Still the One

by Belle Calhoune

  Wyatt jerked his chin in the direction of Brian, who was talking Tess' ear off. “So that's her type, huh?”

  Ryder ground his teeth. “What gives you that idea?”

  Wyatt splayed out his hands on the table. “See the way she's laughing? She's tilting her head back and exposing her neck. That's a sign that she likes him. She's inviting him in to her world.”

  He shook his head and scoffed. “Where do you get these things? Off a Cracker Jack box?”

  Wyatt pointed his finger in Tess and Brian's direction. “And see how she's looking up at him? Batting those lashes of hers?” He nodded knowingly. “That's a sure sign.”

  Ryder batted Wyatt's finger so he was no longer pointing it at Tess. “Put your finger down before she sees you. I don't want her to think we're talking about them.”

  “What are you so sensitive about? It's Tess. She won't care.”

  “But I will,” he muttered. He glanced back over in Tess' direction, trying to make it look casual. Brian was moving ever closer to her, clearly trying to make a connection between them. The very thought of it made his blood boil. It was an odd feeling for him, considering he was a pacifist. Growing up in the large, bustling Donahue family he'd always been the peacemaker. As the oldest it had been his job to keep the peace, even when they'd been at each other's throats. And he liked Brian. Or at least he had before tonight. He was a regular, salt of the earth guy. Hard-working. Congenial. Regular. And the very sight of him was making his stomach turn.

  “Why don't you take a picture?” Wyatt teased. “It'll last longer.” Ryder rolled his eyes at Wyatt. As kids they'd always used that expression when someone was caught staring. He hadn't heard it in years. Leave it to Wyatt to bring up something like that.

  Ryder frowned at his brother. “Don't you have anything better to do than mess with me?”

  Wyatt pointed to his crutches and shook his head. “I can't really shake my groove thing on the dance floor, so my options are limited. What's your excuse for not dancing?”

  Truth was, he didn't really have an excuse other than the fact that his preferred dance partner was already cutting a rug with someone else. But, she had promised him a dance this morning. Perhaps it was time to take her up on that offer.

  “No excuse at all,” he mumbled as he shot up from his seat, earning himself a startled look from Wyatt. Before he could change his mind, Ryder strode towards Tess and Brian, his head and his heart all jumbled up. Why did it seem as if it was paramount to get Tess away from her admirer? Why was his heart thumping like crazy?

  “Hey Tess, remember that dance you promised me?” Tess' eyes went wide, and without even sparing Brian a passing glance, he clasped Tess' hand in his own and whisked her off towards the middle of the dance floor. For the first time since he'd entered the reception hall, he finally felt a feeling of peace settle around him as he cradled Tess in his arms.

  *

  Gliding across the dance floor with Ryder as he cradled her against his chest was as close to perfection as it got for Tess. When he'd cut in on her dance with Brian, she'd wanted to weep with joy. There was something so safe and powerful about dancing cheek-to-cheek with Ryder. And even though she knew it wasn't romantic for him, it felt like a little slice of heaven to her. For these brief moments she could pretend that he felt the same way about her as she'd always felt for him. She could fantasize that they were in love, head over heels for one another. She could nuzzle against him and dream about Ryder never letting go of her.

  “If looks could kill I'd be a goner,” Ryder whispered. His lips were tantalizingly near to her ear, which caused goose bumps to pop up on her arms.

  She raised her head up to look at him, struck dumb by his close proximity and his sky-blue eyes. “W-what do you mean?”

  Ryder raised an eyebrow and let loose with a deep throated chuckle. “Brian isn't very happy that I cut in on you so that I could dance with you. He's standing off to the side glaring at me.”

  Tess snuck a glance over at Brian, who was standing with his arms folded across his chest, an angry expression etched on his face. She tucked her face into Ryder's chest and began to giggle. Hard as she tried, she couldn't stop herself. Brian resembled a little kid who hadn't gotten his way on the playground. She half expected him to stomp his foot in indignation. It didn't bother her, since she was right where she wanted to be at the moment.

  When she looked up at Ryder he was gazing down at her with a pleased expression on his face. “I love the way you laugh. It's a total celebration of joy.”

  She basked in the compliment, buoyed by the fact that there was something about her he found attractive. When she'd gotten dressed earlier for the wedding her thoughts had been full of Ryder. Would he like her dress? Would he think she looked pretty? Would he approve of her hair being swept up in a formal style? She let out a sigh, wishing she didn't care quite so much about Ryder's opinion.

  Ryder frowned. “What's the sigh for? I didn't even ask you if you wanted to keep dancing with Brian. Did I overstep?”

  “No! Of course not,” she quickly reassured him. “I love dancing with you. Brian seems like a nice guy, but he's not my type.”

  He quirked his mouth, causing her to focus in on the full shape of his mouth. It was a mouth meant for kissing. “So you do have a type.”

  “Doesn't everyone?” Her heart was beating faster now. Little did he know that she preferred dark haired men with muscles for days and cornflower-blue eyes.

  “Mind sharing what it is?” he asked as he twirled her around past the live band.

  She wanted to let out a loud groan. If he only knew. Tall, dark and handsome...with a dash of hero. “Well, he has to be kind. And funny. And faithful. Not only to me, but I want someone who believes in the Lord. I want someone who wants to do good things in his community like build houses with Habitat for Humanity or members of his congregation. And of course he has to be dashingly handsome.”

  Ryder snorted. “Is that all? No wonder you're still single.”

  As soon as the words tumbled out of Ryder's mouth she felt her spirits sink like a torpedoed boat. Although she had the type of tight friendship with Ryder that involved ribbing and teasing, this comment hit her square in the gut. Perhaps because she was feeling incredibly vulnerable about her feelings for Ryder and her single and alone status. Perhaps because all her feelings were sitting right on the edge, ready to burst at the slightest provocation. Her emotions were sitting right on the surface. Regardless, she felt as if she'd been kicked in the gut. Tears sprung to her eyes and she furiously blinked them away. The thought of Ryder seeing them was humiliating.

  “Thanks,” she whispered. “You really know how to lift a girl up.” She pushed at his chest and walked away from him, her long legs carrying her away from the dance floor like quicksilver. Through a haze of tears, she pushed through the reception hall doors and made her way towards the vestibule.

  She sucked in a deep breath. The raw feeling was still there, settled firmly against her heart. He'd hurt her feelings with his casually tossed out comment. She knew he hadn't meant to, but her emotions were all over the place today. Perhaps she'd overreacted to his comment, but whether he realized it or not, it had hit her in her weak spot. Most days she put up a good front and hid her vulnerabilities behind a mask, but she ached inside. Loving someone who didn't love you back was soul crushing. It had gotten so bad that most nights she got on her knees and prayed her feelings for Ryder would evaporate. But, of course, they hadn't. They were as strong as ever. Then in the morning she had to go to work and face him as if he was merely a friend and co-worker.

  In her heart and soul, he was so much more.

  Perhaps it was time for her to move on. Maybe it was time to pack up her things and leave town. Just the thought of it caused a squeezing sensation in her chest. Breeze Point was really the only home she'd ever known. The hometown in New Hampshire she grew up in was filled with nothing more than bad memories and a profound sense of alienation. Looking
into the eyes of the man she loved beyond all reason had shown her she might not have a choice about walking away from this town she'd made her own.

  As if through a wind tunnel, she heard Ryder calling her name. Her steps became quicker. Before she could disappear into the ladies’ room she felt a strong grip on her upper arm. She found herself being spun around, then coming face-to-face with Ryder as he gazed down at her. His face radiated confusion and a look of remorse that immediately pulled at her heartstrings.

  “Don'tever be too proud to apologize, son. Real men say they're sorry. And mean it.” Alec Donahue

  Chapter Three

  By the time he'd recovered from being abandoned on the dance floor, Ryder had lost sight of Tess. At first he'd thought she was kidding around, but after her hand squarely connected with his chest, he'd realized she was upset. He wasn't too sure what was going on with her, but she'd seemed on edge ever since this morning. Hopefully, nothing was wrong. He frowned at the thought of something being seriously wrong in Tess' world. At the moment, all he wanted to do was find her so he could help out with whatever was going on.

  When a quick scan of the room failed to reveal Tess, he began scouring the main hall looking for her. Just as he was about ready to give up, he decided to check the lounge area reserved for private parties at the Cove. Tess was walking by one of the huge panoramic windows, looking as if she wanted to escape the venue. He quickly caught up to her and pulled her towards him.

  “Hey, what was that all about? You know I didn't mean anything by that comment.” She was standing with her arms wrapped around her middle. For some reason she looked like a little girl, despite her makeup and fancy attire. He was used to her being tough, but at the moment she resembled a wounded bird. The trembling of her lips caused a feeling of protectiveness to sweep over him.

  She wouldn't make eye contact with him. Ryder reached down and raised her chin up as he gazed down at her, mumbling apologies one after another. “Please forgive me. Tess, I didn't mean it the way it came out. I've been a bear all day. Any man would be so blessed to have a woman like you in their life.”

  “Yeah, right,” she muttered, her striking features radiating skepticism. “You're beautiful. Gorgeous actually. And you're great company. You have a killer sense of humor and a great personality. A man would have to be crazy to not want to be with you.”

  The words slid out of his mouth like a rushing river. Had he really said all that? He'd never spoken like that to Tess before. He meant every single word. Tess was a prize, to be treasured and nurtured for all time. The guy who ended up with her would be blessed for all the days of his life. Just the thought of it caused tension to bubble up inside him. It killed him to think of Tess settling down into married bliss with another man.

  Everything stilled for a moment between them. She was looking up at him with her electric green eyes that were moist with emotion. In that single moment he wanted to erase all the pain and discomfort she was feeling. An electric current flowed in the air between them. It pulsed and hummed around them. The tension was as thick as a fog shrouded road. With a groan, Ryder closed the gap between them, then lowered his head and placed his lips on hers. She raised her hands to his chest, drawing him down even closer towards her. As his lips moved over hers he reveled in the tangy sweetness of her lips, the lovely floral scent of her hair and the feel of her mouth as he claimed it. He couldn't remember a time when he'd felt a stronger sense of coming home.

  *

  The kiss was filled with a sweet yearning and a tenderness she'd never felt with any other man. As the kiss deepened and soared she felt herself swept away with a joyful feeling. Finally, after years of loving this man, she was being swept up in his arms. He was kissing her! And she was kissing him back.

  Before she was quite ready to let go of Ryder he pulled away from her, abruptly ending the kiss. Confusion flooded her as she saw the tension etched on his face. His hands were folded across his chest and he was tightly clenching his jaw. He emitted a vibe of dissatisfaction, yet another blow to her already fragile ego.

  He shook his head, clearly displeased with himself. “That shouldn't have happened.”

  “Why not?” she blurted out. It was the best kiss of her life, bar none. What did he mean it shouldn't have happened?

  “We're friends, Tess. Certain lines shouldn't be crossed between us. All I can say in my defense is that it's been a chaotic day for me, emotionally.” He threw his hands up in the air. “That doesn't excuse me making such a big mistake, though.”

  She felt her insides churning. A slow, burning anger began to burn inside her. A big mistake? His defense? Why did he need a defense against kissing her? Was there something so inferior about her that he felt the need to give a speech against it? Anger, pulsing and swift, pushed to the surface.

  She let out a harsh laugh. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  She'd waited years for moment, and now she was crushed to discover that it had been an impulsive act that Ryder deeply regretted. At the moment she felt lower than a caterpillar's belly. How could she have been lifted so high by his kiss, then dropped back down to Earth so quickly with one word from Ryder?

  Ryder frowned. “You sound mad. All I can do is say I'm sorry.”

  She folded her arms across her chest as a protective gesture. “You are sorry, Ryder. Completely, totally sorry. And clueless as the day you were born. Let me say this, though. If you wanted to make me feel like a piece of gum on the bottom of your shoe, then you succeeded. Congratulations.” She moved away from him, shrugging off his attempts to lightly grasp her by her wrist.

  “Tess, wait,” he pleaded. “You're blowing this out of proportion.”

  She wrenched her arm away from him. “Let go of me. I wouldn't want you to have to spend a single second more with someone who is such a colossal mistake.” Whirling around, she beat a fast path away from him, blocking out the sound of his voice as he urgently called after her. Although Ryder Donahue had her firmly wrapped around his finger, this was one time she wasn't going to listen to a single word he had to say.

  *

  Tess had made things crystal clear. She didn't have a single thing to say to him. Several times he'd tried to approach her in the reception hall, but she'd given him the cold shoulder. Desperate to repair the frosty situation, he'd enlisted the help of two of his brothers. As far as relationships went, Remy and Nick were the ones to ask. Blue had recently gotten his act together and ended up with the love of his life, but he was busy at the moment attending to his guests. Brandon's current relationship with a supermodel was a disaster waiting to happen, while Wyatt floated from woman to woman. Mac avoided relationships like the plague, while he himself hadn't ventured into the relationship pond since Lena.

  Remy knew how to woo women in his sleep, while Nick had a charming vibe that appealed to the opposite sex. As far as he was concerned, they were experts.

  “Could you repeat that? Just one more time.”

  Ryder heaved a gigantic sigh. He'd already told the story twice to Remy and Nick. Nick kept putting his head in his hands while Remy had asked him several times to repeat his conversation with Tess.

  “Are you sure you were never dropped on your head as a baby?” Remy's handsome features were contorted in amazement. His lips were curled upwards in disgust.

  He shot Remy his most awesome glare. “What are you talking about?”

  “You told a woman that you'd just kissed it was a huge mistake.” Incredulity rang out in Remy's voice. “You're either a bit slow in the head or utterly clueless about women. Maybe both.”

  Nick shook his head. “Man, you're lucky that you're still breathing.”

  “You've got this all wrong. It wasn't like that. It's Tess we're talking about. You know, my partner. My best friend.” Both Nick and Remy had their mouths open and they were just staring at him without saying a word.

  Finally, Nick broke. “If she's such a good friend,” He held up his fingers to add air quotes, “then w
hy did you kiss her?”

  Ryder scratched his chin, deep in thought. Why had he kissed Tess? They'd had a moment between them where everything had hushed and stilled. In that moment he'd felt as if nothing had mattered but the two of them. The urge to kiss her, to connect with her, had been powerful. But he wasn't about to tell his brothers that astonishing fact. No way! If he did, he'd never live it down.

  “She was upset about something I said.” He shrugged, fumbling for words. “I guess I just crossed the line when I was trying to comfort her.”

  Remy let out a snort. “And you're actually surprised she's upset. Even if you felt that way you should never have said it out loud. You really put your foot in your mouth.”

  “I did, didn't I?” In his confusion over the kiss he'd blurted out an apology without even thinking about Tess' feelings. It had sounded like she wasn't kiss worthy, which of course, was the very opposite of the truth. Tess was extremely kissable. Kissing her had been like capturing lightning in a bottle. The chemistry between them was off the charts. It had surprised him, delighted him, and then surprised him some more. As it settled in, it had shocked him to his core. He'd fumbled badly in the aftermath of the kiss. He couldn't remember a time when Tess had been so angry at him. The look of betrayal on her face gutted him. Her silence was the ultimate punishment. Being with Tess and enjoying the camaraderie and lively conversation between them was a huge part of his life. A feeling of sadness settled over him at the thought of losing it. Of losing Tess.

  Lord, help me figure things out before I make a mess of everything between us. I can't deal with the thought of losing my best friend. I've already lost way too much in my lifetime.

  “So why did you kiss her?” Nick asked, his face twisted in confusion.

  “Stop asking me that,” Ryder said through clenched teeth. His brothers were poking around at him and asking questions he didn't feel qualified to answer. Why had he kissed Tess? It was the million dollar question, one he had no idea how to fully answer. Remy and Nick exchanged loaded glances, which irritated him all the more.