by Anne Stone
Ryne had made his point and that’s all that mattered. He only hoped Adam took him seriously.
Jen arrived at her grandparents’ and was taken aback with their new home and surrounding grounds. It was large and lavish, something out of a fairytale.
When Jen pulled up, she noticed the huge turret that sat at the front of the house. The entire front of the home was made of red brick and limestone. She knew it had at least seven bedrooms and more bathrooms than she could count. The square footage was larger than their previous home. She knew this home had an indoor lap pool, a theater, and a bowling alley. She didn’t understand why her grandparents had upsized instead of downsized at their age, but she also knew her grandmother still liked to entertain.
Jen approached the front door and barely hit the last step when the huge mahogany door flew open. She guessed Grandma Rowena had seen her as she drove up. “Jennifer,” Rowena said as she pulled her tightly into her arms. “Honey, it’s so good to see you.”
Her grandmother called out for her grandfather. “Miles come quick. Jennifer is here.” Rowena wrapped her arm around Jennifer and led her towards the kitchen. “Coffee?” she asked as they walked into the spacious room.
Out of nowhere, she felt her grandfather wrap his arms around her. “Jennifer, we’re so happy you finally came to see us.”
“Grandpa Miles, you know how hard it is for me to travel during the school year.”
“We understand, sweetheart, it’s just that we miss you so.” His comment brought tears to her eyes as she looked at Miles. He was the splitting image of her father, and she often had to do a double take when she looked at him. Her heart always ached when she first saw him. She missed her father so much…
“Sit down, honey. We want to hear what you’ve been up to.” Rowena paused and grasped her hand. “I can’t wait to meet your friend too. Tell us all about him.” She reached for the coffee pot and filled three cups sitting on the table.
Jen reached for hers, adding a splash of cream. Taking a sip she rolled her eyes. “I miss your coffee. It’s always so smooth.”
“Honey, it’s all in grinding your own beans and pressing it.”
“I know. I never seem to quite get it like yours.” She took another sip, then set her coffee aside and smiled at her grandparents. “It’s just so good to see you both.” She looked about the kitchen. “Love the house, but I thought you were downsizing after selling the mansion.” Her grandparents referred to their previous house as the ‘mansion’.
“You know your grandmother. She always loves to throw a party.”
“But really, Grandpa Miles. This house is larger than what you sold.”
“It is not,” Rowena added as she sat down beside him. She reached for her husband’s hand as he quirked his brow. “Okay, the house is a little larger, but we did downsize.”
“And where’s that, sweetheart?” Miles asked.
“The yard isn’t as big.”
Jen burst out laughing at her grandmother.
“Who cares about the yard? What? You don’t have a tennis court this time?”
“Oh no, honey, we do. We just have a few less trees.” Miles shook his head and chuckled at his wife’s reasoning. “I’ll give you a tour, but first let’s talk.
“So tell us about your man.” Rowena smiled broadly at her granddaughter. “You’ve never introduced us before to any of your young men.” Jen shyly smiled at her grandmother. “Well, you haven’t.”
“No, you’re right. He plays for the Generals.”
“Did Ed introduce you?”
“No, in fact, I practically ran him over.” Rowena’s eyes grew large listening to Jen. “Grandma, don’t look at me like that. It’s true. I almost ran him down with my car while he was trying to get to his first game.”
“Do tell.”
“Let’s just say it’s not one of my finer moments. After I hit him with my car, we kept running into one another. Then Ryne came and spoke at Lakeview. On top of that, Johnston decided to make him a co-chair of the fundraiser. One thing’s led to another and we’ve grown close.”
“Oh honey, I’m so happy for you. I was worried you’d never find anyone.” Jen glared at her grandmother. “I’m sorry to say it, but I was. From what I hear from Rose, you never go out.”
“I go out.”
“Let me finish, dear. You never go out—out with a young man. I know you go out. You’re always at a Generals game or a baseball game. It doesn’t matter. I can’t wait to meet your Ryne.”
“Sweetheart, your grandmother told me you’re attending a Black Gold Management party honoring Ashley and Tony Regada.”
“We are.”
“Do you realize who Ashley is?”
She shot a quizzical look at Miles.
“Ashley as in Ashley Hamilton. Morgan Cameron originally bought the mansion.”
“On my gosh! I had no idea that Ashley Regada and Ashley Cameron are one in the same. You know I don’t follow tennis.” Miles laughed. “Well, I don’t. Now if I’d have known her maiden name of Hamilton, I would have put two and two together.” Jen took another sip of coffee. “That makes attending this party even better. At least I’ll know someone— that is other than Ryne. I’ve never met his agent, Adam.”
Rowena changed the subject. “Jennifer, instead of going out to a restaurant for dinner, you and Ryne come over here and I’ll cook.”
“Oh no, Grandma, that’s too much work for you.”
Miles tilted his head at her. “Did you forget why we bought this house?” Catching a look at Rowena, “Entertainment purposes.”
“How could I forget,” Jen stated and chuckled. It felt good to be around her grandparents. She always had a good laugh.
“Honey, we’re more relaxed here. It’ll just be us, no eyes and ears listening in on our conversation. Didn’t you say he’s pretty well known?”
She nodded.
“That settles it then. Does six work for you?”
“It does.”
“Enough talk about dinner. I want to show you around.”
Jen followed her grandmother on a tour of the house. Nothing surprised her especially the huge workout room that sat on the lower level or the indoor tennis court that was built off the workout room. She knew her grandparents had added the tennis court because it fed off the house just like the one did off the mansion. Her grandparents loved the game and played daily.
By the time Jen arrived back at the hotel, she needed a nap. Rowena talked nonstop especially during their tour. One minute she was comparing the house to the mansion and the next she was discussing Ryne. She’d never done so much head flipping in such a short time.
As Jen inserted her key into the door, she came to the conclusion she needed to prepare Ryne for her grandmother. Something had set her off that morning. What? She didn’t know. She walked in to discover Ryne fast asleep on the couch. He must have been sleeping for some time with the way his hair was rumpled.
She watched him as he breathed in and out. His face was so relaxed. He looked peaceful and pain free. At off times, like now, she worried about his hip. She knew he was good at hiding his pain and wondered if he’d been keeping it from her. She knew he worried that it wouldn’t heal completely and thought that was a portion of why he’d added some fine lines to his face in the last few weeks. Out of nowhere, she’d catch a look of pain cross his face, but always when asked, he brushed her concern aside. She hoped he wasn’t hiding it from her, and if he was experiencing a setback, he’d face it head on, do something about it. She decided to wait and see. She’d be around him night and day as they traveled and would confront him with it the next time it concerned her.
She brushed her hand across his forehead, pushing his hair out of his eyes. His eyes slowly opened. He reached for her hand and brushed a kiss against her palm. “You’re back already.”
“Already? It’s almost three.” Taking a deep, deep breath, she told him, “I have to warn you, Grandma Rowena is in rare form today
. She talked nonstop. I need to take a nap just from listening to her.” He pulled on her hand and she fell into his arms. “Ryne, what are you doing?”
“You just told me you needed a nap.”
“I do.” She felt his arms tighten around her.
“Just lie here with me then. We’ll nap together.” He nuzzled his head into her shoulder. “What time do we need to meet your grandparents? Isn’t the restaurant across town?”
“Plans have changed.” She pulled away and ran her hand along the side of his face. “Grandma’s decided to cook.”
“She doesn’t need to go to all that trouble. I had intended on paying for dinner.”
“Ryne,” she said as she played with the buttons on his shirt. “Don’t even bother trying to convince me or her otherwise. She wants to entertain us.”
“Entertain?”
“That’s what I said.” She licked her lips. “She wants to do this. In fact, enjoys it. I tried to talk her out of it, but there was no way around it. It’ll make her happy.”
“Well, that says it all. We have to keep her happy.”
“I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of her. She’s not that bad— just wound up.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because it’s the first time I’ve ever brought one of my men friends to visit. She wants to make a good impression.”
He smirked at her use of men friends. “So, now I’m relegated to one of your ‘men’ friends?”
She slapped his chest. “Stop it!”
“Well?”
She continued playing with his shirt. “It’s just that they’ve never met one of my boyfriends before today. In fact, I feel like she’s acting as my mother, wanting to approve of you, like I’m sure my parents would have tried to do.” She sighed. “She wants to see me happy.”
“And are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Happy.”
She raised her hand to his face. Brushing her fingertips across his lips, she nodded. “I am,” she whispered. He clasped her hand in his. “This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”
“Ditto.” She looked at him in a quizzical manner. “I’m glad to hear it because I feel the same way. I found you at the right time in my life. Even though you practically killed me in the process.”
“Hey, there. It wasn’t that bad.”
“It could have been,” he said, smiling at her. She knew he was joking, but in all honesty, she really could have caused him serious injury.
She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “I think you’ll like my grandparents. They mean well.”
“I’m sure they do, just as Rose and Wilford do. They want to see you happy, and I think they’ll do anything in their power to see to it.”
“They do. I’m forever grateful that I still have them with me. I’d be lost in the world without them.” She closed her eyes and lay in his arms. She felt comfortable, but most of all she felt protected. She believed that Ryne was her guiding light, and with him by her side, she knew she’d make the right decision about her future.
Jen wasn’t quite sure where she was when she first woke, then realized she was in Ryne’s arms. She eased open her eyes and found herself nose to nose with him. He was fast asleep, or so she thought. She watched him breathe in and out. She felt his fingers graze her waist as then move towards her back, and that’s when she realized he was teasing her. She looked up into his hazel eyes. “I thought you were asleep.”
“Nope. I’ve been watching you for the last hour.” She nestled more into his embrace.
“I hope I didn’t drool.”
“Nothing like that.” She got all anxious, unsure of what she may have done while sleeping. She leaned up, elbowing Ryne in the stomach.
“Ouch,” he exclaimed. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to find out what I did and didn’t do while sleeping in your arms.” He shook his head. “What, you’re not going to tell me?” He remained still with a smirk on his face. “Ryne?”
“Nope. Not going there. It’s my little secret.” He leaned up and swung his legs over the edge of the couch. “It’s almost five. What time do we need to be at your grandparents?”
“Six.”
“I’ve gotta get a shower. Can you be ready in a half hour?”
“Of course, I can.” Jen watched as Ryne started to his bedroom.
“You better light a light under you if you plan on being ready in thirty minutes.”
“You think I can’t dress that quickly?”
“I’m betting on it.”
“And what’s the bet?”
He pursed his lips, shook his head. “I’ll let you know when you lose.”
“You’re not playing fair.” She jumped off the couch and hurried to her room. “I’ll show you,” she claimed as she closed the door behind her.
True to her word, Jen was ready minutes before he was. In fact, she sat waiting for him as he walked from his room. Pointing at her watch, “And who’s late?”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I guess I am.”
She studied him as he approached, his eyes never leaving her face. “You look stunning.” He raised his hand to her face. “You’re beautiful, absolutely beautiful.” He planted a kiss on her lips. “I’m going to have a hard time keeping my eyes off you.” She hugged him tightly. Not only did he look handsome in his suit, but he smelled good, too. She took a deep whiff of his aftershave.
“Like how I smell?” he asked smiling broadly at her. She nodded her head.
“We’d better head on out or we’ll be late. And for once I can say I won’t be the cause.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. It was a night of firsts for her, and she planned on enjoying every minute with her knight in shining armor.
Chapter Eighteen
Right at six, their driver pulled up in the circular drive of her grandparents’ estate. Ryne wasn’t the least bit surprised with their home because she’d described it in explicit detail as they made their way from the hotel.
“I thought they’d downsized, but instead they upsized. My grandmother said they did downsize— they have a few less trees.”
He laughed at her grandmother’s joke. “I like her sense of humor.”
“Yeah, well we’ll see how much you like her on the way home.”
The car had barely come to a halt when the front door opened, and her grandparents emerged onto the front stoop.
Ryne opened the door and eased out of the car. He reached for her hand as she slid across the seat; all the while he felt her grandparents’ eyes on him. Jen emerged from the car with a smile and wave. She reached for the crook of his arm and grasped it tightly. Ryne knew this was a big deal for her and felt her nervousness in the way she held onto his arm. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You alright?”
She plastered a smile on her face and with a quiver in her voice told him she was fine. He knew otherwise.
Rowena welcomed her with open arms, while Miles extended his hand to Ryne. “Grandma Rowena, Grandpa Miles, I’d like to introduce Ryne Ferguson.” Rowena moved quickly, throwing her arms around Ryne. He didn’t know what hit him.
“Ryne, it’s so good to meet you. I’ve waited forever for Jen to bring her young man by.” She patted his chest.
He glanced over Rowena’s shoulder and caught Jen’s eye. He smiled when she referred to him as her ‘young man’. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Steele.”
“Oh honey, don’t call me that. I’m either Grandmother or Grandma Rowena or just Rowena.”
“It’s a pleasure, Rowena,” he said as he pulled away from her.
“Come this way.”
Ryne stretched out his hand toward Jen. Grasping it tightly, he followed her grandparents as they led them inside.
He leaned over to Jen as they made their way across the threshold. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“Just you wait.”
“Jennifer, dear, w
hat was that you said?”
“Ah nothing. I was just clearing my throat.”
“Clearing your throat. Ha! That’s a good one,” he whispered as they made their way towards the formal living room.
Ryne whistled softly as he took in the grandeur of their home. He looked around, taking in the intricate ceiling, marble floors, and the overall feeling of their home. It was lavish but all the same felt like it was lived in and full of love.
“Would you care for a cocktail?” Miles asked as he made his way to the bar. After dropping ice cubes into a tumbler, he poured what looked like a whiskey sour into the glass which he handed over to his wife. “Jennifer, glass of wine?”
“Sure thing.”
“And Ryne?” Pointing to the pitcher, “Whiskey sour?”
“Ah, no thanks, but a glass of wine sounds good.” Miles handed over their wines while Rowena grabbed a tray of appetizers that were sitting on the bar.
Motioning to the settees, “Sit,” she said as she laid the tray on the coffee table. “Take a load off,” she added as she took her seat.
Ryne glanced at Jen as her grandmother took her seat. “Tell us a little bit about yourself, Ryne. Where are you from? What about your family? How long have you known our granddaughter?”
“Grandmother, enough with the questions.”
“Sweetheart, we just want to get to know your beau.”
Beau. He suppressed his chuckle as he looked away, taking a large gulp from his glass. This is going to be some kind of night.
“Mrs. Steele.”
“Rowena.”
“Sorry about that, Rowena. Well, let’s see if I can remember all of your questions.” Ryne caught Jen’s sideways glance at him and grinned trying not to laugh at her grandmother. “I’m from Calgary.”
“As in Alberta, Canada?” Miles said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Isn’t it quite cold up there?”
“It can be.”
“Don’t you get a lot of snow?”
