Now Until Forever (24 page)

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Authors: Karen White-Owens

BOOK: Now Until Forever
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Chapter 34
With her feet tucked under her body, Ryan lounged on the sofa, with the remote in one hand, waiting for
American Idol
to come on. After a dinner consisting of a Wendy's chicken salad and a small Frosty, she needed a little time to wind down and relax.
The day's events had been brutal. Adam's visit and Glo's about face had amazed and shocked Ryan. Glo's questions remained in the forefront of her thoughts, swirling around as she searched for the right answers.
What if she'd made her decision too hastily? Had she thrown away the best thing to happen to her since Galen died?
Groaning, Ryan dismissed all thoughts of Keir and his children. Instead, she channel surfed, looking for something to occupy her troubled mind and give her brain five minutes of peace.
She switched to the Fox network.
American Idol
flashed on the screen, and she sat up straighter, giving all of her attention to her favorite program.
Twenty minutes later, she hit the mute button and tossed the remote on the coffee table. Tonight, neither the show nor its contestants held her attention. Simon's comments had seemed snippy rather then humorous.
Ryan stretched out on the sofa and shut her eyes, debating whether she wanted to call it a night and go to bed. The doorbell rang throughout the house.
Frowning, she opened her eyes. Her feet hit the floor, and she stood. Who in the heck would drop by without calling first on a work night? Ryan strolled to the front door and called, “Who is it?”
“Keir.”
Her whole body started to shake, and her knees refused to support her. She leaned against the wall.
Ohmigod!
Keir was the last person she expected to drop by tonight or any other night. What did he want? “Just a moment.”
Ryan glanced down at her ratty sweats and shrugged. At this point there wasn't much she could do about her wardrobe choice. But Ryan took a second to smooth her hair into place with her hands.
As she unlocked the door, she chanted silently,
stay calm; be pleasant
. Keir probably wanted to thank her for bringing Adam to his office. The little voice in her head warned her against expecting anything more.
Yeah. That's why he'd taken the time to stop by, to talk about Adam.
She flung open the door and hungrily ate him up with her eyes. He looked handsome, dressed in a khaki sweatshirt and denims. White sneakers peeked from under his jeans. At that moment she realized how much she missed him. Although Ryan had told Glo she would find a way to get him back, she hadn't formulated a plan yet.
After a moment Ryan shook herself, realizing Keir still stood on her doorstep, waiting for an invitation. Feeling foolish, she played with the neck of her top. “Hi,” she said.
“Hey,” Keir muttered back. “I know it's a little late, but can I come in? I need to talk with you.”
“Sure.” She stepped away from the door and ushered him inside the house.
“Thanks.” Keir followed her through the hallway and into the living room. He sank into the chair next to the sofa. Ryan returned to her position on the sofa, patting her hands on her thighs as she waited for Keir to say something.
Keir studied the muted television screen for a moment. “
American Idol?
”
Ryan nodded. “It's not holding my attention tonight.”
“I understand. I have days like that.”
The silence that followed quickly got on Ryan's nerves, and she found she couldn't keep still. “Is Adam okay?”
He nodded. “Properly chastised by me and his mother.”
“Good.” She chuckled nervously as she straightened her top. “Finding him in my office shocked me.”
“I can understand that. Finding you and him outside my door threw me for a loop,” he replied. “Thanks for bringing Adam back to me. I appreciate that.”
“Of course, I brought him to you. That's where he belonged. How did the princess take the incident?”
Smiling, he answered, “Well, you know Emily. She trailed after him, giving Adam plenty of grief. The only thing that saved him was the no entry without permission rule Shannon imposed on each kid's bedroom.”
Ryan laughed. “Adam should go ahead and let Emily have her say. She'll save it up for later, and he'll still have to listen.”
“That's for sure.”
They laughed together. The sound filled the room with warmth but quickly died to a second awkward silence.
Ryan reached for the remote and pumped up the volume on the television. For the next ten minutes, they sat watching
American Idol
. Although the contestants were talented, her mind refused to stay focused on the show. She found herself enjoying the tantalizing fragrance of Keir's cologne and the way his sweatshirt hinted at his broad shoulders and tight muscles.
Finally, at the commercial break, Keir came to a decision. He rose from the chair and moved around the coffee table, dropping into the empty place next to her, and took the remote from her hand.
Nervously clearing his throat, Keir said, “Adam and I talked for a while after you left. My son is very perceptive, and he gave me some interesting information.” Keir chuckled a bit and then continued. “The boy took me down a peg or two or three or four.”
Ryan shifted on the sofa, tucking her feet under her and facing Keir. “What did he say?”
“He reminded me of something I've been preaching to him.” He reached over and took her hand. Ryan let out a soft gasp as her heart rate instantly accelerated. “Before the school year ended, we made a pact. If Adam agreed to go to the summer school enrichment program, I'd work with him on his baseball game so that he could try out for the team. We practiced a couple days a week, and he did his best in summer school. Adam worked really hard in school and on the baseball field, and his hard work paid off with a position on the team and improvement in his math scores.”
Nodding, Ryan waited for the meat of the story. She didn't know where Keir planned to go with this, but she let him continue without interruption.
“Today, after our talk about his unauthorized escape from summer school, he asked me some direct questions that made me take a closer look at myself.”
“Like what?” she asked softly.
Eyes focused on her, Keir whispered, “Did I love you? Why had I let you go without a fight?”
Ryan's mouth went dry, and her heart raced like an overheating engine. Her eyes remained glued on Keir's face. “Why did you?”
“I told him that I didn't have a choice.” Keir lowered his lids over his eyes. “You wanted to leave me. That wasn't completely true. In my arrogance, I believed all you needed was a little time, and then you'd come back to me.”
Voice quivering, Ryan asked, “And now?”
“I'm the one coming back to you. I need you in my life. I'm here to persuade you to come back to me, to us. Be part of the family that we've created.”
Keir had offered her an opportunity to correct her previous mistake. This second chance wouldn't slip through her fingers.
“Adam asked me why I didn't go after you,” Keir continued. He focused on their linked hands. “Try to talk to you and make you understand. Then he reminded me of something I've been saying to him all summer.”
“What was that?”
Keir lifted his head. Ryan saw the pain their separation had caused. Her heart went out to him. She fought the urge to draw him into her arms.
Keir lingered over her hand, kissing the palm. “Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”
“Am I?”
“Absolutely.”
Ryan stretched out a hand and cupped the side of his face. She'd missed him so much. Hunger flared intense and all-consuming. An answering need started in the pit of her belly and surged through her blood.
“We've got to talk about my kids,” said Keir.
She nodded.
“Mrs. Mitchell, you are dead wrong if you believe leaving them was the right thing to do. We're a family. Adam's and Emily's lives are intertwined with yours. They miss you and need your reassuring presence and love as much as they need mine and their mother's. We all need you. You make us whole.”
Ryan shut her eyes, seeing Adam's troubled face. She heard his voice quiver as he apologized for something that wasn't his fault.
“You can't control what other people think or do,” Keir continued. “Our job is to provide a secure, loving environment where our kids will feel safe. I want us to have a place where they feel comfortable enough to tell us anything. As long as we communicate, we can work out any problem.”
Amazed, Ryan studied the man sitting next to her. Glo was right. Ryan didn't have to give up everything to care for the kids.
“There will always be Malcolms and Lakeishas,” Keir added. “They always have something to say. But, that type of scum only gains power when we let their comments take on meaning. If we stick together, keep them out of our lives, we'll be fine. Actually, we'll be more than fine.”
Keir cleared his throat, then continued. “Here's the deal. I love you, and I want you in my life. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get you back. Tell me what you want.”
“You.”
A deep growl of satisfaction rose from Keir's throat. “That's what I wanted to hear.”
Carpe Diem. Seize the day. She didn't plan to mess up again.
“I love you, Ryan.”
“Keir, I love you.”
Grinning broadly, Keir admitted, “That's what I needed to hear. I want us to be together. Not just today or tomorrow. For the rest of our lives. We can make things work between us. Are you willing to take the leap of faith with me?”
“I think so.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No thinking. I want you to be sure, be positive. We're not going back down this road again.”
“Yes. I'm willing to take the risk.”
“All right. Now we're getting somewhere.” Keir slipped off the sofa and got down on one knee and reached inside his pant pocket and removed a velvet ring box. He opened the box. “Ryan Angelique Mitchell, will you marry me?”
Gasping softly, she touched the white-gold band with a single pear-shaped diamond. With tears falling down her cheeks, Ryan threw her arms around Keir, holding him close, kissing him with all the love in her heart.
“Absolutely!”
Breaking the kiss, Ryan muttered the word again against his lips, “Absolutely.”
Keir held her away from him by her shoulders. “Is that a yes?” he asked.
“Yes.” Ryan gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Yes.” She moved to the corner of his mouth. “Yes.”
Keir deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between her lips and tasting her.
He muttered, “I love you, Ryan.”
Chapter 35
Ryan and Keir chose September 1 for their wedding. Since they both had had previous marriages, they decided to keep the ceremony small and intimate. The attendees consisted of their immediate families and close friends.
Emily and Adam had ushered Ryan into Keir's bedroom to dress. Ryan sat on the end of the bed, rolling the second cream stocking over her knee and securing it around her thigh.
Panic set in as she considered her fate. In less than an hour, this would be her bedroom, her home, and Keir would be transformed from boyfriend to husband. Was she truly ready for this transition? As she reached for a cream-colored shoe, a soft tap on the door broke into her troubled thoughts.
Helen poked her head inside the door. “Need any help?”
With a wave of her hand, Ryan beckoned her sister into the room. “Come talk to me.”
Her older sister entered the room and shut the door, moving across the floor to where Ryan sat. She tossed her purse on the bed and examined Ryan's face for a second. “What's up?”
“I'm not ready,” Ryan answered in a worried tone.
“Sure you are.” Helen sank into the soft mattress next to Ryan and massaged her shoulders. “Calm down. This is what you want.”
“I guess. Maybe.” Ryan shrugged. “I don't know.”
Laughing, Helen wrapped an arm around Ryan and hugged her. “You two are way too happy together. Stop worrying and get married.”
Giggling nervously, Ryan gazed at her sister. “You're right. This must be a case of the pre-wedding jitters.”
“Mm-hmm. You're entitled. This is a whole new life for you.”
Ryan watched her sister move around the room, taking the garment bag from the closet and removing the dress inside, gently placing it on the bed.
“Helen, are you okay with the way I arranged the ceremony?”
“Honey, this is your wedding. Everything should be the way you want it. It was the right choice. Don't worry about me. Besides, the last time you got married, I was the maid of honor. I like the idea of being a spectator.”
“As long as you're all right with it.”
“I am.” She gave Ryan a gentle nudge and helped her to her feet. “Let's get you dressed so that we can start your wedding.”
Helen picked up the cream tea-length dress. The beaded bodice fitted tightly around Ryan's small frame and flared from the waist into a full hoopskirt. Ryan stepped into the dress, and Helen zipped up the back.
The sisters stood before the mirror, admiring Ryan's wedding dress.
“You look beautiful,” Helen said.
“Thank you.”
Helen wrapped a hand around Ryan and advised, “Love each other, and the rest will follow.”
“Did it work for you?”
Grinning, Helen replied, “Absolutely.”
The organist began to play.
“He's playing your song,” Helen said. She picked up her purse and headed for the door. “It's time for us to go.”
Nodding, Ryan grabbed her bouquet of white roses and trailed her sister out the door and down the stairs. Emily greeted them when they reached the main hallway.
Earlier, after making Ryan promise to shut her eyes and not peek, Emily and Adam had led Ryan upstairs from the back of the house. Now she got her first look at the downstairs and the great room.
She gasped, stunned by the transformation. The great room looked magnificent.
Flowers of every size, shape, and color dominated the room, creating a bouquet of scents. An arch had been set up near the patio door. The white arch was decorated with multiple colored flowers.
Ryan's brother, Tony; his wife, Michelle, and their two kids stood near the entrance. Helen, Larry, Andre, and Gee waited alongside Tony. Keir's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Southhall; Phil Berger; his wife; and Glo were all present for the event.
Emily ran up to Ryan. She was perfectly attired in a tea-length, beaded Empire-style dress in ocean blue. White patent-leather shoes covered her feet, and baby's breath, secured by a ribbon, held her hair in place. A bouquet of multicolored roses filled the girl's hands.
In the great room, Keir stood tall and handsome in a dark gray tuxedo. At his side, Adam wore an identical suit as they waited in the patio archway with Reverend Aisha Wagner.
The wedding march began.
“Come on, maid of honor,” Ryan encouraged. “Do your stuff.”
Emily started down the three stairs into the sunken room, just the way they'd rehearsed last night. With all the elegance and grace of a seasoned runway model, the girl strolled to her father. Ryan followed at a slower pace, pausing after each step. As she drew near Keir, the small band of guests moved closer, surrounding the couple.
Ryan's thousand-watt smile refused to go away. Helen had been right. She did want to marry Keir and spend her life with him. When she stole a quick peek in his direction, the same jubilant expression beamed back at her. Keir took her hand, and they stood side by side. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “I love you.”
Reverend Wagner stepped before the couple as the music softened and slowly died away. “Welcome, family and friends. We're here today to witness one of God's greatest gifts, the holiest of occasions. The sacred union of Ryan Mitchell and Keir Southhall. Two souls that now come together to create a holy bond.”
Emily slipped her hand in Ryan's and squeezed. Ryan looked down at the girl and winked. The child grinned back.
“As in many cases, the road to love and happiness is not a straight path; there are twists and turns,” said Reverend Wagner. “You stand before God and each other to enter into the hallow institution of marriage. You can proceed with your vows.”
Keir turned to her. “Ryan, from the moment I spied you running around One Leaf Studio, I knew you were going to change my life. It didn't take long for that to happen. It's true, the important things in life are never easy. But loving you was one of the easiest things I've ever done. Convincing you to take a chance on us was the most difficult. Now that you've learned to trust me, I promise you this. You and our life together will always be my first priority. I will protect you with everything in me. And I will love you, now until forever.”
“Ryan,” said the minister as she waved a hand in Ryan's direction. “It's your turn.”
“Keir, I have learned so much in the time we've been together. You taught me how to open my heart and to never be afraid to receive and give love. I promise I'll be the best wife that I can. I'll be at your side and will support you through whatever endeavor you choose. I will love Emily and Adam and any children we create. I promise to love and cherish you, now until forever.”
“What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said Reverend Wagner.
Keir reached for Ryan, and she went into his arms, kissing him with all the love in her heart. The soft murmurs of the audience penetrated the happy fog surrounding them. Embarrassed, they stepped away from one another.
With a child on each side of them, Ryan and Keir turned to the audience.
Reverend Wagner closed her Bible and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Southhall family. Keir, Ryan, Adam, and Emily.”

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