Flight to Paradise (Flight Trilogy, Book 1) (17 page)

“Poor Ryan.”

“Don’t worry, he’s a survivor. He’ll be fine.”

Emily sounded so wrong for Ryan. Keri knew she could have given him so much more.

Why
,
Ryan
?
What
were
you
thinking
?

Keri said, “So, when are we going to compare notes…you know…about the old and new Ryan.”

“Sure. You go first.”

“I was thinking, maybe, you could start by describing the
new
Ryan. I’ll tell you when I hear something that doesn’t sound like the Ryan I once knew.” She knew if she started, Rex might use what she said to fabricate a false image of Ryan. He’d already lied once. Plus, she didn’t want to bare her soul about her wonderful memories of Ryan.

After taking a sip, Rex put his glass down. He asked matter-of-factly, “Keri, do you still love Ryan?”

The directness of his question caught her off guard. She looked down at her plate and pushed some rice around with her fork. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to, but I know I can’t. He’s married.” She lifted her head. “Rex, I just need to know why? Why would he marry someone like Emily? They’re nothing alike.”

“Keri, Ryan is not the same person you knew in high school.”

“In what ways?”

“By the time I met him, he had finished the Naval Academy. Based on what he told me about the way he grew up, and about you, trust me, Ryan Mitchell has changed.”

“What did he tell you about me?” She wanted every detail.

“For starters, he told me you were a sweet girl.” He paused, taking another bite of fish.

“Is that all, a ‘sweet girl’?”

Rex put his fork down, propped his elbows on the table, and laced his fingers together as he continued chewing. “He told me you were
too
good. I believe his exact words were ‘a goody-goody’.”

“What is that suppose to mean?” The pitch in her voice raised an octave.

“I believe you know what it means. Remember me telling you how Ryan was socially uncomfortable around girls and didn’t like dating?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, there’s more to it than that.”

“Like what?” Keri hung on his every word.

“Although he didn’t like dating or being around women he didn’t know, at least not at first, he felt the best way to correct the problem was to immerse himself into his fears.”

“So, you’re saying he dated more to overcome his fear of women.”

“In a way.”

“What are you trying to say, Rex? Just say it. I’m tired of your not being upfront with me—last weekend, and now this. Quit messing with my mind! I want to know the truth.”

“Okay, calm down. I just hate to see you get hurt.”

“Look, how can I get hurt any more than I already have? Ryan is married, for God’s sake. I just want closure.”

“Keri, I hate to be blunt, but Ryan is an animal when it comes to women. It’s all he talks about. Before he found Emily, he used to constantly drag me around trying to pick-up girls. Being shut-up like a lab rat for four years probably did it to him.”

“Ryan, an animal? How can a person change that much?” she asked. “I find it hard to believe.”

“Time has a way of changing a person. I know I’ve changed, and I’m sure you have, too.” Rex looked down humbly as he pushed the rice on his plate into a neat pile. “I’m just glad I’m over all that. I really like Ryan, but I’ll have to say, he and I are like night and day. I guess I’m probably more like the old Ryan you knew than he is.”

Maybe he wasn’t the man she first fell in love with years ago, but in her wildest imaginations she couldn’t see Ryan Mitchell as a skirt-chasing womanizer. No way. She stared off into the distance, thinking.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Rex said.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Come on…spill it. You need to get it out.”

“I just remember a letter I sent Ryan trying to get back in touch with him…it’s really nothing.”

Rex rolled his eyes and nodded his head. “I think I know the letter you are referring to.”

“You knew about the letter?”

“The letter where you talked about Bill and how you named him after the Academy goat?

“Did you read it? Let me guess…you opened Ryan’s mail for him?”

“Not this time. He beat me to it.” Rex chuckled.

“What
don’t
you know about me?”

“Hey, I just happened to be there when he opened the letter. That’s when he told me about you and how it seemed like a million years ago. I told him he should at least call you.”

“You did?”

“Absolutely! I mean…really. He at least owed you that much, especially after you poured your heart out in all those letters.”

“You knew about the other letters, too? So, I assume you read them.”

“Ah…I only saw the first one. Ryan just mentioned the others. He decided not to respond to them because he was afraid you might get the wrong idea if he kept writing you.”

“He told you that?”

“Let’s face it, at the time he was hot on Emily. Why would he want to keep you hanging on? He figured if he didn’t respond, you would just go away.”

“He said that?”

“I’m sorry Keri, but it is what it is.”

“It embarrasses me to think about what I said in all those letters. After he mentioned he had met someone, I had to go and write him back; telling him how my heart was broken and that I always thought we would end up together. Then when he didn’t respond, I kept writing. How pitiful I must have sounded.” She didn’t know whether to cry or scream.

“That’s why, when I saw you at the wedding, I felt I could help. I knew once you learned the truth, you’d be over him. I also knew I was the only person in the world that could save you from yourself. If I didn’t do something, I knew you would spend the rest of your life locked in an emotional prison. I really didn’t have a choice.”

She stared at Rex in amazement.

Is
this
guy
for
real
?

“I had no idea about Ryan…about him turning into this…
animal
. I guess he could have changed some. I mean, look at who he married. If what you say is true, she’s perfect for him.”

“Yeah, like I’ve said, you just need to move on.”

For the first time, she started to see Rex in a different light. Maybe he did care about her. The more she thought about it, the
old
Ryan would have never fallen for someone like Emily. She knew she had to let him go.

He’s
married
.
He
has
Emily
.
I
don’t
need
him
.

“Do you know what?” she asked.

“What?”

“I wasn’t too sure about you when we first met.” She looked at him and smiled.

“In what way?”

“I’m not sure.”

“So, how do you feel now?”

“Better.” Her smile grew. Everything Rex had done hit her at once. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I only did what I had to do. You’re going to be fine. You just need to bury the past and move on with your life.”

They quietly continued to eat the last of their dinner. She finally had the closure she had longed for, thanks to Rex. But she also started to feel something else—something she had not counted on. She no longer saw Rex as a messenger or human conduit for information, but a caring friend, maybe more.

“You keep eating. I’m just going to get something else to drink,” he said, rising from his seat. “Can I get you anything?”

“No. I’m fine.” She watched him walk away. In her thoughts, she recalled the details of the limited time she had spent with him, all the things he had said, and the way he had acted toward her. He had treated her with respect and attentiveness. He listened to her questions and offered caring responses about Ryan. He knew she had feelings for Ryan, yet he still offered his friendship. Never once had she felt his motives were selfish.

She studied him as he approached the table. Their eyes connected. “What are you thinking about?” he asked. “You look like you’re in deep thought.”

“Oh nothing, I’m just thinking about how good it feels to finally be free.” She smiled.

“I’m happy for you.”

She took her napkin from her lap and dabbed it on her lips before placing it neatly underneath the corner of her plate. “That was excellent.”

“Did you get enough to eat?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you.”

He reached over and took her plate. “Here, let me get that out of your way.” He stacked it on top of his plate and moved them both aside. She checked her watch.

“You don’t need to rush off, do you?” he asked.

“It’s almost nine o’clock, and you have at least two hours of driving ahead of you.”

“Are you kidding? Don’t you remember? I’m not only a good cook, but a race car driver, too.” They both laughed.

“If you don’t mind, maybe I should get you to take me back now.” She stood up.

“If you insist.” As she reached for the stacked plates on the table, he said, “No…I’ll get that later.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mind if I use your bathroom before we go?”

“Sure. Why don’t you use Ryan’s bathroom? I’ll run to the other one.” He pointed, showing her the way. “It’s just down the hall.”

“Okay.”

She turned on the bathroom light and closed the door. She instantly detected the masculine fragrances of shaving cream and men’s cologne. The thought of Ryan having—as recently as two weeks ago—stood where she was standing, in some strange way connected her to him.

She gazed at the woman on the other side of the glass—the reversed image of herself. It was the perfect metaphor of her life. The masculine fragrances of his bathroom were common to her. She imagined standing beside him, admiring his tall masculine frame next to her with a towel wrapped around his waist just out of the shower, preparing to shave. The woman on the other side of the glass should have been her. She quickly dismissed the ridiculous illusion and used the toilet.

After washing her hands, her eyes caught the reflection of a white terrycloth robe hanging on the back of the door behind her. She turned and reached for it and pulled it close to her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in, deep and slow, filling her lungs. It smelled of a fresh scent, possibly the lingering fragrance of the soap he’d used during his last shower mixed with the familiar scent of his body oils that the years had surprisingly not taken from her senses. She clung to his robe as though the mere physical contact with it brought them together, one last time. She knew the soft robe she was holding would soon be wrapped around his body—something she longed for herself.

Opening her eyes, she released her grip on the robe and backed away. The robe hung limp, empty, on the hook. Ryan was gone. He belonged to another woman. She knew the best way she could show her love for him was to let him go. God obviously had other plans for her life. She left the bathroom and returned to the den.

“You ready?” Rex asked as she walked back into the den.

“More than ever.”

CHAPTER 27

Rex took it slow and easy on the drive back to Laguna Beach. Flanked by the ocean to their left, a brilliantly-full moon spread its shine across the water.

In the darkness of the car, her thoughts wandered between her past with Ryan and her new—yet evolving—relationship with Rex. A new door had opened. She wondered if the feelings in her heart could be trusted.

Rex wheeled up into her driveway and coasted to a stop, reached down and turned the ignition off. Silence surrounded them. He twisted slightly in his seat and looked her way. His shadowy face was made visible by the outside houselights.

“I’d like to see you again,” he said.

“Aren’t you leaving for Texas soon?”

“Not for several weeks.”

“Well then, just call me. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Great!” He patted the top of the steering wheel with his left hand, opened his door and moved around to her side. When he arrived, she had already opened the door and was starting to stand. They strolled to the front door.

Butterflies took flight in her stomach as they approached the porch. She wondered if he would try to kiss her. If he did, she was ready.

Once she reached the door, she turned toward him. For a moment, they stood facing each other. She wanted him to kiss her. He stepped closer. She felt his hands move around to her back. The kiss was soft and slow. She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. She kissed him again, but longer this time. Her body tingled as his hands gently moved up her back. He pulled his head away, hugged her gently, and stepped back. He took her hands in his and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Thank you for a wonderful evening,” he said. “I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Me, too.” She smiled.

“I’ll call you,” he said. He stepped away and turned to head to his car.

“Okay. Be careful driving home.” She turned, unlocked the door, and went inside. She latched the door behind her and stood listening until the engine of the Porsche faded in the distance. She felt satisfied. She turned off the porchlight.

Rex had done more than provide her with the information she needed to get closure, he had given her a new life and a new hope. She began to imagine herself with Rex. He was everything she had wanted Ryan to be, and more.

God
sure
does
work
in
mysterious
ways
.

* * *

Rex sped away feeling on top of the world. He owned the night, and now, it looked like he owned the little peach from Georgia. “Yeah, baby!”

He popped in a cassette tape and cranked up the volume. The Humpster bellowed out his tunes of romance while Rex joined in, holding his pretend microphone up to his mouth, imagining his being onstage singing to thousands of swooning women.

Knowing the little peach was “in the bag”, he needed to celebrate. One of his favorite spots, the Watford Hotel & Resort, Monarch Beach, was only a few miles up the road in Laguna Niguel: a luxury resort hotel on the coast, a great bar, and on a Saturday night at nine forty-five, a nightlife that guaranteed plenty of available women.

CHAPTER 28

Ryan spent months planning the perfect honeymoon: a seven-day stay in the beautiful Sheraton Maui Resort on Kaanapali Beach. After looking at several destinations, nothing compared to Hawaii. He booked a newlywed package that included everything: hotel, car rental, food, sight-seeing trips, and more. The only drawback, it was nonrefundable.