Ryder

by L. A. Casey

Ryder snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know. I’ve been all around the world and I’ve never met women like you, your sister, or Aideen. Irish women can be terrifying. I’m glad my brothers haven’t met Ado yet, she’d horrify them.”

  That amused me greatly.

  “Tell your brother that.”

  “After tonight?” Ryder snorted. “He definitely knows.”

  I looked away as my lips turned up in a smirk.

  “I love you,” Ryder said, catching me off guard.

  I turned and looked at him with adoring eyes.

  “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  His lip twitched as he watched the road.

  “Not that I don’t love hearin’ you tell me that you love me, but why say it now?”

  Ryder shrugged. “When we’re around Dominic and Bronagh, we end up fighting because they’re fighting and we feel the need to defend our little siblings. I just wanted to say I love you once more today, in case we’re at each other’s throats in an hour.”

  I couldn’t help but smile.

  “That’s really sweet, you know that?”

  Ryder glanced at me and smiled before returning his eyes to the road.

  “I have my moments,” he mused.

  “They’re few and far between,” I countered, grinning.

  “Which is why when my moments come along, I make them known.”

  I chuckled.

  “We’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  “Do you understand that if the kid you attacked presses charges, you will be arrested for assault, ma’am?”

  The worst happened.

  When Ryder and I showed up in A&E I was calm. So. Bloody. Calm. When my sister rang me and told me what happened, I was ready to end Dominic Slater, but on the car journey to the hospital Ryder relaxed me, and I reached a point where I was willing to see him and behave like a normal human being… then I walked up to the triage nurse’s office and saw Bronagh clutching her hand to her chest, and Dominic in her personal space. There is no other way to describe what happened—I just lost it.

  I jumped on him, and while I wasn’t a strong person, and didn’t exactly know how to fight, I pulled his hair, ripped his t-shirt, slapped at his head, and managed to get in one solid punch to his face before Ryder wrestled me away.

  Things got serious then, hospital security retained me and called the Gardai. I was furious at Dominic, but even more so at myself for behaving so irrationally. If I got arrested, I was screwed. I didn’t know if the Health Board at the maternity hospital would allow me to keep my volunteer job or offer me a permanent job once I graduated college in a few months if they found out about this. I didn’t know if they would hold an assault on my record against me either, but I really didn’t want to find out.

  “So let me get this straight,” the male Garda questioning me said on a tired sigh. “The man you attacked is your partner’s younger brother, and also your younger sister’s boyfriend. Am I gettin’ that right?”

  Both Ryder and I nodded in unison.

  The Garda sighed, again. “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

  Ryder snorted, but covered it up with a fake cough.

  “Okay, so why did you attack…”

  “Dominic,” I said, filling in the blank.

  “Dominic,” the Garda nodded. “Why did you attack Dominic?”

  “Well, you see, since he moved here a few months ago he has been nothin’ but a bother for me sister. He hassles ‘er at school, and is very forward with ‘er because he really likes ‘er, but doesn’t know how to handle a feisty introvert like ‘er. They’re the polar opposites of one another, but for some unknown reason, she likes ‘im too, but she doesn’t want to. She went on a date tonight with a cute lad in ‘er class to play the field a little, you know? But Dominic showed up, ruined ‘er night out by fightin’ with her date. That forced ‘er to defend ‘er date which led to ‘er hittin’ Dominic, and hurtin’ ‘er hand. That’s how she ended up here. She called me, told me what happened, and obviously I was furious, I mean, she’s me little sister, and when I saw Dominic, the urge to smack the shite out of ‘im consumed me, and then you and your partner were called and, well, yeah. That’s what happened.”

  When I finished speaking, the Garda stared at me for a few moments, unblinking. When he came back to the land of the living, after another ten-seconds of silent staring, he shook his head and said, “I definitely don’t get paid enough for this.”

  “If you think it sounds bad,” I cringed, “you should try livin’ with us.”

  The Garda quickly shook his head. “No, thank you.”

  His instant reply made Ryder laugh, and my lips twitch.

  When the man finished writing down whatever he was writing on his notepad, he looked at me then to Ryder and said, “The lad won’t be pressin’ charges against your missus, will he?”

  “My missus?” Ryder questioned, clearly confused if his facial expression was anything to go on.

  The Garda sighed. “Your girlfriend, Ms Murphy.”

  I smiled and linked my arm through Ryder’s. “He is still gettin’ used to how we talk, he is gettin’ much better at understandin’ slang so please, don’t hold it against ‘im.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” the Garda mumbled. “As I was sayin’, your brother won’t press charges against Ms Murphy, will he?”

  “No, he won’t.” Ryder answered almost immediately. “I guarantee he will be telling your partner that there is nothing to report.”

  The Garda sighed for what seemed to be the twentieth time. “I figured as much, Mr Slater, but until me partner comes back and tells me that for ‘erself, I have to ask these questions and write down what you say, Ms Murphy. Okay?”

  I nodded in understanding. The Garda then ran through a few more standard questions, and when he was finished, he pocketed his notepad and pen.

  “I’m goin’ to have a smoke outside while we wait, I’m not supposed to leave me post—which right now is you—but I agree Mr Slater won’t press charges therefore when me partner comes back, we can leave. However, that doesn’t change the face that you have to wait until you’re dismissed,” he said then levelled me with a glare. “You stay here. If I have to come lookin’ for you, I’ll arrest you and leave you in the cells back at the station until tomorrow mornin’, we clear?”

  “We’re clear,” I nodded, firmly.

  Ten-seconds after the Garda went outside and lit up his cigarette, I turned and headed for the double doors that led into the back where Bronagh, and Dominic, were.

  “Branna,” Ryder hissed. “Damn it, the cop said wait here.”

  “I heard ‘im,” I replied, still walking.

  “So why are you heading for those doors?” Ryder asked, sounding like he was going to strangle me.

  “I want to check on me sister.”

  “Branna—”

  “I’ll be back out before he comes back. Promise.”

  “Oh, my God!” He snapped. “You’re unbelievable, woman.”

  I passed through the double doors, and after only a couple of seconds I felt a presence behind me.

  “This is entirely on you if we get arrested.”

  At least we’d go down together.

  I smiled. “Noted.”

  “So where are we going?” Ryder asked on a sigh as he fell in stride next to me.

  I shrugged. “Look for an examination room, I heard the nurse say she was takin’ Dominic there for stitches then bringin’ Bee to one after her X-ray. I have a feelin’ your brother will make sure he is in the same room as me sister.”

  “She’s becoming a weakness of his and they aren’t even a couple.”

  “Yet.” I said. “Not a couple yet.”

  “We’ll see,” Ryder mused as we peeked into each examination room we passed.

  When we came to the end of the corner I peeked in the final room and froze when I saw that both Dominic and Bronagh were in a room lik
e I thought they would be, but I wasn’t expecting to find them both kissing. Really kissing. I grabbed hold of Ryder’s arm when I gently shut the door and pulled him back down the corridor with me.

  “You’re pinching my arm, you know?”

  “They were in that room together!” I said, and let go of his arm. “Kissin’!”

  “Dominic and Bronagh?” Ryder asked, surprised.

  “No, Adam and Eve,” I said, sarcastically. “Yes, Dominic and Bronagh! Who bloody else?”

  Ryder eyed me. “Are you sure it was my brother and your sister?”

  “Yeah,” I quipped. “I’m a million percent sure.”

  “And they were kissing? On the lips?”

  “What part of that aren’t you gettin’?” I questioned as we turned and walked back out to the reception area of the A&E department that was Garda free. “Dominic and Bronagh, your brother and my sister, were in a full on lip lock. His hands were on her arse, too!”

  Ryder grinned. “Well done, little brother. He finally climbed over the defensive wall your sister had built up.”

  I slapped his arm. “Be serious! How are we goin’ to deal with the pair of them being in a relationship? They’ve already caused nothin’ but problems and they weren’t a couple then!”

  Ryder lost his grin, and invaded my personal space.

  “Listen to me clearly, you said that we weren’t going to get involved in their relationship unless we had no other choice. So unless one of them in about to kill the other, we’re Switzerland, okay?”

  “But—”

  “No buts,” Ryder cut me off. “Dominic and Bronagh’s bullshit is their own, we don’t need to make it ours. Okay?”

  I sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

  “I know it will be tough for you because you’re involved in every aspect of Bronagh’s life, but this will be good for you. She’ll enter this relationship and learn how things are just like everyone else, and you can be a proud mama bear watching her grow.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll eat your brother alive if he hurts her in any way.”

  “And I’ll be the one to pin Dominic down while you beat on him, deal?”

  I laughed. “Deal, honey.”

  Ryder smiled and leaned his head down and brushed his lips against mine. We pulled apart when a throat cleared. I blinked when the male Garda who questioned me stood next to the female Garda who I knew questioned Dominic and my sister.

  “Hello.” I said, curtly.

  Both Gardai nodded in response.

  “You were right,” the male Garda said to Ryder. “Your brother won’t be pressin’ charges.” His eyes switched to me then and he said, “I’m lettin’ you off with a warnin’ Ms. Murphy. If anythin’ like this happens again, you will be booked and an investigation will ensue, am I clear?”

  “Crystal, sir,” I replied.

  The man nodded and so did his partner.

  “Have a good evenin’,” the female Garda said, and while she looked pissed, she sounded sincere.

  When Ryder and myself were free from questioning and the Gardai left the hospital, I sat down in the waiting area that was directly in front of the double doors that led back to the treatment area. We waited for Dominic and Bronagh there and when the doors opened, and the pair of them walked out into the reception area I relaxed because they both looked okay as could be considering the circumstances.

  “Why’re they looking at one another like that?” Ryder murmured to me.

  “I reckon Dominic wants to be open about them, but Bee is reluctant and wants to keep it under wraps until she is okay with us knowin’. You see the way she is tryin’ to keep ‘er distance from ‘im and not make it obvious?”

  “You got all that from how they are looking at each other?” Ryder questioned.

  I glanced at him. “You didn’t get that from how they’re lookin’ at each other?”

  He rubbed his temples. “This is a woman thing.”

  “A woman thing?”

  “Yeah,” Ryder said. “You all have a sixth sense about shit like this so I’m just rolling with it.”

  I snorted. “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

  When my sister’s eyes landed on us, I jumped to my feet and rushed over to her. Her hand had a bandage on it, and the sight of it made me feel ill.

  “Is it broken?” I asked, worried to hear her reply.

  “No, just sprained it. I’ve to rest it for a couple of weeks. If the muscles don’t strengthen in two weeks, then I’ve to come back but until then, I’m grand,” Bronagh explained.

  Ryder looked at Dominic after she spoke, shook his head at his bare chest and then focused on the cut above his eye. “How many stitches?” he asked.

  “Eight,” Dominic replied and cut his eyes to me.

  I held up my hands. “I’m not apologisin’ to you; me sister was hurt because of you tonight in more ways than one!”

  Bronagh’s cheeks flushed. “Branna, it’s over and done with so just forget it.”

  My earlier conversation with Ryder repeated in my head, and I decided to start letting Bronagh make her own decisions in life by keeping my mouth shut—for once.

  “Come on,” I said. “I’m bringin’ you home in my car. Ryder is goin’ with Dominic in theirs.”

  I saw Dominic’s hand to go to Bronagh’s back, and I knew he wanted to bring her home instead, and Bronagh noticed it too. “Talk to you tomorrow, okay?” she murmured to him.

  He wasn’t happy about it, but he nodded and let her go without a fight—for once. He walked her to our car and I hung back for a few moments to let them say goodnight, and sneak a kiss if they wanted to. I leaned into Ryder when he blocked my view of the new couple by standing in front of me.

  “I told you they were datin’,” I said, my voice low. “You can sense the change in them too, can’t you?

  He nodded then shuddered, “It’s scary how you’re always right.”

  He had no idea.

  “I kept me mouth shut.” I smiled. “Did you see? I wanted to go on about what Dominic did, but Bronagh shut me down and I didn’t ignore that.”

  “You done good, mama bear.”

  I beamed. “Thanks, babe.”

  “Can I ask you a question that has been on the tip of my tongue all day?”

  I leaned back and nodded. “Shoot.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  I squinted my eyes after a few moments of silence. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that. I’ve misheard you.”

  Ryder’s lips twitched. “I said—will you marry me?”

  I rapidly blinked my eyes before I lifted my fingers to my ears and wiggled them about inside my ear canals before lowering my hands and saying, “Sorry, say it one more time.”

  Ryder laughed. “Will. You. Marry. Me?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Ryder cut me off and said, “You aren’t mishearing me. I’m really asking you to marry me. I’d get down on my knee and do it the traditional way, but those two our there will probably have a heart attack if I do that.”

  “Ryder,” I whispered. “What the fuck?”

  He laughed, again. “Is that a no?”

  “No it’s not a no,” I instantly replied. “If you’re serious it’s a hell fucking yes.”

  A smile similar to the one he gave me the first time I told him I loved him stretched across his face.

  “I’m serious as a heart attack, I want you to be my wife.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “So you’ll marry me?” he asked, his voice low.

  “Yes,” I gushed, lowering my voice too. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  We kissed then and broke apart when I began to jump up and down.

  “I’m going to buy a ring tomorrow. I didn’t plan on doing this, it just happened. I was thinking about how much I love you, and I imagined you not being in my life and I couldn’t.”

  “Sweetheart,” I breathed. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.�
�

  I quickly snuck a glance at Bronagh and Dominic and saw they were too wrapped up in one another to spare us a moment.

  “We’ll tell them when we have a ring, Bronagh won’t believe me otherwise.”

  Ryder nodded. “It’s going to work out, darling.”

  I smiled. “We’ll get there.”

  “Yeah, sweetness, we will.” Ryder smiled as I wrapped my arms around him. “We’re a family, we can make it through anything.”

  We’re a family, we can make it through anything.

  If I had known then that over the next few years our families were going to be tested to the limit to see what we could survive, I’d have hugged Ryder a little longer and loved him a lot harder. As a matter of fact, I probably would have never let him go.

  Present day…

  “And he just walked out of the house? Just like that?”

  I nodded even though my sister couldn’t see me.

  “Yep,” I sighed, and adjusted my phone against my ear. “He told me that we weren’t broken up, and that we’d never be done.”

  “Damn,” Bronagh murmured. “Ryder’s more possessive that I thought he was.”

  You have no idea, little sister.

  I grunted. “Lucky me.”

  “Maybe this could be good,” my sister said, her voice raising an octave with her excitement. “He said he’d answer all of your questions in two days, right? Once he does that you can both work through everythin’.”

  I felt my shoulders slump.

  “It’s not that easy, Bee, he has ripped out me heart over and over. I’m a ghost of the person I used to be, and it’s because of my and Ryder’s relationship over the last year and a half. I don’t think I have the strength to try and piece back together what’s been broken. I’m tired.”

  My sister was silent for a moment, and then she said, “If you think leavin’ ‘im is best for you, then I’m fully behind you. No questions asked.”

  I licked my lower lip when it wobbled.

  “Thanks, Bee.”

  “No thanks necessary. You’re me sister and I always have your back.”

  And I thanked God for that every single day.

  “I’m so antsy sittin’ here,” I admitted. “I wish he would just come home so I can get this over and done with. It’s drivin’ me up the wall, I just want to get it out of the way so I can start the process of movin’ on.”