7. Ryker
RYKER
As soon as Brock invites me to dinner, Izzy turns in her seat. “Oh no, boys. We will have to rain check on Pizza Haven. I'll make you dinner at home.”
It’s all groans from the back, and I should probably keep my mouth shut, but I don’t want this time with Izzy to end. “Uh, I would love to go to Pizza Haven with you guys. I mean, if that's okay, Izzy?”
She seems uncomfortable. “I can't ask you to do that.”
I laugh. “I would love it. I'll even get you your favorite—pepperoni and sausage pizza with all the vegetables.”
The boys start to gag in the back, and Brock leans forward. “Wait. How do you know my mom's favorite pizza?”
I look over at Izzy. She looks startled but shrugs her shoulders. “Uh, well, you will probably hear about it anyway. Ryker and I knew each other growing up. We, uh, dated in high school.”
Brock is looking at me in the rearview mirror, and I meet his eyes. “Wait, what? You dated my mom?”
I could jump in and tell him how I've loved her since we met in kindergarten. Or how I've compared every woman to her since then. But I don't think Izzy will appreciate that. So I just answer the truth and repeat what Izzy said. “Yep, we were friends growing up and dated in high school.”
We pull into the parking lot of Pizza Haven, and Izzy practically jumps from the car when I park.
The boys run ahead, and I catch up with Izzy. “You okay?”
She stops and points at the door. “This is a horrible idea, Ry.”
I smile at her. “That's the first time you’ve called me that in twenty years.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Ryker, this is a bad idea, and you know it. By this time tomorrow night—scratch that, tomorrow morning—everyone in town is going to be talking about us having dinner together.”
I have no doubt that the whole town will know we’ve had dinner together, but it doesn’t bother me.
I want everyone here to know that she’s mine.
She may not know it yet, but it’s going to happen.
I try to comfort her because I know she doesn’t want to hear any of that. “We're two friends catching up, Izz.”
Brock peeks out the door. “Mom. Ryker. You guys coming?”
I look at the boy that should have been mine. He looks just like his mother.
Izzy smiles at her son. “We're coming.”
Brock disappears inside, and I walk the rest of the way to the restaurant and open the door. Izzy walks past me, making sure she doesn’t brush against me.
As soon as we're inside, I help Izzy take her coat off. She slides into the booth, and I set our jackets on the booth behind us to hold it for Brock and his friends and then sit down across from Izzy.
As soon as we’re seated, Brock and more of his friends come over. “Ryker, my friends wanted to meet you. Is that okay?”
I stand up and put a hand on his shoulder. “Sure, Brock.”
I shake the hands of his friends, and they are all excited as I pose for pictures and even sign a few napkins. I grab my wallet and pull out some twenties and hand them to Brock. “Here you go. You and your friends can play some games, and I’ll order pizza. What do you want?”
The boys all chime in. “Anything.”
“Pepperoni.”
“Cheese.”
The boys excitedly say thanks, and when I sit down, Izzy has her wallet out. I hold a hand up. “Put that away. I’m not taking your money.”
“Ryker, you can't pay for dinner and all those games and…”
I just laugh. “Yes, I can."
The waitress comes, and I order pizzas. When I order the pepperoni, sausage and vegetables, Izzy interrupts me. “Oh no, I'll just eat what everyone else is eating.”
I ignore her and order the pizza. When the server walks away, I stack the plastic menu in the holder.
I look at her across the table. “I know we haven’t seen each other in a long time, but you should know that when you are with me, I'm going to make sure you get what you want.”
She looks as if she’s physically affected by my words. She’s staring at me wide-eyed. "What are we doing here, Ryker?"
I look into her eyes. “Eating pizza.”
“Har. Har.” She laughs. “I'm serious, what are we doing here? Nothing can come of us. You know that, right?”
I hold my hands together on top of the table. “I told you why I came back, Izzy.”
She looks surprised. “You were serious about that?”
“You, Izz. I came for you.”
She wraps her arms around her chest. “You know I'm not the same woman I used to be.”
I shrug. “We've both changed, Izzy.”
She laughs. “Oh yeah? You've definitely changed. You could buy this whole town if you wanted to. You're famous, everyone knows you, and... and you can have any woman you want.”
“I want you,” I tell her with all sincerity.
It's like she doesn't even hear me; she just continues talking. “And how did I change? Well, let’s see. I put on probably forty pounds since you saw me last. I'm old and bitter.” She laughs. “I can't even keep my husband happy, Ryker. He wanted someone else.”
I can't hold back anymore. I get up and move into her booth and sit next to her. I don't touch her, but I'm hoping that being close like this helps her a little.
“First, let’s get a few things straight. I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. For the last twenty years, I have compared every woman to you. And these curves. I want to touch and kiss every one of them. Never ever doubt that I wanted you then, and I want you now.”
She blinks at me, and hope flares in her eyes so I keep talking. “Second, of course you're bitter. Your husband cheated on you. But that is not on you. You're smart, beautiful, and?—”
She holds a hand up. “Stop. This is not going to work, Ryker.”
Before I can say anything else, she changes the subject.
“I want to thank you for all this.” She holds her hand up.
“And don’t say it’s nothing or I don’t need to thank you.
Brock has had a rough time this year, and I appreciate you being nice to him and his friends.
” She sighs and looks toward the arcade room where the boys are.
I resist reaching for her. “He’s a great kid, Izzy.”
She nods. “He really is. Anyway, thank you.”
At that moment, the boys all come back and sit in the booths.
Brock and Ollie sit across from us, and the other boys sit in the booth next to us.
Izzy tenses next to me as I'm bombarded with questions. I answer all of them, and I laugh more than I have in a long time. The pizza comes, and we talk, eat, and laugh. Izzy eventually relaxes, and I can tell that Brock and his friends love and respect Izzy. I love seeing this side of her, and I don’t want the night to end.
When we finally do leave and after we drop off the twins, I pull up to Izzy's house.
“So what time do you want me to pick you up in the morning?”
She shakes her head. “What? No. We will be fine.”
“Mom,” Brock says. “You know Dad is not going to pick me up for school.”
I clench my fist. So Allen is not only a cheater but he's also a shitty father.
“Izzy, let me pick you up. I'll take you to work and Brock to school, and then I’ll pick you both up after and take you to get your car.”
I fully expect her to deny me, but Brock excitedly pleads with his mom in the back. “Mom, please?”
She finally agrees, and I get out of the car and follow them up to the house. Izzy is thanking me the whole way, but I tell her she doesn’t need to. I was truly happy to do it.
I stand on the porch as Brock high-fives me, and then I watch as they go into their house.
And when I walk back to my SUV, I’m smiling ear to ear. Tonight was nearly perfect, and I would give anything to have nights like this for the rest of my life.