Now Until Forever

by Karen White-Owens

  Berger grinned.

  Sighing, Keir shook his head. “My personal stuff.”

  “Pretty much, my man.”

  The studio gossipmongers were buzzing with questions about him and Ryan. No one but Phil Berger had the balls to bring it up with Keir. Lifting a dismissing hand at his production manager, Keir faced the window, searching for Ryan. “Not today.”

  Phil raised a hand. “Hey, my man. It’s not my business, and I won’t push. But, if you need someone to talk to”— Phil shook his free hand as if there was a phone in it—“give me a call.”

  “Thanks, man. I’m okay.” No, I’m not, Keir thought. But I’m a man. We don’t discuss our personal feelings that way. “I appreciate the offer.”

  Phil shoved the cigar into the breast pocket of his shirt, strolled across the office floor, and opened the door. “Anytime, my man. Anytime. I’ll catch you later. I need to have a word with the director’s assistant.”

  “Later.”

  Keir scanned the sets, searching for Ryan. He felt so alone without her. What was he going to do? After three weeks, Ryan remained aloof and as stubborn as she had been the night she left his house. The only reason he allowed her to leave without a fight was that he truly expected her to come back after a few days of thinking the situation over.

  Boy, had he been wrong. Ryan barely acknowledged his presence when she found herself in close quarters with him.

  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he expected to make her see reason or corner her and force her to talk about their problems, work out a solution, and find a way back to each other. A sour smile spread across Keir’s face. Seeing Ryan at the studio was a rare occurrence.

  Dwelling on his problems didn’t seem to help, so Keir decided to return to his desk and get some work done. He reached for an envelope loaded with bills requiring his signature. Work always provided the best therapy until he figured out his next move. As he worked his way through a stack of invoices and checks, his cell phone rang.

  He brought the phone to his ear and said, “Southhall.”

  “Keir?”

  “Who else would it be, Shannon? It’s my phone.”

  “I don’t have time for this. Play those games with your girlfriend.”

  He leaned back in his chair, twirling the silver Cross pen in his hand. “Love you, too. What do you need?”

  “Is Adam there with you?” she asked urgently.

  Keir’s brows furrowed over his green eyes. What was Shannon up to? “No. Shouldn’t he be in school?”

  Hope dashed. Shannon’s voice picked up a note of panic. “He’s missing.”

  Shocked, Keir sat up straight in his chair. Fear caused his heart to slam against his chest. He squeezed the pen in his hand so hard that it left an imprint in his palm.

  “Missing? How?”

  “I-I-I,” Shannon stammered.

  He didn’t give her time to answer. Instead, he bombarded her with more questions. “What do you mean? Nobody snatched him, did they? You took him to school this morning, right?”

  “Of course, I did,” she answered defensively. “Just like every morning. I waited at the curb until he went through the front doors, and then I took off. I had things to do.”

  Frowning, Keir asked, “Where’s Emily?”

  “Right here next to me.”

  He sighed, happy one of his children was safe, and then asked, “Has Adam said anything to you? Maybe he wanted to get your attention?”

  “No. Although, he has been a little quiet since he got back from your place. Preoccupied, rather than unhappy, would be the way I’d describe his mood. Otherwise, he’s been fine. Did anything happen at your place that might have upset him?”

  Immediately, Keir’s thoughts shifted to the fight at the game and the subsequent fallout with Ryan. He didn’t plan on exposing his private life to his ex-wife. Instead, he gave Shannon the trailer instead of the whole movie. “The incident with Lakeisha’s son, Malcolm, really upset Adam. He’s not the kind of kid to get in trouble. I’m sure it’s probably still preying on his mind.”

  “Could be.”

  “What about his friends?” Thinking fast, Keir tried to consider every option. “Anyone he might go to if he felt he was in trouble? Or needed a break?”

  “No one I can think of. But the school called a few minutes ago. Father Perrin said Adam disappeared right after they took attendance this morning. He never showed up for his first class.”

  Keir glanced at the clock on his desk. Shaking his head, he said, “It’s damn near eleven o’clock. Why are they just calling me?”

  “From what the Father explained to me, the office never calls parents right away. The kids hide everywhere, including in the lavatories or in other classrooms. So they do a thorough sweep of the building before alarming anyone.”

  “I’m on my way.” Grunting, Keir rose from the desk, fished the keys from his desk drawer, and shoved his wallet in his back pocket. “I should be at your place in twenty minutes.”

  Shannon asked hesitantly, “Should we call the police?”

  “Not yet. Hopefully, he just skipped class and is hanging out with his buddies.”

  “Is there anything I need to do?”

  Standing in the center of his office, he debated for a moment. “Shannon, why don’t you call the parents of the neighborhood kids while you’re waiting? If they know anything, maybe we’ll get lucky, and they’ll tell us. And don’t forget to ask Emily. She always knows what’s going on.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Me, too,” Keir admitted, taking note of the fact that his hands were shaking. “Sit tight. I’m on my way.”

  “Please hurry,” she said softly.

  “I will. My cell’s on. If you hear anything, call.”

  “I will.”

  “And Shannon?”

  “Yeah?” she answered in a worried tone.

  “We’ll find him.”

  Keys in hand, Keir headed for the door, intent on leaving the building. Since the incident at the Little League game, Adam had been acting differently. For the past few weeks, his son had been quiet and withdrawn. No matter what outing Keir suggested, the kid didn’t show any interest. He suspected this disappearance was related in some way to the incident with Malcolm. Whatever the reason, he planned to find his son and bring him home.

  Storming out of his office, Keir barely missed running into Ryan. “Sorry,” he muttered, reaching out a hand to steady her. Before he could wrap his head around the fact that she was at his door, Keir noticed his son at her side. His eyes went over the boy, searching for any signs of injury. Ryan wrapped a protective arm around Adam’s shoulders and pulled him against her side.

  “Adam!” Keir exclaimed, hugging his son. “Where have you been? Your mother just called. She’s frantic!”

  Embarrassed, Adam hunched his shoulders and refused to look at his father. The boy shuffled from one foot to the other as a dull streak of red crept up his neck and settled into his cheeks.

  Shrugging, Ryan explained, “Adam’s fine. He came by the studio to talk with me.”

  Shifting into father mode, Keir faced his child. “Son?”

  Ryan cleared her throat, gaining the attention of Keir and Adam, and said, “I can see that you two have things to discuss. I’ll leave you to it.” She kissed Adam on the cheek and turned away. “Keir, it was good seeing you.”

  “Thanks for bringing Adam back to me.” Keir said as he pulled out his cell phone and hit the preprogrammed number for Shannon. “I just got off the phone with his mother and was on my way to search for him.”

  Smiling gently, Ryan touched Keir’s hand. He squeezed her hand and held it a moment longer than necessary. “No problem. Go easy on him. Adam’s heart was in the right place.”

  “I’m calling your mother, and then we’re going to talk,” Keir said as he tipped his head toward his door. Head bowed, Adam shuffled into the room.

  “Shannon. I got him,” Keir said into his phone.


  “Thank God! How is he?”

  “He’s fine. I’ll tell you the details when I bring him home. We’re going to have a little talk first.”

  “How long before you get here?” she asked.

  “Give us an hour. See you.” Keir disconnected the call and shoved the phone into his pocket before reentering his office and shutting the door after himself. He marched across the room and sat on the edge of the desk, folding his arms across his chest. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

  Silent, Adam stared at the carpeting.

  Voice edged with steel, Keir asked, “Care to tell me how you got here?”

  “Taxi.”

  Jesus! Keir felt his blood pressure soar as his face scrunched up. Using superhuman control, he quickly rearranged his features into a calm mask. Anything could have happened. Kidnap, rape, even death might have been the outcome if the driver had any nefarious ideas or an inkling as to the identity of the boy he was chauffeuring around town. “You realize you might not have made it here? The cabbie could have done anything to you.”

  “I was careful.”

  Hands clenched into tight fists, Keir bit the soft interior of his jaw, fighting to hold on to his temper. “Where did you get the money?”

  “My bank.”

  Shaking his head, Keir moved behind his desk. Adam slid into the chair in front of his father.

  “Why?” said Keir.

  Silence filled the room. Adam refused to look at his dad. He rubbed his nose and played with the strap on his book bag while chewing on his bottom lip.

  “Adam?”

  “I wanted to talk with Ryan. Me and Emily miss her.”

  Holding Adam’s gaze with his own, Keir asked, “Did your sister help you do this?”

  “No.”

  Putting on his sternest father’s voice, Keir said, “You realize you scared your mother and me to death.”

  Fidgeting with his hands, Adam mumbled, “Sorry.”

  “Sorry is not what I’m looking for.” Keir jumped out of the chair and rounded the desk, standing over the boy. “You’re my son, and I love you. I want you to be safe. Anything might have happened, and that’s part of the reason we were so worried.”

  “I know.”

  “Don’t do this to us again,” Keir demanded.

  “Dad, do you love Ryan?”

  Adam’s question caught Keir with his mouth open. The last thing he expected to hear from his son was a question about Ryan.

  “What’s that got to do with anything?” Keir asked.

  “Well, do you?” Adam’s eyes compelled his father to answer.

  At once it felt as if their roles had been reversed. Keir was the child, and Adam, the adult. Through the years, Keir always told his children the truth, and today wouldn’t be any different. “Yes, I do.”

  “She loves you, too, Dad. Did you know that?”

  Those words swelled in Keir’s heart. Keir wanted nothing more than to go to Ryan and demand she end this self-imposed exile and come back to him. But the reality of the situation was love wasn’t enough.

  Adam approached his father and placed a hand on his shoulder. “If you love each other, why can’t you be together?”

  “It’s more complicated than that, son.”

  “How? Tell me.”

  Keir tiptoed through this situation. “It’s not just about Ryan and me. She’s concerned for you and Emily.”

  “You always told me that anything important in your life was worth fighting for. Don’t you want to fight for Ryan, Dad? Isn’t she important enough?”

  “Adam—”

  “Ryan’s great! She loves you and us. If you love her back, you should fight for her.”

  Keir ran a tired hand over his face. Lord, so much truth all at once was making his head hurt.

  The boy continued to hammer at his father. “Dad, we miss her. Things feel as bad as they did when you left home. Please don’t let things go the same way. Emily and me want to go to Ryan’s house and do things with her like we used to. You know, like go to the park, the zoo, and dinner.”

  His son had a major point. Wasn’t Ryan worth fighting for? Like a person emerging from the depths of a drug-induced sleep, Keir cleared his head, and he realized his son was correct. Why had he rolled over and played dead for the past few weeks? Ryan was truly worth any effort, and it was time for him to fight and win her back.

  He patted his son on the shoulder. “Thanks, son.”

  With a puzzled expression on his face, Adam mumbled, “Huh?”

  “Thanks for waking me up, making me see the light.”

  Keir missed Ryan and the time they spent together. The nights they enjoyed together, holding each other and just talking. Evenings dining out, followed by hours of making love.

  Laughing, Keir hugged his son. “You’re right. Ryan is worth fighting for.”

  Adam drew one hand into a fist, jerked it down, and yelped, “Yes!”

  “Adam, don’t get your hopes up,” Keir cautioned. “I can’t guarantee anything.”

  “You’re going to try? Right, Dad?”

  “Absolutely.” He placed an arm around his son’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you home to your mother.”

  “Okay.” Adam grabbed his book bag and trailed after his father.

  Keir stopped in the doorway. He shut and locked his door after Adam. The pair started down the hall to the front of the building. “You’re in trouble with your mother. You know that, don’t you? That is not a good thing.”

  Head bowed, Adam nodded. “Sorry.”

  Keir steered his son through the studio maze. At the exit, he turned to Adam. “When we get you home, you better do some Oscar-worthy apologizing to her, or you will probably be grounded until you’re fifty.”

  “Can you help me out, Dad?”

  Pursing his lips, Keir shook his head. “Sorry, Charlie. Not this time. You made this bed. Now you have to sleep in it.”

  Sorrowfully, Adam sighed.

  When they reached the Jaguar, Keir watched Adam climb into the car and buckle his seat belt. Chuckling softly, Keir shook his head and thought, My twelve-year-old son has more sense than I do.

  Chapter 33

  With a heavy heart, Ryan slowly returned to her office. Even though she and Keir had only been together for a few moments, seeing him had stirred all her emotions into a fiery ball of frustration and pain.

  Ryan halted outside her office, praying her pigheaded boss was on the set and not in the little cubbyhole they shared. Pacing back and forth, Ryan grimaced, fighting the cramps created by the stress of this situation. Seeing no point in delaying, she turned the knob, opened the door, and stepped inside.

  Good! An empty office.

  With a sigh of relief, Ryan hurried across the floor to her desk and sank into the chair. She swiveled toward the window, finger combing the hair at her nape.

  Lord, she couldn’t keep this up. All of this drama had her on edge, affected her sleep, and hindered her ability to eat. Adam’s visit to the studio had sent Ryan into a tizzy. Since the night she left Keir’s house, she’d cut off all contact with the man and his children, hoping this would make separation easier. Unfortunately, Adam’s insights into her relationship with his father had been right on target. But, Ryan refused to relent. Above all else, Adam and Emily’s happiness remained paramount. Her own well-being came in a poor second.

  With the scent of Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door perfume, Glo burst into the office. Arms loaded with scripts and sketch pads, she stopped and looked around the small space before heading to her desk. The mass of paper slipped from her arms and landed on her desk, sliding across the surface. “Where’s your company?” Glo asked.

  Surprised, Ryan stared at Glo. How did she know about the child? “You saw Adam?”

  Glo shook her head. “No. My hand was on the doorknob when I heard his voice. I kept going so you two would have a bit of privacy.”

  Not sure how to respond to this act of kindness, Ryan mu
mbled, “Oh. Thank you.”

  Glo sank into her chair and began to clear her desk. She gathered the scripts and sketch pads, stacking them into neat piles. Next came the loose pencils and pens. Glo bunched them together and dropped them into the middle desk drawer. “So tell me. When did you split with Keir?”

  Ryan’s eyes grew large, and her cheeks burned scarlet. Her feelings were too raw to discuss, so she needed a topic change. Besides, why would she talk with Glo? The woman had made it clear how much she loathed their pairing.

  Stalling, Ryan ran her tongue across her dry lips before deciding to ask a question of her own. “How do you know about that?”

  The older woman scoffed, leaning forward in her chair like she was talking with an old buddy. “Please. It’s all over the studio.”

  Great! Her coworkers were spreading rumors about her and Keir. Ryan turned toward Glo. “I hate this kind of gossip. It was one of the reasons I didn’t want to get involved with Keir.”

  “That’s something you need to get over,” Glo advised, tucking her feet under her body.

  “What?”

  “Honey, people are going to gossip whether you like it or not. It’s human nature to be curious. And let’s be honest. Keir is too interesting a topic to ignore. The gossipmongers want all the gory details when the story involves someone big at the studio.”

  “I’ve never wanted my private life to be on display.” Shrugging, Glo said matter-of-factly, “Get over it. It was. It is.”

  Ryan moaned sorrowfully.

  “Oh, come on. It’s not going to change how you do business. Ryan, you’ve always worried about your reputation and how being linked with Keir would affect your career. It never mattered. You already have a spotless reputation. Everyone knows you get the job done. Your skills speak for themselves. So stop moaning and pissing over what other people think. They don’t pay any bills in your house. It really doesn’t matter.”

  Doubtful, Ryan replied, “I guess you’re right. Everyone already knows that Keir and I split up.”

  Glo remained quiet for a moment. “Emily and Adam got to you that much?”

  Confused, Ryan stared at her boss. “What? How do you know that? Did Keir tell you that?”