Chapter 6 #2
“If not, the guys will take me to my house and bring my car back at the same time.”
Boy she could be stubborn. “Like hell. I’m on my way.”
“I didn’t hear any promises.”
He gave in. “We’ll go to your house. At least I get to see you again.”
* * *
They started with the front door. Juliet watched as Ryder climbed a step stool and hung a very white skeleton from the top to the bottom of her entrance. “How does it look?” he asked.
“Can’t tell. Billy, move the stool out of the way.”
When he did, Juliet gave him a thumbs up. “Lookin’ good.”
“What’s next?” Ryder sounded excited.
“White lights all over the bushes. When they blink and with the other decorations, it’s scary.
” She scowled. “I wish I could help.” It had been two days since she hurt her ankle and it was still bandaged and she wasn’t allowed to put weight on it until tomorrow.
So she sat in a straight chair down on her sidewalk while the three of them did the decorating for Halloween.
She listened to them as they strung the lights. Billy asked, “Are you coming with us to Trick or Treat?”
“We want you to,” Tommy added.
“That’s up to your mom. But I haven’t been Halloweening in a long time.”
“What did you call it?” Tommy asked.
“Halloweening. That was the term we used when I was little.”
“In the dark ages?” Billy teased.
He turned his back to them then pivoted around quickly. “Arrgh…” He’d put in a mouthful of fake teeth and fangs.
Billy bolted back and screamed.
Ryder said, “Gotcha. Don’t think you’ll call me old again.”
Juliet thought Billy might cry but instead, he barked out laughter.
The lights took a while but she had fun watching them work together. Her kids were getting more attached to Ryder every time they saw him but there was no stopping it.
When they were finished, Juliet called out, “Next is wrapping the front lamppost with black vinyl garbage bags.”
“I don’t get it,” Ryder said.
“That’s because it’s the first step.”
After the pole was covered, Billy pulled a skull out of a decoration box and placed it over the small rectangular lamp. Tommy ran up and into the house and turned the light on.
“Wow.” Ryder’s eyes were wide. “That is disturbing.”
“Now, gather everything up while I go inside and get the cider and donuts ready.”
“Yay!” Tommy called out.
* * *
The kitchen window was open and fresh air wafted in. The boys set the food in the middle of the table. Ryder picked up the jug. “I’ll pour.”
When he finished, Juliet took a sip of the sweet brew and smiled. “Thanks, guys. Your turn to pick first, Tom.”
“How do you decide?” Ryder asked as her son took a jam-filled jelly donut.
“Billy went first last year.”
Tommy chose a cream-filled one with chocolate frosting.
“Those are their favorites. I’ll have the one with sprinkles, unless you want it, Ryder.”
“Nope.” He checked them out, then said, “I prefer glazed.”
They chowed down the overly sweet treats and drank cider. Eventually, Juliet stood. “Time for baths.”
“Can Ryder do it?” Billy asked.
“If he wants to.”
“I’d love to.”
Juliet volunteered to clean up so the guys went upstairs.
When they got to the bathroom, Ryder gave them a once over. “You sure you want to take a bath? You’re pretty dirty.”
“I’d rather have a shower,” Billy answered. “But Mom still likes to give us a bath. My dad let us shower. We never told Mom.”
Juliet wanted them to stay little boys. But they were getting mature. “I think you need to tell all this to your mom. She’d want to know.”
They both nodded.
“So showers it is.”
Billy stripped and stepped into the shower. He and Tommy waited for Billy to finish, then Tommy went into the stall.
“Want some help drying your back?” he asked Billy.
“Yeah.”
Like he’d done it all his life, Ryder dried off Billy’s back then the boy dressed himself, while Ryder helped Tommy dry off and get into his pajamas.
“We have to pick up everything in here,” Ryder said.
They worked willingly then when they finished, they rushed to another room and Ryder followed.
The two of them got into the big bed there.
“Mom, reads us a book every night.”
Juliet came to the doorway. “Wow, you guys that was fast. And the bathroom looks great.”
They cuddled into the pillows with Juliet in between them holding the book. She smiled at Ryder and said to him, “Stay.”
So he stretched out at the end of the bed and listened to the adventures of a little boy named Max.
* * *
Ryder hadn’t been happy leaving Juliet and the boys last night. But she planned to stay over tonight after his Pace Industries Halloween Eve party, which he was now overseeing.
“Yes, Carter?”
“Where do you want this?”
“In the middle of the floor on the circular table.”
Ryder perused the ballroom/conference room/entertainment center in the wing that housed his offices.
To say he was looking forward to the cocktail party was an understatement.
Because tonight he’d introduce Juliet to this side of him.
And after he gave her the ring, he would tell her everything else.
Another person approached him.
“Yes?” he said to his manager.
“Do you want…”
Everybody had questions. It took most of the afternoon to get things set up. Finally, at five, he went back to his living quarters, showered, shaved and dressed in a new suit he’d ordered from New York. He just slipped on his Rolex when the doorbell rang.
And there she stood in a red coat, high heels, wearing makeup and her hair set back from her face with a band made of rhinestones. He’d have one made for her out of real diamonds once she was his.
Juliet smiled. “Hello.”
“Hello. And wow!”
“Wait till you see my dress.”
He brought her inside and came up behind her. She smelled like sin. “Exotic perfume.”
“All of this,” she said shrugging out of her coat, “is my mother’s doing.” He turned her around and dropped the coat on the floor.
His jaw gaped. “Juliet…I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Well, I couldn’t come in yoga clothes to meet your associates.” She tugged at the top of the dress. “Mom said to stop doing this, but geez, you can see cleavage.”
“And what beautiful cleavage it is.”
She ran her hands down the shimmery hot pink, form-fitting dress. “Is this too tight? I’m having a little trouble breathing.”
He swallowed hard. “No, no. You look stunning.”
“I’m glad. It took a whole hour to get me ready. Mom was relentless.”
“Let’s have a few minutes together before the guests arrive.” They walked into his living room. When she was last here they’d fallen asleep on the couch.
“Every time I sit on one of these, I like the material even more,” she said about the wool blue and white weave. “It’s classy.”
“Thanks. How about some champagne?”
“Sounds great.”
She gazed out the big windows while he poured the bubbly. “I feel like Cinderella about to go to the ball.”
He set both glasses on the table, sat and took her hands. “Juliet. I love you and the boys so much.”
“I know you do.”
He slid to the floor and knelt on one knee. Reached in his pocket for something. When he held it out, he said, “Marry me, love.”
Her eyes widened. In his hand was an exquisite white gold band, with blue stones on each side, and a big diamond in the middle.
She tried to slow her heartbeat which had jumped started at the proposal. “I-I never expected this.”
His smiled disappeared.
“But my answer’s yes. Yes, Ryder Pace, I’ll marry you.”
She held out her hand and he slid the ring onto her finger. “It fits. And it’s so beautiful.”
He got up and pulled her to her feet. And close to his heart. “You okay?”
“More than. I’m a bit surprised, is all.”
“We can sit here as long as you like. Carter’s greeting the guests until I get there.”
“Let’s drink our champagne, then go down to the ballroom.”
They sat again. Picked up their glasses. Clinked. He said, “To my beautiful bride-to-be.”
“And to my groom-to-be.”
They sipped. Then kissed.
And because he didn’t want to spoil the moment, he kept his secret to himself.
* * *
Juliet was anxious about meeting his associates but she’d do this for Ryder. They walked into the ballroom. He said, “I’ll have to go from group to group since I wasn’t here to greet them.”
“I’m ready.”
They crossed to the first table. It was high so people didn’t sit. And boy, were the women glamorous.
“Hello, Gregor. Bridget. And Joseph.” He glanced at Juliet. “This is my fiancée Juliet Sullivan.”
Bridget’s jaw dropped. “Wow. Hello. Aren’t you lovely.”
“Thank you. You look amazing too.”
The woman wore a black silky sheath and mile-high heels.
“So how did you and Ryder meet?” Gregor asked. He was dressed in a meticulous tux.
“It’s a long story.” Juliet didn’t want to reveal how she’d rebuffed Ryder at first.
Ryder added, “A story for another time.”
He made small talk with them for a while and when they left she leaned into him. “How’d I do?”
“Wonderfully. But I think you know that. You’re good with people.”
Next were four businessmen. They seemed to admire Ryder very much and Juliet enjoyed seeing him in his element. At another table, the woman, Lucinda, gave her a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Fiancée? Is that the ring?”
She held out her hand. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
One murmured to the other, “And expensive.”
As they headed to yet another group, Juliet leaned in close. “The ring cost a lot of money, didn’t it?”
“Nothing’s too much for you. And don’t worry, it’s insured.”
They ate stuffed mushrooms and spicy zucchini sticks and some hors d’oeuvres she’d never heard of. For dessert, they indulged on English Trifle with yet another group.
When he got her alone, he asked, “How you holding up?”
“I’m getting tired. I think it’s these shoes.”
A deep frown. “You should forget about style and wear more comfortable ones.”
“Yeah but look what these do to my legs.”
“Oh, honey, I’ve looked.”
At the end of the night, the guests drifted out. After the last ones left, Ryder said, “Exhausted?”
“Yes. You?”
“I’m used to this. But I’m ready for bed.” His gaze was searing.
“Ah.” She kissed his cheek. “Then let’s go.”
* * *