Breaking Through to Sue (4th in Breaking Series)

Chapter Three

Ryder wasted no time in running down the road toward where Susie had disappeared to. He saw her ahead of him. Her back was to him. Her blue gingham dress was swinging around her ample hips and her bright blond hair was catching the sunlight and shining like gold. She was perfection.

"Hey! Hey Sue!" he called out but she just kept walking. She was far away, maybe she couldn't hear him... Before he could catch her she disappeared into the church.

"Ugh." he said as he looked up at the building and the large bell and cross on the outside. A church? Really? She had to go into a church. Ryder hated churches. Not that he had anything against God, it was just that he figured that him and the Big Guy didn't exactly see eye to eye on much of anything.

He had never stepped foot into a church but he really wanted to talk to the woman and he always did what he wanted. He took a deep breath and walked into the church. She was up by the alter. She was on her knees and he was pretty sure she was nailing down floorboards.

"That's a sight that might get me to church more often." he said, his voice echoing in the vast, empty room. Susie jumped to her feet and looked over at him.

"What sight would that be?" she asked.

"You." he said with a grin and then he frowned when she laughed. That wasn't the reaction he had expected. He held out his hand. "My name's Ryder."

"I remember." Susie said as she quickly set her hammer and nails down and smoothed out the front of her dress. Ryder followed the movement and found himself staring at her voluptuous body. She slipped her hand into his and he shook it lightly before bringing it up to his lips and laying a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

She all but jerked her arm away and looked disapprovingly at him.

"You shouldn't be in here." she said.

"Why is that? Maybe I want to volunteer my time to help finish the church." he replied as he grabbed a small chunk of leftover wood and balanced it on the tip of his finger.

"You can't wear guns in a church." she said sternly as she grabbed the piece of wood and threw it into the box of firewood.

"Is that written somewhere in that book?" he asked with a grin as he kicked at a pile of sawdust and drew shapes in it with his worn out boot. Susie couldn't get over how handsome this man was and that smile made her pulse race and her head swim. And the strangest part of it was that he seemed to be interested in her. Her! Of course no matter how handsome or entertaining he was, he wasn't exactly the kind of man she needed to be interested in. He had just got done spending the night in her brothers jail after all.

"Book?" she asked. He nodded as he began picking at the bolt of fabric she had picked out to cover the pew cushions. Did the man know how to focus or stay still?

"Yeah, you know the book that's in all the churches. I can't remember what it's called...." his voice trailed off as his brow furrowed and he tried to remember the title.

"The Bible...?" Susie offered and he smiled broadly.

"Yep. That one! See we work good together." Susie found herself caught up in the excitement of his words and the smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile back. Surely this man had to be a little crazy....

"In answer to your question, no there is nothing in the bible that says you can't bring a gun into church." she replied, even as she began to lead him back out the door. Surely if Brody caught him in here, he'd be less than happy. Brody was overprotective on the best of days and downright murderous on others, and this man was a criminal.

"So what's the problem?" Ryder asked. This was not going how he'd planned it. In his mind he had walked into this church and she had come running into his arms. He had professed his undying love and they'd been married the next day... Okay so maybe that had been reaching a little far but hell the woman seemed to be trying to get rid of him! That was something that Ryder Hampton had never experienced.