Sunset Thunder by Shannyn Leah Page A

underneath and bring it up.”
    Parker grumbled away. 
    Violet was lagging behind, making her way down the dock toward the rear of the boat. Ryder regretted not staying at the bow and watching her hips and backside sway underneath the towel as she walked.
    Ryder took Sophia’s bag as she boarded. “Thanks Uncle Ryder,” she said, taking it back once she was on board. Sophia had skipped the attitude stage that Parker was going through. Three years older than her brother with only four years until she hit her teens, Sophia smiled with kindness and laughed with the wind.
    “No problem. Go below and−”
    “Find a life jacket,” Sophia finished Ryder’s sentence, already on her way, but with her sweet tone and genuine smile, a smile she didn’t get from her thin-lipped mother standing at the edge of the dock. She looked up at him through a pair of large round sunglasses that overtook her face. He wished he could see her eyes.
    Why? So you can read them?
    More like try to read them. This woman didn’t give anything away she didn’t want to. Almost nothing. She hadn’t been able to resist the desire that passed through them last week.
    “Is Joel here?” she called up to him. 
    “Not yet.”
    Her lips thinned again.
    He couldn’t resist offering. “But there’s a life jacket your size, if you’re planning on joining us.”
    Violet’s hand tightened around the top of the towel. “I’m not,” she said, shifting her weight onto one foot. 
    Ryder shrugged. “Did you stop and have a swim on your way over?” He loved teasing her, and he loved her reactions even more.
    She crinkled her nose before answering. “Joel rushed us over,” she explained.
    Joel. Oh yeah .
    Ryder had to locate his cell phone. “Do you want to come up and wait?”
    Violet shook her head. “No. I’m fine waiting right here.” 
    She was a stubborn woman. 
    “Okay.” Ryder left her. Even after she’d walked away from him at the resort, he didn’t want to walk away from her now. But, where the hell was Joel? 
    Below deck, Ryder found Parker and Sophia wearing their life jackets and helping themselves to a bag of chips he’d left out.
    Ryder spotted his cell phone on the counter and swiped it. Four missed text messages and three missed calls...all from Joel. 
    As he scanned the, I’m late texts, Parker grumbled, “No electronics.” 
    Ryder looked up. “Where’s your dad?” he asked.
    Parker shrugged. 
    “Alight then.” Ryder turned and listened to the missed calls. The first one Joel was running late and would be there soon. The second one was an, I’m not going to make it.
    Damn Joel. 
    With clenched jaws and kids sitting behind him, Ryder listened to Joel explain he wasn’t in the mood to put up with his son’s attitude today. Then instead of calling his children or even Violet for that matter, that selfish son of a bitch asked Ryder to tell them he couldn’t make it and make something up. Chicken shit little bastard . It was such a Joel move to place his responsibility on someone else.
    Ryder was furious. There was a line and Joel seemed to always push the limit with him and this time he crossed that limit. There were other pressing issues in Ryder’s life that he could attend to instead of crushing this family’s hearts. It wasn’t Ryder’s family and if it was, he sure as hell wouldn’t be canceling on them. Ryder learned the bond of a family was important, a top priority
    Ryder dropped his cell phone back on the counter, not noticing Parker was watching him until he glanced over his shoulder. “Well? Where is he?” Parker asked. 
    Ryder was going to be having a long talk with Joel tomorrow. 
    “He’s not going to make it,” Ryder said.
    “Why not?” 
    Yeah? Why not Joel? Ryder’s jaw clenched as he answered, even though he tried not to let it show. “He had some car trouble.” Liar. You are a liar. Why with Joel are you always a liar? It was time to put Ryder’s foot down.
    It was funny,