by S. K Munt
‘What happy ending?’ Ashleigh Dallas-Hone piped up.
‘Lachy I told you- I’m not a writer and even if I was, I need to work right now, not lock myself to a desk and go broke so you can profit off me.’ Honey poked her glasses back up onto her nose as she glanced over her shoulder. ‘Mum and dad honestly, that cop was like, a nineteen year old recruit and he wasn’t hitting on me- just being kind and Lachlan… don’t put the oranges on the plate with the others, okay? Dad’s allergic to citrus.’
‘You always think people are being kind…’ her mother grumbled, walking out into the kitchen with a white linen tablecloth in her hand, but she stopped short when she saw Ryan, her little mouth popping open in an ‘O’ of surprise. He smoothed his shirt and tried to look like he wasn’t into kinky stuff, telling himself that if he’d won over Zeus, these two couldn’t be so difficult, right?
‘Yeah well, even if it was more than that I told you- I’m not looking for anyone right now. It’s not a good time. I’m-’
‘Married,’ Ryan said bluntly, walking over and dragging her into his arms to hug her tightly. He felt Leigh’s stomach cave in on a sharp exhalation and knew that if he didn’t handle this right, she was going to clobber him again before the night was out. ‘To me.’ He kissed the top of her head and then regarded her father and mother with a warm smile over the top of Leigh’s crown of blonde hair. ‘Hi guys… I’m Ryan, Honey’s husband.’
The room fell silent.
Leigh
She wanted to kill him, but it was clear by the look on her father’s face that he was going to beat her to the punch, so she dug her fingernails into Ryan’s forearm to convey her disapproval while she looked from her shocked mother’s face, to her father’s astounded one, and waited to see who was going to break first.
‘D… did you just say…?’ Honey’s dad looked at her like she’d just punched him in the stomach and the tears welled in her eyes as though she had, and she may as well have! She’d told Ryan that her parents were protective! What did he expect them to do in response to such shocking news?’
‘Here…’ Ryan pried her hand off him and slipped her rings onto her fingers a little harder that he probably needed to, making it clear that he wasn’t intimidated at all while everyone looked on, thunderstruck. ‘You forgot these before when you were cleaning up.’ He then reached around her neck, buckling the clasp of her long watch around her sweaty neck, and then kissed her gently before extending his hand to her father. ‘Yes, Mr Dallas-Hone, we’re married. I understand that’s probably going to come as a huge shock, but Leigh wanted to wait to tell you until I could get a flight home as well, and I love her so much… god I just want to scream it from the rooftops, you know?’ He took his father’s limp hand and shook it firmly. ‘She’s told me wonderful things about you, and about how protective you are so please… ignore my sweating palms. They’re symptomatic of how seriously I take her, and not a glandular condition…’
Lachlan chuckled. ‘I’ll bet you have a glandular condition and a half…’
‘Married?!’ Her father seemed to be choking on the word. ‘You married my daughter in the United States, and I’m only just finding out about it now?’
‘Daddy… I’m sorry…’ Leigh’s voice faded like the rose that Roxette was singing about on her record player.
‘Yes I did, but we fully intend to get married here again with her friends and family the traditional way so please, don’t think that I was trying to shotgun her for any purpose, other than impatience to call her mine.’
Leigh’s heart fluttered. Damn him for doing that smooth thing again! She wanted so badly to be pissed!
‘Wow!’ Her mother’s pale blue eyes lit up behind her own glasses as she stepped forward and offered her own hand. ‘You’re a doll- an absolute DOLL!’ Ryan chuckled and shook Ashleigh’s hand, and then bent to kiss it. ‘Leigh how could you keep this from us?’
But Leigh couldn’t talk- it was great that her mother was taking it better than her dad but still, one stroke was all it would take to ruin her life, and so she watched her father’s face anxiously.
‘Thank you,’ Ryan said to her mother, his face abashed. ‘But don’t worry- I’m also smart and wealthy and desperate to be tied down, so she’s secure.’
‘Ryan!’ Leigh clapped her hands over her eyes. ‘What a thing to say!’
‘Why?’ He pulled his hands over her eyes and used his arms to bind hers around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder. ‘It’s true- and probably the first three questions that popped into your dad’s head after: Where’s my rifle?’
Ashleigh giggled- actually giggled- and both Leigh and her father turned to her with wide eyes. Leigh’s mother covered her mouth, but that didn’t veil the glittering blue hue of her eyes. ‘He’s a doll,’ she reached forward and pulled her out of Ryan’s arms. ‘An absolute Doll! Oh, my baby!’ She pulled back, her face a mask of elation. ‘We’re going to have a wedding?!’
Leigh opened her mouth to say : ‘Yes,’ to say whatever it was that would make at least one of her parents happy, but as she did, she remembered all that Ryan had told her, and her heart sank. Was she going to have a wedding? Was it wise to bind herself any more tightly to this man, before she really understood him? And it wasn’t just the whole whimsical aspect of his story that was throwing her, but other factors- things they hadn’t discussed or issues that he wasn’t aware of. For starters, he was a father, which meant that she would have to be a step-mother, didn’t it? And not to a baby either, but an eight year-old girl who had the power and potential to raise hell the way her mother once had. Maybe that could come to be a wonderful thing but it was most likely going to be a disaster, and what if Calliope wasn’t over Ryan? What if Rya hated Leigh? And then there was Imogen… what was the deal with Imogen? If it was as Leigh suspected, and the muse of the written word had saved Ryan, was it possible that she had an angle, or would she disapprove of his match? How could she not want him herself? Tears came to Leigh’s eyes as she thought of all that could and would go wrong, but then Ryan had shifted and was pressing the tiny puppy into her arms- a pale grey sharpei, like the one she’d almost fallen out of his car over, with a little scroll hanging off his chain with his name engraved onto it.
‘That’s Mr Blythe,’ Ryan said, kissing her forehead again. ‘Merry Christmas, Honey.’
Leigh couldn’t help but stuff her face into the dog’s tiny rolls of fat. ‘Mr Blythe…’ she whispered, smiling up at Ryan and trying not to look over at her dead plant while fretting for the puppy. Her parents would take it, right? ‘That’s… kind of perfect.’
‘Um... you call her Honey?’ Leigh’s father piped up.
‘I do,’ Ryan was holding a gift in his arms- a flat square wrapped with brown paper and a red ribbon- her absolute favorite way to wrap gifts. ‘That’s her name, and it’s lovely. I’ve never met anyone more suited to a name and trust me, I’ve met a lot of people over the years.’
‘I picked out that name,’ her father said, sounding both subdued and sort of proud.
‘I know, and it just so happens to be my favorite song. I went shopping for Christmas gifts before I left, and because Honey mentioned that you had a hard time finding this old stuff in Australia now and could only get it on C.D, I snapped this up…’ Ryan handed the box to Leigh’s father. ‘For you, Mr Dallas-Hone. Merry Christmas.’
Leigh’s father stared at Ryan, suspicion etched into his forehead, but he shrugged and tugged gently on the red bow. He peeled the paper away, and when the cover of the LP was visible, Leigh’s breath caught in her throat.
‘Oh my gosh, sweetheart…’ Leigh’s mother whispered, hugging her husband. ‘That’s the one we had!’
‘It’s… It’s Honey, by Bobby Goldsboro. Oh good heavens I… I’ve been looking for this for years- since before Leigh was born.’ He looked up at Ryan, and the suspicion was gone. ‘Thank you, Ryan. This is just perfect.’
‘I’m glad you like it,’ Ryan said, th
en glanced down at Honey and his elated smile made her heart sing like The Harmony existed just for them. ‘I have to go get something from my car, but I’ll help serve up dinner afterwards so you can cuddle my rival, okay?’
Leigh bit her lip and nodded, thinking that maybe everything was going to be okay… even if it was just for a little while, it was more than a lot of people got. She turned to her mother and smiled. ‘And yes… we’re having a wedding, mum- and you can plan the whole thing.’
Her mother squealed and hugged her fiercely, and for the first time in a long time, it was because she was happy and not fearful, and that alone made Leigh love Ryan all the more, even though she was fairly certain that they were as doomed as a couple, as Juliet and Romeo. After all- was still one of the greatest stories of all time, wasn’t it? She only hoped that she was worth the trouble to him.
Ryan
Honey seemed to forget her determination to put on a perfect Christmas like the good little homemaker she was aspiring to be for her parent’s approval, and sat on the couch cuddling Mr Blythe while the air-con guy worked to tighten some loose wires behind her. Ryan took advantage of her distraction to start assembling her extra Christmas present without her paying him much mind, but he remained very aware of how the repairman kept glancing down at the pretty, disheveled girl beneath him and not so subtly checking out the legs she had crossed beneath the puppy. Ryan was annoyed, but he couldn’t blame the guy for looking- with her hair falling out of its bun to frame her face, her dewy eyes shining with puppy love and with sweat keeping her feminine dress plastered to her perky assets, she looked sleepy, dreamy and utterly fuck-able. Her bare feet in her pantyhose did it for him more than anything else, and he loved knowing that she hadn’t showered after he’d had his way with her. That he’d do later- soaping up every curve the way he had back at his house in Niagara, just so that he could get her dirty again.
Or so he hoped. Unlike him, Leigh hadn’t been running on adrenalin for four days straight and seemed as tired as she did sensual. There were slight bags under her eyes, more noticeable now that she’d taken her glasses off again, and her face was slightly pale. As she whispered secrets to the puppy, it struck him that she’d taken their separation a lot harder than he’d feared. Her blog was bogged, her Facebook profile set to private, a huge pile of washing had been shoved into the hamper in her bathroom so that there was room for nothing more, telling him that she hadn’t done a wash for awhile, and when he’d gone to peek into her library, he’d found the door locked. Guilt had seeped into his heart every time and as he arranged the candles in the corner of the room, he glanced over at the stairs and frowned to see that although every step had been painted to resemble the spine of a classic book, one near the bottom had been blacked out- and it was obvious because it hadn’t even been done neatly, showing traces of blue beneath the paint. Had that been The Hardest Fall? Guilt made his intestines bubble with acid. He knew he’d be able to undo the damage, but how long was she going to live, still believing that he might leave her at any moment?
The light banter of the rest of the guests pulled him out of his stormy thoughts, and he smiled to see that Lachlan had given up trying to talk Leigh into writing for him, and had started appealing to her mother to put the hard word on her daughter with him.
Smart boy… cheeky, but I can’t judge because didn’t I just use them to sell myself on her?
Ryan didn’t know why Leigh was so opposed to the idea of writing a love story- he thought it was something she was destined to do, and hoped to encourage her himself. But she didn’t light up at the idea of doing it- not the way she lit up over fireplaces and old records and other people’s books, so he wouldn’t push her too hard until she did.
‘Okay guys… food’s up!’ Mrs Dallas-Hone announced, holding the roast pork, which looked kind of perfect in front of her green Christmas shirt as she walked to Leigh’s dining table. Places had been set and Jules was pouring wine and Ryan was feeling excited to have a real family Christmas for the first time ever. He pulled out his lighter and began to light the candles, hoping to get done before anyone drew Leigh’s attention to what he was doing.
‘And music’s coming!’ Mr Dallas-Hone was taking Leigh’s LP off the turntable on her bench and then started sliding the record Ryan had bought him out of its box. ‘Honey, wait until you hear this.’
‘I’ve heard it dad, you’ve played it a million times and me a million more,’ Leigh said warmly.
‘Not on a record though- its something else, believe me.’
‘But it’s Christmas, shouldn’t we be playing carols? I have a Bing Crosby LP over there, I pulled it out yesterday… oh my goodness… Ryan!’
Delight shivered up his back, matching the tone in her voice. He lit the last candle and then clicked his hot Zippo shut, rocking back onto his haunches and appraising the makeshift fireplace that he’d erected. He’d ordered it from a special local shop- and it looked just like a real fireplace, only it was really just a corner-crafted box with a façade made of timber, which had been carved to look ornate and authentic- mantel and all. He’d stacked it with twelve pillar candles, all white, and now they glowed sweetly within the hearth while several more glowed upon the mantle. It looked impressive, if he did say so himself, and he rolled his eyes at himself, thinking that he’d officially become addicted to getting a big head from Leigh’s approval. Little fingers twined through his. ‘You like it?’ he whispered softly, turning so only she would hear him.
‘I love it. I just…’ her hand squeezed his. ‘I’m afraid that you’re just feeding kindling into what’s going to turn me to ashes. You’re too perfect. How could this be real?’
The rest of the guests were ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’, but once again, Ryan paid them no mind. He turned to Honey and tilted her face to his. ‘Because it is.’ He leaned down and kissed her gently. ‘You felt that, right?’
‘Yeah…’ she kissed him back, just as sweetly. ‘I did. Everywhere.’
The air-con guy, who Ryan had completely forgotten about, cleared his throat. ‘That’s a damn fine gift.’ He wiped off his hands and pointed to the air-conditioner, before handing Leigh a slip of paper. ‘That’ll work for a few more days, but I need to order a replacement plug. I’ll call you when it’s in, okay?’
‘Okay- thank you,’ Leigh said, pointing to the fire. ‘I’ll enjoy that a lot more when the cool air kicks in.’
The guy laughed. ‘I’m sure you will.’
‘Ryan that’s incredible. Good job, son.’
Ryan looked around at the word son, blushing profusely. ‘Thanks um, Lee. Okay that’s weird.’
Mr Dallas-Hone laughed as he fussed with the turntable. ‘Yeah, it gets a bit confusing, which is why we’ve been hanging out for her to go back to Honey for years.’
‘She said you chose the name because it was playing on the radio when she was born?’ Ryan asked, pulling Leigh away from the fire.
‘Not on the radio, no.’ Ashleigh began to carve into the roast. ‘There was a little boy on the back deck of the maternity area… very young with this guitar that was bigger than him, and he played it for us all day. That and Amazing Grace. Luckily, we both liked Honey at least, but I still go a little green when I hear Amazing Grace.’
‘The sound wasn’t so sweet under a novice’s fingers…’ Leigh’s father agreed, laughing.
Leigh accepted a glass of red from Jules and frowned at her mother. ‘Really? I could have sworn you said on the radio.’
‘Nope, it was a live show, and a bit of a clumsy one for awhile. He sat there and played that song all day in the gardens, while we sat and waited to hear how our surrogate was going with the labour and our special little package.’ She smiled at Honey. ‘It should have driven us nuts, but I guess the repetitive harmony was nice and soothing.’ She giggled. ‘I’m surprised there weren’t twenty babies named Honey that day!’
‘I’m sorry…’ Ryan swore he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. ‘But what hosp
ital was this at?’
‘The private one here in Araulen Valley,’ Leigh said, sliding out a chair before he could. ‘Why?’
Ryan stared down at her, dumbstruck as memories of Callie teaching him how to play that song before any other down at the gorge flickered past his eyes like a black and white movie, and in his state of shock, it was equally soundless. ‘Was this the summer of like… ninety-one?’
‘Yeah, why?’ Leigh pulled out his chair and motioned for him to sit, and he did so heavily as his mind caved in on itself.
‘My mother was a…’ he swallowed. ‘An anesthesiologist. She… she worked at that hospital and when we couldn’t get a sitter, she’d take me along and I’d sit out in the gardens behind the maternity and pediatric wards and…’ he leaned forward and caught his head in his hands. ‘I’d practice,’ he whispered. ‘One summer, I played that for about two weeks straight at the Mater and…’
Leigh sucked in a breath. ‘Are you saying that you serenaded me to LIFE?’
‘You’re from this neck of the woods too?’ Ashleigh asked, as though she’d not heard the freaky parts. ‘What does your father do?’
‘My parents are both dead,’ Ryan said woodenly. ‘But he was a magistrate, once, only he was based in Brisbane and flew in and out…’ he stared at his wife, shocked. ‘But yeah, baby- I find it hard to believe that there was another eight year old kid getting around playing sixties hits on a guitar instead of listening to M.C Hammer on a walkman.’
‘Oh get OUT of here!’ Lachlan slapped the table and hooted. ‘This just gets weirder and fucking weirder! Honey I am ORDERING you to write this shit down!’
‘Lachlan, language!’
‘I’m afraid I’m not following…’ Mr Dallas-Hone said. ‘Honey, what’s the matter? Why are you so pale?’
Because she knows what I know! She must!
Ryan turned to Honey and took her hands. ‘I think I did for you, what you did for me, baby. I took my favorite story and… and it was my wish. I loved that girl! I loved that song! Over and over I’ve played that all my life! But ONLY since the year you were born. Don’t you see it?’ He leaned in and grasped her shocked face in his hands. ‘Don’t you feel it? You brought me back, and I did, you. That’s what The Harmony intended! Maybe that’s why I never worked with her. Maybe the heavens understood what Zeus-’