Now Until Forever

by Karen White-Owens

  Keir swept his tongue across his dry lips. “Ry.”

  For the first time since entering the room, she looked directly at him. “Is it true?”

  Hedging, he ran a hand across his forehead. “Well ...”

  “Is it true?” she asked in a solid, determined tone.

  “I only did it so that we could have our vacation. Remember? The trip of a lifetime.” Instinctively, Keir knew he couldn’t hide what he’d done any longer. He focused on the belief that he could fix things. If Ryan gave him a chance, he felt certain he’d put things right between them.

  Nodding, she rose and started for the door. “That’s what I thought.”

  Keir jumped from his chair, following her across the room. At the door, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Wait.”

  Ryan stiffened, shoving his hand away. “For what? You lied to me.”

  “It’s not as bad as it seems. Come back, sit down, and we’ll talk about it.”

  Ryan swirled around. Anger and pain flashed across her beautiful face. Her voice was tight and low. “Talk about what? How you fixed everything? You made Glo and Phil Berger rearrange the whole week’s shooting schedule so that I wouldn’t have to come back with the rest of the crew. I work here. Do you know how much trouble this little arrangement caused? Is that what you want to talk about?”

  He’d never seen her like this before. Keir didn’t know how to explain the situation so Ryan would understand that he’d done this for them.

  “Listen,” he muttered urgently, taking her hand and trying to lead her back to the desk.

  Ryan shook off his hand. “No. I can’t trust you ever again. You made a promise to me, and you broke it. You said that you would never interfere with my job. We could have a relationship, and my job and reputation would be safe. You lied. You did cause trouble. Big trouble! How could you?”

  “Are you willing to throw away everything that we have because I made a mistake?”

  “You did.”

  “I was only trying to help.”

  She sighed heavily. “You overstepped your authority. I didn’t need or want it.”

  Feeling desperate, he tried a different approach. “I did it for you, to make your life easier.”

  A nasty, almost hysterical chuckle rose from her throat. Ryan shook her head. “What you did was crap in my backyard. You undermined my credibility and made me look like a fool. Is that how you make my life easier?”

  “That’s not it at all.”

  “Really? Then what is it?”

  “I care about you, Ryan. Us as a couple and you as an individual. Next to my kids, you are the single most important person in my life. I didn’t want anything to affect your job here.”

  She leaned her forehead against the door and whispered so low, he barely heard her. “You affected my job. You caused all kinds of grief, and now you want me to believe you did it for me? The truth of the matter is you interfered in my life to make yours easier.”

  “It wasn’t just mine. You benefited from everything I did,” he said.

  “Yes, I did. But you didn’t offer me any choices. You took it upon yourself to just take over and make decisions in my life.”

  “You enjoyed it at the time,” Keir reminded her in a low, almost accusatory tone.

  “You are correct. But it doesn’t change the fact that you lied.” Ryan whipped open the door and left.

  Chapter 19

  Fresh from the shower and dressed in a pair of loose-fitting chocolate-colored sweats, Keir headed through the house to his entertainment room. Faced with the prospect of a solitary evening, he picked up the remote and switched on the high-definition television, listening to CNBC as he wandered aimlessly around the room. Unable to concentrate on the woes of the world, Keir channel surfed until he found a music station to fit his mood. B.B. King, Lucille, and the blues fit the bill.

  Groaning in frustration, he rotated his head from side to side, working out the tension building in his shoulders. Today had been a bitch. Glo had blown everything to hell by opening her big mouth and talking to Ryan about their deal.

  Antsy, Keir paced the length of the floor before changing course and heading for the bar. He opened the liquor cabinet and selected a bottle of scotch, splashing a large portion in his glass. Keir swallowed a third of the drink and then refilled it before heading to the sofa.

  He needed to concentrate on Ryan, work out a plan to fix things between them.

  What could he do to appease her? His head on a platter might make her do the “happy dance.” In the short time they had been together, he’d never seen her this way. Ryan’s emotions jumped from calm to hurt and then to betrayal and a few more, which were so fleeting, he didn’t get a chance to name them.

  There had to be a way. If he begged for forgiveness and promised to never interfere again, would that help? Would Ryan believe him? Keir didn’t believe so. Could he do it? He wasn’t sure.

  Somewhere in the house, the cordless phone rang. He rose from the sofa and followed the sound to the great room. Absently, he picked up the receiver and depressed the ON button. Anchoring the telephone between his ear and shoulder, Keir took a good swallow of scotch, rolling the expensive liquor around his tongue, and returned to the entertainment room. “Southhall.”

  “Well, you’re finally home. I’ve been calling all afternoon.”

  Blood pumping through his veins, Keir stood straighter. Had something happened? “Shannon, are Adam and Emily okay? If the kids need me in a hurry, why didn’t you call on my cell phone?”

  “I wanted to talk to you away from the studio.”

  “Shannon, are Adam and Emily okay?” he repeated.

  “They’re fine.”

  Relaxing, he flopped onto the soft cushions of a chair and picked up his drink, sipping the scotch as he contemplated the reason for her call. Keir and his ex-wife weren’t on the best of terms. Although their separation had been a mutual agreement, the divorce had changed them both. Out-and-out warfare wouldn’t be a true assessment of their current relationship. Shannon never missed an opportunity to land a punch or a TKO at Keir’s expense. His ex-wife enjoyed making him bleed. Today had been brutal, and he didn’t feel up to a verbal game of “let’s see who can score the most punches.”

  Exasperated, Keir sighed, scratching the side of his neck with his finger. No point in pussyfooting around. He might as well find out what she wanted and get rid of her as quickly as possible. “What do you need?”

  Loudly laughing into the receiver, Shannon quipped, “Wonderful greeting. No ‘how are you?’ or ‘are you doing okay?’ You automatically assume I want something.”

  “Normally, you want something. Tell me how this time is any different?”

  “Maybe I wanted to chat. See how you’re doing. Or spend a little time talking about old times.”

  His tone turned rock hard. “Don’t jerk me around tonight. I’ve had one hell of a day. I’m not in the mood.”

  “I’m pretty sure this talk won’t improve your mood,” she answered smugly.

  “I don’t have time for this, woman. Spit it out, or I’m hanging up.” His eyes squeezed shut. Damn! After the day he’d had, a verbal sparring with his ex-wife rated lower than a California mud slide.

  “Fine. The kids are both good. But I do want to talk with you about them.”

  Cradling the telephone between his chin and ear, Keir rose from the chair and returned to the liquor cabinet, adding a generous helping of scotch to his glass before returning to the chair. “So what’s on your mind?”

  “Your new lady friend.”

  Confused, he shook his head. “What?”

  “Don’t play coy. I know you’re seeing someone. The kids don’t lie. Although I must admit, they try to keep quiet about what’s going on at your place.”

  What business was it of hers? Shannon had friends.

  He cracked his fingers as he realized the kids must have mentioned Ryan to their mother. After all, they had been to Ryan’s ho
use and received gifts from their trip to Hawaii.

  Ready to take the smug tone out of her voice, he asked, “And how is my relationship your problem?”

  “Relationship.” She laughed. “That’s an interesting name for it.”

  Instantly, his temper was roused. Generally, he’d jump in with both feet and let the argument take them both to a very ugly place. Tonight, the gentler side of him refrained from traveling down a road that was far too familiar and unpleasant. “Shannon, let’s not play games. What do you want?”

  “Keep my kids away from that woman.”

  “What kind of shit are you stirring up now, woman?”

  “This is not about me. But I am concerned for my children. I don’t know anything about your friend. Who is this woman?”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  Shannon continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “What she does is a mystery to me. She may be a serial killer, for all we know—”

  Keir cut in. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Don’t even go there. Until I find out more about her, I don’t want your lady friend around my kids.”

  “They’re my kids, too. Ryan would never hurt them. She believes in family and putting children first. My turn to rant. What about the boy toy slipping in and out of your bed? I don’t want Emily and Adam seeing that. Handle your own business before you start making demands on mine.”

  Jumping to his feet, Keir began to pace. He hated when his ex-wife brought him to this level. This verbal raping of each other caused more animosity between them.

  “Don’t go into my bedroom,” growled Shannon.

  “Then don’t go into mine,” Keir shot back.

  “Whenever there are people in my house, I’m right there with the kids. Can you say the same? Where are you?”

  “Standing next to Adam and Emily. We do everything together. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  “Are you sure?”

  With a return of calmness, Keir stated confidently, “Positive.”

  Voice sharp with agitation, Shannon added, “I mean it. Keep her away from Adam and Emily.”

  “Why? What do you have against her? You’ve never met her. She means nothing to you. Or does she? Jealousy maybe?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. What if she wants you all to herself and she doesn’t want the burden of kids from a former marriage? They’re kids. Children are the most trusting souls, and anything can happen.”

  Keir couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. “Are you trying to tell me you believe Ryan would hurt the kids to keep me away from them?”

  “I don’t know what she’s capable of. So I can’t say. But, it is my responsibility as a parent to watch over them. And that’s what I plan to do.”

  “What makes you think that I would let anyone come between me and my kids? If I saw the slightest problem, I’d nip it.”

  “I think something else is being nipped, and the kids might just come in a poor second. You might be ignoring the signs.”

  Keir opened his mouth to deny her claims, but Shannon rushed on.

  “You don’t know her that well. The kids told me that you two went to Hawaii together, and that she’s been around maybe a month or so. I say, until you’re completely sure of her, don’t have her around my children.”

  He didn’t need this. His day had been difficult enough without adding his ex-wife to the mix. Besides, he didn’t want her to know that Ryan might never be near the kids again if he didn’t fix the problem plaguing them.

  “Look, I appreciate your concern,” said Keir. “First, I would never take my kids around anyone that I didn’t feel was safe. Second, Ryan is the most gentle, caring woman I know. She’d never do anything to hurt anyone, including Adam and Emily. When I wanted to introduce her to them, she didn’t want to cause any confusion, so she kept suggesting we wait and get on a better footing. Don’t worry about her. She’s a good woman.”

  Shannon laughed. “You? With a good woman? I don’t think so. Your taste in women runs to bimbos and starlets. When did you get some taste?”

  For a moment, he wanted to laugh. Ryan was so far from being a starlet that the description was hilarious. “Bite me.”

  “No thanks. Been there, done that. Don’t want to do it again.”

  Same old Shannon. She had to have the last word. That was fine with him.

  “Well. I’ve said what I set out to say,” Shannon continued. “I’ll talk to you again. I know you don’t like what I’ve suggested, but I need you to at least give it a little consideration. Yes, you can do whatever you want when the kids are with you. But please keep their safety in mind. Bye.”

  Before he came back with a retort, Shannon hung up. He punched the button to disconnect and finished his drink. Crap kept coming from all angles tonight. First Ryan, and now Shannon, had twisted his gut into knots that refused to untangle. Shannon could be ignored. What he planned to do about Ryan was still a mystery. One thing he knew for sure, he wasn’t giving up on her or their relationship. It had become far too important to him.

  Chapter 20

  Ryan made the final check mark on her clipboard and then headed to set three. Determined to stay one step ahead of her cantankerous boss, Ryan intended to stop at each set and run down her checklist before leaving the studio. Standing on the edge of the set, Ryan compared the floor plans in her hands against the finished products.

  Minus the blazing lights and sets crammed with actors, directors, and camera, sound, and technical people, the studio seemed quiet and still. Shivering, she pulled the edges of her navy knit cardigan around her shoulders and secured the top button. With the close of business, the harsh, hot floodlights had been switched off, leaving the soft, muted overhead lights. There was an eerie quality to the deserted set.

  On her way to set three, she glanced in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, noting the darkened office. With a sense of relief, she sighed. Good. An unlit, empty room meant Keir had probably left for the day.

  For the past week, Ryan had sidestepped discussions with Keir regarding the Glo fiasco. At one point, he’d demanded Ryan sit down with him and resolve their issues. She’d refused politely, while maintaining the appropriate level of respect for the head of the studio. As she moved along the corridor, a lone figure detached itself from the shadows and followed her.

  “Hey.”

  Startled, Ryan let out a little yelp and whipped around, clutching the clipboard to her chest. “Hell! You scared the crap out of me.”

  Smiling gently, Keir apologized. “Sorry.”

  Eyeing him suspiciously, Ryan sighed heavily before asking, “What are you doing here? I thought you had gone for the day.”

  Keir hunched his shoulders and then tapped the coffee brown leather briefcase with his free hand. “Had to come back. I forgot some stuff I needed to work on. What about you?”

  “Checking the sets before I call it a night.” She turned the clipboard so he could see it. “I want to make sure everything is in order for tomorrow’s early morning shooting schedule. I’m almost done. Sets four and five need to be reviewed, and then I’m out the door.”

  He gave the clipboard a cursory examination before returning it to Ryan. “Mind if I tag along?”

  “It’s your studio,” she tossed over her shoulder as she strolled down the corridor.

  Grimacing at Ryan’s comment, Keir slid into step beside her. “How has work been going?”

  “Good.”

  “Any problems?”

  Here we go again, she thought. He never knew when to leave things alone. Ryan halted and whirled around to face her boss, demanding, “Why?”

  Hands raised in an act of surrender, Keir took a step away from the woman. “Whoa! I’m not trying to cause any trouble. It was a simple question.”

  Yeah, right. Ryan eyed the man. A simple question you’d probably turn into a big problem. No, thank you. “I’m fine.”

  “If there was a problem, you wouldn’t tell me, would y
ou?”

  “No,” she answered curtly.

  “Thanks. Glad to hear it,” he muttered sarcastically.

  They resumed their trek to set four. After several silent moments, Keir said, “You know, I have a hard time letting go of control over things. It’s that whole ‘director in charge’ thing.”

  “Mm-hmm.” Where was he heading with this? Ryan wondered, watching Keir out of the corner of her eye as she proceeded to check the set.

  “I believe it’s my job to watch over the people I care about. To keep them safe.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she assured him.

  “There’s no doubt in my mind that you can. But, part of me wants to be the one to protect you. Take care of you. Be the one you turn to when things go haywire. Can you understand that?”

  “So that’s why you lied to me? Made my boss and the studio revamp the entire shooting schedule so that you could make life easier for me? Am I getting this correct?”

  “No. That’s not why.”

  “Please explain it to me. Help me to understand why you did it after you promised you’d never interfere with my job.”

  “I made those changes for us. Can’t you see that?”

  “Yes, I can. But you lied.”

  “If I had let you handle the situation, you would have rolled over and played dead. Let Glo run over you.”

  “Glo’s my supervisor, Keir. Believe it or not, I take directions from her.”

  Ryan turned away, heading to the next set. Keir caught her arm, holding it loosely. “Don’t leave.” After a pause, he added, “Please.”

  “We don’t have anything else to say.” She shook off his arm.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. There’s a lot of unfinished business between you and me. Let’s talk about us. Can you at least consider listening to me?”

  “Give me one good reason why I should,” Ryan demanded.

  “Because we’re better together than apart.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. I believe you understand what I’m saying.”

  Ryan waved a dismissing hand in Keir’s direction and turned away. “I don’t understand you.”