Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
JONES
We spent most of the night cuddled in bed, chatting.
Ryan told me about Kassy and all the stupid things they got into in college, like the time they thought climbing a water tower while drunk was a good idea.
Thankfully, their more sober friends managed to get them down the ladder before they fell and broke their necks.
They were close, and with Kassy having no family of her own, she and Ryan were family to each other. Ryan spoke fondly about his memories of Kassy. Anyone could tell she was important to him.
He teared up multiple times, a wet spot staining my T-shirt as evidence of his emotions, and I held him tighter.
This entire time, he’d had to keep himself together for Karla, and I wondered if he’d even given himself the chance to process his own grief at losing his best friend.
So I continued holding him and listened to his stories, hoping that I could be that safe space for him .
“Thank you for telling me about her,” I told him when he was all talked out and dazed sleepily in my arms. “She sounds like a wonderful person.”
“She is…she was. She was so brave, always willing to tackle everything head-on. Even when she got pregnant and didn’t know who the father was, she was determined to raise Karla alone.”
“She wasn’t alone, though,” I replied. “She had you. Kassy and Karla, you were always there for both of them.”
He huffed out a small sound and kissed the bare skin at the base of my neck.
“Karla’s strong, too, just like her mama,” he murmured against my skin, and I didn’t know if he was telling me that or himself.
Either way, I hugged him and agreed, “She is.”
He hummed and pressed more soft kisses on my skin. I wished time could stop right here. I wanted us to stay like this forever, but time was an unyielding thing.
“I should go back before Karla wakes up and panics when she can’t find me,” Ryan said, pushing away from me and breaking the cozy moment.
I groaned in protest at the movement and grabbed him for a kiss. Ryan obliged and nibbled on my bottom lip, making me crave him even more.
Grabbing his chin, I kissed him harder and savored his taste. The desire I had for him that had built up over the years burned inside me, and I needed more of him.
I wanted more of his warm skin on me, but as soon as I slipped my hand under his shirt, a tearful “Daddy!” was heard from outside my room.
Ryan shot out of bed and rushed toward the sound. I followed close behind to find Karla clutching her puppy, teary-eyed. Lily whimpered and rubbed her head against the little girl’s legs.
My heart ached to see her like this. The sadness and terror in her eyes were something a little kid should never know.
Ryan picked her up and whispered words of comfort to her. I didn’t know how to help, but I wanted her to know I was there for her, so I swept back her sweat-slicked hair and continued stroking her head.
All the while, Lily walked in slow circles around us, looking up at Karla every so often, like she’d adopted the girl as her own.
Karla pressed her ear against Ryan’s heartbeat. Her eyes closed, and a few seconds later, her breathing evened out.
“Let’s go back to sleep, okay, baby?” Ryan asked softly. Karla nodded against his chest, her eyes still firmly shut.
Ryan shot me an apologetic look. I mouthed back to him that it was okay.
I knew going into whatever this thing with Ryan was that Karla would be his priority, and I was honestly fine with that.
Hell, I expected it. After everything the precious girl went through, I would do anything to put a smile on her face.
I smoothed back her hair one last time and planted a kiss on her head. “Sweet dreams, baby girl. I’m right here if you need me.”
I moved to pull away, only to discover Karla’s little fist clutching my shirt. I gently tried to remove it, but she was holding on for dear life.
Ryan took it all in and laughed. “How about you lie with us until she falls asleep?” he suggested, then used a softer voice to ask Karla, “Would you like that, baby?”
She nodded against his chest, bright blue eyes shooting a sweet look toward me that would have had me doing anything she wanted.
We awkwardly made our way to the guest room like this—Karla’s ear still pressed against Ryan’s chest, and her hand holding onto me so that I had no choice but to shuffle along at Ryan’s speed to accompany her short arms.
It was absolutely the wildest situation I’d been in, but it was absolutely the most perfect as well.
Being with Deke had filled my desire to be needed by someone, but here, with Ryan and Karla?
At this moment? Karla needed me, and Ryan wanted me, and it was my desire to be there for them and protect them that had a calmness settling inside of me.
The peace was the thing I remembered as I drifted off on the guest bed beside Ryan, Karla snuggled between us with a smile on her face.
The next morning, Karla came out for an early breakfast, giggling, with seemingly no memory of last night.
Ryan had braided her black hair around the crown of her head, but strands of hair poked through the braids.
Adding in the yellow dress Karla was sporting today, she looked like a cute little sunflower.
Ryan studied his masterpiece and shook his head. He muttered something about it looking more like coils than braids. Karla didn’t seem to mind and merely giggled harder before running to chase Lily around the living room.
Ryan shook his head again and joined me in the kitchen. He slipped his arms around my middle, his front pressed against my back. “Thanks for letting us stay over and for making breakfast,” he murmured against the ticklish skin there, kissing the back of my neck.
It felt like my heart had swelled inside my chest until it was about to break free.
Ryan and Karla were filling it with what I hadn’t even known I wanted until I found them on the hill behind my home.
And now that I’d had a taste of this, I didn’t want to let them go. But would they let me keep them?
Would it be moving too fast to tell Ryan to cancel the appointment he made with a real estate agent today and move in with me instead? We could turn the guest room into a paradise of yellow flowers and puppy dogs, or anything that Karla wanted. And Ryan could make himself at home in my bed.
I knew full well that Karla didn’t sleep well without Ryan, but I could wait until she was ready to sleep alone. I’d be there every step of the way, as long as they allowed me to be.
I spun around, made sure that Karla was still distracted and not looking our way, then kissed all the words I couldn’t say onto those sexy lips. Ryan made a surprised ‘ oomph ,’ then quickly melted into my arms right where he was supposed to be.
After a quick breakfast, I carried Karla to the car while Ryan grabbed their bags.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go view the apartments with you?
” I asked, studying how Ryan strapped Karla into the booster seat.
She was patient even as he double and triple checked the seat belt, probably used to the routine by now.
“You should go have fun with your friends instead of spending all your time with us,” he replied and turned to me when he confirmed Karla was securely buckled.
“But I like spending time with both of you,” I muttered.
Karla giggled, and Ryan laughed and patted my cheek. “Go to brunch. I’ve no doubt we’ll be seeing you and Lily soon.”
Lily, hearing her name, stood from where she was waiting by our feet and wagged her tail. Karla reached her hands out, and Lily immediately propped herself up against the car to let Karla pet her. I smiled at how in sync these best buddies were.
“Fine, but just know Lily and I will be missing you here. Text me when you get home,” I said, then pressed a quick kiss to his cheek .
I laughed at seeing how the innocent kiss made Ryan more flustered than when he was doing way more indecent things with me last night.
Not leaving Karla out, I plopped a kiss on the top of her head. Lily and I watched as the car drove off and waited there until they disappeared behind the trees.
“Guess it’s just you and me now,” I said to my dog.
She whimpered, sounding just as dejected as I was about them leaving.
I laughed and gave her a good rubdown before asking if she wanted to go on a walk.
The words perked her right up. She bounced inside the cabin and used her mouth to grab the leash I had hanging by the door and brought it out to me.
I laughed again, smothered her with hugs and kisses, then leashed her up for a quick walk through the trails. My steps were lighter after Ryan texted me, reporting they’d made it home safe.
Afterward, I cleaned us both up and drove us to Hector’s to meet up with my friends.
Ryker and Sam were seated at a table outside the diner with ice-cold water already set out. The summer sun wasn’t at its peak yet, and under the shade of the large umbrellas, it would make for a nice brunch outside.
I greeted them both with hugs and whispers of thanks. I knew my friends had chosen outdoor seating since I’d been bringing Lily everywhere with me.
They laughed and said it worked out perfectly since they were able to bring Gray with them as well.
It was only then that I noticed the sleeping cat lying on Ryker’s lap.
The boy was just as clingy as I remembered, though it looked like their walks had him finally losing some weight. Gray didn’t look as rotund as before.
“Look what I got our girl!” Ryker said when I took a seat. He pulled out a mini hard hat from a bag at his feet and fastened it on Lily’s head. “You’re going to look so good in your work outfit!”