“Not exactly, but I think I may have an idea that will help her out without getting me into too much hot water.”
“Are you going to share?”
“Let me see if it will even work first,” Ryan said, afraid to voice his thoughts aloud. “But I promise, if everything falls into place, you’ll be the first to know.”
Chapter 20
Kari carried an armful of Maya’s dresses into the house and headed for the master bedroom. To keep her from doing too much lifting, Ben had banished Maya to the kitchen, where she was currently organizing her cabinets.
Kari hung the clothes and headed back outside to where Ben was standing at the curb talking to one of the movers. “Hey, Kari, do you care what kind of pizza I order?”
“Anything’s fine.” She glanced across the street and noticed the For Sale sign in front of the other house they’d looked at now had an Under Contract sign above it. “Looks like you’re not going to be the only new neighbors on the street.”
“That must have just happened. That sign wasn’t there yesterday.” He started toward his new house. “I’d better go call in the pizza order.”
“And make sure Maya isn’t doing too much,” Kari added.
“That too.”
Kari continued to unload Maya’s car, which consisted mainly of her closet. She was down to a box full of shoes when she noticed a familiar car pull into the driveway of the house across the street.
Ryan climbed out and waved. Kari set the box of shoes on the backseat and shut the car door. She started across the street as Ryan came toward her.
“I think you parked at the wrong house. Ben and Maya bought that one.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Then don’t you think you should move your car? I don’t know if the new owners of this one will be thrilled to have you park here.”
“I’m sure the new owner won’t mind,” Ryan said.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’m the new owner. Or at least I will be at all-star break.”
“Wait. What?” She reached out and put a hand on his arm.
“I’m the new owner.”
“You bought a house?” Stunned, she shook her head, trying to comprehend his words. “When did this happen?”
“I signed the paperwork last night when I got back from Kansas City.” He put his hand in his pocket and retrieved a key ring. He held it up to reveal the single house key. “Want to come check it out with me?”
She glanced back at her brother’s house and the steady stream of movers walking inside. “Yeah, I’d love to see it again.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the house, then unlocked the door and pushed it open.
When he stepped back, Kari thought he was moving to let her go first. She gasped with surprise when he pocketed the key and scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
“What are you doing?” she asked, unable to contain her laughter.
“Isn’t this tradition? The guy is supposed to carry the girl over the threshold?”
“That’s for when you get married.”
Ryan stepped over the threshold. “Close enough.”
“Hardly.” Kari shook her head with amusement. “You’ve only known me for a month.”
“I swear it’s been longer than that.”
“Okay. Thirty-six days.”
His eyebrows lifted as he kicked the door closed. “You’ve been counting?”
“I know the date, and I can do math. It isn’t that complicated.”
“That’s right. You’re going to be a doctor. You’re smart like that.”
“Counting to thirty-six isn’t exactly brain surgery,” she insisted. “Are you going to put me down?”
“I guess so.” He set her on her feet only to pin her against the door. His eyes dark, he lowered his lips to hers. As though he had craved this during their days apart, he drew her closer, a hum of approval echoing from somewhere deep inside him.
He changed the angle of the kiss, his hands shifting to caress her shoulders.
She might have been floating on a cloud. The heady sensation of being treasured seeped through her, overwhelming her. Had she really known Ryan for only five weeks? Here in his arms, she felt like it had been forever and found herself hoping for a future that would last far beyond this moment.
All too aware that they were in his house alone, Kari lifted her hand to his chest and pushed until his focus was completely on her. Her voice was husky when she spoke. “I’m starting to understand why my brother keeps showing up when we’re together.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“I don’t trust that it’s a good idea for us to be in a house alone.”
He seemed to consider her words. “You’re probably right.”
She stepped sideways to free herself of his embrace. “I should go help Maya.”
“If I promise to keep my hands to myself, will you walk through with me?” Ryan asked. “I have to decide by Wednesday what furniture I want to keep.”
“Can I really trust you?”
He took his time in answering, waiting until their eyes met before he did so. “Kari, I promise you’ll always be able to trust me.” The sincerity of his voice was absolute.
“In that case, lead the way.”
* * *
Ryan bit into a piece of pizza and leaned back against Ben’s kitchen counter. Maya had texted Kari only minutes after they had started looking through his new house, and they had decided to eat lunch before finishing their walk-through.
“I can’t believe you’re going to live across the street,” Ben said, a paper plate in one hand and a slice of pepperoni pizza in the other.
“I can’t believe he bought a house,” Maya added, taking up position beside her husband.
“I can hardly believe it myself, but it made sense,” Ryan said. “My mom won’t let me buy her a place of her own, and this house has a great in-law suite. I figure she can stay there while she recovers, and after that, we’ll see how it goes.”
“How is she doing? Have you seen her since you got back?” Kari asked.
“I FaceTimed her this morning,” Ryan said. “I’m going down to see her this evening. I thought maybe I could convince you to come with me.”
“Are you sure?” Kari asked hesitantly. “She would probably be happier if you went without me.”
Ryan thought of how odd his mother had acted when she and Kari had first met. He wanted that to change. He needed it to change. “I want you to get to know her.”
“If you’re sure,” she said.
“I’m sure.” He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze.
Maya took a drink from her water bottle. “Do you think your mom would want to stay with you after she gets better?”
“Not a chance.” Ryan shook his head. “She wants to take care of herself, but I like that she’ll have a room up here when she visits.”
“She lives an hour away. I doubt you’ll get her to visit much,” Ben said.
“You never know,” Ryan said halfheartedly. In truth, he couldn’t explain why he had followed impulse and bought such a large house. It wasn’t logical. What was he going to do with six bedrooms, especially once his mom was healthy again?
“You know,” Ben said. “I think that open space in your backyard would be perfect for a batting cage.”
Ryan couldn’t help but smile. “I had that same thought.”
“We’d better get back to unpacking,” Maya said, throwing her paper plate into a trash bag on the floor.
“I can help you with the kitchen,” Kari offered.
“I’m fine. Go ahead and help Ryan with his place. It sounds like he’s going to need it.”
“Thanks, Maya. Holler if you need me.”
“I will.”
Ryan tossed his trash into the garbage bag and led Kari through the kitchen and out the front door.
“I’ve never been inside your apartment,” Ka
ri said as they crossed the street. “How much furniture do you have that you’ll want to keep?”
“I don’t have much. I have a recliner I like, and my bed is new.”
“Then we’re really just looking at the furniture in the new house and deciding what you like enough to keep.”
“That’s the plan.” He pulled open the door and waited for her to walk inside.
Kari led the way into the living room. She stared at the matching couches positioned there and then slowly turned around as she studied the room. When she turned to face him, a sense of home washed over him.
As though his body had a mind of its own, he closed the distance between them and lowered his mouth to hers for a sweet and gentle kiss.
The scent of potpourri lingered in the air and mixed with the raspberry from her shampoo. His fingers framed her face, his thumb stroking beneath her jaw where he could feel her pulse jumping.
When he drew back, he saw the confusion on her face, and he wondered if he would ever get back on level footing with Kari around. “This house suits you.”
She looked a little off-balance herself. “It’s a beautiful home. The important question is whether this house suits you.”
“Apparently it does.”
She pulled free of his embrace. “Come on. We have work to do before we go visit your mom.”
“She’s going to like you, you know.”
“She didn’t seem to like me the last time I saw her.”
“She’ll like you,” he repeated.
* * *
“Are you sure about this?” Kari asked as Ryan led her through the hospital hallway. It was one thing to come with him before to see his mom. She had been doing that to support him. This felt entirely too much like being put on a display for his mother, a mother she wasn’t sure approved of her.
“It’ll be fine,” Ryan insisted. He pushed open the door to his mother’s hospital room, and Kari tugged her hand free before she followed him inside. “Hey, Mom. How are you feeling?”
Kari stood awkwardly beside him and noticed the way Susan’s gaze shifted to land on her. Those dark eyes were no longer clouded with confusion. Instead, they narrowed with suspicion.
“Who are you?”
“This is Kari Evans,” Ryan said, motioning Kari forward. “She came with me to see you a couple weeks ago, but you probably don’t remember. You were pretty sick at the time.”
“It’s nice to meet you again,” Kari said, not sure how else to properly greet her.
“You’re the one who sent the flowers,” Susan said now.
“Yes.”
Ryan motioned for Kari to sit in the single chair situated beside his mother’s bed. Though his mother’s gaze was less than welcoming, Kari sat. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll feel better when I’m free of this place.”
Ryan took position behind Kari. “The doctor said he’s going to approve your transfer to the rehab center on Wednesday.”
“I just want to get out of here.” She looked past Kari and spoke directly to Ryan. “Jenny left yesterday for California to visit her grandkids for the next month. I’ve been bored to tears.”
“At least she was able to visit a lot while I was on the road,” Ryan said, obviously looking for the bright side.
Susan shifted her gaze to Kari. “Did you go with Ryan on his road trip?”
“I was able to watch him play in Philadelphia,” Kari said, quickly adding, “My brother plays with Ryan, so I went with his wife to watch that series.”
“I see.”
Silence hung in the air for several long seconds. Never a fan of confrontation or the silent treatment, Kari felt her heart beat rapidly in her chest. “Ryan, I’m going to give you and your mom some time alone. I’ll meet you in the lobby in a little while.” Kari stood. “It was nice seeing you again, Ms. Strobel. I hope you have a speedy recovery.”
Susan nodded in response but didn’t speak.
“I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Ryan told Kari.
“Take your time.” She put her hand on his arm. Whether Susan liked her or not, the woman deserved to have her son’s support. “Seriously, you came a long way to see her. Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks.”
Chapter 21
Irritated by his mother’s behavior, Ryan sat in the chair Kari had vacated and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Okay, spill it. What’s with you? You hardly said hello to Kari, and you’re acting like she’s some used-car salesman trying to swindle you.”
“I’m still recovering. That’s all.”
“You’ve spent the last two days telling me that you’re well enough to go home, and you certainly have shown that you’re capable of having a polite conversation when you want to.” He waved toward the door. “You were being downright rude to Kari.”
“I don’t like her.” Susan crossed her arms and stared at her son.
His voice raised a decibel. “You don’t know her.”
“I know she doesn’t let you do anything without her.” Fire lit her voice. “Jenny said she was with you every time you came to visit me.”
“Do you even remember her coming with me?”
She shook her head.
“Well, I remember. She put everything on hold to sit here in a hospital room with someone she didn’t even know because she was worried about me,” Ryan said, driven to defend Kari. In truth, he didn’t know how he would have gotten through the stress of the past two weeks since his mother’s accident without her support. “The only reason she came with me today was because I asked her to.”
“Which only proves my point. You’re in the middle of baseball season, your mother is in the hospital, but your focus is on that girl.”
“That girl is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” Ryan shot back.
Her eyes narrowed, and he suspected he was about to get a don’t-talk-to-your-mother-in-that-tone-of-voice lecture. “Exactly how serious are you about Kari?”
“What do you mean?”
The edge to his mother’s frustration melted away, and he saw a glimpse of the woman who had supported him through Little League, broken windows, and algebra. “Seems to me you didn’t get this riled up when I first met Brandi.”
“You weren’t this hard on Brandi.”
“Oh, sure I was,” she insisted. “I just don’t think Brandi cared if she made a good impression on me, and she certainly didn’t care whether I liked her or not.”
Ryan’s tone turned cold. “Kari isn’t anything like Brandi.”
“I can see that.”
“And yet you’ve decided not to like her.”
She pursed her lips, but then her demeanor softened. “I might be persuaded to change my mind.”
“I hope you do.”
“Now, on to more important things.” She lowered her voice. “You’ve got to talk to the doctor about getting me out of here. I am going insane.”
“Mom, you had a serious infection. You’re going to need medical care when you do go home.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“So you keep telling me.” Ryan started to bring up the new house but decided against it. One thing at a time. “In the meantime, is there anything you need while you’re still in the hospital?”
“I wouldn’t mind something to read. Daytime television isn’t terribly entertaining.”
“I’m sure I can come up with something.” He stood. “I’ll run down to the gift shop and see if they have any magazines down there.”
“You don’t have to worry about it today. Are you coming back to visit tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back in the morning, but then it will probably be a couple days before I can make it back down.”
“Is Kari coming with you tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so. She was going to visit a couple of colleges in the area. She’s thinking about transferring.”
“What is she studying?”
“Medi
cine.”
Disbelief registered on her face. “That little thing thinks she’s going to be a doctor?”
“That’s her current plan.”
“Maybe if she was my doctor, she’d let me out of here.”
Ryan chuckled. “I’m sure she would just to get some peace around here.”
“I should rest.” She shifted her position to get more comfortable.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too.” She waved toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
* * *
Kari sat in a chair in the hospital lobby and used her phone to search through college websites. She was trying hard not to take Susan’s cold reception personally, and any distraction right now was a welcome one.
Twenty minutes passed before she came to the conclusion that if Ryan’s mother had chosen to dislike her so quickly, she probably didn’t approve of any women Ryan dated. That helped smooth away the sharpest edge of disappointment but didn’t take away the negative sensation completely.
“Hey, Kari.” Ryan’s voice broke into her thoughts, and she looked up to see him approaching. She tucked her phone into her purse and stood. “I’m sorry about my mom. She’s always been overprotective, and being trapped in the hospital for so long hasn’t helped her mood.”
Though Susan’s disapproval stung, reliving it wouldn’t help either of them. Instead, she asked, “Did you tell her about your new house?”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?” Kari asked as they headed for the door. “I would think your good news would make a nice distraction.”
“I don’t think she’s going to see it as good news, especially since that’s where I expect her to live for the next couple months.”
“Ah.” They got into the car, and Kari twisted in her seat to face him. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do about home care yet?”
“I left a couple of messages with the company the doctor recommended, but so far I’ve been playing phone tag. My schedule isn’t the best when it comes to dealing with office hours.”
“Do you want me to try to get some information for you?”
“Kari, you’ve already done enough.”
She heard the weariness in his voice and noted that he didn’t say no. “Give me the phone numbers of the places you want information from, and I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow while you’re at practice,” she said. “And if that doesn’t work, I can ask Maya’s friend Henry. He works at the hospital. I’m sure he knows what companies are worth talking to.”
Chance for Home Page 12