by Robyn M Ryan
“Honey, you are an adult. You’ve made the most important decision of your life. Don’t spend energy worrying about how we feel.”
“How do you feel? Are we still where we left things last fall?”
“I’ve missed you terribly, Caryn. But I am so very proud of you. You chose love—that’s never a mistake.” Suzanne thought for a moment. “I know your father misses you, though he doesn’t come out and say it. He does keep up with you in his way. You’re finishing your degree. He knows you changed your area of emphasis.”
“I did. I took some graphics courses and am learning about digital media. I think I have more of your creative genes than Dad’s analytical side.”
Suzanne laughed. “I suspected that for years. I’m delighted you took a chance to discover your true talents.”
“Was Dad angry I deviated from the plan?” Caryn sipped her lemonade, trying to mask her nervousness.
“Stop worrying about how either of us feels about decisions you make. Be proud you stand on your own and make your own choices.”
Caryn could picture her mother’s expression and sighed. “Will you and Dad welcome Andrew into the family? Truly welcome him? Or are we just going to continue the way it’s been?”
“Let’s begin with communication. I miss you. Your father misses you; it’s not as if you never existed. Christmas was painful. I didn’t decorate at all—we just visited with our parents, then went to Paris for the holidays.”
“Romantic.”
“No, it was all rather dreary and depressing.” Suzanne changed the subject abruptly. “Have you and Andrew set a date?”
“Next summer, after graduation. That’s it so far.”
“Summer weddings are beautiful—no matter where you decide to hold the ceremony.” Suzanne paused. “Would you like me to talk with your father? Or do you want to tell him?”
Caryn hesitated. “I’ll tell him. Is he at the office?”
“No, actually he’s on his way home from a quick trip to Vancouver. I’ll ask him to call you—it may be tonight or tomorrow. Just remember, you do not need his permission to live your dreams.”
***
As expected, her next two calls to her grandparents took much longer, answering questions about Andrew, when they’d get to meet him, promising to send a photo and visit before the end of the summer. She spoke to her mother’s parents first. Her pépé eagerly anticipated meeting Drew—no surprise, he knew him and lamented that he wasn’t traded to the Canadiens. Her mémé’s questions caused Caryn to flush, glad that they had slipped into French.
She asked her grandma and grandpa “at the farm” to not say anything until she had a chance to talk with her dad. Caryn agreed when her grandma asked permission to host a small celebration when she and Andrew visited. She knew so many of their neighbors and looked forward to introducing Drew.
She set the phone aside, exhausted after only three calls. She leaned back in the chair, sipping her drink, her mind swirling with all the shared happiness. She glimpsed Andrew opening the patio door and called to him to join her.
“Your calls went well?” She held her hand toward him.
“Just spoke with my grandparents. I need a break. Too much happiness, it’s exhausting.”
“Tell me about it.” She pulled him next to her so he perched on the arm of the chair. “My mom’s dad, my pépé, knows who you are. He said the Habs should have traded for you.” She glanced at him with a smile. “Warned you. And my mémé is looking forward to talking with you. She’s going to test your French.”
“Anything I need to know?”
“She prefers le français parisien…”
“Mmm, I may need a refresher. The guys on the teams I know definitely speak Québécois.”
“Once you flash those blue eyes at her, you’ll be fine. Just practice your ‘enchanté’s’ and multi-cheek kisses. Oh, and we’ll practice ‘Madame Martineau.’” She leaned against him. “They are all going to love you. My dad’s parents want to throw a little celebration when we visit. Guess we’ll have to start scheduling our visits. Training camp’s going to be starting before too long.”
“Six weeks. We have time to make the grandparent rounds and go wherever you decide for our vacation trip. Did you get your parents?”
“My mom. She seems happy and wanted to know if we’d set a date.” She shrugged. “She said I didn’t need approval or permission to marry you, that I was capable of making my own decisions. I just don’t know, Drew. My dad’s on his way back from Vancouver. He’ll call tonight or tomorrow. I guess that’s when I’ll find out if they’re willing to accept us or if things will just stay the way they are.”
Andrew lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “If your mom’s happy, your dad might surprise you. Somehow I don’t think you learned your power of persuasion from your dad.”
“What power of persuasion?” Caryn feigned ignorance.
He didn’t reply, his blue eyes meeting hers, causing her heart to skip a beat as he smiled knowingly.
“Look who’s talking.” She lifted his hand to press it against her lips. “I’m going to call Lauren next. Have you told Dave or Jim?”
“Not yet. Can you trust her not to publish this on Twitter or Facebook?”
Caryn shrugged as she suppressed a giggle. “I’m going to ask her to be my maid of honor—I’ll tell her that discretion is mandatory or I’ll choose a hideous bridesmaid dress for her.”
“My cue to go for a quick run. You need anything while I’m out?”
“Just you. Don’t be too long.” He pulled her to her feet and kissed her gently. “Let’s go out and celebrate tonight. I’ll make reservations. That should complete my backwards proposal.” At her quizzical look, he laughed. “Proposed and then we have the romantic dinner.”
“It’s absolutely perfect.”
THIRTY-NINE
Caryn was still chatting with Lauren when Andrew returned over an hour later. He gave her a knowing look and a wink as he headed toward the kitchen for water. “Busted,” she said to her friend. “Drew’s already home.”
Lauren laughed. “I hear ya’. I’m going to pick up some brides magazines and start sending you ideas. Summer weddings give you so many possibilities. Helping you narrow your ideas to a dozen or so will be my first official act as your Maid of Honor. That and choosing the bridesmaid dresses.”
“Remember, don’t tell anyone until I give you the okay.”
“Cross my heart.”
Caryn set her phone on the table and followed Andrew to the kitchen. “Good run?” she asked as she accepted the water bottle he offered.
“You look like you just ran a marathon,” he said, biting back a grin.
“I adore Lauren, but I am exhausted. I think she may have missed her calling as a wedding planner. I don’t even know where we’ll get married and she’s on her way to buy bridal magazines.” Caryn leaned against the counter. “I know this much—I’m not making all these decisions on my own. It’s going to be our wedding.”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Caryn shook her head. “No copping out, Andrew. You need to help me choose a place that will be easy for your parents. I don’t know how far they can travel…”
“With a private jet, they can go anywhere. That would not be a problem, Cary.” He stepped closer to her. “We can take over one of those all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean.”
“And then have everyone there for our honeymoon?”
“Hell, no! We’ll leave them there and head somewhere else.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Paris. The most romantic place I can imagine…if you’ll get on the plane with me.”
“If you promise to hold my hand the entire flight—but I’m not spending our wedding night on an airplane.”
“Never considered that.” Andrew tipped her chin and leaned to kiss her. “You know, airplanes do have seats that convert into private sleeping areas.”
She look
ed at him dubiously. “And you know that how?”
“When we played in Europe last fall. The league big shots got the first class cabin—I’ve never seen anything like that setup. So, theoretically we could…”
“No way.” Caryn’s tone was adamant. “It’s not that private.”
Andrew laughed heartily “Leave the wedding night plans to me, babe. You will not be disappointed.”
Caryn slipped her arms around his waist. “Don’t laugh, but you know where I was thinking we could get married?”
“Tell me.”
She tipped her face toward him. “Where we first met, where you proposed.” She waited for his teasing retort, but his response surprised her.
“I like it. That place means a lot to me, too.”
“Can you imagine, late evening, candles and sparkly white lights, white tent, music…?”
“And the beautiful bride breaking hearts as we say our vows.”
Caryn felt her face flushing. “You’re the one who’ll be breaking hearts, Drew. I read the letters that women want to post on your Facebook page.”
Andrew laughed as he shook his head. “Delusional. Tomorrow, let’s check on using that part of the campus for a wedding—then you can set the date.”
***
After the celebratory dinner, Caryn kicked off her shoes as soon as they stepped through the townhouse’s front door. Her phone played a familiar ringtone in her purse. “That’s my father,” she told Andrew, reluctantly reaching for it. She took a deep breath and hesitated. Please let him be happy for us…maybe even give his blessing.
Andrew pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ll get a drink and wait for you on the patio.”
Caryn nodded, anxiety surging as she pressed the button on her phone. “Dad, hi, how are you? How was your trip?”
“Everything’s fine, Caryn. Your mother said you had some news to share—Are you changing your major again?”
Was that actually a joke? Since when did her father joke about academics? “No, that’s not it…Andrew proposed last night.”
“Shall I assume you said yes?”
“Of course I did.”
“When are the nuptials?”
“Next summer, after graduation. That’s as far as we’ve gotten.”
“So, you love him?”
“More than I ever knew I could love someone.” Caryn’s voice was strong with conviction.
“And you are one hundred percent positive that he feels the same for you?”
“More than one thousand percent positive, Dad. I hope you will get to know him and see why I love him,” Caryn said quietly.
“So, you believe he’s good enough for you?”
Caryn laughed softly. “I’m not sure I’m good enough for him.” She paused a moment. “Will you accept us as part of the family?” She cringed as she awaited his reply, sinking to the chair when she noticed that her hands trembled.
“You never stopped being a member of the family, Caryn. If you and Andrew choose to share your lives with us, we’re open to that.”
“So, you’re saying that you will give Andrew a chance to get to know you and for you to know him?”
“I am.”
“Thank you.” Caryn swallowed a sob that suddenly threatened as she blinked back tears.
“I will expect him to sign a prenuptial agreement.”
“I doubt he’ll have a problem with that,” Caryn said, trying to temper her sudden burst of anger.
“He may ask you to sign one, too.”
“Dad, I don’t care about that. I’ll sign whatever. I just want to spend my life with him.” She let out her breath in a long sigh.
“Get with your mom and pick a convenient time for all of us to get together. It’s time to get to know the man who has obviously claimed your heart.”
Caryn sat for a while absorbing the conversation. Better than she expected, though there were many questions still unanswered. Did this erase the words uttered last fall? Were her parents really ready to accept Andrew as her husband? Would they even come to the wedding? Shoving the negativity aside, she focused on the joy that filled the past twenty-four hours. She poured a glass of wine and stepped onto the patio, smiling and sitting as Andrew patted the chaise lounge. He shifted so she could lean back beside him, his arm drawing her close. She sipped the wine, and then handed the glass to him so he could set it beside his on the table.
“You want to talk about your parents?”
“I’m not sure what to think, Drew. Dad said they’re open to getting to know you, and that I never stopped being part of the family. He said to get with my mom to find a time we can get together. He wants you to sign a prenup.”
“No problem,” Andrew said without hesitation.
She looked directly into his eyes. “He said you may ask me to sign one. I don’t mind if you…” She saw his eyes darken before he cut her off.
“That is not happening, Cary. Number one, I am not marrying you with an escape clause. I intend for us to be together forever. We will share everything in our marriage, good times and the tough times I’m sure we’ll face. And by everything, I mean love, our lives, triumphs, setbacks, finances, whatever. I would never ask you to sign a prenup.”
“I wouldn’t care if you did, Drew. Marrying you is the only thing I want.”
A smile hinted at his mouth. “You want me to sign one for your business?”
“Of course not!”
Andrew closed both arms around her and kissed her. “Besides the prenup stuff, do you think the communication lines are open?”
Caryn shrugged against his chest. “I don’t know, Drew. After all that animosity, everything that happened…I’m not sure I believe him when he says they’re open if we choose to share our lives with them.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“That’s the thing—I honestly don’t know. It’s hard to forget last fall and winter.”
He ran his hand over her hair. “It may take time. But if they are willing to make the effort…”
“I know I should be happy. But I’m afraid to get my hopes up. They were so quick to cut me out of their lives. My mom says she misses me, but why didn’t she call, except that time she wanted to ‘warn me’ about that text my dad was sending? What if we make a decision they don’t agree with? It would probably be easy to cut me, us, off a second time.” Caryn heard the sarcasm in her own voice. She lifted her head and shifted so she could see his eyes. “If we do get together, be sure to flash that blue-eyed smile at my mom. Has it ever failed you?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Caryn punched his arm lightly. “You’re on your own with my dad. The smile will have no effect on him.” She felt the laughter rising in his chest. Caryn joined him as the vision flashed in her mind. “Forget I ever even mentioned that.”
“Gladly.” He pulled her back against him. “One thing at a time, Cary. Things will work themselves out. In the meantime, you’ll have your hands full managing Lauren and planning the wedding.”
“Mmm, next year this time, we’ll be married. Mrs. Caryn Chadwick. I like the sound of that.”
“Not as much as I do.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Think about everything that’s happened since we met. This past year brought the most amazing, incredible woman into my life.”
“Not to mention crashing into the man of my dreams.” Caryn placed her hand over his as she laughed softly. “I wouldn’t change anything if it meant I couldn’t be right here, right now.” She shifted so she could lightly trace his lips with her finger. “I never imagined that love like ours existed, never knew I could experience such happiness.” She guided his lips toward hers. “If this is a dream, please never wake me up.”
“Not a dream…just the beginning of an incredible journey together.” He smiled as his blue eyes captured hers, Caryn’s stomach reacting with its usual twinge as he brushed his lips against hers. She nestled her head against his shoulder, a sm
ile crossing her face. With Drew by her side, Caryn couldn’t wait to see where their journey led.
#
Thank you for taking the time to read This Piece of My Heart. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated. Thank you, Robyn M. Ryan.
Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive pre-release sneak peeks and the upcoming release dates for future books. You can find more information on the following pages.
Other Books by Robyn M. Ryan
This Piece of My Soul
Clearing the Ice, Book Two
A Tampa Suns Hockey Romance
They believe love conquers all.
One of pro-hockey’s golden couples, Andrew and Caryn Chadwick live in the limelight reserved for elite professional athletes. On their second anniversary, Andrew receives an unexpected contract offer to join the Tampa Suns. As they look forward to a new adventure, neither foresees an event that challenges their love and threatens their marriage.
Until it doesn’t.
A sudden and senseless accident threatens Andrew’s life and inexplicably drives a wedge between the couple. Shattered by the incident, paralyzed by fear that it could happen again, Caryn finds herself at odds with her husband and unable to provide the support he needs—at the time he is most vulnerable.
As their perfect world crumbles, each makes choices that take Andrew and Caryn further apart. Distrust, fears, and secrets construct walls. This Piece of My Soul follows the joint and separate paths the couple navigate as each hopes to rediscover the love that can conquer all.
This Piece of Our Being
Clearing the Ice, Book Three
A Tampa Suns Hockey Romance
