Better for Us

by Vanessa Miller

  As Noel pulled up to a stoplight and glanced over at Ryla, he saw fear in her eyes and realized that she was dealing with him from a place of pain. Someone had hurt her, and since he always thought that he was her first love, Noel was once again clueless in trying to understand Ryla’s pain.

  Noel’s eyes darted to the backseat again. His little girl was still sleeping soundly. He turned back to Ryla and asked, “Who hurt you, Ryla?” He held up a hand, stopping her before she had the chance to respond. “I know you want to blame your issues on me, but I didn’t cheat on you. You left me before discovering or even seeking out the truth, so somebody must have hurt you before we ever met.”

  She turned to the window and stared out into the sky.

  “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me about this.”

  She turned back to him and held up her left hand. “I took your ring back, so I must believe you. I just think that women like Cathy O’Dell have been breaking up marriages since the beginning of time, and if you don’t watch it, you’re going to lose your family, too.”

  He noticed that she hadn’t answered his question about who hurt her, but instead warned him about losing his family. That comment brought him back to when they were in the butterfly house, and thoughts of them being a family sent shivers down his spine. Noel wanted to correct Ryla, but knowing that she was dealing with heavier matters, he shook it off and directed the conversation to their upcoming wedding. “We have an appointment to meet with the hostess at the Four Seasons on Tuesday. I can fly us down and fly back that afternoon. Will that work for you?”

  “I could call my mother and have her meet us there. She’s been itching to help me with the wedding plans. And since we’ll be getting married in Houston, she’ll be able to take care of things for me while we’re campaigning in Dallas.”

  There was no reason for him to be excited over Ryla agreeing to marry him again, especially since he had asked her to jilt him at the altar...but he was.

  * * *

  The Four Seasons was absolutely spectacular, and Ryla couldn’t believe that Noel had remembered where she wanted to have her wedding reception, based on a conversation they had so long ago. “Can you believe how beautiful this place is?” Ryla said to her mother as they toured the grounds of the hotel. Jaylen had stayed in Dallas with Aunt Shelly so that she would be able to give her full attention to the planning of this wedding.

  Looking around in wonder, Juanita said, “You always did have expensive taste.”

  “Tell me about it,” Noel joked. “I was only twenty-one when she told me about this place. I made up my mind back then to make her dream come true, even though at the time I knew nothing about this place.”

  Juanita patted him on the shoulder. “Well, thank God that you have the money to make my daughter’s dreams come true.”

  “Mother,” Ryla said, as she blushed from embarrassment.

  “It’s okay, baby.” Noel grabbed Ryla, twirled her around and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her neck. “I’m glad that I could do this for you.”

  Noel was playing the loving fiancé to the hilt. When she agreed to fake marry him, Noel had strongly expressed that no one was to know that their engagement wasn’t the real thing. But now Noel was playing too much into her emotions, and she didn’t like that. Pulling herself out of his arms, Ryla turned to the wedding coordinator and asked, “Can we see the ballroom?”

  “Right this way,” Melinda, their hired wedding planner, cheerfully said.

  When they entered the ballroom, Ryla was immediately swept away as she pictured herself and Noel dancing below the handblown Venetian-glass chandelier. The entire room was gorgeous, filled with beautiful bouquets in clear glass vases that stood five feet tall. “Now, this is breathtaking.”

  Melinda jotted something down on her iPad. She then gave them a tour of the room. When she was finished, she told them, “The Four Seasons offers white and sand-colored linen for your banquet. If you’re interested in another color, that would need to be special ordered.”

  “The sand-colored linen works for me,” Ryla said, then she pointed at the standing flower bouquets. “I also like the way you have these flowers around the room. Is this standard?”

  Melinda quickly typed Ryla’s comments and then said, “No, the flowers are not standard, but if you like this design, I can definitely make it happen.”

  Noel nodded. “We like.”

  Next, Melinda showed them the grand staircase, where the bridal party would be able to take pictures. Ryla was handed pamphlets on flower arrangements, catering, entertainment, cakes and much more. She was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. And then Melinda asked if they would be staying overnight.

  Noel quickly answered. “We’ll stay two nights after the wedding.” He put his arm around Ryla and added, “I’ll need to get back on the campaign trail after that. So, the missus and I will have to plan a full honeymoon after the election.”

  Ryla looked at Noel as if he had lost his mind with all this after-the-wedding talk, but then she wondered if he knew her intentions and was just trying to smoke her out. Or maybe he’d changed his mind about her leaving him at the altar and now wanted to get married just as much as she did.

  “So, would you like to pick a hotel suite or check out the place where we’ll hold the wedding ceremony?” Melinda asked.

  “I don’t know about Ryla, but I’d like to pick our honeymoon suite and then we can check out the ceremonial spot afterward.”

  Juanita nudged her daughter. “He’s anxious, isn’t he?”

  “Please stop embarrassing me,” Ryla whispered to her mother.

  “Ah, girl, hush, I was young once, too, you know.” Juanita smacked Ryla’s bottom. “Now let’s go see the suite you’ll be staying in for your honeymoon.”

  “Which rooms do you have available?” Noel asked Melinda as they headed toward the elevator.

  “We have several executive suites available for the weekend of your wedding. But the Governor’s Suite and the Presidential Suite, which are both located on our top floor, are also available.”

  They stepped into the elevator. Noel said, “I’ve never wanted to be a governor, so why don’t we go ahead and check out the Presidential Suite?”

  Melinda took them to the twentieth floor and let them out in front of the spacious nineteen-hundred-square-foot suite fit for a king.

  While Ryla’s mother stood in the living area of the suite, oohing and aahing, Ryla grabbed Noel’s arm and pulled him into the bedroom. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

  “Sure, baby, what’s up?”

  Ryla planted her hands on her hips as she stood at front him. “What is this all about?”

  He scrunched his eyebrows. “I’m not following.”

  “Why in the world did you ask for the Presidential Suite? Do you know how much this room costs?”

  He sauntered over to her, bent down and nibbled on her lip. “So you don’t want to spend the weekend in this luxurious space with me?”

  Her hands went to his chest and she pushed him away. “Have you forgotten that I’m supposed to leave you at the altar?” she whispered while watching the door to make sure her mother wasn’t walking into the bedroom.

  “Look, Ryla, this whole Four Seasons thing is not just your dream.” He sat down on the four-poster king-size bed. “Ever since you told me about this place, I have been dreaming of the day I would marry you here.”

  “But you don’t want me to marry you,” Ryla reminded him.

  “That’s no reason not to enjoy the journey.” He winked and then pulled her so close that she was standing between his legs. “You could have your bags brought up here earlier in the day, so when you leave me at the altar, you can just run up here. We could order massages or something and relax.”

  No, he wasn’t co
ming on to her...trying to sleep with her even though he didn’t want to go all the way and marry her. Now she didn’t feel so bad about tricking him into marrying her. Matter of fact, she would take that massage.

  “Melinda,” Ryla called out.

  When Melinda came into the bedroom, Ryla looked directly at Noel and, calling his bluff, she said, “We’ll take this suite and we’d like couple’s massages also.”

  Melinda jotted that information down. “Anything else?”

  “Yes, I’d like to see the area for the wedding ceremony,” Ryla said as she pulled away from Noel.

  “Where are you going? I thought you brought me into this room so we could try out the bed,” Noel said as he tried to pull her back.

  “I’m not going to try out that bed until my wedding day, thank you very much,” she told him and meant every word. She was done sleeping with Noel Carter without the commitment of marriage.

  Melinda took them all back down to the lobby. As they were headed outdoors, Ryla heard her mother yell, “Ryan, what in the world took you so long?”

  No. No, it can’t be, Ryla thought as she whirled around and came face-to-face with her absentee father.

  “What are you doing here?” Ryla asked as Ryan attempted to hug her.

  “Your mother told me that I needed to give away the bride.” He kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so happy for you, Ryla.”

  Ryan then turned to Noel and stuck out his hand. “I’m Ryla’s father, Ryan Evans.”

  Noel took his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Noel.”

  “Boy, I know who you are. I’m just glad to see that my daughter has done so well for herself.” Ryan then turned his attention to Melinda. He slowly took the woman’s hand and kissed it. “And who is this lovely lady?”

  Ryla absolutely could not believe what was happening right in front of her face. She hadn’t been in her father’s presence for more than a minute and he was already flirting with some woman who wasn’t his wife. Ryla felt compelled to remind him that he was a thrice-married man.

  She cleared her throat. “I doubt if your third wife would appreciate you checking out my wedding coordinator, Dad.”

  He looked at her nonchalantly and said, “Sylvia and I are separated.”

  Ryla couldn’t stand Sylvia. In the eleven years she’d been married to her father, the woman had never made an effort to get to know her. But even though she couldn’t stand Sylvia, Ryla knew with everything in her that the separation was due to her father’s wandering eyes. It wasn’t enough that he destroyed her mother with his cheating ways—he also had to destroy the relationship that he was supposed to have with his daughter. Ryan Evans thought the fact that he was tall, handsome and made a decent living meant he could do whatever he wanted to these unsuspecting women, and that made her sick.

  At that moment, Ryla realized that if she never in her life saw her father again, that would be just fine with her. She pointed toward the exit and screamed, “Get out! I don’t want you here.”

  Ryan dropped Melinda’s hand and turned toward his daughter. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me.” Ryla’s voice was still blaring. “You never spent any time with me when I was younger...too busy out chasing women to notice that I needed a father in my life. But guess what? I don’t need you now. And I don’t want you here.”

  Noel pulled Ryla close to him as the guests in the lobby stopped and stared. “Baby, calm down.”

  “No!” she continued to scream. “Get him out of here. I don’t want him anywhere near me.”

  Juanita put her hand on Ryla’s back and began to rub circles. “I’m sorry, Ryla. I didn’t know you would be this upset by seeing your father or I never would have asked him to walk you down the aisle.”

  Ryan’s eyes were moist as he told her, “I know I didn’t spend enough time with you while you were growing up. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

  She laughed at him. “I’m not that eight-year-old girl, crying for my daddy anymore. I don’t need you, so just go.”

  While Noel held Ryla close to him and Juanita rubbed her back, Ryan walked over and placed a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, sweetheart. But I’d like to be here for you now if you’ll let me.”

  Chapter 16

  As Noel watched Ryla turn into a bridezilla over her father offering to walk her down the aisle, everything clicked into place. Ryan Evans, Mr. Three Wives and working on number four, was the main reason for her heartache. Ryla didn’t trust all men because of one man, this man, standing before them, claiming that he was now ready to be a father.

  “My mother can walk me down the aisle,” Ryla said venomously. “You don’t deserve that honor.”

  “I paid my child support,” Ryan said, clearly taking offense at Ryla’s remarks.

  Her eyes pleaded with Noel as she turned to him. “Get me out of here. I can’t be in the same space with this man.”

  Struck by the pain he saw in her eyes, Noel immediately went into protector mode. On the court he was known for dribbling and shooting, but he could block and guard just as well. Hugging Ryla tightly to him, Noel shuffled her out the door and toward the area where the wedding ceremony would take place.

  He sat her down in one of the lawn chairs and bent down in front of her. “Are you okay?”

  In response, Ryla threw her arms around Noel’s neck and laid her head on his shoulder as she shook from the tears. “Just keep him away from me.”

  Noel held her tight. “Ah, baby, don’t cry. He just wants to take part in our wedding.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want him anywhere near me. Not even for this wedding.”

  What did she mean by this wedding? Was Ryla diminishing the importance of what they were doing, just because he refused to go all the way into a marriage of convenience? He leaned back on his heels and lifted her chin with his index finger. “Ryla, look around—there is nothing second-rate about what we are doing. And I plan to enjoy every moment of it, all the way up to the moment you break my heart again.”

  She wiped the tears from her face. “But I don’t have to break your heart, Noel. And you don’t have to break mine. We could—”

  “Okay, Ryla, I took care of everything. Your father is gone and he won’t bother you until after the wedding,” Juanita said as she joined them.

  Noel jumped up. He knew what Ryla was about to ask him, and if Juanita had waited five more minutes to join them, Ryla probably would have talked him into it. What was going on here? Had he been enjoying himself so much that he’d forgotten who Ryla was and what she had done? Not to mention the fact that Ryla’s view of men was damaged by what her father had done to her. And Noel refused to pay for another man’s mistake.

  Ryla and Juanita walked off with Melinda, viewing the ceremonial area as Noel tried to regain his senses. His cell phone rang. Noel pulled the phone off the holder on his belt, checked the caller ID and then answered, grateful for the distraction. “Ian, my man, what can I do for you?”

  “We have a problem, buddy. Where are you?”

  “I’m in Houston with Ryla. We’re taking care of the final details for the wedding.”

  “This is not good,” Ian said.

  “My schedule was clear,” Noel reminded him. “I don’t have another event until tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Dan Bridges was just at a televised event where he politely told everyone that with known womanizing, sexual abuse charges won’t be too far behind, referring to you, of course.”

  Noel held up a hand. “Now, hold on, I’ve never sexually harassed a woman in my life.” He shrugged with a confident swagger. “Never had to.”

  “It’s comments like that that are going to lose this election for you. Because Dan is also telling anyone who’ll listen that you are no
w more concerned about your love life than the business of governing.”

  “Dan says something negative about me every day of the week. He’s fighting hard to win this election, just as I am. So, for you to be so worried about something Dan said, it tells me one thing—my poll numbers must have dropped again.”

  “Actually, your poll numbers are holding steady. And I think Ryla has a lot to do with that. With a pretty girl like Ryla on your arm, nobody believes that you have your mind on anyone else.”

  “Then we don’t have a problem,” Noel said, watching Ryla beam as she spoke with Melinda and her mom. He could tell that she had pushed those bad thoughts of her dad away and was once again dazzled by the thought of having her dream wedding.

  “Our problem is this ridiculous runaway-bride idea of yours. I told you that a marriage of convenience would help your political career flourish. But if Ryla runs off, then the voters might believe what Dan said about you being too busy chasing skirts to put in the work that will benefit Texas.”

  “That’s ludicrous!” Noel thundered.

  “Ludicrous or not, if enough voters believe it, you’ll be toast, my friend.”

  “Why do you always call me ‘my friend’ when you say the unfriendliest things to me?”

  “You want some sugar, go kiss Ryla. My job is to tell you the truth and help you figure out a way around it,” Ian said.

  “Well, it sounds like we need to figure something out on this one, and fast.” Noel looked at his watch. “I chartered a plane, so I can be back in Dallas in about two hours.” He hung up and returned to Ryla, placing his hand on her lower back and brushing a kiss across her lips.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked with concern in her voice.

  “That was Ian. We need to put out a fire, so I have to head back to Dallas.”

  She held up the pamphlets for the caterer, entertainment, flowers and so on. “I can’t leave right now. I still have a ton of decisions to make.”

  “Do you mind if I head back today? I’ll send the airplane back for you in the morning?”

  “What are we going to do with Jaylen if I spend the night here?” Ryla worried.