by Anne Stone
She didn’t say a word, just nestled deeper into his embrace. A few minutes elapsed before she pulled away. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she reached for his hand. “Were you able to rest?”
“Not really.” She could tell by the look on his face that he’d been thinking of his brother. “I watched you sleep, though.”
“Enlightening, I’m sure. I hope I didn’t drool.”
“Nope, you slept peacefully.”
“That’s nice to hear.” Her thoughts were interrupted as the flight attendant moved about the cabin, cleaning away the empty cans, coffee cups, and what not. “How far of a drive is it to your parents’?”
“It all depends. I’d say about an hour or so.”
“I can’t wait to meet your family.”
“I can’t either. One thing’s for sure, I don’t think you’ll get the grilling like I did with Rowena and Miles.”
She chuckled. “They were pretty intense, that’s for sure.”
“They love you and want to make sure you’re not involved with an ax murderer.”
“Ax murderer?” She laughed. “Where did that come from?”
“First thing that entered my mind.”
Hand-in-hand they left the plane and made their way to the luggage claim area. There, leaning against the wall, was Philippe. She noticed him first. “Hey, isn’t that your brother?”
A shocked look crossed Ryne’s face. She wasn’t the least bit surprised when he pulled him into a one-armed embrace. Slapping him on the back, he asked, “What are you doing here? I rented a car.”
“I thought you’d be exhausted after the party and your early morning flight, so I decided to meet you instead of worrying about you driving out to the ranch.” She sensed Ryne’s concern as he listened to his brother. She knew Philippe didn’t want them to have an accident like he had and lose the brother that meant so much to him. She stayed back while they reconnected, then Ryne motioned to her.
She pasted a smile on her face even though she was exhausted and could barely function. She was excited to meet his family, especially Philippe, and hoped she could aid him in his recovery. “Phil, this is Jennifer Steele.” He draped his arm around her. “Jen, my brother Philippe.” She reached out, but instead of being the recipient of a handshake, she found herself pulled into a warm hug.
“It’s nice to meet you, Philippe. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Not all good, I’m sure.”
She giggled at his comment. “I haven’t heard a bad thing other than the times you tried to out-maneuver Ryne on the pond behind your house. What was it, Ryne? He hip checked you into a snow bank.”
“That was a long time ago, Jennifer. I think we got past that.”
“Really now. What about your last game against the Generals? I was there and saw how you rammed your brother into the boards.”
“I was showing him some brotherly love.”
“That’s what you call it,” Ryne chimed in as he made his way to the luggage carousel to secure their bags.
“That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. Here let me get that for you.” Philippe took charge of her luggage, pulling it behind him while Ryne waited for his last bag.
“I’m thrilled that we’re finally getting a chance to meet you. My mother is a nervous wreck.”
“Nervous? Why would she be nervous?”
“Because my dear brother has never brought anyone home to the ranch. Consider yourself pretty special.” She turned and caught Ryne’s eye as he reached for his luggage.
“Well, he’s pretty special to me too.” She waited for Ryne to catch up and then followed Philippe.
Piling into his SUV, she took the back seat so the brothers could have a chance to talk. She watched the countryside pass as they exited Calgary and made their way to the outskirts of town where she knew the ranch was located. It seemed like they drove forever before he slowed and took a right turn.
As they made their way down a dirt road, dust flew up all around, covering them in a fog of sorts. It was just as she felt with little to no sleep. He slowed the car as he approached some ruts. “We need to smooth this out while I’m home,” said Ryne. “What have you been doing since the season ended? Catching flies?”
“I guess you could call it that,” Philippe murmured as he drove on. She knew the anniversary of Annabelle’s death was fast approaching and could only imagine the pain he must be enduring, reliving their wedding and her death. Five years of marriage was a milestone to celebrate, but unfortunately not in his case. Five years marked the beginning of his downward spiral that few knew of. Thankfully, he wasn’t a drinker, according to his brother. He became reclusive and never shared his thoughts or feelings with anyone except Ryne. She hoped to be able to help him open up and begin to face his life without the love of his life. Time would tell, but deep in her heart she knew she could convince him to move on. Grief was an ugly animal and everyone handled it in their own way. Some were able to talk about their feelings while others shuffled them under the carpet and promised to face them another day; however, in many cases that day never came. It was often pushed further down the road as their recovery grew longer by the day, the year.
She was someone who knew what he was experiencing. She knew the rage she felt when she thought about her parents’ accident. She knew what it was like to have your dreams crash right before your eyes, to have your world upended without notice. In the early days after their death, she’d survived, but barely, and to this day often wondered how. Some days she still missed them with every breath she took. She’d been lucky to have her grandparents by her side, but when she returned home, she often found herself rolled into a ball in a fit of tears. She questioned how she’d made it through the first few days, weeks, and, now, years.
She needed him to know that he wasn’t alone in this world. He had his family and, most especially, Ryne whom he could talk to— to share his sense of loss with. This family wouldn’t think any less of him— that’s for sure. They were there to support him in the good times and the bad. He needed to understand that his support system wasn’t going anywhere and that he should use it and not carry the burden of his loss solely on his shoulders. His family also lost an important member. She needed him to see that, but most importantly he needed to know he wasn’t alone in his recovery.
They drove for what seemed like miles when Philippe slowed again and turned onto a paved drive. They passed through a massive set of gates and under a sign that read Storms Corner. She imagined that was a play on the team his father and now sons played for. They continued for what seemed like miles before she saw the roofline in the distance. They rounded a curve and came through a clearing, and there before her eyes stood Ryne’s childhood home. It was gorgeous and massive; it had to be with housing seven children.
Philippe brought the car to a stop. Before anyone could utter a word, the front door flew open, and a woman dashed from the house. She guessed it was his mother by the way she ran towards the car waving her arms. She was tall and thin with dark hair that swept her shoulders. She was chockfull with energy and had a bright smile that filled her face. “That’s Mom,” he uttered as he opened the door.
“Ryne, dear, you made it safely.”
“That we did. We have our driver here to thank for that.” Jen wasn’t the least bit surprised to watch the scene unfold before her eyes. His mother pulled him into her arms. Jen knew Ryne hadn’t been home in some time, but the welcome he received was definitely something she wouldn’t forget. It was like a long-lost child had returned to the fold.
She opened the car door and slowly stepped out, unsure what type of greeting she’d receive. She soon felt Philippe’s hand on her arm as he led her to his mother. Ryne reached for her. With her back to his chest, he placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt her nerves lessen somewhat as he introduced her. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Jennifer Steele. Jen, my mom, Jacklynne.” A broad smile crossed his mother’s face. Jen could tell she was holding he
r excitement in, but that lasted for only a heartbeat.
His mother hesitated and then reached for Jen. Pulling her into a welcoming embrace, she said, “Finally, my dear. I’m so happy you were able to come to the ranch. We’ve been anxiously waiting to meet you.” The embrace lasted all of ten seconds, but as his mother released her, she felt a sense of melancholy overcome her. She hadn’t felt a mother’s embrace in eight long years. Jacklynne wasn’t her mother but she was Ryne’s. Their first meeting was extremely special to her, and she knew she’d always remember it.
Jen looked back at Ryne as his mother wrapped her arm around her and led her into the house. In the initial moments, she felt accepted. She caught a satisfied expression on Ryne’s face.
The next thing she was aware of, she was being led onto the back deck of the house where his father and siblings stood waiting. “We didn’t want to overwhelm you at the door,” Jacklynne said as she escorted her over to Ryne’s father. “Jacques.”
Jacklynne didn’t get a chance to utter another word as Jen was pulled into a second welcoming embrace. “Jennifer, I am so happy to meet you. We all are.” Jacques surprised her and kissed her cheek. “We’ve heard so much about you. It’s been too long since our son told us he was dating you. I welcome you to our home.” Jacques pulled away and led her towards his children.
She sought Ryne’s eye and noticed how his mother was holding onto his arm. He winked at her and had a look of approval on his face as his father introduced her. She was consumed with emotion. Being an only child, she didn’t know how to react. She hoped they accepted her as easily as his parents seemed to.
“Jennifer, or would you rather be called Jen,” he asked.
“Either is fine with me.”
“Good,” he exclaimed as he smiled back at her. She realized Ryne had the same smile as his father. His eyes squinted somewhat as he smiled, and he had fine lines around his eyes too. “Jen, please meet Emma, she’s our youngest.” Emma was adorable as she didn’t know whether to shake her hand or hug her, so instead of doing either she waved.
“Rafael is our middle child, and he plays for the Arizona Tide.” He reached out and shook her hand. “Next here is Jules. Jules is a sophomore and attends Ryne’s alma mater. He plays for UW.”
“You’re following in his footsteps.”
“Trying,” Jules shyly smiled.
“Olivia is our second youngest and is a sophomore in high school.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jen,” she said as she pulled her into a hug. Jen smiled at his sister as she moved down the line.
“And last but not least is Ryne’s twin, Etienne. He plays alongside Philippe for the Storm.”
She caught herself as she looked into his eyes—the same exact eyes she’d stared into hundreds of times. He looked almost identical to Ryne. She really didn’t know what hit her, he moved so quickly and pulled her into a hug. “Finally we meet— Ryne talks nonstop about you.”
“Hey there, brother, don’t get too close to my girl.” Everyone laughed at Ryne’s comment as he made his way to her side. She reached for him and slipped her arm around his waist.
“I’m thrilled to meet all of you. I hope there isn’t a test after this.” Everyone roared with laughter. Ryne leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I think the only names I’ll probably get correctly are Philippe’s and of course Etienne’s since you look exactly alike.” She turned back to his mother. “How did you tell them apart?”
“It’s my little secret.” She chuckled and reached for Jen’s hand. “I’m sure you’re hungry. Follow me and we’ll have lunch.” She clasped her hand and they ambled back into the house. Surprisingly no one followed. She wasn’t sure what their delay was.
“Jen, I just want to say one thing. You must be a very special person to my Ryne. He’s never brought anyone home before. In fact, outside of high school, I’ve never met any of his girlfriends. I’m not going to inundate you with questions, but what I would like to do while you’re here is have a nice chat. I want to get to know you, and I want you to know me.”
“Thank you,” she said as she hugged his mother. “That means an awfully lot to me.”
Before she knew it, the sun was setting on her first day on the ranch. After lunch, Ryne had forced her to take a nap. He led her upstairs to the guest room. Philippe had already delivered her luggage there. “If you need me, I’m right across the hall. I think I’ll take a nap too. I don’t think I slept a minute on the plane.”
She reached up and caressed his face. “You do look tired.”
“Thanks.’
“I’m not going to lie, you do.” She leaned up and kissed him. “Just for the record, I love your family. I feel so welcomed.”
“No inquisition for you.”
“Thankfully, no.” She tried to suppress a yawn.
“Go to bed and I’ll see you in a little while.” She hugged him one last time and closed the door. So far, so good. I’m really liking his family.
She took a short nap and when she awakened, the sun sat low on the horizon. It was much later than she expected. She jumped from bed, ran her fingers through her hair, and rushed from her room right into Ryne’s arms.
“I was just coming to check on you. I was getting worried. It’s almost eight.”
“Eight at night?” He nodded. “I slept a lot longer than I intended.” She reached up and smoothed her hand along his jaw. “What about you, did you get any sleep?” She noticed the dark circles under his eyes but decided not to comment.
“I tried, but I couldn’t, so instead I went for a ride with Philippe.”
“And?”
“He’s doing okay.”
“I still want to talk to him.”
“I know and I hope that you’ll find the right time and place. Come on, I’d like to show you around a little. Mom’s planning a late dinner.”
“I hope not on account of me.”
“No, we tend to eat late during the summer months since daylight is on our side.” He grabbed ahold of her hand and led her down the stairs and out the back door.
“Don’t we need to tell your mom we’re leaving?”
“Nah, I already told her.” He pulled her close as he led her down a path behind the house. She was in awe of the beauty that surrounded her. The grasses blew in the light breeze. They’d walked for about fifteen minutes when they came upon the pond he’d told her about.
“So this is where you learned that infamous slap shot of yours?”
“I wouldn’t call it infamous, but yeah. We came out here every day after school and spent a good part of our weekends when we weren’t practicing or playing a game. Fun times.”
“I would think so.” He led her towards a bench that sat beside the water’s edge. Several Canada geese swam across the water, causing a beautiful ripple as the last rays of sun gleamed across it. She took a deep breath of the fresh air.
“It’s beautiful here. I can see why you love it so.”
“I do and I miss it when I’m not here.”
“How often do you come home?”
“Not as often as I like. I always spend several weeks during the summer helping out. With training and all, it’s difficult, but I work it in. Sometimes during the holidays, we have a stretch of off games and we get time to be with our families. I always take advantage of it although oftentimes Philippe, Etienne, and Rafael may not be here. Right now, Jules gets time off, but when he reaches the NHL, my mom will have one less mouth to feed during that time.”
“I’m sure she misses all of you being together. You seem pretty close.”
“We are close. We joke around a lot, but at the end of the day we’re all here for one another. I know it’s hard on my mom because she wants us all home during the holidays, but oftentimes it’s just not meant to be.”
She reached for his hand. “What have you told your parents about me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do they know about my parents?”
&n
bsp; “No, I haven’t told them. We’ve never really talked in detail about us. I’ve told them about the fundraiser and that you’re a teacher, but other than that I didn’t think it was necessary.”
“Aren’t they curious about my upbringing?”
“If they are, they’ll ask. I wouldn’t worry about it. When the time is right they’ll know.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Tomorrow I’d like to take you for ride if you’re up for it.”
“That sounds nice. I’ll bring my camera.”
They sat in quiet, enjoying the last rays of light as the sun drifted off the horizon. He tipped his head at her. “I guess we should go back. I’m sure dinner’s about ready.”
Arm-in-arm, they walked back to the house. She definitely could get used to this setting. It was so quiet and peaceful. She knew she could get lost with her camera in the beauty that surrounded her.
The next day it rained. So instead of their horseback ride, they watched a marathon of movies. Jacklynne kept them all supplied with popcorn, and at the end of the day Jen felt more a part of the family. They’d accepted her with open arms and the more she was around them, the more she learned.
Emma, being the baby of the family, was just that— the baby. She was pretty much spoiled and got everything and anything she wanted. Jen came to that conclusion when it came to choosing what they wanted to watch. After much conversation, they agreed to a Scooby-Doo marathon. It brought the adults in the room back to their childhood and everyone, including Philippe, seemed to enjoy it.
After a while, they switched on the NHL channel and watched a replay of the Stanley Cup finals. Even though they knew the outcome, everyone got into the action including Jacklynne. She was a huge hockey fan. After driving the boys around for practices and games, she wasn’t tired of the sport. She thrived on it and relished in the start of the new season.
At dinner, the conversation shifted to Ryne. “Son, how’s the rehab going?”
