Chapter 284

Ryan’s words caught me off guard, and then I smiled. “You sure know how to make someone feel good.”

Ryan shook his head and said seriously, “I’m not just trying to cheer you up. I’m worried someone else might take you away. If you marry again, that’s it for us.”

I laughed out loud, raising my eyebrows at him. “How old are you? Already talking about the end of life?”

“If my grandpa found out I was chasing a married woman, he’d break my legs,” Ryan said quietly, a bit hurt.

“But you chased me before I divorced. Looks like your grandpa wasn’t that strict.” I smirked and walked ahead happily.

Ryan chuckled awkwardly and easily caught up with his long legs. “My grandpa doesn’t know I came to Hachester yet. But he will, sooner or later. Now that you’re single, the timing’s right.”

“Your grandpa must care about you,” I stopped and looked at him seriously. “He probably wants what’s best. Ryan, you seem good to your grandpa. If you got tangled up with a divorced woman like me, your grandpa wouldn’t be okay with that.”

Ryan suddenly got thoughtful, his eyes distant as he looked at me. “There are always more solutions than problems. If I want something, I believe I can fix it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re confident, huh?”

“Not confidence, just sure of what I feel inside,” Ryan said softly.

“That’s good. With that kind of certainty, you have a bright future.” I smiled to encourage him. Gradually, Ryan smiled back.

“Mrs. Holcomb, are you out for a walk, too? Oh, your brother moved here? Haven’t seen him in a while. He’s even more handsome!” An older lady, who often showed up around the neighborhood, came over smiling.

I knew she was the local gossip queen. As Ryan opened his mouth to explain, I grabbed his arm and quickened our pace, giving a vague greeting.

Ryan looked annoyed and slowed down on purpose. I held his arm and gave his leg a light kick. “Lazy leg, come on.”

Ryan grumbled, “I’m not your brother. She got it wrong.”

“Let her think that. You’re not losing anything. Do you know who she is?” I really couldn’t deal with these older ladies. They got together just to gossip all day. I didn’t want to be their next story.

Ryan huffed angrily. “Next time, everyone will think I’m your brother. I won’t accept it.”

I laughed. “You don’t live here all the time anyway. You are going back to Braylin.”

“No way,” Ryan said, hurt and stubborn. “I’m going to clear this up with that lady.”

“Come back here,” I said quickly, but this time I grabbed his finger, not his arm. Ryan shivered and looked down at my hand holding his finger.

I realized I was holding his hand. I wanted to pull away, but Ryan grabbed my hand with his other hand. “You held my hand first.”

I looked at his cheeky face and sighed. “Let go. It doesn’t look good.”

Ryan snorted softly. “Why did you stop me from explaining? You owe me something for that.”

“Cut it out,” I said seriously. “Didn’t you hear how they called me? When I first bought a place here, even the property management knew who I was.”

“You’re divorced,” Ryan argued confidently. “Divorced means you’re just his ex-wife.”

“Our divorce isn’t public,” I said, pulling my finger free sharply. “Ryan, if you want to stay in touch with me, be smart and keep a low profile, okay?”

Ryan suddenly let go and gave me an obedient look. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

We walked around the neighborhood twice and then went home separately. Just after I got home, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Nathan.

He asked if I wanted to play ball or do something else tomorrow. He was free in the morning and could hang out. I had several big parties at the hotel tomorrow, so I had to go early. I declined his invite.

Nathan said good night and didn’t bother me again. Yvonne called me on video after ten. She was finishing her Englysian homework.

She was losing her baby teeth, so her speech was a little off, and her pronunciation wasn’t perfect. Still, it didn’t stop her natural confidence.