Garland stole a peek over her shoulder before saying, “She’s okay. I just don’t let her get to me.”
“Good.”
At that moment Garland felt a migraine coming on and excused herself to escape upstairs.
“I see you’ve settled right in,” Rochelle said, stepping out into the hallway.
“Are you following me?” Garland questioned, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. “I just came up here to have five minutes of quiet.”
“Are you tired of us already?”
“No, that’s not it at all,” she responded. “I have a headache and I came up here to grab some medicine and wait for it to kick in.”
What she did not need right now was Rochelle DuGrandpre tracking her every move.
“Did you need something?” she asked.
“This is my son’s house,” Rochelle stated coolly. “If I need anything, I’ll just let him know.”
Garland waved her hand in resignation. “If Ryker starts looking for me, will you please let him know that I’ll be down in a few minutes?”
“Sure. I’m going to go join the other guests downstairs.”
She did not care where the woman went as long as she was far away from her.
Garland’s head was beginning to throb with pain.
She lay down across her bed and closed her eyes.
Chapter 14
Ryker was pleased that everyone seemed to be having a good time. But then his gaze strayed to his mother-in-law, who was walking toward him and looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth.
“She looks just like my Angela. She and Kai get along so well.”
“They are siblings,” Ryker said firmly. “Garland and I intend to raise them together as such.”
“How could you just let this woman move in here?” Edna Harvey demanded. “This house was Angela’s home. Have you forgotten my daughter already?”
“It’s also my house,” Ryker stated, spacing the words evenly. “I will never forget Angela. She will always be in my heart.”
Stiffening she muttered, “I am well aware of this. It’s just that you and Angela lived in this house as husband and wife. Now you have some other woman living here. It bothers me.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. As for Garland, she hasn’t done anything wrong,” Ryker stated. “She is as much a victim in this as I am. I am not going to allow you to be rude to her. She wants the best for both girls and so do I.”
“I see my opinion doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t,” he confirmed. “I’m not trying to be rude, but I know what’s right for my daughters. Now if you will excuse me, I need to see to the rest of my guests. Feel free to stay around, but I’ll understand if you and Dad would prefer to leave.”
Ryker released a short sigh of relief as he walked briskly away from Edna.
* * *
“Hey, I was just looking for you,” Ryker said.
“I was upstairs,” Garland responded. “I felt a migraine coming on and needed to take some medication.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“I am,” she confirmed. “Where are the girls?”
“Jordin and Jadin took them upstairs to get ready for bed.”
“They should be enjoying the party. I’ll relieve them.”
Ryker stopped her. “They want to do it. Jordin gave me strict orders to make sure you enjoy the party.”
“Can we at least check on them?” she asked.
He nodded.
They walked toward the girl’s bedroom just as the twins were coming out. Jadin made shooing motions.
“They’re just about to fall asleep,” Jordin said in a low voice.
“I guess it’s time we returned to our guests,” Ryker told Garland. “My uncle and aunt are just about to leave.”
“Let’s go say our good-byes then,” she said, pasting on a smile.
Garland would have preferred to stay upstairs with her children than venture back down into hostile territory. She felt a shred of guilt over the thought. Everyone had been nice to her—all except for Rochelle DuGrandpre. She thought that Garland was after their money.
She does not know me at all. Garland valued love and honesty above all else. Material items came and went, just like some family members, as far as she was concerned.
Downstairs, she continued to avoid Ryker’s mother. And Garland even managed to enjoy the rest of her evening.
The last guest left shortly before midnight.
“I don’t think your mother likes me very much,” Garland stated as she sat down on the sofa beside Ryker.
“It’s not that she doesn’t like you—she doesn’t know you yet. My mother doesn’t warm up to people easily. It’s because of the way she grew up.”
“I hope that she knows that I don’t want any of your money. I just want to get to know my daughter.”
“We both want the same thing,” Ryker stated. “I’ve told my mother that.”
“I can see that you’re very close to your family.”
He nodded. “Yeah...I am.”
“I think it’s great,” Garland murmured. “I’m so glad my mom was able to come tonight. In addition to depression, she also suffers from fibromyalgia, so she’s not always able to get out and about.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ryker responded. “How does she feel about you living here with me?”
“She’s okay with it. Actually, Mama thinks it’s great because it’s you.”
“Yeah?”
Nodding, Garland smiled. “She has always loved you like a son, Ryker. She has been so depressed lately, so I wasn’t sure if she was going to come to the party, but I’m glad she did. I think it does her good to get out every now and then.”
Ryker was not a man of impulse, but he yearned to pull Garland into his arms and kiss her passionately. He struggled to remain a chivalrous yet wretched gentleman.
Instead, he thanked her for her help at the party and they both headed to their separate rooms. He thought about going to her room but changed his mind after his eyes traveled over to Angela’s photograph on the nightstand.
Ryker jumped in the shower. He had no idea just how long he stood under the hot spray of water.
He dried off with a fluffy towel, his thoughts on the woman sleeping in his guest room. While Garland slept peacefully, Ryker was anything but sleepy. He lay in bed for almost an hour picturing Garland in various stages of undress.
Frustrated, Ryker slipped on a pair of pajama pants and slippers. A piece of apple pie sounds good right now, he thought as he proceeded downstairs. Might as well have some ice cream, too. Anything to take his mind off Garland.
* * *
Garland strolled out of her bedroom clad in silk pajama bottoms and a lace-trimmed camisole. She did not expect to find Ryker in the family room watching television with an empty plate in front of him.
“I didn’t know you were down here,” she said, her eyes glued to his bare muscled chest.
“I came down for my sister’s apple pie. I thought you were sleeping,” he told her.
“No, I’m in the mood for ice cream.”
He glanced up at her. “No pie?”
“I had some earlier that I’ll have to work off the rest of the week,” she responded with a grin. “Come to think of it, I really don’t need to eat ice cream, either.”
“Want to watch a movie instead?” he asked her. “No calories.”
She nodded. “Sure.” Garland sat down on the sofa. “What’s coming on?”
Ryker handed her the remote. “You have a choice of action and adventure, comedy, romance or horror.”
“How about action?” Garland asked.
“Really?”
&n
bsp; “Why are you surprised? I love action movies. I used to go to the movies with you and Parker, remember?”
“Oh yeah...that’s right.”
“You probably don’t remember because you always had some girl wrapped around you.”
He laughed. “You’re not so innocent yourself. I remember a boy or two stealing kisses from you when you didn’t think we were paying attention.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Ryker.”
“Yeah, you do.”
Garland’s smile was fond. “We had some good times back then.”
“We did,” he agreed.
“I really wish that the girls could’ve met Parker. He loved kids and he would have been the best uncle ever.”
“He would have been a great uncle,” Ryker agreed.
“You’re a great father, Ryker. I want you to know that.”
“Thank you,” he responded. “I have tried my best. My dad is not a demonstrative man, but my sister and I know he loves us. Sometimes, I think Aubry feels otherwise. He was always so busy and he had no interest in the things that she liked when we were growing up. Don’t get me wrong, though, he tried to be there for her. But even though he was present, it was like he really wasn’t. I don’t want my daughters to feel that way about me.”
“You won’t have to worry about that,” Garland assured him. “Amya and Kai both adore you.”
“I watch them while they sleep,” Ryker confessed. “I want to see if Amya’s a quiet sleeper or if she burrows under the covers like Kai.”
“I love the way Kai murmurs under her breath whenever she’s concentrating on something. You can tell that she’s really trying to figure out whatever it is.”
Ryker broke into a grin. “I’m glad you agreed to move in.”
“Do you think we’re able to be together like this most of the time without changing anything?”
“I guess we should discuss the elephant in the room.”
“When you initially proposed the idea of us living together and raising the girls, you made it sound like a corporate merger.”
“Was I that impersonal?”
Garland nodded. “I didn’t expect you to pretend to be in love with me, but it would’ve been nicer if it was more because you liked me.”
Ryker reached over and took her hand in his own. “You know that I like you. I like you a lot, Garland. Since we’re talking about this, I might as well admit that I’m still very attracted to you.”
Her soft exhalation sounded as if a tremor passed through her. Garland looked fiercely at him. “We’re attracted to each other.”
“I’ve been thinking about the picture we’re painting for our daughters,” Ryker stated.
“What about it?”
“We’re living here together but we’re not married.”
Garland chuckled. “We’re not sleeping together, Ryker. It’s innocent.”
“We know this, but this is not how the rest of the world will view it.”
“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” she asked. “The girls are two years old. They don’t know anything about relationships.”
“Garland, what do you think about marriage?”
“How did we get to this subject?”
“I think we should get married.”
She gasped. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am very serious, Garland. It would make us a real family.”
“But...marriage.” She had not considered the possibility, especially because Ryker was still grieving the loss of his wife.
“We’re friends and we get along well,” he was saying. “We want the best for our daughters and if anything ever happened to me—you and the girls would be well taken care of.”
“Ryker, you’re not ready for marriage.”
“Angela is gone and she will never come back. That part of my life is over, Garland.”
“I have always dreamed of marrying a man who loves me.”
“You don’t think we can learn to love each other?”
“I can’t believe we’re having this discussion right now. It must be because it’s late and we’re tired.”
Ryker shook his head. “That’s not it at all.”
“Why don’t we table this discussion for a couple of days?” Garland suggested. “I can’t rush into something I believe is sacred.”
“I understand,” he told her.
She rose to her feet. “Good night, Ryker.”
He grabbed her by the arms and kissed her mindlessly, molding their bodies together. Garland could very easily give into her needs—needs that were screaming in desire, but it wasn’t the best choice for her to make.
She had never expected Ryker to bring up the subject of marriage. Garland cared for him, but a marriage in name only—she was not sure this was the route to take. Neither one of them wanted to lose the girls... She released a long sigh.
Garland was a romantic at heart. She wanted love, romance, all of it. The reality was that they had two little girls depending on them. Having parents who were married would provide a better sense of security.
Sometime around dawn, she managed to drift off into a less than restful slumber.
* * *
Marriage was for a lifetime.
At least Ryker intended it to be, and it was not something he glibly approached. He had given this a lot of thought.
He’d married Angela for love, although their happily-ever-after was not as long as he had hoped. This time around, Ryker wanted to marry someone he cherished and honored and with whom he could build a family.
Suddenly Garland was standing right in front of him, bringing her scent and the clear skin of her beautiful face close to his. He leaned back and looked down at her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she responded with a bright smile.
Ryker elected to ignore the twitch of her luscious lips. Instead, he placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Want anything special for breakfast?” Garland asked.
“What would you say if I said that I wanted you?”
Her eyes closed briefly, and when she met his gaze again, she replied, “It’s not nice to be such a tease. If you don’t tell me what you want to eat, I’ll just throw something together.”
He laughed. “How about a ham and cheese omelet then?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“You know how to make an omelet?” Ryker asked, surprised.
“I am a very good cook,” Garland responded. “And yes, I can make an omelet. I guess you forgot I used to work in a diner.”
He had forgotten. “That’s right.”
“I think the girls are up, so why don’t you bring them down for breakfast?” Garland suggested. “I’ll make them cheese eggs.”
“We’ll be back down in a few,” he said.
He paused a moment to watch her. She was so focused on preparing the ingredients for the omelets that she hadn’t noticed he was still in the kitchen. The pull of Garland was inexorable and something Ryker was tired of fighting.
Chapter 15
“I’ve given our talk a lot of thought,” Garland stated as she entered Ryker’s office a couple of days later. He had been home for about an hour, and she had wanted to give him some time to relax before announcing her decision.
Garland had thought long and hard about marrying Ryker. She was willing to do anything for the sake of her daughters, including marrying a man she knew did not love her.
He looked up from his computer screen. “What did you decide?”
“You were talking about a marriage in name only, right?” She needed to be sure they were on the same page.
“Initially, but I’m open to loving again.”
; “You really want to do this?”
Ryker nodded.
“You do know that your family is going to go ballistic,” she said with a tiny smile.
“You and the girls are my family, so what do you say? Will you marry me?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes. I’ll marry you, Ryker.”
He reached into his pocket but Garland stopped him by saying, “I hope you don’t have a ring for me.”
“You don’t want a ring?”
“I want a ring when you decide that I am the woman for you and what’s between us is forever.”
“You don’t want to even see it?” he asked.
“No.”
Ryker dropped his hand to his side. “Okay, so how much time do you need to plan a wedding?”
“None,” Garland responded. “We can have a minister come here to the house or we can go to the justice of the peace.”
“You don’t want a wedding?”
“Ryker, it’s not like this is going to be a real marriage.”
“We may be taking a different route but the marriage will be a real one. We are going to take our time getting to know each other as husband and wife. I want our wedding day to be special—one that you will always cherish. I want you to wear my ring, Garland.”
“I will agree to a very simple wedding band.”
“You are very stubborn, but I’ll do this your way,” he said with a sigh. “We can apply for a license today.”
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“I promise that you won’t regret this, Garland. I won’t do anything to hurt you or the girls.”
“You’d better not,” she warned. “You do remember that I am a fifth-degree black belt.”
“Actually, I’d forgotten all about that,” Ryker laughed. “You and Parker used to attend competitions.”
“Seems like a lifetime ago,” she murmured. “Parker and I had this dream of teaching tae kwon do to disadvantaged youth... I guess that dream died with him.”
“It’s not too late, sweetheart. Do it for the kids and for Parker.”
Garland met his gaze. “Maybe I will...one day.”
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