Ryland #2
“It’s pretty.” She lifted from the plush black leather chair that almost swallowed her frame considering it was designed to hold bodies almost triple her size.
She moved around me, doing a thorough inspection.
Oni grinned, amused by Rylee’s enthusiasm, or hell, probably also because Rylee said my suit was pretty.
After Rylee was done with sizing me up, she stopped in front of me. “Are you going to buy it?”
“Do I match your fly?” I extended my arms at my sides, giving my sister a full view of the midnight plum, slim fit suit I wasn’t all that mad at.
I was damn sure glad her dress was plum and not lavender because Oni was dead set on making sure our colors complemented each other.
The midnight plum looked black at first glance, so it worked for me, and apparently Rylee also approved.
Her smile expanded, damn near taking over her entire face. “Yes.”
“Then I’m buying this one.” I tugged at her ponytail and turned to Oni. There would be a few adjustments to make sure the fit was what I wanted, but she could have them done in a couple days. We had time.
“She said this is the one.”
“I got you. This is a different cut for you. Let me do a few measurements to tighten this up and we’re all set.”
Oni headed my way after grabbing what she needed. After she got her measurements and I changed back into my clothes, we were on our way with a promise that she would have the suit delivered to the house.
I made sure to snap a few pictures in the dressing room and sent them to Somee, knowing she would want to weigh in.
She hadn’t responded by the time we left, which I’d expected since she was being thrown to the wolves: the current Sharks wives and girlfriends.
That was all Makari’s doing because I didn’t give a damn whether she fucked with them or not.
Some of them were cool, but most of them rotated in and out by season, some by game, and their opinions on Somee damn sure weren’t relevant.
“Alright, we’re all done. What else you want to get into?”
I figured since we were out and Somee was doing her thing, Rylee and I could make this a date. I wanted to check in with her to make sure she was good, with everything going on in our lives. I had an open account, so I tossed my chin to Oni’s assistant on the way to the door.
“Can we get ice cream?” Her hands moved quickly as she darted in front of me almost, causing a collision when we made it to the parking lot.
“We can do that, but food first.”
Rylee pouted for all of two seconds before her hands were moving again. “And we have to get Somee a birthday present.”
“It’s her birthday?”
Somee hadn’t said a thing about her birthday and I was a little annoyed that she was likely going to let the day slip by without letting me know. With how damn stubborn Somee was, I wouldn’t have been surprised if that was the actual plan.
“In three days. Somee put it in my watch so I wouldn’t forget.” Rylee did something to the watch on her wrist and extended her arm so I could see the small ass screen. Sure enough, there was a reminder set that Somee’s birthday was in three days.
My mind was already working on two plans. One that would include Rylee and one that would show love and appreciation from me along with the people who loved Somee.
“Alright, so we need to shop for presents. What does she like?”
Rylee’s little nose scrunched like she was giving the question thought before she smiled. “She likes when I make her stuff.”
“What do you want to make her?”
“Something pretty and you have to get her a present too.”
I smirked because that was the plan. “What should I get her?”
Her nose was scrunched again before her hands were moving. “You could get her a ring.”
I almost fucking laughed because what the hell…
“What kind of ring do you think I should get her?” I was curious as hell to see what her thought process was.
“The kind that will make her stay with us. I don’t want Somee to leave. If you give her a ring with diamonds on it, she will stay.”
An engagement ring.
Ahh shit…
She wanted me to marry Somee. I would be on board with walking down the aisle, because that was my endgame, but we weren’t there yet.
“You want to stay with me?”
When her little face lit up, my heart melted. “I like living at your house. I like my new school and my friends. If I stay with you, Somee will be sad because nobody will be at her house with her, but if she stays here, then she has us.”
Things with kids were simple. Somee was damn sure right about that.
A pout eased onto her face before her hands were moving once more. “And I don’t want to go back to my old school because she might come and get me. I don’t want to live with her anymore.”
She, as in Felicia…
“Your mom?”
She nodded and I kneeled, lowering to her height. “She’s not coming to get you. Even if you went back, you wouldn’t have to be with her. I promise. So if you want to live with just Somee, that would be okay. Do you want to go back to Chicago and live at her house so that it’s just the two of you?”
I hated to ask, but a part of me needed to know if she only wanted to stay with me so Felicia didn’t have access to her anymore.
If that were the case, I would deal with it, but it would crush my fucking heart.
I needed my sister to see me as her safe space, her home, and not to replace what Somee provided in her world, but just to add to it.
They had only been with me for a couple months, but I already needed them.
She shook her head. “I want to stay here with you and Somee said that you have to stay here because of football. We can live with you at your house if you buy Somee a ring.”
“How about we give her something for her birthday that will promise that we’re always connected. No matter what, she’ll be with both of us and you can make it.”
“What is it going to be?” She was instantly happy again, which eased something in me.
“Come on. It’s going to be a surprise and you have to promise not to tell her what it is. Our secret, okay?”
“Okay.” She beamed.
Somee’s birthday present was mentally locked down, now I just had to see if my girl Lacie, the designer with Unique Jewels, could get this done for me in three days. Money made shit happen, so hopefully this worked in my favor. Cost didn’t matter, as long as they got it done.
“You like it?”
The way my sister’s face lit up when she saw the sketch of the necklace Lacie created from the heart Rylee drew was priceless. Every penny spent was going to be well worth the reaction from her and hopefully Somee.
“It’s pretty. I like it.”
“You said Somee likes when you make her stuff, so you get to make her birthday gift.”
Her smile bloomed even more as she pulled the sketch closer and examined the finished product.
I wanted the gift to be meaningful, but also give Rylee what she wanted, a reason for Somee to stay.
With each of us having a piece of Rylee’s heart as a charm that connected the three of us, I was hoping Somee would see that as a promise that we were a family.
It was a bit too soon to give her a ring, but this was a perfect alternative to communicate that Rylee and I both wanted Somee to stay.
We need you just as much as you need us…
“Do you think Somee will like it?”
“She’s going to be so happy. It means we have to stay together.”
“We do.”
I removed my phone, pulled up the site for Perfect Pick, and handed it to Rylee.
“We have to get flowers. Pick which ones you like so I can order them.”
She grinned and took the phone, sitting back while I spoke to Lacie to finalize everything.
“She’s beautiful.”
I glanced to my left and nodded. “Yeah, she is.”
“I think I like this version of you so much better.”
“What was wrong with the old version of me?” Lacie had designed a few pieces for me, specifically the one I got after we won the Super Bowl for the third year in a row.
The Sharks logo, with three footballs above my iced out number.
It was more so for the memory because I had only worn it twice, but it was nice as hell and cost me a grip.
I had dinner with Lacie a few times while designing it. Her opinion of me was defined by the night she delivered the finished piece. She had been privy to how I got down in real time. I might have had an extended bathroom break for some head after a woman approached us at the table with the offer.
“Do you want the short list or the long list?”
I chuckled and leaned back, brushing a hand over my head. “Neither, I’m good on those memories.”
“I’m sure you are.” Her eyes rolled as she shook her head. “But how soon do you need this?”
I cringed, then flashed a smile.
“Ah, shit, here comes the upcharge.”
“Damn, it’s like that?” Her brow lifted and my smile expanded.
“Aight, her birthday’s in three days. So if you can get it to me in two, that would be perfect. I’m trying to catch a flight the morning of her birthday.”
“I have a few pieces that Rochelle commissioned, but I think I can work around them to get this done. It’s simple enough.”
The heart Rylee drew would be broken into three pieces and crusted with chipped diamonds. When they were placed together, they would fit perfectly to form the heart.
“I want hers to be the center. Can you add a floating diamond.”
Lacie tugged the corner of her lip between her teeth and glanced at the drawing with her head angled to the side.
While she studied her work, I leaned toward Rylee who kept tapping on the screen. I watched her for a minute and every bouquet she liked was added to the cart.
“That’s a lot of flowers.”
She placed the phone on her legs before her hands were moving. “They’re pretty and you have a lot of money.”
I was about to tell her the reason I had a lot of money was because I didn’t waste it but that was a pointless conversation for a six-year-old. Also, if she wanted to buy out the entire shop, she could get that. My thoughts were interrupted by a question that had me looking sideways at Lacie.
“Do you plan on having kids?”
Where the hell had that come from?
“One day, yeah.”