I shrugged off my soaked raincoat and draped it across the back of my chair. “Is Ryder working here today?”

“No, why?” Kieran stopped wiping down the bar and cocked his head. “I can give you his number if you like.”

I shook my head, droplets of water flying from my tangled hair. “No, I don’t want to see him.”

“What’s up, then?”

I clicked my nails against the bar top. “I want the truth, Ki. I trust you to tell me the truth. As a friend of a friend. As Rach’s husband.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It is.”

“Shoot.”

“Who the hell is this Ryder? What do you know about him?” I demanded. These questions had been buzzing on my mind like mosquitoes.

Kieran arched his brow. “My newest bartender? An old family friend? What do you want me to say, Cally?”

“Who is he really? What’s he hiding?” I bit my tongue, hoping I didn’t sound like a lunatic.

Kieran laughed. “Paranoid much? Loosen up, Cally. That Anthony douche get on your nerves again? Look at you, you’re going white.”

“I just don’t like being lied to.”

“Did Ryder lie about something?”

“I’m sure of it. I just don’t have proof.”

“Hey, cut the guy some slack. He’s had a rough life. If you’re that worried, maybe you should ask him to come clean and give you an honest explanation.”

“I don’t owe him anything, so no slack given. He’s hiding all sorts of secrets. I can tell by the way he looks at me.”

“You’re reading too much into this situation, Cally.”

“And you’re clearly on Ryder’s side.” My tone came out extra bitter, but I didn’t apologize for it.

Kieran left the bar and came around to the other side. “Look, Cally. When I first left Maxfield, I had nobody and nothing. No money, no home, no friends. If it hadn’t been for Rach, Cam, and all of you guys supporting me, I wouldn’t be standing here today. Don’t you think Ryder deserves a chance, just like I did? Most times there’s a lot more to the story than meets the eye. You should know that by now.”

“I don’t trust him, Ki. He’s hiding something. He seems really eager to get to know me. Just seems fishy to me.”

“Maybe he thought you wouldn’t judge his past. That you’d give him a chance.”

“What are you saying, Ki?”

“I’m saying, maybe you’re passing judgment too quickly. You barely know him. No one’s squeaky clean in this town. Live and let live, sweetheart. I think Ryder has a good heart. A shitty past, but he’s trying to move on. Make something of himself. God knows how long he’s been on his own for. I think he said he left home when he was seventeen.”

I sighed and hopped off the stool. “I’m done, Ki. I just…I thought I’d get some answers from you.”

“If you want answers, come back tomorrow night at seven and ask him yourself.”

“I promised—”

“Then don’t. I don’t care either way. You’re the one who’s curious, not me. I just care whether or not he can mix drinks and show up to work on time.”

I zipped my hoodie back up and pulled on my raincoat. “I’ll…I’ll think about it. Anyway, see you later, Ki.”

“Leaving so soon?”

“I don’t feel like staying any longer.”

Kieran nodded. “All right. Loosen up, all right, Cally? See you Wednesday.”

Kieran refused to tell me anything, but that didn’t matter. I was meeting Galliana in half an hour. No doubt she’d found some juicy information for me over the last few days.

Galliana Russo was short, curvy, and sported a dyed-pink bob. Her three-inch combat boots made her just tall enough to reach my chin. But what she lacked in height, she made up with phenomenal detective skills. “You’re not going to believe this, Cally,” Galliana said, sliding into the red leather booth beside me. We’d arranged for a quick meeting at a local diner, and I’d shown up fifteen minutes early. The result being I ended up downing three cups of coffee in quick succession. Caffeine had me practically bouncing off the walls before Galliana even walked through the door.

I arched a brow and frowned. “That bad?”

“I’ve got some photos and articles you’ll want to look at.” Galliana set down her canvas bag and pulled out a thick manila envelope. She chewed her lower lip. “You ready?” My P.I.’s mascara-laden eyes were huge and her anxiety rubbed off on me. My mind began jumping into multiple conclusions, like frenzied schoolgirls playing Double Dutch.

I wiped my clammy palms over my jeans and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

Galliana slid the manila envelope toward me. “Take your time, sweetheart. Let me know if you have questions.”