Forever My Baby

by Jacquelin Thomas

  “I’ll be just as honest with you,” Garland responded. “I don’t want to switch children, Ryker. I feel like both Kai and Amya are my daughters. I may have given birth to Kai, but Amya is just as much my child as Kai. I’m sure you must feel the same way.”

  He nodded. “I do, but if we don’t want to switch them, then what should we do? We are going to have to come up with a solution.”

  “I know,” Garland said. “But for now, I just want the girls to get to know one another. And I haven’t seen you in years, so we need to get to know each other all over again.”

  “I don’t think it will be too difficult,” he said with a grin. “I haven’t changed much.”

  “Well, I’m afraid I’m not the same little girl you used to know.”

  “I was thinking that we could try and let the girls spend the weekends together,” Ryker stated. “I know that you work some Saturdays, but I don’t mind watching them both on those days. I could drop Kai off some Sundays so that you can spend time with her.”

  “It may be better to start off with short visits at first,” Garland interjected. “Amya hasn’t gone on playdates for more than a couple of hours at a time. She has spent the night with Trina, but she’s her godmother, so she knows her well.”

  “She’s used to preschool, right?” he asked.

  “Yes, but I still prefer to start off with just a few hours first.”

  “Okay.”

  “Does it only have to be on the weekends?” Garland inquired. “I’m off on Wednesdays and the store is closed on Sundays as you know. I’d like to try and meet for dinner on Wednesdays, if possible.”

  “I could take some Wednesdays off or leave work early,” Ryker said thoughtfully. “Kai would probably be thrilled to stay home from school one day a week. Also, it might be a good idea for us to see a counselor,” Ryker suggested.

  “Why do we need to see a counselor?” Garland questioned.

  “He or she can give us advice in building relationships with our biological children.”

  “I don’t think we need to see someone for that,” Garland stated. “I think what we’re doing now is fine. I want the girls to know us on their own terms.”

  “Sounds good to me.” She pointed to his empty glass. “Would you like more tea?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  Grabbing the glass, Garland rose to her feet and headed to the kitchen.

  Ryker turned when he heard her singing softly as she retrieved the pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator.

  “Kai does that,” Ryker stated when she returned.

  Garland handed him the glass of iced tea. “What?”

  “She sings, especially when she’s playing and sometimes when she’s eating.”

  “Really?”

  Ryker nodded. “It’s amazing to see just how much she is like you.”

  Garland sat down beside him. “I’ve noticed recently that when Amya makes certain expressions, she looks like you.”

  “It’s so good to see you again,” Ryker said. He reached out, covering her hand with his own.

  “I figured you’d forgotten all about me. It’s not like we were really friends.”

  “We had our own relationship outside of Parker,” Ryker uttered, surprised by her words.

  Garland’s gaze snapped to his. “You only tolerated your best friend’s little sister and you know it.”

  “You have to know that’s not true.” Ryker paused a second. “Do you want to talk about that night?”

  “Maybe we should clear the air.”

  “Garland, I want you to know that I would never disrespect you. I had been drinking that night and I got carried away.”

  “Ryker, you didn’t ravish me or anything. We just kissed and...”

  “We almost ended up in bed together.”

  “We didn’t, so there was no harm done.”

  “If you weren’t my best friend’s sister, things could have been very different for us,” Ryker confessed. “But because of Parker, I couldn’t cross that line with you.”

  “As I said, there was no harm done, so now we can forget about that night. No point on dwelling in the past when we have so much to look forward to in the future,” Garland stated.

  “Mommy, applesoys,” Amya said. “Please.”

  “Would you like some applesauce, Kai?”

  “Yessh,” she responded. “Abblesauce.”

  Garland met Ryker’s gaze and smiled. “She is so adorable.”

  “Come to the table,” she instructed the toddlers.

  They followed her without an utter of protest.

  “Dayee,” Kai called out. “Look it.”

  He smiled. “I see. Eat your applesauce like a big girl.”

  “Daddee,” Amya repeated with a huge grin on her face. She pointed at Ryker and said it once more. “Daddee.”

  Her words clearly caught Garland off guard because her steps came to a sudden halt. Her gaze mirrored Ryker’s surprised expression.

  “I think she’s just testing the word out,” Garland said in a low voice when she returned to her seat.

  “Does she have a relationship with her...father?”

  Garland met his gaze. “No, I was artificially inseminated, Ryker.”

  “I suppose that makes things a little less complicated.”

  “I guess,” she mumbled.

  “It’s fine if she wants to call me Daddy,” Ryker said after a slight pause. “After all, I am her father.”

  “It’s just very awkward for me,” Garland confessed. “I really wish...”

  “That this hadn’t happened,” he finished her sentence.

  “I shouldn’t say that,” she said finally. “Because then I wouldn’t have Amya and she’s my life. I guess I wish that that nurse had just taken this to her grave. Then we would have never found out.”

  “Unless something happened where medical attention was needed,” Ryker pointed out. “I think it would have been worse to find out in a situation like that.” He covered her hand with his own. “We are going to work this out,” Ryker assured her. “I know that we will do what’s best for our girls.”

  “Definitely. Oh, I ran into your mother after I left your office earlier today,” Garland stated. “I have to say that she’s a bit intense.”

  He chuckled. “She can be whenever it comes to something she’s passionate about. My mother is a brilliant lawyer and an advocate for children.”

  “Does she still specialize in family law?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I find that admirable,” Garland stated. “Unfortunately, we need people like your mother to protect children from their families or others out to harm them. How does she feel about this situation?”

  “My parents love Kai and I know that they are also going to love Amya. In fact, my family can’t wait to meet her. Angela’s parents also want to meet Amya, but I told them that they might have to wait.”

  Garland smiled with obvious difficulty. “Thank you.”

  “We are the only two people who can make decisions for our children.”

  “I’m relieved you feel this way,” she said. “I don’t want to have to deal with your entire family right now.”

  “I wouldn’t put you through that, Garland,” Ryker said, the sincerity evident in his voice.

  Garland tried desperately to ignore the sizzle of heat that shot up her arm and burned in the center of her chest. She struggled to disregard the feelings he ignited in her, especially because he clearly was not interested in her.

  After the girls finished eating, Ryker decided it was time for their visit to wind down.

  “What are you doing on Wednesday?” he asked.

  “I don’t have any plans, but I was hoping y
ou and Kai could join us for a day at the beach.”

  Ryker broke into a grin. “It’s a date.”

  She smiled and nodded.

  * * *

  “Why can’t I get Ryker out of my head?” Garland whispered as she picked up the television remote. Ryker and Kai had been gone for at least half an hour. Garland had resolved to bottle up whatever feelings she had for him—she needed to be in control. Besides, he had made it clear that he would never cross any lines with her because of Parker.

  A small part of Garland blamed her swirling emotions on the fact that he was the father of her daughter. In college, she used to dream about what life with Ryker would be like but never once considered that their futures would ever intersect. She was a realist. She knew that a girl like her would never fit in the world of a DuGrandpre.

  Garland still had mixed feelings about Amya calling Ryker Daddy. It was as if her little heart knew what her mind was too young to understand.

  “I can’t lose her,” Garland whispered to the empty room.

  * * *

  Images of Garland filled Ryker’s thoughts all night long. The way she lifted her chin when she was adamant about something, the sexy way she fingered her short curls and the way she smiled—it was electrifying.

  Ryker could still smell the light fragrance she wore and envision her maxi dress draped lovingly over her curves. Her short hair was a mass of curls, making her look years younger than she was. Ryker tried not to, but he could not help noticing her full breasts and curvy shape. In college he had been very attracted to her. He still was, Ryker realized in dismay.

  Don’t go there, he told himself. Things were already sensitive enough between them. But Garland made him feel things he had not felt since the death of his wife. She sparked long-buried flames of desire within. With Angela gone, he had suppressed his needs, choosing instead to focus on Kai.

  Ryker groaned in protest when sleep continued to elude him. Was it going to be this way every time he spent time with Garland?

  He had changed positions at least three times in the past thirty minutes. Finally, he sat up in bed, reached for the remote and turned on the television.

  A show about a father and daughter caught his attention, bringing to mind just how blessed he was to have not one but two beautiful daughters. In time, he hoped to assure Garland that he would be a great father to Amya and Kai. He did not want to push too soon because they’d agreed that the toddlers needed time to bond with their biological parents and with each other. He and Garland both had decided to hold off on making any decisions for now.

  Ryker was impatient, though. He was ready to have Kai’s bedroom renovated to include twin beds and another set of bookshelves to store Amya’s stuffed animals. He wanted to bring his daughter home. He wanted to introduce her to his family. But Ryker knew he first needed to seal his bond with Amya before introducing others into her life.

  His mother was just as impatient. It had been her suggestion to seek out a counselor. Ryker would do things Garland’s way for now, but if this did not work, then he would give her no choice but to do things his way.He was thrilled that Amya and Kai had taken to each other, although they were very different. Amya was bubbly and very outgoing, whereas Kai was more reserved and quiet.

  He knew Garland well enough to know that she would not allow him to raise the girls alone. She loved them fiercely. Ryker had no doubts about her parenting skills.

  Ryker thought back to earlier when he had inhaled her soft scent as she walked past him. From the moment they’d first met, Garland had made an impression on him, one he found disturbing at times. His skin grew tighter with every glance.

  Get a grip, he reminded himself. Ryker rationalized that his recent feelings stemmed from not being with a woman since Angela’s death. He tried to convince himself that the sensuality lingering in the air was out of loneliness.

  * * *

  Money.

  Everything about Ryker’s house reinforced the fact that he had money—plenty of it.

  What chance would she have if she had to take him on for custody? Garland pushed the thought out of her mind.

  She admired the flower beds filled with hostas and other shade-loving plants.

  Garland opened the rear passenger door and unbuckled Amya’s seatbelt. “C’mon, sweetie. Your daddy and Kai are inside waiting for us.”

  “Daddee.”

  They had not reached the front door before Ryker strolled out with Kai holding his hand. He wore a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. He looked quite handsome, Garland thought. She was more comfortable around him when he was not dressed in a suit and looking all lawyerlike.

  “Mya,” Kai murmured.

  Amya grinned and rushed over to Kai, touching the bow in Kai’s hair. “Pretty.”

  Ryker’s gaze met Garland’s. “Come on inside.”

  Inside the ornately designed door, a marble entry led to a large living room with a wall of windows, gleaming hardwood floors and a stunning set of comfortable-looking leather furniture. Modern art on the walls and a few sculptures lent character to a room that might otherwise have been considered too tame for Garland’s tastes.

  “You have a really beautiful home.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “Would you like a tour?”

  “Sure.”

  “Kai, why don’t you take Amya to the playroom?” Ryker coaxed. “I’ll start a movie for you two to watch.”

  “Mommy, you no go?” Amya asked.

  “No, I’m not leaving, sweetie,” she responded gently. “I’ll be right here.”

  During her tour, Garland caught glimpses into other rooms throughout Ryker’s home. One held a seventy-inch big-screen television and state-of-the-art stereo equipment with theater-style seating; she also spotted a formal dining room and an office filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

  She found Kai and Amya in a young girl’s fantasy room. Shelves of books, dolls and stuffed animals covered every wall except for the one with the windows. A pink Ferrari sat parked in front of a huge Barbie Dreamhouse.

  “This room is a little girl’s dream come true.”

  “It’s probably too much, but I just wanted to make her happy,” he explained. “I wanted everything to be perfect for Kai.”

  “Just love her,” Garland advised. “Nothing is more important than love.”

  He looked deep in thought. “You’re right.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to spoil them a little, though,” she whispered. “Especially when they’re so sweet.”

  Ryker’s gaze moved to the generous swell of her breasts and he almost groaned at the lurch of sexual desire. A few minutes with Garland and she had triggered feelings he thought were long gone.

  * * *

  “I didn’t want to ruin your impression of me by making dinner...hence the pizza,” he explained.

  She broke into a grin. “I already know that you suck at cooking. Remember when you tried to make s’mores in the microwave?”

  Ryker laughed at the memory. “It took me two days to clean that thing out.”

  “Didn’t you know that you’re not supposed to put foil in the microwave?”

  “I learned the hard way. Parker actually bought a new one that Christmas. He said we couldn’t keep using that one because it never worked right after that day.”

  “I bought the microwave for you guys,” Garland announced. “I got tired of you all coming over to my place and eating me out of house and home.”

  “You could cook,” Ryker said. “We couldn’t, and cereal three times a day wasn’t cutting it.”

  “Oh please...girls were always trying to buy you dinner or whatever you wanted.”

  Ryker shook his head. “You got that wrong. Girls wanted me to pay for everything. They expected me to take them shopping and to expe
nsive restaurants. I got tired of explaining that my parents had money but I was just a college student like everyone else.”

  “Maybe you should’ve left the BMW at home,” Garland responded.

  “You were never like those other girls.”

  “I don’t impress easily. I never have been that way.”

  “That’s what I liked about your brother. He accepted me for me. Our friendship was real.”

  Chapter 10

  The following week, Ryker and Kai joined Garland and Amya for dinner on Edisto Island. Things were working out nicely, but for how long, Ryker wondered.

  He wanted the girls to go to preschool together. It was hard to be away from one daughter while having to assure the other one that they would see Garland and Amya soon.

  He considered asking Garland to move to Charleston but changed his mind. It was not fair to ask her to just pack up and move just for him. Her business was on the island. It was not that huge of a drive, he reasoned.

  “You’ve been quiet all evening,” Garland said, taking a seat beside him. “Long day at the office?”

  “No, I was thinking about the girls,” Ryker responded. “Kai gets so upset whenever she is away from you and Amya.”

  “Amya is the same way,” Garland stated. “She loves sleeping with Kai. Lately I’ve been having to stay with her until she falls asleep.”

  Ryker shrugged. “I thought this was the best thing for them.”

  “What else can we do at this point?”

  “I don’t know,” he responded. “I’ve considered asking you to move to Charleston, but I’m not sure that would be the solution.”

  “I’d be much closer, but it’s not like we’d be in the same house,” Garland stated.

  Ryker had not meant to have this conversation with her tonight, but maybe it was best that they face possible problems before they arose. “I know we didn’t want to rush anything...” he started. “But we definitely need to consider thinking about the future.”

  Her eyes were huge and beautiful and had darkened with apprehension. “What exactly do you mean by thinking ahead? Are you talking about months or years? Things aren’t entirely smooth, but they are going well, I think.”