Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) (21 page)

Rylee

Two weeks later…

The past two weeks have flown by, with no more life-altering
events to turn our world upside down. Austin met his son, Ryker, last weekend
and is on pins and needles waiting for him and Amanda to arrive here this
weekend.

I am not as excited as Austin is, since I have to face
Amanda, the ex-love of Austin’s life. He tells me there is nothing to worry
about, but I cannot help being concerned that they will reconnect. They have a
son together, after all.  

Amanda and Ryker are due in this evening. I am hastily
trying to leave work a few hours early so I do not miss the big meet and greet.
Austin would not be pleased if I showed up late to meet his son. He has a new
glow and excitement about him since meeting Ryker. Apparently they hit it off
big time. I cannot say I’m surprised. What nine-year-old boy would be unhappy
to find out his dad is the reigning Super Bowl MVP?

Sitting in the heavier than usual Friday afternoon traffic,
my phone rings through the speakers of my Jeep. Hitting the answer button on
the steering wheel, I answer, certain it is Austin checking on my whereabouts.

“I’m in traffic. I promise I will be there,” I say, in lieu
of a greeting.

“That’s good to know, but where is it you’re going?” My
brother’s sarcastic voice comes through the speakers.

“Hey, J. I assumed you were Austin. He is all crazy about
Amanda and Ryker coming today.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot that was today. So how are you doing with
it?” His voice hints at his concern.

“I’m good, I guess. I haven’t thought too much about all of
it because it makes me a little crazy. You know I don’t like to share.” I laugh,
trying to disguise my mixed feelings on the subject.

“Bullshit, Ry. I know better. Let me guess, you are worried
he will get back with Amanda since she is the baby mama. But, at the same time,
you are trying to figure out how you will bond with a nine-year-old boy. Not to
mention you feel like this isn’t your place, since you and Austin aren’t
married. So tell me, am I close?”

He nailed every one of my emotions, the feelings I have
tried to keep hidden from everyone over the past couple of weeks. I shake my
head with an amused smile while fighting to change lanes.

“Yep, I would say you covered it all. Thanks for that.”

“Rylee, I want you to hear me. Austin doesn’t want anyone
but you. I can promise you that. As for how to deal with a kid, you will figure
it out.”

I hear what my brother is saying, but I am curious how he
can promise me anything regarding Austin. “How is it you can promise me that?
Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

My curiosity is piqued and I hope he will share.

He huffs on the other end of the line. “Let’s just say I know
and, for once in your life, you will just have to trust me.”

For once in my life? Come on. I have never trusted anyone
more.

“Oh, come on, J. Tell me what you know, or I will call Bode.
You know he will tell me.”

That comment draws a genuine laugh that makes me smile.

“I have no doubt he would tell you, which is why he doesn’t
know. On another matter, I got out of the wheelchair today.”

That was a brilliant change of subject, but I will let him
have it since I am ecstatic he finally got out of that damn thing. He is making
amazing progress and I am so relieved.

“That is amazing, J! I’m so happy for you. How is everything
else progressing?”

“Well, it hurt like hell to get up and wobble around, but I
can’t wait to keep it going. Dani made me sit once we got home from physical
therapy and she won’t let me do anything else today. But the docs say all
things are ahead of schedule and I might be back to myself by preseason.”

Thank goodness for Dani. She will keep him from overdoing it
with the therapy in a bid to break records with his healing.

“I am so happy that things are good. I cannot tell you how
happy. How are things with Dani?”

I hear a half chuckle, half grunt before he answers. “You
couldn’t help yourself, could you? She is good. We are good. I actually think
this could last. Well, it would if she would stop being a slave driver and
reward me more often.”

I can hear Dani laughing before she yells towards the phone.
“Hi, Rylee.”

There is an abundance of laughter coming from the speakers
in my car, making me chuckle.

“Tell Dani I said hi. You guys take care. We will see you
soon.”

“Love you, sis.”

“Love you, too.”

The silence in the car only lasts a few minutes before
Austin calls to check-in. I tell him I’m on my way. He is beyond nervous. It is
so cute. He spent the past week turning one of his guest bedrooms into a room
for Ryker. He bought everything from gaming systems to sheets and clothes. All
the while, he would ask, “Do you think he will like these?”

I have tried to explain that what he can buy Ryker is not as
important as the memories they create, but it has not deterred my hunk of a
boyfriend from going overboard. We don’t even know if they will see the house,
since Amanda insisted on staying in a hotel that Austin then paid for.

Once I walk through the door to the house, Austin’s nervous
excitement consumes me. He seems to be everywhere at once. He cleaned today and,
judging by the pile of clothes on our bed, he has changed clothes several
times.

Sliding my blazer off, I turn to walk into the closet when
he catches me by the waist and spins me into his arms.

“Hi, gorgeous. I missed you today.”

His mouth consumes mine before I can respond. Enthusiasm
courses through him as he welcomes me home. Knowing we are short on time, I
pull back from him.

“Hi.”

He gives me a full-blown smile that melts my heart, before
slapping my ass and telling me to hurry up and change. With a mock screech, I
make my way into the closet that, to my surprise, has been rearranged. All of
my things are now organized on the right side. His sweetness never ceases to amaze
me.

As I walk down the line of expertly organized clothes, I
feel him near me.

“So I was hoping you might want to make this official.” His
aqua eyes are watching me take in his grand gesture as he leans on the doorjamb,
looking like absolute perfection. I am running my hand along the hangers when
he asks, “Ry, will you officially move in me with and be my girl?”

A smile and slight flush cover my face. He asked me to be
his girl. Does it get any cuter?

“Well, since you went to all of this trouble, I guess I
would be happy to live with you. And I thought I was already your girl, because
I know you’re my guy.”

I start to pull off my shirt so I can get ready when he
wraps me up and kisses me.

“Just making it official, love. I have been yours since the
day you stumbled down my driveway. You took a little while to come around, but
I knew you would.”

With one last quick kiss, I push him out of our closet. Wow,
our closet
- that has a nice ring to it. I pull on my favorite boot cut
jeans and a white button-down shirt, adding a wide black belt and my
high-heeled black boots.

It’s official. Austin and I are living together and now it
is time to go meet his son. It amazes me daily how this man has come along and
turned my world upside down in the best ways possible.

Rylee

We pick Ryker and Amanda up at the hotel to avoid the circus
that would have surrounded Austin at the airport. He is king in this city and
people have no problem coming up, asking him for all manner of things and
taking incessant pictures. We figured it would be easier on Ryker to avoid the
whole scene.

My hope is that tonight will go smoothly and Austin will start
to build a bond with his son, who was selfishly hidden from him for nearly ten
years. I have to avoid focusing on that point, because the thought of it makes
my blood boil and Austin needs me to be supportive, not combative.

Pulling up to the valet stand, our doors are opened by two
attendants dressed in black and white. Austin comes around and takes my hand
with a gentle squeeze. The attendant remains professional as Austin hands him
the keys to the Rover, despite his obvious realization of who is handing him
the keys.

Austin looks sexy as hell in his dark jeans, a cream sweater
with the high neck unbuttoned, and a khaki overcoat. Hand in hand, we walk
through the glass double doors and I immediately notice Ryker sitting in a
chair. It’s easy to spot the little man. From the light brown hair and striking
blue eyes to his wide shoulders, the boy is a carbon copy of Austin. Holy cow, this
is real.  

Ryker’s face lights up when he sees Austin and he turns to
the woman I assume is Amanda before running to his dad. Austin lets go of my
hand to scoop the boy up into a huge hug, with a smile I have never seen. His
eyes shine with pride and joy as they exchange hellos.

Austin sets Ryker down before his gaze shifts to me. I try
to smile despite my sudden bout of nerves. Austin’s arm slips around my waist
as he addresses Ryker.

“Buddy, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Rylee.”

Ryker extends his small hand and I take it into mine for a
handshake. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ryker.”

He looks up to Austin with a smirk, still holding my hand.
“She is really pretty, Dad.”

Austin beams as he looks at me and concurs with his son.
“Yes, she is very pretty.”

After thanking both boys for their compliments, I glance
over to see Amanda watching us with what appears to be sadness on her face. She
is an attractive woman with short brown hair and a round face that fits her
petite frame. She is dressed in jeans and a tan sweater that draws the brown
out of her eyes. Her hands are clasped in front of her, fidgeting.

I have focused on Austin through this time and never stopped
to think about how hard this must be on her. Whether she was on board with
keeping Ryker from Austin or not, she is now the one with the most to lose as
the boy gets to know Austin. The scene she sees now must be hard, as Austin
stands between Ryker and me with an arm around each of us. From the outside,
anyone would assume we are a family.

Wanting to put her out of her misery, I take a step in her
direction, urging Austin to do the same. I give her a smile and vow to make this
is as easy as possible on everyone. As we walk in her direction, Ryker takes
off running to her before stopping to drag her in our direction as we cross the
expansive lobby. My heels click loudly on the marble floor before crossing onto
the plush carpet near the luxurious brown couches.

Ryker tugs on his mom before stopping a few feet from us and
introduces us.

“Mom, meet Rylee. She is my dad’s girlfriend, and she is really
pretty.”

Austin ruffles Ryker’s hair as I extend my hand to Amanda.

“He certainly knows how to embarrass a girl. Hi, I’m Rylee
Ash.”

“Hi Rylee, I am Amanda Spurlock. It is a pleasure to meet
you.”

She seems polite despite her air of insecurity. Her
five-foot-three-inch frame comes up nearly a foot shorter than me. It is odd to
me that the last love of Austin’s life is the complete opposite of me. I guess
he doesn’t have a type.

“Amanda,” Austin says by way of a greeting. It comes off
cold. His demeanor towards her and Ryker are in stark contrast. His attention
shifts back to Ryker. “So buddy, shall we go find some grub? What do you like
to eat?”

Ryker looks up and answers in a sweet, adoring voice. “I
like lots of things. I like chicken, steak, and macaroni. Oh and my favorite is
French fries.”

Austin squats down to eye level with a loving smile, then
whispers something in Ryker’s ear that has the boy jumping up and down with
excitement. Austin stands back up, giving me a wink before taking his son’s
hand and heading for the front doors. Amanda and I walk silently behind and I
admire the view. Damn, those jeans show off the perfection of his ass.  

Seeing Austin as a dad is indescribable. All the reasons I
fell in love with him are the same reasons this little boy is beyond lucky. He
is warm and tender and he hands his heart over without reservations. He is an
amazing man. I only hope I can learn how to fit into this part of his life.

The car ride to the restaurant is filled by Ryker telling
Austin everything he has done since he saw him last and Austin asking all sorts
of questions. As is normal, Austin holds my hand the entire way and kisses my
knuckles at every stop light.

When Ryker asks why, he simply replies, “Because I love her.”

It surprises me that he is not more reserved with Amanda around.
Maybe I don’t have anything to worry about after all.

Austin chose a restaurant that doubles as an arcade,
explaining Ryker’s enthusiasm level. Once we’ve sat down and ordered, Austin
and Ryker take off to play games until our food arrives. They ask me to go too,
but I stay back with Amanda in an effort to be nice.

Once they leave, our table is clouded with awkwardness. What
do you say to the mother of your boyfriend’s child? I opt for meaningless small
talk.

“So how was the trip up here?”

Her hands are fidgeting again atop the table. “Um, it was
okay. The flight was smooth.”

Silence surrounds us again, since she offers no more in
conversation. I start to excuse myself to go to the restroom when she decides
to open up.

“Look, Rylee, I appreciate you trying to be nice. It is more
than Austin is giving me and more than I deserve. I want you to know that I
didn’t want to keep Austin away from Ryker, but I was young and naïve. My
parents threatened to throw me out if I didn’t do as they wanted.” Her eyes
tear up as she looks up and meets my eyes.

“Amanda, I’m not here to judge you. This is an awkward
situation and I’m just trying to make it easier on all of us. I don’t know what
to do here. My life has been a mess lately, but what I know is that Austin
loves Ryker and I will do whatever it takes to protect and support him.”

Shock registers across her face. I didn’t mean for the last
part to sound like a threat. I just wanted to explain my position. She takes a
deep breath and wipes the tears from beneath her eyes.

“I want you to know that I am not here for Austin. It
wouldn’t matter if I was - he is in love with you and will never forgive me. I
have someone back home. I only want is what is best for Ryker and I know that
Austin is what’s best for him. Take one look at the two of them right now and
I'm sure you will agree with me.”

I look back over my shoulder to see Ryker on Austin’s
shoulders, shooting basketballs into a moving basket. They both have humongous
smiles and look like they belong together. Because they do.

Their happiness melts into me as I turn back to her,
smiling. “I agree with you there. We will have to do what is best for them. But
I don’t want things to be uncomfortable either. It will take Austin time to get
over the deceit, but I guarantee that spending time with your beautiful son
will get him there eventually.”

Our food arrives and I excuse myself to go collect the boys,
who both complain. Throughout dinner, Austin and Ryker talk about the games
they have played and plan their next round of amusements. Austin continues to
ignore Amanda, but I do my best to keep everyone involved in the conversation. Thankfully,
Ryker seems oblivious to the tension between his parents.

The rest of the evening passes in a flash as we all play
games and take turns taking pictures and enjoying the time we have. Shortly
after ten o’clock, we drop an exhausted Ryker and his mom off at the hotel with
plans to meet in the morning for breakfast and another day of fun.