Sometime Soon

twenty-seven



“Have you seen my watch?”

I glance up to find Ryan standing bare-chested in the middle of my living room peering around at the floor as he rushes a hand through his hair causing it to stand on end for a moment before falling back down again. My eyes roam the smooth skin that ripples over his chest and stomach as my hands tingle with the memory of touching of him there.

“It’s got to be here somewhere,” he mutters.

I give myself a mental shake before I begin pulling the couch cushions up. “Got it,” I announce, holding up the familiar thick, silver timepiece filled with dials.

He smiles at me and rewards me with a breathtaking kiss. It has been an amazing evening and morning. Waking up in Ryan’s arms felt absolutely right. Everything about the way things have gone with him since Wes’ unexpected appearance has been exhilarating and just easy with no misunderstandings or reasons for insecurity. This is how it should be. But it almost didn’t happen, and I can’t stop thinking about that.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything.” Ryan is picking up the rest of his clothes which were discarded on the floor last night. He pulls his shirt on over his head, carelessly smoothes his hair back, and turns his attention to me. Suddenly, with those intelligent hazel eyes intent on mine, I develop stage fright.

“What is it?” he asks, my hesitation making him curious.

Just as I’m about to speak, I’m lifted off my feet. I feel Ryan turn with me in his arms and I land in his lap on the couch. The flimsy T-shirt I threw on this morning has made its way up to the top of my thighs. His warm hand rests on my bare leg, and he begins rubbing it gently, making small circles just above my knee. My brain is now too scrambled to form a coherent thought.

“This is my lucky couch.” Ryan smirks at me as he runs his other hand over the couch cushion.

I grin back at him. “I’m pretty fond of this couch myself.”

His hand moves from the cushion to my lower back. “Go on. Ask me.”

I take a breath and decide to tell him what’s on my mind. “If Wes hadn’t shown up here that night, would I have ever heard from you again?”

He eyes me silently, and I can see he’s processing my question. Then he leans his head back into the cushion. “I wanted to call you.”

After an extended silence, I prompt him. “But… ”

“But… ” he lifts his head and watches me as he continues. “I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.”

I nod, remembering his words from the night he came to get Wes. “You thought I hated you.”

“Something like that.”

“So, I guess we owe Wes a lot.”

“You’re unhappy with my answer,” he states with a knowing frown.

I shrug. “I could have called you, too, and I didn’t.”

“But I’m the guy. So, I should have called you and taken my chances,” he says, voicing my exact thoughts.

“If you were really interested, you could have done that.” I cringe slightly, afraid I’ve pushed it too far.

“You think I wasn’t interested?”

I can read the surprise in his expression, and I feel the need to make him understand that I believe I’m at fault, too. “I just mean that you might not have been all that interested in the paranoid girl who was making a mountain out of a mole hill.”

His eyes crinkle at the edges as his smirk reappears. “I never thought of you as the paranoid girl.” He lightly runs the back of his fingers along my arm. “You have to understand what my life is like right now. Work is beyond crazy and it’s easy to just get lost in it. That’s what I do most of the time. When I told the guys at the office that I was leaving early because I had a date the first time we went out to dinner, you could have knocked them over with a feather. I never leave the office early, not for women, not for anything.”

“So there have been women?” I ask before I can think better of it.

He arches a brow at me.

“Of course there have been women,” I quickly add. When Wes showed up that night and assumed I was Ryan’s girlfriend, I figured he hadn’t seen Ryan date anyone other than me. But look at him. How could that be true?

An amused grin lights his face and only fades slightly before he answers. “Honestly, not lately and nothing serious. Nothing serious in a very long time. What about you? When I first asked you out over lunch, I was sure you’d tell me you had a boyfriend.”

I shake my head. “Same as you. Nothing serious in a long time.”

“How is that possible?”

“You mean because I’m just so awesome?” I joke because I know exactly how possible it is.

But he doesn’t laugh in response. His hand moves up over my neck to the back of my head. Then he pulls me to him and gently touches his lips to mine. “That’s exactly what I mean,” he says. He releases me and leans back into the couch again.

I blink him into focus and find myself laughing. “You’re going to take some getting used to.”

His answering smile is dazzling. “Should I continue?” he asks.

I feel warmth pooling inside me just thinking about him continuing. I nod and look at his lips.

“I mean continue with my explanation,” he clarifies dryly.

I nod again and chuckle, noticing that he’s looking at my lips, too.

He clears his throat, and his eyes meet mine. “I was out of practice when it comes to dating and I thought I blew it. I blew it when it really counted, and I tried not to think about what an ass I’d been. The last thing I wanted to do was bother you when I was sure you wanted nothing to do with me. But I want you to know that I was always interested. I was interested from the first moment I saw you.”

“You were?”

“I wasn’t sorry for hitting you with my car.”

My eyes widen at him.

“Of course, I’m glad you didn’t get hurt,” he says quickly. “I’m also glad my brother’s ill-conceived plan to run away from home gave us a second chance. I’m going to try my best not to blow it again.”

I bring my hand up to his face and run it across his rough cheek. “Me, too.”

Then I lean up and softly press my mouth to his. He gently returns my kiss and we continue with this slow, steady pace until I feel Ryan’s arms tighten around my back at the same time he deepens the kiss and presses me against his chest. A familiar pressure builds inside me, and I’m about to ask him if he really has to go into the office today since it’s Sunday. That’s why we’re not still in bed this morning. Ryan is working seven days a week to finish a project for an impatient customer. But I don’t voice that thought. I can’t have him thinking I’m going to be complaining about his work schedule. He’s trying to build a company. I need to be understanding of that.

We both break away at the same time. As I’m catching my breath, Ryan scrubs his hands over his face. “If I don’t leave now, it’s not going to happen.”

I ignore the desire to help him play hooky, and I slide off his lap. “We can’t have you slacking. What will the guys at the office think?” I tease.

He cocks his head at me, and I get the feeling he expected me to react differently. Like maybe he assumed I’d try coercing him into staying, and I wonder if he wanted me to. As he stands, he offers me a lopsided grin. “They’ll think I finally got laid.”

“Excuse me?” I ask.

He shrugs innocently.

I laugh and shake my head. “You don’t seriously talk about that stuff at your office. Do you?”

“We’re a bunch of geeky programmers. Our topics of conversation are limited to Star Trek and the sex we wish we were having.” He closes the distance between us and places his hands on my shoulders. “But you have effectively removed one of those topics from my conversation.”

I very much doubt he would ever be lacking for sex, and I’m about to make a joke about Trekkies when he leans down and sweeps his lips over mine. I feel his hands move to either side of my face as he runs his tongue along my bottom lip, coaxing my mouth to open. My body relaxes into his, leaning against him for support. Just as I’m sinking into the sensation of being completely surrounded and consumed by Ryan, he abruptly breaks away.

“Gotta go,” he says, making sure I’m steady on my feet before taking a step back and watching me.

The glint in his eye tells me the longing I’m feeling at this moment is exactly what he intended. He wants to make sure I’m very sorry to see him leave. He’s wearing a cocky grin as he calls back to me over his shoulder on his way to the door. “See you later, Andrea.”



Once I’m showered and dressed, I call Laura.

“How was your date last night?” she asks with no greeting at all, as usual.

“Since it just ended, I’d say it went pretty well.”

“Yeah!”

She yells so loudly, I have to pull the phone away from my ear. I feel a little pathetic that the fact I had a good date elicits this kind of response. But in all honesty, I want to yell about it, too. I’m feeling restless and giddy, and I hardly know what to do with myself.

“Tell me everything,” Laura says.

So I tell her every single thing.

“Wow,” she whispers.

“Yeah, wow.”

“He sounds like he’s really into you.”

“I know. Can you believe it?”

Laura immediately fires back at me. “Of course, I believe it. Why would you say that?”

“It’s not a self-esteem thing,” I say. “At least, I don’t think it is. It’s just that no guy has ever talked to me this way before. He’s being completely straightforward about his interest in me.”

“And what? That’s making it hard for you to believe him?” she asks incredulously.

I shake my head at myself. “No. Maybe. That would be ridiculous, right?”

She sighs. “It’s not ridiculous, Andy. What’s ridiculous is that no other guy has ever been this terrific to you. If your instincts are telling you to trust him and what he’s telling you, then do it. Don’t let any insecurities mess with your head on this. Okay?”

“I’m not planning on screwing this up,” I reply, and I feel a tension I hadn’t even known I’d been carrying release a little. “Believe me, unless his wife and kids show up at my door, nothing is going to prevent me from seeing where this goes with Ryan.”

She giggles. “Oh god. Let’s not go there.”

“With my luck, would that really surprise you?”

“I’m changing the subject now. When can I meet him? Let’s double date.”

“No way. It’s too new, and I want to keep him to myself for a while. Not a word to Mom and Dad,” I warn.

“Okay,” she agrees sounding disappointed. “What are you doing today? Come over and we can talk about Ryan some more.”

“I need to go to the pet store and the dry cleaners, but then I can come by.” I hear the call-waiting sound in my ear. “I’ve got another call, Laura. Hold on.” I click over and I’m happily surprised to hear Ryan’s voice.

“Miss me yet?” he asks.

“Yes, terribly,” I reply, smiling into the phone.

“Good to know. Did I leave my phone on your night stand?”

I take a walk into the bedroom, and I see it lying there. “Yes, you did.”

He breathes out heavily and curses. “Are you going to be around for awhile so I can come by and get it?”

“Where are you now?” I ask.

“At the office.”

“Why don’t I drop it off to you?”

I hear only silence on his end for a moment before he answers. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t. I offered.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s no problem. I can head your way now and get some errands done on the way back. Your office is near the Waltham Brew House, isn’t it?”

“It’s just a few blocks further down. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Really, I promise. It’s no problem.”

“That would be great. Thanks.” He then proceeds to give me the address.

I click back to Laura. “That was Ryan. He left his phone here. I’m going to bring it over to him.”

“He left his phone at your place and he asked you to bring it to him?”

“No. I offered. And now I get to see where he works.”

“Swing by here after. I want you to look at more bands for the wedding with me. We can watch them on YouTube.”

“I thought you chose a band?” I ask, placing Ryan’s phone in my purse.

“No. Mom ruled them all out. But some other ones we heard about said we could watch them online. That’s so much more convenient anyway.”

I keep my lack of enthusiasm for this task to myself. “Okay. See you later.”



After feeding a very hungry Tiger, I head out the door. I’ve heard Ryan’s phone ring several times in my purse, and I hope he isn’t missing anything important.

It’s a cool and startlingly bright morning. The sunshine fits my mood perfectly, and I’m pleased when the ride to Waltham is unusually fast due to the absence of the weekday commuters. Soon I’m driving past the Waltham Brew house, and I easily spot the squat three story brick building Ryan described to me. His car is parked by the entrance. There are only a few other cars scattered throughout the lot. I easily find a parking spot, and I head inside the building. Before I can try the door, Ryan appears in the hallway beyond it.

He flashes a smile at me and pushes the door open. “I was watching for you,” he explains. I step past him and enter a dark hallway that smells of disinfectant. I reach into my purse, pull out his phone, and turn around to hand it to him. But he doesn’t just take the phone. He takes my whole hand and pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me. “Thanks,” he says, and I can hear the word rumble inside his chest.

“Want the tour of The Holodeck?” he asks as he releases me.

“The holodeck?”

“We don’t have an official name yet, but we had to put something on everyone’s employment papers. So, for now, we’re The Holodeck.”

I just stare at him.

“You know, from Star Trek? It’s what they used on the ship to create a holographic environment for entertainment.”

“Uh-huh,” I reply. I don’t think I’ve ever watched an entire episode of Star Trek.

He laughs at me. “You thought I was kidding about the Trekkie thing.”

“I was hoping,” I say dryly. “When are you going to choose a real name?”

He shrugs. “When we have the money to hire some branding people.”

I grin at him. “This really is exciting, Ryan. Your own company.”

He glances down at the rust colored carpet. “If it succeeds, it could be kind of amazing.” By the look on his face, I can see that the “if” in that sentence is bolded in his mind.

“Come on. Let me show you around. It will take all of one minute,” he grins. Then he grabs my hand again and leads me down the hall to a set of stairs. We climb to the next floor, and Ryan pushes open the first glass door I see along a short second floor hallway.

I precede him inside, and I take in the open space before me. It’s one big room about the size of a tennis court. There is a line of tinted windows running along the three outer walls and two rows of grey cubicles stretch across the length of the space.

I feel Ryan move beside me. “We don’t have all these filled yet,” he says, motioning to the cubicles. “We’re hoping to hire eight to ten more people in the next couple of months.”

I smile at him. “This is nice.”

“This is bare bones. But it works.” He leads me over to the first cubicle by the door. “This is me.”

I peer inside and see a couple of laptops on the desk. There’s a whiteboard attached to one wall, and I can see it’s completely filled with computer code.

“Hey, Ryan,” someone calls from the other side of the cube wall.

Ryan steps out and looks next door. “What’s up?” he asks.

“Take a look at this.”

“First I’d like you to meet someone.” He motions to me.

I move beside Ryan just as a very tall red head stands in the next cubicle and peers down at me curiously. Ryan is about six feet tall, and this person towers over him. His bright red hair is clipped very short, and he has a deep dimple in his chin. He has a handsome face, and he’s on the thin side with a stooped posture.

“This is my partner Blake. He’s also my housemate.”

“Good to meet you, Andrea.” Blake smiles as he offers me his hand. I recall Ryan telling me about Blake during one of our phone conversations. He said that they’ve known each other for years, and they both sold their condos to raise money for the business. Now, they’re renting a house nearby together.

“Nice to meet you, too.” I shake his hand and pretend not to notice the way he looks me over and then displays his appreciative expression to Ryan.

“I fixed the code from yesterday,” Blake says, turning his attention back to work. “I wanted to show it to you before I start the new stuff.”

Ryan hesitates and glances at me.

“Go ahead,” I assure him. “I can find my way out.”

“No, I’ll walk you out. This won’t take long. Have you got a minute to wait?”

“Sure. I’ll just look around some more.”

He offers me a grateful smile before turning back to look at Blake’s monitor.

I pivot and stroll toward the entrance as I continue to glance around. Now I can picture Ryan here when he tells me he’s at the office. Through the windows on the other side of the space, I see dense woods. I’m about to walk toward those windows when I hear my name. I turn around and I’m surprised to see a familiar face from the past. “Ian?”

“Hey.” He grins at, me and we give each other a quick one-armed hug. “What are you doing here?” he asks.

“I’m visiting a friend.” I worked with Ian at my first job out of college. I haven’t seen him in over five years. He looks about the same with his slight build, dark brown hair, and rather nondescript features. He still wears the Elvis Costello, black-framed glasses that are his trademark.

“Where are you at these days?” he asks.

“I actually just got a new job at Cronus. I start next week.”

“Hey, that’s great.” He smiles at me and then glances around the office. “Would your friend mind if you came outside with me for a quick smoke?”

I make a face at him. “You’re still smoking?”

He shrugs, unconcerned. “Come on. I won’t keep you long.”

I look back toward Ryan’s cube and see there is no sign of him. I decide it might be fun to catch up with Ian, and I follow him down the stairs out to the parking lot. Once outside, the fresh, cool air replaces the disinfectant aroma from inside the building. I inhale deeply before Ian can begin polluting the atmosphere with his cigarette.

“Do you keep in touch with anyone from back then?” I ask as I watch him light up.

He takes a deep pull and releases the white smoke through his nostrils before responding. “I talk to Henry and Justin. They’re both over at Cisco now. How about you?”

I shake my head. “I’m not that great at the keeping in touch stuff.”

“So, who are you visiting?” he asks.

“Ryan.”

This gets his full attention. “You know Ryan?”

I nod.

He wrinkles his brow at me. “What? Are you two dating or something?”

I nod again. It feels strange that after Laura, Ian Tucker is the second person who knows I’m dating Ryan.

“Really?” he muses. His tone implies that this surprises him. “I wouldn’t have put you two together.”

Now I’m surprised because Ian hasn’t seen me in half a decade. Before I can question him, he continues.

“He’s kind of a hard-ass. Making us all come in on a Sunday.”

I narrow my eyes at him.

He takes another pull on his cigarette. “And the guy can’t remember my name. I’ve worked here for three months and he still has no idea who I am.”

I hold a hand up to my mouth to shield my laugh. I now recall that Ian always was something of a complainer.

Ian is not pleased with my reaction. “What’s so funny?”

“Don’t take it personally,” I tell him. “I’ve learned that Ryan’s memory is like a sieve sometimes. He just forgets stuff. He doesn’t do it on purpose, and he doesn’t mean anything by it.”

Ian doesn’t seem appeased by my response. He turns and frowns. I follow his gaze to see Ryan coming through the door.

“You disappeared,” he remarks as he approaches us.

“I ran into someone I know.” I gesture to Ian.

“Really? You know….” Ryan hesitates.

“Ian.” I supply for him.

“Right,” he says. “How do you know Ian?”

“We used to work together.”

Ian gives Ryan a tight smile. “Good to see you, Andrea. Stay in touch this time,” he says as he stubs his cigarette out on the pavement and heads back inside.

“You don’t know your employees’ names?” I ask once Ian disappears through the door.

“Sure I do. That was Ian.” He notices my sardonic expression and runs a hand along the back of his neck. “Actually, I don’t deal with them much. That’s Blake’s job. I’m not really good with the managing people stuff.”

I realize he sounds just like me.

He rocks back on his heels and peers down at me. “Thanks again for bringing my phone. That was a really nice thing to do. What are you up to now?

“After my errands, I’m heading over to my sister’s. She wants me to help her with more wedding stuff.”

He takes a step closer and his expression intensifies. “Will I see you tonight?”

My stomach is immediately flooded with butterflies. When he looks at me that way, I completely unravel. “Would you like to?” I ask.

“What do you think?” He takes another step forward, and we’re practically touching. By the way my body is reacting to him, we might as well be pressed against each other.

“I’m going to go with a yes,” I reply.

“Come to my place later,” he says softly, brushing a stray curl away from my cheek. “We can order some dinner.”

I haven’t been to Ryan’s house yet, and I am curious to see it, but I have a problem. “Sounds nice, but um, I won’t be able to stay the night.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “I like the direction your thoughts are going in, but can I ask why not?”

“I can’t leave Tiger alone all night.”

“Ever?” he asks incredulously.

“I never have before,” I answer hesitantly.

“Isn’t that one of the advantages of having a cat? You don’t have to walk them, and you can leave them alone for long stretches of time?”

I cringe before answering. “Yes, that’s what I’ve heard.”

He blinks at me, and I have no idea what he’s thinking.

“How about this?” he suggests. “Maybe we could work Tiger up to it. Leave him alone until one or two in the morning to start. Then slowly add an hour over time, until eventually, he has spent an entire evening at home alone?” Ryan is unsuccessfully concealing his mirth.

“You’re making fun of me,” I pout even though I’m amused.

“Yes, I am,” he smiles warmly. “You just told me you can’t warm my bed tonight because you have to be home for your cat. You sort of asked for it. Now you leave me no choice but to be rude and invite myself over to your place since a sleepover is part of what I had in mind for tonight.”

“Well, that is pretty forward of you, but also absolutely okay.”

He leans in and pecks me on the mouth. “It’s a plan. I’ll call you when I’m heading out.”

I nod in agreement. “Ryan,” I call to him after he turns to go inside. He stops and looks back at me. “We could try it one night. Leave Tiger alone and see how it goes. I’m sure he’ll be okay. I’ve just never…”

“Andrea,” he interrupts. “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter where we are. I just want to spend time with you.”

I nod wordlessly as the rest of my plea dies on my tongue. Ryan gives me a casual wave before heading back inside.



“You seriously told him that you couldn’t spend the night at his house because you needed to get home for Tiger?” Laura asks.

I bite my bottom lip and nod.

She throws her arms in the air. “What kind of a moron are you?”

“That’s a rhetorical question, right?” I ask mildly.

“No, actually, it’s not. Didn’t you just tell me this morning that you weren’t going to mess this up?”

We’re sitting on the couch in Laura’s living room. Jonathan is at the gym, and we have the place to ourselves. Her hands have landed in her lap where they are now curled into fists. Her narrowed eyes are making me feel about two inches tall.

“It just came out,” I explain. “It’s true though. I’ve never left Tiger alone all night. When I go away, Mom and Dad take him.”

“How did Ryan react?”

A smile curls my lips as I recall our conversation in the parking lot. “He made fun of me, actually. He joked about working Tiger up to it a few hours at a time.”

“Thank goodness for that.” Laura’s hands unclench and she rests her open palms on her knees. “I like him, Andy. I really like what you tell me about him. It sounds like he already knows you pretty well, too, and he doesn’t take it too seriously or personally when you say stupid stuff like that.”

“He’s a confident person. It’s not in your face or anything, but I think he has a pretty healthy ego. And what I said wasn’t that stupid. Ryan actually thinks I’m nice.”

Laura’s still critical stare softens. “You are nice. You just like to poke the bear sometimes to see what kind of a reaction you’ll get. You may have done it unintentionally, but you were doing it again when you said that to Ryan. Would you really not spend the night at his place because of Tiger?”

My shoulders slump because I’m afraid she’s right. “I don’t know. I guess not. I’d feel badly about leaving him alone all night. I know that much.”

“By the way, I ran into David Rose last week. It was awkward,” she says, wrinkling her nose and adding a high-pitched, sing-song tone to the word awkward.

“Sorry.”

“Whatever. No big deal. It was at the courthouse. He tried to pretend he hadn’t seen me even though he was about two feet away. I pointedly said hello to him. He reluctantly said it back and then took off as fast as humanly possible.”

“Wow. I actually made him run from you. I think I’m a little proud of that.”

Laura tries to stifle her laugh. “It was kind of funny. I think his face actually turned red when he realized I wasn’t going to ignore him.”

“No more fix-ups,” I state. “I don’t want to make you an outcast among your colleagues.”

“Hopefully, no more need for them,” she quickly responds.

I smile because I’m hoping so, too. Then I point to Laura’s laptop sitting open on the coffee table. “So, how about those wedding bands?”

Laura pulls her laptop onto the couch between us. “I’m going to schedule the first dress fitting for next Saturday. Is that good for you?”

“I think so. If not, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay. Here’s the first one.” Laura clicks the play button to start the video, and loud, thrashing music blares at us through the speakers. I notice that the lead singer of the band has a blue Mohawk and he is covered in tattoos that can be seen through his ripped wife-beater.

“What do you think?” she asks with an eager expression.

“You must really be mad at Mom,” I snicker.

“This is just what they play out at clubs. They can play whatever we want at the wedding.”

I turn back to the laptop. “It’s hard to picture them playing at your wedding. I don’t think my imagination is that good.”

She huffs with frustration. “Okay. What about this one?”

She clicks play again, and another video starts. This time, I see a group of clowns with painted faces and green polka-dot jumpsuits. They’re singing “Happy Birthday.”

“Those are clowns,” I state.

“If we hire them for the wedding, they won’t be dressed as clowns, Andrea,” she says like she’s talking to a two-year old. “This video is from a children’s birthday party.”

“But you can’t tell anything from these videos.”

She closes her laptop with more force than necessary. “I don’t have time to run around and see all these bands. This is the best I can do.”

“Fine. Then hire the clowns. At least they’re happy.”

Laura’s face drops into her hands. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s too much work. It’s a full-time job, and I already have a full-time job.”

I move the laptop back to the coffee table and slide closer to her. “I’m going to call Mom and tell her you want to hire the band I saw with them. I’ll talk her into it. I think they were good, you know, for a wedding band. Mom and Dad seemed to like them when they weren’t playing too loudly.”

Laura shakes her head and turns shiny eyes on me. “Mom said they were too expensive.”

“I didn’t get the feeling they were outrageously expensive. They just weren’t the cheapest. You trust my opinion, right?”

She nods. “I do trust you, but I almost don’t care what they sound like at this point. Do you really think you could talk her into it?”

I nod.

“You’re welcome to try,” she says, her voice tinged with resignation. She is already certain of my defeat.

“I’ll do more than try. I’ll get it done. See? Ryan is right. I am nice.” I grin triumphantly even though I have no idea if I can pull this off.

Laura’s watery smile strengthens my resolve to help her.

“You’re the best,” she tells me, before she turns and hugs me.



Tiger jumps up on the bed and blinks at me. He walks across my legs, notices that I’m not alone, and then he blinks at me once more before jumping back down again and trotting out into the hallway. I’ve slept later than usual and he wants his breakfast. Having company over nearly every night for the past couple of weeks has left Tiger feeling neglected and out of sorts.

I quietly slip out from under the blankets and follow him down the stairs to the kitchen. Dodging his impatient mouth, I manage to get the food into his bowl, and I watch him go at it like he hasn’t eaten in days.

Tiger has not spent the night alone yet. I’ve offered to stay at Ryan’s house several times, but he has not taken me up on it. He wants to wait until he has a litter box set up at his house. That way, Tiger can come with me when I stay. I grinned like an idiot when he casually made that suggestion.

I plug in the coffeemaker, pour in the water, and lower my head in defeat when I realize that I don’t have any coffee. I hear a low chuckle behind me. I turn to see a gorgeously rumpled Ryan standing in the doorway in nothing but his boxers. He’s smiling at me, and I place a hand on the counter to prevent myself from dissolving into a puddle at the sight of him.

“You never have anything to eat or drink here, but somehow that fact keeps surprising you,” he teases.

“I always intend to go grocery shopping. I’m just not so good on the follow through,” I say soberly.

“That’s okay. You’re good at other things.” He closes the distance between us and gathers me to him for a kiss. “What time do you have to be at the dress shop today?” he asks, as he places his hands on the countertop on either side of me, effectively trapping me there.

I feel his warm breath move over my ear and down my neck. “Not until four-thirty,” I reply, my eyelids fluttering shut as his tongue darts out and touches the sensitive skin just below my earlobe.

“You said it’s down Route 95, near Rhode Island?”

I nod my response when he presses his whole body against me.

“Maybe I’ll go with you,” he suggests casually. “We can drive into Providence for dinner.”

This surprises me. I lean my head back to look up at him. “You want to come to my dress fitting with me?”

“Sure.” He shrugs. “Then we can do dinner. Maybe go someplace on the water. They do that water fire show on the weekends, don’t they?”

“Yes, they do.” I smile. “That sounds really nice.”

He grins back at me. “Then it’s a date.”

“My mom and sister will be there,” I warn.

“Then I’ll get to meet them. Is that okay?”

“It’s okay with me if it’s okay with you,” I reply as though I’m indifferent to it, but I’m most certainly not.

He places his hands on my shoulders. “I know how close you are with your family,

Andrea. I’d really like to meet them.”

I smile hesitantly.

He laughs and pulls me back in for a hug. “Why do you look like you want to throw up?”

“I do not look like I want to throw up,” I protest. “I know my family is going to love you.” That’s the problem, although I don’t tell Ryan that. My mother is going to be over the moon about him. I only hope she can play it a little cool and not embarrass us both.

“It will be fine,” he reassures me.

“Want me to run out for coffee?” I ask. “And maybe I could pick up something for breakfast?”

Ryan reaches over me to pull open a kitchen cabinet. “Well, if you don’t feel like going out, it looks like we’ve got one bag of chips and tap water.”

“Oh. We’re good then.”

He laughs as he shakes his head at me. “Your eating habits are terrible.”

I shrug and playfully hip-check him as I walk past. “Come on,” I call back over my shoulder. “I’ll take you out to breakfast.”

“Okay. Anywhere but that waffle place.”



Ryan parallel parks a few doors down from the dress shop. When Laura gave me the directions, she told me that my dress and the other bridesmaids’ dresses had all been purchased here. Her wedding dress is being made at a fancy boutique in town.

As we make our way toward the entrance, Ryan has his arm loosely draped around my shoulder. I can’t help but admire the way he looks in his grey turtleneck sweater and black pants. We’re dressed up for our dinner later tonight. Even though it’s only late afternoon, the sky is already starting to darken. Without the warmth of the sun, the air has a definite bite to it.

Once we reach the door, a knot forms in my stomach, and I try to reason myself into calmness. Beside me, Ryan appears completely unconcerned as he pulls open the heavy glass door and waits for me to go inside. I poke my head into the bright bridal shop and peer around. Then I freeze as I take in the sight of my entire family standing inside. It’s not just Laura and Mom. Jonathan and Dad are here, too.

I feel the pressure of Ryan’s hand on my back, gently nudging me forward. I see Laura smiling hesitantly at me before shrugging and rolling her eyes. She told them. I told her that Ryan would be with me, and she told them. The pressure on my back increases and I realize that I’m blocking the doorway. Once I finally step in, my mother approaches me with a smile brighter than the high-beams on my Honda.

“Hello, Andrea.” She greets me using the pleasant tone she puts on for company. “Introduce us to your friend.”

Ryan moves next to me. He is standing so close that our arms are touching. I realize that he’s crowding me purposely, offering me his warmth and his support.

“Mom, this is Ryan Miller.”

Ryan smiles at her. “Hello, Mrs. Whitman.”

“Call me Karen. It’s so nice to meet you.” Then she takes Ryan’s hand in hers and squeezes it.

Mom takes over the remaining introductions, and I subtly move away, needing some space to breathe. I don’t feel as though I’m deserting Ryan because he seems so completely at ease.

“Should I bother getting to know this one?” Jonathan whispers beside me.

I dart him a displeased look.

He chuckles and offers me a quick hug. “Just kidding.”

Grudgingly, I smile in return.

“Not completely though,” he adds before taking his turn to meet and shake hands with Ryan.

Just then, Laura tries to slip past me. I step into her path. “What is everyone doing here?” I ask.

She grimaces. “I know. Sorry. It wasn’t me. Jonathan mistakenly mentioned to Mom that Ryan was coming with you. Don’t worry though. He’s great and so handsome. He’s doing fine.” Laura takes my hand. “I really need to thank you. Mom called me this morning to ask if she could hire the band you all went to see. How did you manage that?”

I smile and shrug. “I just reasoned with her.”

Laura eyes me suspiciously before embracing me, profusely thanking me again, and moving to talk to a short, dark-haired lady at the back of the store.

What I’d actually done was drop by Mom and Dad’s house unexpectedly last week and convinced them that Laura was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I told them they needed to hire one of the bands they’d already seen before she loses it completely. They didn’t immediately cave. It took a detailed description, maybe somewhat embellished, of Laura’s deteriorating state of mind to turn them around. Dad agreed first and he convinced Mom.

I notice Laura pointing me out to the woman she’s speaking to. Then she’s calling my name and waving me over. I glace back at Ryan, filling with pride as I recognize the effort he’s making for me. I’ve come to learn that he’s not exactly gregarious and outgoing. But in his own quiet, determined way, he goes after what he wants. I have the feeling he usually gets it.

I head to the dressing room for the fitting. The same dark lady introduces herself as Nadia the seamstress. She shows me the dress and leaves me to change. I notice the deep red-violet color, but that’s all that registers as I slip out of my clothes and into the long gown. My thoughts are still out there, wondering what my parents might be saying to Ryan now.

When I emerge from the dressing room, all conversation ceases. The seamstress motions for me stand on a platform in front of a full-length mirror.

“It’s beautiful,” Mom says as her eyes travel over me.

I can feel my cheeks heating at the exposed feeling I have as I stand in the full-length gown in front of everyone. It’s strapless, with a sweetheart neckline and a fitted bodice. It’s only pinned on, and it buckles at my waist and hips. But I have to admit, the color does seem to suit me. For the first time since I re-entered the room, I seek out Ryan. When I locate him still standing by the doorway, his eyes are glued to me, and the admiration I see in them causes me to blush even more.

The seamstress yanks on the dress in an attempt to pull my attention back to her. “Turn around,” she mumbles through the pins clenched between her lips. I turn toward the mirror and watch the room reflected behind me while Nadia works on the hem around my ankles.

Mom’s jubilation is apparent in every pleased glance she throws my way. She can barely control her glee, and I’m on edge waiting for her to do something over the top like hugging Ryan and welcoming him to the family.

As I stand there uncomfortably, fidgeting despite the seamstress’s pleas for me to stand still, I catch Ryan’s eye again in mirror. He winks at me, and the tension inside me slowly evaporates.

I suppose parents want certain things for their children. I shouldn’t begrudge them that. Besides, I have a good feeling Ryan can take whatever embarrassing overtures my mom may dish out.

When the seamstress disappears to retrieve something from the back of the store, Mom approaches me and says, “You’re going to bring Ryan to the wedding, aren’t you? I told you I could squeeze one more in.”

I haven’t asked Ryan yet. The wedding is still many months away. “Yes, squeeze one more in,” I tell her optimistically.

She nearly cheers out loud. After stepping onto the platform and giving me a quick squeeze, she runs to tell Dad. Hallelujah! Andrea is bringing a date to the wedding.

“You’re next,” Laura whispers, as her amused expression follows Mom across the store.

“Stop,” I tell her, assuming she means that I’ll be heading down the proverbial aisle soon.

“I knew your time would come, Andy.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay?”

She steps up beside me and places her hands on my bare shoulders. “Sometime soon,” she says when her eyes find mine in the mirror, “You’re going to take stock of the good things in your life without worrying that they’re going to slip away once you do. Besides, you deserve them.”

I smile at her reflection and I tell her, “I don’t think it’s about deserving them. I think it’s about being ready for them.”

As I stand there, something seems to release inside me, and I know I need to believe in what I’m feeling. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have to get out of my own way and enjoy my time with Ryan. It may work out or it may not. But I can’t let the little hurts that preceded him keep me on edge.

Besides, now that I’ve finally found one of the good guys, I want to keep him.





Acknowledgements



Thanks to my early readers. There is no question your input improved the story. Thanks to Jennifer Buldoc, Annemarie Donovan , Melanie Dovell, Dara Weinberger, Deb Goodman, LeAnn Keller, Sue Panioli, Vicki and Jim Malver.