn thing to do with it. I didn’t need that hanging over my head. Not that I didn’t love them, but it’d be a cold day in hell before that happened.

  “All I’m saying is that you have options. I know you don’t want to hear it, but you’re good with people—maybe it’s time you started putting your talents toward a greater cause.”

  “Like dealing with your mopey ass.”

  He smiled. “Exactly.”

  “I’ll think about it.” I didn’t have much time to decide on my future. Six days and I’d be on my way to Portland. I’d be back to something that didn’t seem that exciting anymore.

  I stood and clapped my brother on the back. I’d officially filled my quota of heart-to-heart conversations for the next few months. “I need to head out and grab new bindings for my board.”

  “Ryder?” He grabbed my arm, and I turned back to him.

  “Yeah?”

  “Tell her how you feel before you blow your chance.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ryder

  The next few days flew by in a blur. Everything in the resort had been checked and rechecked by Zoey. I had to hand it to her—she was a miracle worker. She restored Divinity to something that everyone could enjoy.

  Jason’s words kept playing on repeat in my head. Tell her how you feel. Hell, maybe he was right. Maybe if I did, the tightness in my chest would disappear. I finished up the last of my reps, gritting through an intense workout at the gym. Anything to ensure my leg was ready to be back on the slopes. The last thing I needed was to get injured in training.

  As I cut to my car in the parking lot, my phone buzzed in my pocket. My frown deepened when I saw my grandmother’s number flash across the screen. I hadn’t heard from her in over a week, which was both odd and a relief.

  I slid into my truck and answere
d. “Hello?”

  “Ryder. We’re going to be in town tomorrow,” she said.

  My head knocked back into the seat. If she was looking for another interrogation session, she was shit out of luck. The resort was finished, and rooms were being booked for the beginning of fall already. “What for?”

  “There’s a potential buyer for the resort. You did say it was completed, right?”

  “Yes. Zoey put the finishing touches on just yesterday. And what do you mean potential buyer? Jason said he didn’t want to sell.”

  She laughed, her condescending tone stiffening my spine. “Ryder, that is just silly. You could make more money from the land than that hokey resort. You said so yourself.”

  I had. But this resort was worth more than just a mountain. I was too stupid to see it before, but Zoey saw it. So did my brother. Sometimes I was a little slow on the uptake. “It’s not hokey.” Hell, it was amazing. She turned that place into something worthy of its moniker.

  She scoffed, displeased I didn’t agree with her. “Either way, Jason seemed very interested once he heard what the buyer was offering. He has a meeting with him tomorrow morning.”

  “What? Where?” And why the hell was I left out of something this monumental? I didn’t actually have an official title in the company, but I’d been with this project since day one. And it directly affected Zoey.

  “At the resort. He didn’t tell you?” She practically purred the words. My grandmother always did take great pleasure in stirring up drama.

  “No,” I said, raking a hand through my sweat-slick hair. I was too damn tired to be having this conversation.

  “Well, they’ll be there at noon tomorrow if you want to stop by.”

  Stop by. If this was another one of my grandmother’s schemes, she’d taken it too far this time. Now it was personal.

  “Grandma…that’s so close to the grand opening.” What was she playing at? Did she really expect Jason to sell after months of hard work? No way in hell he’d even think of doing that.

  “This is the best thing to happen to Jason since his accident. Show a little respect for the man’s decision, Ryder,” she snipped. “He could use the money to invest in more profitable companies. The least you could do is make an appearance and support him.”

  I didn’t trust her—she was up to something. “Fine. I’ll be at the meeting.” And I’d make sure this buyer didn’t brainwash my brother into making a decision he’d regret.

  “Very good.” My grandmother huffed through the phone and then hung up.

  As soon as I got home, my phone blew up again. Except this time, it was a text from Zoey. Specifically, it was a picture of cookies on a cooling rack.

  Ryder: Please tell me you are being supervised.

  Zoey: Sadly, I can’t take credit for these. Lainey baked. I’m just the taste tester.

  Ryder: Best job. Want to come over tonight? Maybe share some of those cookies?

  Zoey: Can’t. Girls night. I’ll save you one for tomorrow :-)

  Zoey: You doing okay?

  I debated texting Zoey about the possible sale of the resort, but decided against it. Jason would never sell. And she was already stressed enough with the upcoming segment on the TV show. I shrugged it off and decided I’d let her know about it after the fact.

  Ryder: I’m good. Tell Lainey I say hi.

  Zoey: She says she’s still watching you, and is giving that creepy Robert De Niro look.

  I chuckled.

  Ryder: Night, Flash.

  God, I was going to miss her.

  The next morning I drove to Divinity and parked next to a black town car, presumably my grandparents’ ride.

  Just as I got out of my truck, Zoey pulled into the parking lot. She was dressed casually today, in a pair of faded jeans, boots, and a jacket. She smiled at me as she walked over to where I stood. Shit, she knocked the air out of my lungs. I was such a sucker, totally consumed by her. I’d never understand how I got so lucky, besides the fact that persistence paid off.

  “Hello, gorgeous.” I pulled her into a hug and kissed the column of her throat.

  She let out a soft sigh, clouds of crisp mountain air escaping from her lips.

  “I missed you.” I didn’t even want to think about how weird it was rolling over to find no one there. Or the fact that Zoey had an official side of the bed. We’d come a long way since Valentine’s Day when she threatened to decapitate me with her stiletto.

  “Me, too.” Her hands slipped under my shirt, smoothing over my skin.

  I pulled back, bracketing her shoulders in my hands. “I have to tell you something. My grandmother called, and Jason and I are meeting with someone about the resort this morning.”

  She stiffened. “Who?”

  Stress rolled off her in waves, to the point where I worried she might actually bust a vessel with the hassle of yet another thing pertaining to this resort. There was no way I’d add to that if this meeting didn’t pan out for the buyer. “Some guy that my grandparents want me to meet with. It shouldn’t take too long. Nothing important.” I hoped. Because if I had any say, the resort would be staying in the Covington name. It was too important of a place to just let go.

  As if on cue, my grandparents wound their way down the brick path of the main portion of the lodge, wheeling my brother. They conversed amicably with each other. Again, odd, but nice to see. Maybe things would go back to normal, and Jason would return to Golden Boy status.

  They stopped a few feet ahead of us, staying on the newly paved walking path. My grandmother’s gaze moved from me to Zoey. She eyed her up and down and managed a stiff smile. Although I loved my grandmother dearly, if one unkind word about Zoey came out of her mouth, I wouldn’t hesitate to put her in her place. Zoey didn’t need to be subjected to my grandmother’s shit.

  “Grandma, Grandfather, this is Zoey. She was the genius behind this remodel.”

  They shook hands, and Zoey shot me a wink. Leave it to her to be unfazed by these two.

  “Quite the renovation you did,” my grandfather said.

  Zoey smiled. “It wasn’t too bad once we were on the same page.”

  She was polite enough to not mention I’d been a complete tool during the first half of the project. Just as I was about to say something, a green sedan pulled into the parking lot.

  A man in his late forties stepped out of the car, shut the door, and headed our way. The construction and design work had finished days ago, so no one else would have a need to come up here. This had to be the buyer my grandmother mentioned yesterday.

  The man’s expression brightened when he noticed my grandparents. “Beatrice, George. Always a pleasure.”

  My molars ground together as I watched him kiss my grandparents’ asses.

  He turned to me and extended his hand “Jake Travers.”

  I shook it, a little harder than I needed to. He winced and, okay, yeah, maybe I was being a little bit of an asshole. Anyone who was trying to buy this resort out from under me deserved it. “Ryder. Nice to meet you.”

  He turned to my brother. “You must be Jason.”

  Jason nodded and stuck out his hand, shaking Jake’s.

  “And this is Zoey. She was the designer on the job.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He smiled at her and shook hands. His gaze lingered a few seconds longer than necessary. I didn’t like him. Or trust him.

  I turned to Zoey. “Would you mind hanging out in the lodge while we meet with Mr. Travers?” I hated to bail the first time she met my grandparents, but Jason needed my support.

  “How about I show you the grounds?” Zoey offered to my grandparents.

  “That’d be lovely,” my grandmother said.

  I shot her a look that said she needed to be on her best behavior. My grandmother gave a snake’s smile, which did little to settle the unease in my stomach. I’d never brought a woman home to meet my grandparents for this exact reason. I’d be subjecting a poor soul to their mind games. My grandmother had made p
eople cry within ten minutes of knowing her.

  “Are you sure?” I asked. Zoey really didn’t know what she was getting herself into. But if anyone could hold their own, it was her.

  I kissed the top of her head, not even bothering to acknowledge my grandmother’s gasp. Screw it, the job was finished. I wasn’t her client anymore. It didn’t matter if our relationship was public. “It shouldn’t be too long. I’ll come find you when I’m finished.”

  She beamed at me. “Sounds good.”

  Great. I’d get this meeting out of the way and then get back to Zoey and spend as much time as possible with her until I left for training. Everything was finally falling into place. I’d tell her just how I felt about her tonight. I bought that dessert wine she liked so much from the vineyard where we went on our date. And then I’d find other ways to show her just how much I adored her.

  Jake took a seat across from me and Jason at the desk. My desk. Even if Jason had backed the money, I considered this place mine. It was something I was proud of. Something that I helped make. Maybe Jason was right—managing a business wasn’t so bad after all.

  “I came out here as a courtesy to your grandparents.”

  I looked to Jason and we eyed each other. It was clear neither one of us planned to sell the place. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

  “Before you start, I just want to say there is no amount of money that you can offer for which I’d sell this place,” Jason said.

  “See, that’s the thing. Your grandparents have already contacted their lawyers and checked the contract.”

  Jason scoffed. “Why would they do that? And why not tell me?”

  “They used the phrase ‘not fit to lead’ a few times.” A smile twisted that shithead’s lips.

  “Watch your fucking mouth,” I said, slamming my fist into the table.

  He raised his hands in defense. “Apologies. Their words, not mine.”

  Yeah, he didn’t look one bit sorry.

  A fire lit in Jason’s eyes, and I was legitimately worried for this Jake’s safety. “Go ahead, tell me exactly what they plan to do behind my back,” Jason said, his tone lethal.