His dad stands from his seat and grabs me into a bear hug. At first, I’m shocked but then relax. I shouldn’t be surprised his family is so friendly.
Next, Gail stands and gives me a hug and kisses me on the cheek. My family has never been like this, but I find it endearing.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Allen.”
“Oh, please. Call us Gail and Rodney,” his father says.
I nod my head, feeling shy all of a sudden. They’re very welcoming, though, so I shouldn’t be.
Ryke grabs my hand again and sits next to his dad, so I take the empty chair to his right.
“How’s Becca? Has anything changed since I talked to you?”
“She’s dilated to a five now, so she’s about halfway there,” Gail says as she knits what appears to be a scarf. Why someone would need a scarf in Arizona is beyond me.
“Uh, what the hell does that mean?” he asks, genuinely clueless as to what happens to a woman’s body during labor.
“Watch your mouth, boy.” Gail reaches over Rodney and smacks Ryke in the side of the head which has me chuckling beside him. I already like this woman.
“Oww!” he hollers and causes others to turn their heads towards us. “And are you laughing at me?” he asks as he looks at me.
“Nope.” I pop the ‘p’ and shrug my shoulders.
“Do you know what that means?” he asks and I could seriously strangle him about now.
“Uh.” I start to bite at my nails, a nervous habit I’ve had since I was young.
“Leave that poor girl alone,” Rodney says, coming to my rescue. “Gail will explain it to you.” He says, clearly uncomfortable about talking about his daughter’s womanly parts. I can’t exactly blame him.
“It’s when…” Gail starts but is cut off when Ryke waves his hand at her.
“No. I want her to tell me.” Gail grabs his hand and smacks it.
“Boy, don’t you wave your hand at me.”
“Sorry,” he mumbles and I’m hoping to God that he’s now too distracted to remember what he asked me.
No such luck though.
“So?” He’s talking loud enough for both his parents to hear our conversation.
“Google it.” I bite my lip, knowing that he’s not going to let this go. Damn him.
“No.” Stubborn asshole.
I huff. “A woman’s cervix has to stretch ten centimeters before she can deliver a baby.” I say the words as quickly and quietly as possible.
“Why the hell did you tell me that?” He stands up and yanks at his hair. He’s acting like a freaking dramatic woman right now.
“Uh, because you told me to.”
“Ryker Allen, sit your ass down.” This time Gail smacks Rodney on the back of the head for cursing. I imagine Ryke has gotten smacked a number of times for cursing in front of her over the years.
Before either of them can respond, a good-looking, tall, blonde man who appears to be in his mid-thirties sits next to Gail.
“Hey, Justin. Any news?” Rodney asks and the four of us stare in his direction.
“Benjamin is here.” He’s now wearing a huge grin on his face.
“That’s wonderful!” Gail shrieks.
“Congratulations, Dad.” Rodney stands to hug Justin.
Then Ryke follows. “Congrats, man,” he says as he gives him a dude hug. You know, where they slap each other on the back with their fists.
“Can we see him?” This comes from Gail. I can tell she’s anxious about seeing her new grandson.
“The nurses are helping her nurse right now, but they said once they’re done, she can have visitors.”
“Great! How big is he?”
“Six pounds, six ounces.” He’s a tiny little guy. Brady was nine pounds even. I wasn’t surprised because Trevor was also a big baby.
“Is Bec doing alright?” Rodney asks with concern etched on his face. I know that, for several years, he played both parents to Ryke and his sister.
“She’s doing great. Just tired.”
At that, Rodney sits back in his seat and now seems more relaxed.
Ryke leans into me. “Is six pounds little for a baby?”
“He’s little, but he’s perfectly fine at six pounds.” I smile at him and squeeze his knee.
“How big was Brady?” His interest in my son makes me feel even worse about not taking him to meet Brady yet.
“He was nine pounds.”
His eyes go wide. “You pushed a nine-pound bowling ball out of your hoo-ha?” He has a look of shock on his face which has me holding my stomach with laughter. “Why are you laughing? That’s not normal.”
“Baby, that’s why a woman’s cervix has to be at ten centimeters before she can deliver.”
He shakes his head. “That’s just not right.” I can just imagine him in the labor and delivery room. He’d probably pass out and need more medical attention than the mother and baby.
The thought of him having a baby makes my heart hurt. I don’t know if I could ever give him, or anyone else that, again.
Justin leaves the room to be with his wife and baby and the rest of us continue to visit. The longer we sit with his parents, the more I realize that I had nothing to be worried about. Both his father and stepmom are great people.
41
Ryker
Being at the hospital has me desperately wanting to have this with Claire one day. Although, after she told me about what happens to a woman when they have a baby, I don’t think I could make her go through that again. But if she’s willing…
Justin comes back out and tells us we can go see Becca and Benjamin.
“Come on, sweetheart,” I say when I stand to leave the waiting room. She looks at me with apprehension in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“You go. I’ll be right here when you get back.” She gives me a half smile.
“What? Why?” I look at her, surely with confusion laced in my expression.
“That’s your family. I don’t want to intrude.” Damn it. I don’t know what she’s so scared of, but I thought she had been comfortable around my parents. Why is she acting this way now?
“They want you back there. Come on.” She finally agrees and takes my hand.
I knock on the door before we enter. My sister is laying on the hospital bed with a little bundle in her arms. A smile graces my face when she sees me. We didn’t always get along growing up, but today I’m fucking proud of her. I can’t believe my sister is a mom.
“Hey, bro,” Becca says as I lean in to kiss her on the cheek. “Meet your nephew.” All I can see of the little guy is his face, but he has a cute little button nose and round chubby cheeks. Yep, he’s an Allen. “Want to hold him?”
“Uh, no. He looks comfy with you.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Ryke, he won’t break.” I know this but I’ve only held a few babies in my life, the last being a long time ago.
“Okay, but I want to sit down first.” At least, I know this way I won’t drop him.
Justin takes Benjamin from Becca and places him in my arms. Tears immediately come to my eyes and I feel like a damn pussy. This is so not me. I don’t get emotional like this, but this little guy is amazing.
“Hey, buddy,” I whisper as I take in all his little features. His hands peek out from the blue blanket and I can’t get over how tiny they are. He’s only a couple hours old, but he squints his eyes open at me and, damn, it’s adorable.
I don’t know if I’ll ever have this. But, damn, do I hope so. With the brown-eyed girl staring at me from across the room with an enormous smile on her face. I wink at her.
I try to imagine what she looked like when she had her son. I know she was beautiful as always, but I can see her in my mind cradling Brady and perhaps nursing him. Why that turns me on is beyond me. Those tits are only for me.
I hand the baby back over to Justin and then stand to be with Claire. We visit for a bit longer, but Becca looks extremely exhausted, so we decide it’s ti
me to leave.
I grab Claire’s hand as we walk through the hallways of the hospital.
“He is so cute.”
“I know.” I smile. “What did you expect though? He’s my nephew.” I smirk at her and she rolls her eyes.
“You are so full of yourself.”
“But you love it.” I lean in to kiss her.
“Yeah,” she sighs. “I do.” God, this woman causes me to feel things I’ve never felt before. I fucking love it.
We both climb into my truck and start our way back to Phoenix. Some country song plays softly, but other than that, it’s quiet.
After a few minutes, I grab her hand and bring it to my lips. They linger on her soft, delicate skin. I can’t get enough of this woman.
“I love you.” I quickly turn my head toward her, not wanting to get us in an accident from being careless.
“Love you, too,” she sighs as she gives me a heartwarming smile. She leans her head against the seat.
“Do you want to have more kids someday?” I don’t know why the words tumble from my mouth, but they just felt right. I never imagined myself having a family before her. Not even with Monica. We never talked about having children.
She doesn’t answer me right away, so I chance another look at her.
It’s dark in the truck, but I can still see the tear that trickles down her cheek.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I’m on the interstate, so I can’t pull over to gather her into my arms.
“Nothing.” She wipes at her face. “Just that time of month.” She waves her hand in the air trying to dismiss the conversation. I know she’s lying.
I decide to let it go until we get closer to home. She’s upset and obviously needs to talk about whatever caused the pained look on her face. I know just the perfect place to take her.
42
Claire
Ryke’s question completely threw me for a loop. And not in a good way. Being with him has always felt like an escape from all the bullshit in my life. That was why I never mentioned Trevor to him when we met. Only Shay and Sierra know about my miscarriage. I never even told Evan. I know I’m a shit sister, but I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him. He’d kill Trevor if he found out that he caused the loss of my child. Not that he pushed me down the stairs on purpose. He’d never hurt me physically. Just emotionally.
“Where are we going?” I ask in confusion as I realize that we’re not headed to his house or Evan’s. It’s nearing eleven o’clock, so nothing is open this late besides a few bars.
Finally, it dawns on me where we’re at. I usually walk here a different route, so it looks different.
Ryke pulls into a parking spot and then undoes his buckle and turns towards me.
“You need to clear your head and this is a good place for that.”
I don’t respond but nod my head still looking out the front window. I undo my own buckle and then open the door to the truck and leave without waiting for him. I head for the lake where it’s peaceful with only the sounds of the ducks splashing in the water.
I throw my head back and breathe in the fresh air. I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors, but since moving here, I’ve found solace being at Greenwood Park. I’m not sure if it’s because of the beautiful scenery or the simple fact that it’s a piece of mine and Ryke’s story. I like to think the latter.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize Ryke was behind me this whole time. I startle at his touch.
“Sorry, sweetheart.” He doesn’t touch me again but continues to silently walk beside me, letting me get lost in my thoughts. There’s an ache in my chest, but he makes it feel a little less intense.
After several minutes, he grabs hold of my hand. “Are you ready to talk about it, sweetheart?”
“Why?” I croak out. My face is damp with tears, I thought I could hold back.
“Come here.” He wraps me in his arms, but I rapidly pull away from him. I’m being unreasonable, but I don’t know if I can talk about this. He stops walking, hopefully to give me space and not because he’s pissed at me. I wonder what’s going through his mind.
I reach our bench. Once I sit, I rest my elbows on my knees and bury my face in my hands. I try to take relaxing breaths to calm my nerves.
I’m unaware of where Ryke is but then feel the bench shake as he sits down.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I slowly look up at him afraid to know what his response will be.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart.” He smiles at me, but I can tell he’s still worried about me.
I know he’s scared to touch me after my reaction earlier, so I whisper, “Please hold me, Ryke.”
In a heartbeat, he’s standing again, lifting me into his arms as if I’m light as air. My legs wrap around his strong, steely frame and he sits us both back down.
“It’s okay, I’m here,” he whispers into my hair as he rubs my back. He does this a lot, and it always comforts me.
“I’ve ruined our night.” I wipe at my nose with the back of my hand. This should embarrass me, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “You’re a new uncle and here I am sulking about something that happened months ago.”
He pushes me back, just far enough that he can look me in the eyes. “You haven’t ruined anything. If we’re going to be together, we support each other no matter what. You’re just going to have to get used to that.” He smirks at me and I nod. “We don’t have to talk about it, but if you want to, I’m here to listen. Even if that’s not tonight.
I rest my hands on his shoulders as I close my eyes to take a few deep breaths.
“No, I need to talk about it.” I feel the pad of his thumb wipe at my tear-stained face. It sends butterflies wafting through my stomach.
I push off of him to take the seat next to him again. He patiently waits for me to speak.
“The night I caught Trevor cheating on me, I had a miscarriage,” I say this in a whisper as I stare in front of me at the trees that bluster in the wind.
“Sweetheart,” he whispers as he grabs my hand. “I’m so sorry.”
I still can’t look at him, but I go on. “After I confronted him, he accidentally pushed me backward down the stairs.” I have no idea why I felt the need to tell him that, but now I’m regretting my decision.
“What?” he roars as he stands from the bench. “He fucking caused this?” I should have known he’d go off the deep end at my confession.
“Ryke, sit down,” I cry.
“Shit, sweetheart. I’m sorry. It’s just the thought of him hurting you makes my fucking blood boil.” He once again joins me and gathers me into his arms, nuzzling his face into my hair. I’m not sure if he’s trying to comfort me or himself.
“He didn’t purposely hurt me, I swear. We just got into an argument and he grabbed my shoulders and I tripped. Honestly, it doesn’t even matter what happened, though. The fact is, I don’t have my baby now and I don’t think I could ever go through something like that again.”
He doesn’t say anything else but lets me cry into his shoulder until I’ve run out of tears and energy to weep any longer.
He grabs my hand and pulls my wearied body from the bench.
Once we’re back at Sierra’s, he takes me to my room and lovingly strips me of my clothes and tucks me into bed.
“Go to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll call you in the morning.” He leaves a kiss on my cheek and then exits the room.
43
Ryker
It’s rare I get a night off from the bar, so when my buddy Eric invited me over to his house, I couldn’t decline.
I recognize a few guys from school and a few others who work out at the gym, but most I don’t know. It’s a nice night, so I decide to find a chair out in Eric’s backyard. I grab a beer from his outdoor bar and find a lawn chair. I thought Claire would be here already, but I don’t see her yet.
“Hey, stud, is this seat taken?” I turn toward the familiar and sweet voice. Chills immediately run th
rough my spine.
“Hey, sweetheart. You look beautiful.” It’s dark out here, but it doesn’t stop me from noticing the red creep up her neck and cheeks. It’s a damn turn on and I love that I do that to her. I pull her chair towards me so our knees touch. I lean in and grab her face and run my hands through her hair.
She chuckles. “I know I sound like a super creepy girlfriend, but I missed you today.”
“Maybe I like my girlfriend super creepy.” I wink at her and then kiss her nose. “I missed you too.” I only slept for six hours today, but I know I would have slept better with her next to me. I hope that one day she’s in my bed every night. “Want a bottle of water?” She nods, so I grab one from the cooler. The night we first got together, she told me that she’s on antidepressants, so she can’t have alcohol. That explained why I never saw her drink at my bar.
We sit outside away from everyone else as we talk. I have to say that it’s been one of the best nights of my life. She opens up more about her parents and I can tell she really misses them. I know what it’s like to not have a mother, but I can’t imagine not having either of my parents.
We walk around talking to a few people we run into. Being with her is natural. It doesn’t seem like we only met a couple months ago, but more like we’ve known each other a lifetime.
“So, what’s going on with you and Claire?” Eric asks when I walk over to the bar to grab a couple drinks.
“We’re together, if that’s what you’re asking.” I smile. I’m proud to call her mine.
“Dude, isn’t she married?” Jesus Christ, can’t anyone mind their own damn business?
“Yes, but she’ll be divorced soon.”
“Whatever. You’ll be the one dealing with him when he gets a hold of her.”
I immediately see red. I know Eric doesn’t mean anything by it, but the fact that she could go back to Trevor at any time makes me fucking enraged. I know I should trust her, but she does legally belong to another man still.
Revived (Unexpected Series Book 1) Page 17
