by Anne Stone
“That’s good. I’m looking forward to meeting your grandfather. In fact, I’m sure your grandmother doesn’t even remember me from last night.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she laughed. “She remembers you. In fact she called you my ‘charming young man.’”
“Did she now?”
“Uh huh. Hey, I’ve gotta run, my lunch break is almost over. Pick me up at six?”
“See you then.”
Jen hung up and started off to her classroom. On the way down the hallway, she was stopped by Alison Tucker, Carson’s wife. “You look radiant today. It can’t be because this is the last week of school, can it?” Jen kept smiling at her. “Or is it because of a special man in your life?” Jen chuckled at her referral. “I saw him leaving school earlier today.”
“You did, did you?”
“Yep, and I’m sure he wasn’t here to see Johnston.” Jen smiled and continued towards her classroom. “We’re onto you two.” Calling over her shoulder she added, “Jen, you and Ryne need to come over sometime. Let’s set something up.” Jen raised her hand, acknowledging her, and entered her classroom. Few knew of their relationship. She was going to have to talk with him about coming out with their friends. It had been new and something sacred to her, but now they needed to let everyone know they were together as a couple— especially with her attending the Black Gold party the following week.
Jen hurried home. She was excited to have dinner with her grandparents. They’d been her rock when her parents died, not that her dad’s parents hadn’t supported her, but they lived out of town. Grams was always there by her side everyday— all day. On the good and bad days. She was there when Jen couldn’t get out of bed, there when she cried herself to sleep, and there on that final day she closed the door for the last time on her dad’s studio, holding her for hours as she sobbed uncontrollably. Grams listened when she discussed changing her degree; never once did she try and alter Jen’s decision. Her grandparents were always supportive, and now she needed to be there for them.
Jen was lost in thought when she heard a knock on her door that startled her. It was just after five, and she wasn’t expecting Ryne until six. She peeked out the door and was pleasantly surprised when his eyes peered back at her. Broadly smiling back, she opened the door. “You’re early.”
“I am. I couldn’t wait to see you.” He leaned in kissing her softly on the lips, reached for her hand, and strode through the door. Closing it behind them, she leaned against it.
“Is that your line of the day?”
He squeezed her hand. “I don’t do lines. It’s just how I feel, and I’ve missed you more than I thought possible.” She raised her hand and smoothed it along his jaw. “I’m being honest here. I missed you.”
She pulled on his hand and led him into her family room. She was taken aback with how much he missed her. She didn’t know what to say, so she said the first thing that popped into her head. “What’s for dinner?”
“Is that all you have to say when I’ve just expressed how much I missed you?” She pulled away from him and walked across the room. She felt his eyes on her. “Was my honesty too much for you to handle?”
She turned back to him and scrunched her face. “No, it’s not. I’m surprised, that’s all.”
“I’m trying to be truthful with you and at the same time not overwhelm you with my feelings. Like I said last night, this is real to me. You’re constantly on my mind, and I’ve never, ever felt this way before.” He crossed the room and clumsily reached for her hand. “I mean what I say. I want to know you and your family. You are becoming more to me than I ever imagined…”
She withdrew her hand from his and placed it on his chest. “I know and you mean a lot to me too. It’s just I have a lot going on in here right now.” She pointed to her head. “So much. So many memories…”
“I realize that and I want you to know that I’m here for you. Bounce whatever you want off me. Maybe I can help.”
“Thanks, I will.” Pulling on his shirt, she drew him closer. “So, what’s for dinner?” She felt the roar of his laughter in his chest as he pulled her in closely.
“What would you like?”
“What did you do all day? I thought you were arranging it?” Again, he sniggered at her.
They decided on Vigliano’s. She knew her grandparents loved everything on the menu including the pizza, but she opted for their various entrees. She sat wrapped in Ryne’s arms as she placed their order. “It’ll be about twenty minutes.”
“Shall we go?” He stood and pulled her up from the couch into his warm embrace. “I meant what I said, you know.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “You are becoming very important to me.” She nodded. “I can’t wait for you to meet my parents; they’re gonna love you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do.”
“Come on, let’s go.” She grabbed his hand, reached for her purse, and hurried him out the door. He was getting a little too serious for her especially with her life in flux. She needed to make a decision in the next several weeks if she planned on walking away from teaching and move back into her first love— photography. Her goal was to finish putting her shots together for the gallery presentation. She’d sit back and see how well they were received, and based upon that she’d decide her future. The fundraiser was scheduled for mid-September, right before Ryne started the preseason. She wanted to make her decision early in the school year rather than later because she wanted Johnston to have plenty of time to find her replacement. He’d been good to her and she owed that much to him.
They pulled up at her grandparents’ house a little after six. Ryne hopped from the car, grabbing their dinner, and met her as she exited. She took one look at him and knew in that moment that he was the one. He was going out of his way to meet her grandparents. He wanted to get to know them, and that meant the world to her. She reached for his hand and led him in the back door. “Grams, we’re here,” she called out as she took the food from Ryne and placed it on the kitchen counter.
“In here, dear.”
She looked up at him and shyly smiled. “Here goes nothing,” she murmured.
He placed his hand on hers stopping her forward motion. “What did you just say?”
“Be prepared because they are going to be nonstop with questions, especially when I tell them I’m going to meet your family.”
He chuckled at her, which she loved and had become accustomed to hearing, as he reached in and swept her hair across her shoulders. “Stop being nervous… And anyway, I thought I passed the ‘smell test’ last night when I met your grandmother at the hospital.”
“I’m sure you did. It’s my grandfather I’m worried about.” She reached for his hand and led him towards the sitting room where her grandparents were watching the news. As soon as her grandfather saw them, he muted the television. He started to stand but Jen rushed to his side. “Grandfather, stay where you are.” She leaned in, hugged him, and kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy you’re feeling better.”
Ryne had stayed where he was just inside the room while her grandfather leaned to the side trying to look around her. “Come here, young man,” he said. “Sweetheart, is this your young man your grandmother has been gloating about all day?”
She turned to him with an outstretched hand. Ryne approached, grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. She felt a slight tremor in his hand. Her grandfather could be intimidating at times, and this was definitely one of them. It surprised her since he’d just gotten home from the hospital but then again it didn’t. He watched out for her and was continuing to do so in her father’s absence.
“Grandfather, this is Ryne Ferguson. He plays for the—”
“Generals. Come here young man. I thought that was you.” Ryne approached her grandfather. He still held onto her hand as he reached out his other hand to shake her grandfather’s.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m glad you were able to come hom
e.”
“Me too. I hate hospitals.” Her grandfather turned to Grams. “I can see why you were so excited, Rose. He is a handsome fellow.” Jen turned bright red and was even more aware of her blush when Ryne looked at her, smiling at her grandfather’s words. “So what’s this I hear? You’re dating my granddaughter?”
“Yes, sir, I am,” Ryne said as he squeezed her hand again.
“And how long has this been going on between you two,” he said motioning back and forth between them.
“A few months, sir.”
“And may I ask, how did you meet my lovely granddaughter?”
“Ah, well, that’s a story in and of itself.”
He pointed towards the sofa. “Sit down and stay awhile. I have all night, especially since you brought dinner. You did bring dinner, didn’t you?”
“Grandfather, of course we did.”
“As I said, we have all night. I’m all ears.”
Ryne pulled Jennifer along beside him as they sat down. He continued holding her hand as he recounted the first time they met. “You could have killed him,” her grandfather said after hearing how she almost ran him down. “I certainly hope you learned a lesson there.”
“I did.”
“So Ryne, where are you from? Do you have family?” her grandmother asked.
“Yes ma’am, I do.” He told them about his brothers and their ties to the NHL. “My youngest brother plays for my alma mater. My sisters are still in school and also play hockey.”
“It runs in the family.”
“It certainly does and my father was a professional player for the Calgary Storm.”
“What history…” her grandmother added.
They discussed her grandfather’s stay in the hospital, and then Ryne’s stomach began to grumble. “Someone’s hungry,” Jen said patting his stomach.
“Shall we eat?” her grandmother said as she made her way to the kitchen.
“Grams, I’ll help you.” Patting Ryne on the arm she added, “You stay here and keep Grandfather company while we get everything on the table.” Jen hurried off to assist her grandmother. She knew her grandfather wanted to interrogate him further.
“So Ryne, when did you arrive in town?”
“I was traded to the Generals in February.”
“Ah, that’s right. I remember. It was quite a surprise to you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes sir, it was.”
“And when did you begin seeing my granddaughter?”
“From the moment I arrived. Literally.”
“I see. And why are we just learning of your involvement?”
“I guess I’ve been traveling a lot with the team. I was also injured and had a difficult time getting around…” Ryne didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t a clue why Jen hadn’t shared their relationship with them. He only hoped her grandfather didn’t go ballistic when he heard about their trip.
Dinner went well and Jen shared her progress on her showing. “I hope to get some nice shots around town this summer. I can’t wait to see what I can shoot in Canada. I’d love to get some wildlife photos. Do you think that’s possible?”
With a stern look on his face, her grandfather asked, “Canada. Did I hear you correctly? When are you going to Canada?”
Jen was sitting beside Ryne, and she felt his hand reach for hers underneath the table. The slight squeeze of his hand was all she needed to answer. “Next week Ryne and I are heading up to Greenwich for a party honoring Tony and Ashley Regada. They are represented by the same agency that Ryne uses. I plan on seeing Grandpa Miles and Grandma Rowena.” She paused and looked out of the corner of her eye at Ryne. Here goes nothing… “Then, Ryne’s taking me to visit his family.”
“I see,” her grandfather said. He set his fork down, scraped his hand across his whiskered jaw, and smiled at her. “So is this serious between you two?”
“Grandfather, we’ve just started seeing one another.”
“I said, is it serious? As you well know, I fell in love and married your grandmother all within a month. So let me ask again, Jennifer, is this serious?”
Ryne drew her hand into his lap, squeezing it more tightly. “Sir, may I speak?”
“Of course you can. It’s not like you’re not present in this conversation.” Her grandfather smiled at them. “Let me say this, I am happy Jennifer has found someone that seems to care for her. I was concerned after her parents died. She spent so much time alone, and now I am happy that she has you in her life. From what I see, you appear to be a stand-up kind of guy.” He pointed directly at Ryne. “And don’t disappoint me. Now, please answer my question. Is this serious?”
“Sir.”
“Will you stop sirring me? Call me Wilford or Grandfather, but please stop the sir.” Ryne felt the dam break upon the older man’s wanting to be called Wilford or Grandfather. He felt like he’d been accepted by her grandparents.
“Okay, Wilford.” Ryne took a deep breath and looked at Jen then turned back to Wilford.
“Sir…” Wilford glared at him. “Sorry, Wilford …I’m a bit nervous here.”
Wilford rested his hand on the table. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Spill your beans…”
“Fine. Wilford, yes, I care a great deal for your granddaughter. Jennifer has been a breath of fresh air to me since I relocated to St. Louis. I care for her deeply. Is it love? I can’t say for sure but what I can say is— I think about her all the time. I love being in her presence. She’s a remarkable woman and has so many talents.”
“That she does,” Grams chimed in.
“Only time will tell where this leads, but what I will promise you is I will never hurt Jen. Not in a million years. We came into one another’s lives at the right time. I can only hope the near calamity in the Generaldome parking lot was fate playing a hand in our meeting. We’re going to take this slowly, one day at a time…”
“That’s what I wanted to hear. I don’t want my granddaughter hurt in all of this.”
Ryne turned back to Jen. “Never. I promise you right here, I will never hurt her. She means too much to me.”
Shortly after finishing their dinner, Jen noticed her grandfather begin to tire. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and had tried his best to suppress his yawns to no avail. “Grams, I think Ryne and I are going to head on out. Grandfather can’t keep his eyes open, and surely you must be exhausted as well.”
“That I am, dear,” Grams said as she stood.
Jen went to her grandfather’s side. She hugged and kissed him and whispered in his ear, “Thank you.” She caught the slight tip of his head and the sparkle in his eyes.
Ryne also approached. “Wilford, it was nice meeting you.”
“Same here,” he said, shaking Ryne’s outstretched hand. “Take care of my girl.”
“I will.”
Grams followed them to the door. “Thank you for dinner, dear. It was wonderful as always.” Grams pulled Jennifer into her arms. “I am happy for you, my dear.” Grams pulled Ryne into a hug as well. “Take care of her for me.”
As Jennifer and Ryne walked down the sidewalk, Grams remained at the door. Jen turned back as they approached his car. Waving at her she said, “Love you, Grams.”
“Love you from here to the moon and back.” Jen smiled up at Ryne as she slid into the car. It had been an eventful evening, that’s for sure. But in the end, she knew her grandparents supported her and would always be by her side.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Ryne said. He started up the car and backed out of the driveway. “Your grandfather is wise in his old age.”
“That he is, that he is. I know they worry about me. Worry that I’ll be alone, but after tonight, I think they won’t as much anymore. They liked you.”
“How could you tell?”
“I just know it. After all, my grandfather did soften towards the end. He did want you to stop calling him sir, didn’t he? And what’s with this ‘sir’, anyway?”
“It’s how
I was raised. I was trying to show respect.”
“And you did.”
In the end, Jen thought her grandparents fell in love with Ryne. She knew by the way her grandfather eyes sparkled back at her. Grams was always the easy sell but Grandfather took time. And by the way he responded to Ryne, she knew they had absolutely nothing to worry about.
Chapter Sixteen
The week flew by and before she knew it, they were boarding their flight to Connecticut. School ended on a bittersweet note. She always hated losing her students after a long school year, but she always looked forward to the fall when she could welcome another batch of fourth graders into her world.
Her grandfather was back to his normal self and since their dinner, he’d phoned her more often, checking in on her and Ryne’s relationship. She was grateful to have them in her life, but she was also excited to see her father’s parents since it had been almost a year since she lasted visited. They always seemed to shed light on her problems and she could use their insight as she sought to change the direction of her life.
Ryne had picked her up at the crack of dawn for their six o’clock flight. She leaned on him as they made their way down the jetway to board the plane. She’d barely slept the night before, excited to not only see her grandparents but also anxious to meet Ryne’s family. This was a huge step for her— one she wasn’t taking lightly.
They were seated in first class which excited her, especially since they could board almost immediately. Taking their seats, they were greeted by the flight attendant who offered them something to drink before the flight took off. Jen wanted, no needed, a strong cup of coffee if she were going to make it through the day. Ryne instantly reached for her hand while they waited. “This is it,” he commented as he looked into her eyes. “I’ve been waiting for this day…” Before he could finish his thought, their drinks were served.
As they sat waiting for the remaining passengers to board, she laid her head against his shoulder. “I can’t wait for you to meet my grandparents.”
“Me either, except I hope your grandfather isn’t as intense as Wilford.” She laughed, listening to him go on about Wilford and all of the questions he asked. “I know how much he loves you and also acknowledge his fierce need to protect but…”
