Something More (A Well Paired Novel)

by Rice, Marianne

  “Dad.” Ryan covered his face with his hands in disbelief. “I can’t believe you and Mom talked to her about ... about me. That’s ... weird. She’s... You were supposed to be a resource, not her ... matchmaker.”

  “It didn’t happen overnight.”

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “About two months.”

  “You’re talking about Mia?” His mother said from behind. Ryan sighed and hung his head. And here he thought the weekend was going so well.

  “We promised her we wouldn’t say anything to you.”

  “And yet here you are...”

  “I tried to hedge,” his father lifted his shoulders and said to his mother.

  “Hedge? You did a terrible job at it,” Ryan said, returning to his seat.

  “The second you learned I was talking about Mia your entire disposition changed.” Ryan frowned. His father put his arm around his mother, pulling her into his side. “I haven’t seen that lightness since ... for many years.”

  “I can’t believe Mia told you about our relationship.”

  “She didn’t,” his mother said.

  Ryan shook his head in confusion.

  “She told us about you helping her research, and she told us about her kidnapping. The rest we put together. You’re in love with her and blame yourself—”

  “Of course I blame myself!” He shot up out of his chair and paced the patio. “She never would have been hurt if she wasn’t connected to me.”

  “Should your mother and I fear for our lives every day? Is this why you don’t visit anymore? You’re afraid if you’re seen with us our lives will be threatened?”

  “Do we need to live in fear?” his mother asked. Her voice was calm and steady, and even nurturing. No, she wasn’t scared, and for that he was thankful.

  Six years ago, after Sharon and Alex were murdered, he would have said yes. It took months and months of agency-required therapy to finally accept his family didn’t need to go under police protection. “No. Of course not. There’s no reason for that.” He’d hate himself forever if his parents and sister lost the happiness they’d lived with for so many decades.

  “So why is Mia different?” His father asked.

  “Sharon broke your heart, honey. It sounds like Mia was working on fixing it.” His mother had always been observant and all-knowing.

  The sound of a car pulling in the driveway had the three of them turning toward the house. He couldn’t see the car from the back of the house, but heard little screams and knew it was Megan and her family.

  Perfect timing. A welcome distraction.

  His mother placed both palms on his chest and craned her neck to look up at him. “We promise not to say another word about Mia or moving on. Our intentions were never to make you uncomfortable. We love you unconditionally.” She hugged him and moved back so his father could give him a hug as well.

  “We love and respect you, son. You’re a smart man with a good head on his shoulders. We trust you to do what’s best for you. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Listen to your heart and follow it. We’ll be by your side no matter what.” He patted Ryan’s shoulders and walked around the house to the front yard.

  He stayed in the backyard to process while his parents greeted his sister and her family.

  Did they really think he was in love with Mia? They’d never even met her except over the computer, and had never even seen them together. Hell, he and Mia had never even been out on a date before.

  Their trip to Boston didn’t count. That was when they first got to know each other. One outing did not make for a relationship or an opportunity to fall in love.

  It had been just sex, like he’d told her and himself over and over again.

  Only it hadn’t. It was something more. Somewhere between kissing her neck and seeing the joy on her face when she’d finished writing and illustrating her book, he’d fallen in love.

  For weeks he’d been forcing himself to believe his feelings were clouded because of her kidnapping and that it was a case of PTSD that made him think he loved Mia.

  But he’d only been lying to himself. He knew he loved her when he walked away from her after his case had closed.

  “Uncle Ryan!” Michael came running around the side of the house and smacked into his knees.

  “Hey, bud.” He picked up his nephew and tossed him over his shoulder. “Man, you have to stop growing. I’m not going to be able to pick you up anymore.”

  Michael turned seven last spring, and was only ten months older than Alex would have been.

  “Uncle Ryan,” Abby, decked out in a pink tutu, purple sparkly tights and a white shirt with a pink unicorn on it, screeched his name.

  “Hey, princess.” He picked her up with his free arm and tucked her on his hip. “You look beautiful today.”

  “I’m going to do a special an-versry dance for Grandma and Grandpa.”

  “What about me? Do I get to watch you dance as well?”

  Her pigtails bobbed. “Uh huh. And Mommy and Daddy and Michael.”

  “Michael? I haven’t seen your brother. Did you forget him at home?”

  “I’m right here!” Michael wiggled over Ryan’s shoulder and kicked his feet.

  “I hear a noise coming from somewhere.” Ryan looked dramatically from the left to the right, pretending he couldn’t find him.

  “He’s right here.” Abby giggled, patting her brother’s legs.

  “Oh, is that who this is?” He let both kids down and smiled at his sister and his brother-in-law when they approached. “The kids are growing like weeds.”

  He wrapped Megan in a hug and then shook Bill’s hand.

  “We’re glad you could make it down. The kids missed you,” his brother-in-law said matter-of-factly.

  They were all too understanding, too forgiving of the distance he’d put between himself and his family.

  As the weekend wore on, first with the informal barbecue at the house and then a bigger ordeal at a local restaurant where his parents’ closest friends had joined them as well, he couldn’t remember why he thought separating himself from his family had been a good idea.

  When Sunday rolled around, there were sad goodbyes from his niece and nephew, but Ryan promised he’d see them at Thanksgiving next month.

  “You’ve always been a pain in the ass, little brother, but I love you to pieces. It’s good to see you again.”

  “You too, Meg. I’m going to try not to be such a stranger. Promise.”

  “I’d like that. And if this new happy Ryan is because of a girl, I can’t wait to meet her. No pressure, though.” She kissed his cheek and climbed into her car.

  Once they were gone, Ryan turned to his parents.

  “Enjoy your anniversary week away. Has Dad told you where he’s taking you yet?” Every year for the past forty years he’d taken Justine away somewhere. Never too far, especially when he and Megan were little. A few hours away in the early years and of late somewhere along the east coast.

  “Actually,” his mother started, her gaze slipping away, “I do know.”

  “Some place new?”

  “It’s been a while since we’ve been there, and lately it’s come up a lot, so ... we’re going to Maine,” his father said.

  Ryan tried to remain impassive. All his conversations with Mia obviously led him there.

  “Southern Maine,” his mother quickly added. “To see the leaves and the lighthouses. Early October is beautiful in New England. We may drive through the White Mountains in New Hampshire as well.”

  “That was your mother’s idea. We’ve never been, so it’ll be a taste of something new.”

  “I’m sure you two will have a great time. You know, you can always stay at Emerald Pond. I bought the place from gramps to keep it in the family.”

  Tears flooded his mother’s eyes. “We’d like that.” She stroked his cheek with motherly affection. “Not this time. Soon, though.”

  It was the first time he’d
offered the place to his family. The first time he extended an invite, and the emotion ran rampant through his parents’ faces and in their hugs. He slid behind the wheel of his Lexus and tapped his horn as he drove away.

  The drive to New York was a far cry from his drive to Delaware a few days ago. Instead of worry and anxiety, he had time to process the spoken and unspoken advice of his parents and sister.

  He was thirty-six-years-old, single, living in a sterile apartment; he had no friends, no social life, a good job, and was completely unfulfilled.

  And then there was Mia, only a few years younger, living in an apartment that was a quarter of the size of his, yet it felt warm with pictures of her friends and family, artwork on the wall and blankets on the couch.

  And her Big Sexy. Ryan chuckled to himself as he sat in traffic listening to classic rock.

  She had a plethora of friends, yet her career wasn’t stable. She worked for her friends throughout the week and had only recently found her niche in writing and illustrating. Carefree and happy.

  They were complete opposites. She spoke her mind, and her facial expressions and body language gave away every thought that crossed her mind, while Ryan practiced the art of a stony face.

  She wore her heart on her sleeve while he built thick iron walls around his.

  There was mutual attraction, chemistry a mad scientist would love to explore, and when he allowed it, easy conversation.

  He loved how her smile and laugh so easily lit up a room. He loved her smart mouth. He loved how she wasn’t afraid to grab life by the horns and embrace it all.

  And he loved how insecure she was. How afraid she was to tell her family and friends about her desire to become a writer. There was a soft vulnerability about her that she liked to shield with humor and sass.

  She wasn’t complicated. All she wanted was to be loved and accepted.

  Hell, Ryan could give her both.

  If only he knew how.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Mia loved this time of year. With the brilliant shades of reds and yellows and oranges on the trees standing out amongst the ocean and bright blue sky, it was simply breathtaking.

  Not that she could see the ocean today. She’d spent the better half of Tuesday on Crystal Cove’s private beach working on edits her agent had sent her.

  Her. Agent. The words still brought a giddiness to her soul.

  The fall festival was in full swing, and she’d volunteered to work the corn maze this morning before her Saturday night shift at The Happy Clam. There wouldn’t be much time to get cleaned up for the dance tonight, but she didn’t really care if she smelled like fried food anyway.

  It wasn’t like she was out to impress anyone. Young, single men didn’t often go to town events unless dragged by their family or girlfriends. The ones by family, she already knew. Carter Marshall was her “given” date since they were the only two of their crew who weren’t married.

  He made a fun dance partner and was a sure thing for a good time, so she didn’t mind; even if she knew he’d razz her about her restaurant stench.

  In the meantime, she’d man her station at the corn maze and help the poor lost souls who couldn’t find their way out. She was set up toward the back by the woods. Usually the last stop before the middle schoolers started panicking. The boys played it cool, and the girls were loud and quite dramatic about being stuck here for-ev-er.

  The evening shift was her favorite. Especially the weekend before Halloween when volunteers would dress up and lurk between the cornstalks, scaring teenagers and adults.

  Today was a family affair, though, so she kept her friendly smile on and gave tips on how to reach the end for those who asked for them.

  A man came around the corner all by himself. Most likely he got separated from his family or girlfriend. Mia waited for him to come closer before asking him if he wanted any help.

  Something about him was familiar yet different. He wore a navy baseball cap with a white fish stitched on the front and a shirt found at any Maine tourist shop: Maine. The way life should be...

  His jeans fit nicely, as did the shirt, and she found herself checking out a man for the first time since she’d met Ryan.

  As he came nearer, her heart stopped.

  Literally stopped. A loud ringing filled her ears, and her body froze in fear. Not of him, but of what his presence would do to her.

  It took two months to finally breathe normally again. Two months to not go to sleep and wake up to a pillow soaked with tears. Two months to finally be able to write and draw again.

  “Hey.” Ryan stopped in front of her, his thumbs hooked casually through the belt loops of his jeans, as if strolling through corn mazes and running into her was an everyday occurrence.

  This wasn’t the Ryan she knew. James wore baseball hats and jeans. And neither James nor Ryan wore Maine tourist shirts. Although he wore it well. It fit and stretched in all the right places, reminding her all too well of what he looked like underneath.

  Pretending to be strong, she lifted her gaze to his face. The last time she’d seen him in a hat he’d worn a blond wig and colored contacts. The hat made Ryan look ... younger, softer, more ... approachable.

  His eyes were different. They were his and not disguised in contacts, but they weren’t veiled. Even though they were still his dark brown, they were lighter, and tiny lines formed around his eyes when he grinned. This was ... different.

  Damn. Ryan grinned, and his entire face changed into someone she could...

  No. It took too long to get her life back to normal, and she wasn’t falling into that trap again.

  “Working undercover?” He had to be for him to look so ... normal. Keeping the conversation about work and nothing personal was essential for her psyche.

  “Not exactly.”

  A gaggle of kids came around the corner laughing and arguing about which way to go next.

  “Take a right here.”

  “No, keep going straight.”

  “It’s obviously left, idiot.”

  Mia was stationed at a four-way cross intentionally. It wasn’t far to the exit, if you knew the way.

  “Do you guys want some clues on how to get out of here?”

  “Yes,” the girls said in typical dramatic flair.

  “No,” the boys said coolly.

  Mia ignored Ryan’s laugh, especially the way it sent little shivers down her spine. Turning her back on him, she focused on the teens.

  “You can always break off into two groups and see how long it takes the boys to get out.”

  “I want to do that,” one girl said. “I’m starving and want an apple donut.”

  “Me too,” one of her girlfriends chimed in. “We’ve been stuck here for hours.”

  “Girls are taking the easy way out.” One of the boys started to walk off. “Come on, we don’t need directions.” The boys ran off leaving the girls behind.

  “Ready?” Mia asked them. “Take your second right, then your second left, then your second right, and then your second left.”

  “I don’t know if I can remember all that,” one of the girls whined. Obviously not the smartest one in the group.

  “I got it.” The tallest of the group waved them on, and the girls followed in line.

  When she and Ryan were alone again, she kicked the dirt with her sneakers, avoiding looking at him.

  It wasn’t fair for him to come back and stir up all these emotions again. Besides, her shift was ending in fifteen minutes, and she didn’t have a lot of time to get to the restaurant.

  “Was that the secret the entire time? Second right, second left, second right?”

  Having a conversation with Ryan was only going to set her back. She could be rude and ignore him, which was hard to do when they were the only ones around and surrounded by cornstalks. Or she could tell him off and yell at him to leave her alone. That would only piss them both off and show him he still mattered to her.

  Or she could pretend to be indiff
erent. Make him believe that it was just sex with them and she was doing very well without him, thank you very much.

  The last option was the most stable and would be the hardest, especially with him standing so close, looking so perfect in his casual clothes, and actually using facial expressions that revealed what he was thinking.

  Even though she wasn’t looking directly at him, she could see the happiness on his face out of the corner of her eye. He was relaxed. Not something she’d seen since their trip to Boston, and they weren’t even talking about marine life.

  Her stomach knotted. If she didn’t decide which road to take, she’d end up throwing up at his feet. Which she figured was better than kissing them, or his ass, or his lips... Gah! Why did every thought have to somehow loop its way back to kissing Ryan?

  “You know what was on television the other night?”

  Okay, random conversation starter, especially from Ryan who she didn’t think ever watched television. Or did random. Ever.

  “America’s Most Wanted?”

  “No.”

  “Magic Mike?”

  He chuckled. “Not even close. Free Willy.”

  “Oh.” His favorite childhood movie. A little fact she knew about him. And by little, she meant miniscule. She knew nothing about the man other than what she could learn in one trip to Boston, and what his parents had shared. How could she have fallen in love with him and still love him now?

  No. Not still love. Love was not in the picture.

  “Listen, it was great to see you and all, but my shift is almost over. As soon as my replacement comes, I gotta run. You might want to start heading out as well.”

  “I’ll wait and walk you out.”

  Of course he would. Even when it was just sex, he was a gentleman.

  Lisa showed up early, and like any living and breathing female, totally checked out Ryan.

  “Hi. Are you lost? I can help you through the maze if you want?”