Series Starter : Firsts in Series Collection

by Kaylee Ryan

  Ridge grabs Knox, seat and all, tossing the diaper bag over his shoulder. I stand at the front of the truck, trying like hell not to drool. Six-two, broad shoulders, arm porn—as Dawn and I like to call it—tattoos running down his arm, his dark hair messy, and those dark eyes that seem to devour me anytime he’s near. I want to pull my phone out and snap a picture of him. Not to mention he’s holding a baby carrier, and from the look on his face as he stares down at his son, you know he sees him as the brightest part of his life. There isn’t a female out there who wouldn’t melt at the sight of him in this moment.

  I snap out of my trance and walk toward him. He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me into the diner. It’s a slow Sunday afternoon, so we find a booth in the back corner. The waitress is there bringing one of those stands we can set Knox’s seat on. We thank her, order our drinks, and she disappears.

  “What are you getting?” he asks.

  “I’m starving, so it all sounds good.”

  “I think I’m going to get a steak hoagie and fries.”

  “I’m going with a turkey club and cheese sticks.”

  After we place our order, Ridge digs a diaper and wipes out of the bag and removes Knox from his seat. “I’m going to go change him.”

  Not a minute later, he’s back looking frustrated. “There not one of those changing station things in there.”

  “There is in the women’s. Let me do it.” I stand and hold my hands out for the baby.

  Ridge grumbles, but hands him over along with the diaper and wipes. He kisses me on the forehead then stalks to the counter to no doubt complain about not having said changing station in the men’s room.

  When I get back to the table, I give him the wipes and sit down, still holding Knox. He’s such a good baby, and I know even though he won’t admit it, it’s nice for him to have a break.

  “I can take him.” He starts to stand.

  “I got him,” I say. Then it hits me that maybe he doesn’t want me holding him. “I mean, unless you don’t—”

  “Stop it,” he growls. “Anytime, Kendall. Anytime you want to hold my son, you do it. You are not some damn stranger off the street.”

  He read my mind. “Good.” I smile.

  The waitress brings our food and I start to eat with one hand. “I can take him,” Ridge offers again.

  “I know, but you eat faster than me. You finish, and then you can feed him while I eat.”

  “You eat first, and I’ll feed him.”

  “No dice, Beckett.”

  He grumbles but doesn’t fight me further.

  “Well, isn’t this cozy?” a leggy blonde asks, stopping at our table. Ridge immediately stops eating and glares at her.

  “Stephanie,” he greets her coolly.

  “I see you found a stand-in mommy,” she seethes.

  “I told you I was done, now leave.”

  “What? Without an introduction to your little stand-in?”

  “She’s my girlfriend. Leave now, Stephanie,” he grits out.

  She laughs humorlessly. “Really? Well, you move fast, don’t you? Did you know that his baby is a bastard? That he only wants you so he doesn’t have to do it on his own? Is that really what you want?”

  Ridge slams his fist down on the table, and I’m sure all eyes are on us. I reach out and place mine over his, his eyes immediately snapping to mine. I smile at him, hoping he can see that her words aren’t affecting me and shouldn’t get to him either. Once I see he’s calmed, I turn and face Stephanie.

  “If you knew him—really knew him—you would know that, up to this point, he’s done it all on his own. You would know that I had to force him to let me hold this little guy while he ate. If you really knew him, you would know that he puts those he cares about first. Furthermore, if you knew me, you would know that I want them both. I know this little angel lost his momma, and I’m honored that I get to be a part of his life. As for you—” I stop and take a minute to look at her with disgust. “—if I ever hear you call this baby anything other than his name, you will answer to me.”

  “Listen, you little—”

  Ridge stands. “Leave, Stephanie, now.” His voice is low. Lethal.

  “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” our waitress says.

  “Me? What about them?”

  “Ma’am, this is a small establishment, and we’ve all heard what happened. You aren’t welcome here.”

  “Whatever.” Stephanie turns on her heel and stalks out of the diner.

  “I’m sorry about that,” the waitress apologizes.

  “You have nothing to apologize for,” I tell her.

  She nods. “Can I get you anything else?”

  I glance at Ridge and he looks . . . defeated. And angry. “No, just the check please.” Turning to Ridge, I push his plate toward him. “Eat.”

  “Kendall, I can—”

  “Eat, Ridge. This little guy is going to be hungry soon. We had a plan, remember?”

  “Dammit, Kendall, we need to talk about this.”

  “And we will, when it’s just us, without half the town listening in.”

  “I won’t lose you over her,” he says emphatically.

  I reach across the table and he grabs my hand immediately. “You won’t. Just eat. We’re going to finish our lunch, and I promise we can talk after.”

  He nods, bringing my hand to his mouth for a soft kiss before releasing me. I finish off my cheese sticks just as Ridge finishes eating. I pass Knox off to him so he can eat too. I try to focus on my lunch, but it’s rude to not make eye contact when talking and Ridge . . . well, he’s sexy and distracting. He’s currently still brooding, this big tough guy holding this tiny baby. It’s an image that will forever be engrained in my memory.

  Chapter 33

  As soon as we walk out of the diner, I run into Mr. Williams and his wife. The guys and I just built them a new home a few months back.

  “Ridge, hi! Good to see you,” he says, holding out his hand for me to shake. “You remember my wife, Nancy.”

  I nod to his wife. “Good to see you.”

  “You too. Who is this little one?” she asks, stepping closer to peer into the car seat.

  “This is my son, Knox, and this is my girlfriend, Kendall,” I introduce them.

  “He’s adorable,” Mrs. Williams says. She stands and addresses Kendall. “You have a beautiful family.”

  My girl doesn’t miss a beat. “Thank you,” she says politely.

  She could have made the situation awkward as hell, but she didn’t. Instead, she claimed us, me and my son. It takes everything in me not to pull her to me and kiss the hell out of her.

  “Well, we won’t keep you. Good to see you, Ridge,” Mr. Williams says, holding the door open for his wife.

  As soon as the door closes, I look over at Kendall. “You don’t know how bad I want to kiss you right now.”

  She inches closer and stands on tiptoes. “What’s stopping you?”

  I close the distance and kiss her. It’s not how I want to, but it serves the purpose of calming me the hell down. I’ve never wanted to hit a woman, not until today. Not even when Stephanie showed up at the hospital. That day, I was just done. I knew she wasn’t someone I could see going the distance with, and after she opened her mouth I knew it was over. Bet or not, I never wanted to see her again.

  Today, though? Today, I wanted to hit her. She called my son a bastard and disrespected Kendall. I was barely controlling my anger when her hand slid over mine. Just the simple touch of her skin against mine made it better.

  “Where are we headed?” she asks once we’re back on the road.

  “Home.”

  She doesn’t say anything, and it probably has to do with the fact that I snapped the word at her. I’m still mad as hell over Stephanie and, even more than that, afraid Kendall’s going to walk. That I’m going to have to spend my time convincing her that she’s what I want, instead of kissing her. I reach over and gra
b her hand, lacing our fingers together. She doesn’t pull away, and I take that as a good sign.

  Once we make it back to my house, I grab Knox while Kendall insists on taking the diaper bag. As soon as the seat hits the couch, she goes to work unbuckling him. He stretches his little body, and I fight the urge to pull out my phone and take a picture.

  “How about some play time?” Kendall sits him on the floor under this baby gym thing Mom brought over. I watch as he stares up at each object while Kendall either moves them or squeezes them to make noise. He’s fascinated.

  Needing to be closer to them, I lie on the floor behind Kendall, sliding in close and pressing my body next to hers. I hold myself up with one arm while the other rests on her hip.

  “Cuteness overload,” she says when my boy smiles up at the bear that crackles every time she touches it.

  Not able to help myself, I kiss her shoulder. “I’m sorry about today, with Stephanie.”

  “Not your fault.”

  “It is. I was kind of dating her when Knox was born.”

  She looks over her shoulder at me, and her face has this ‘are you kidding me’ expression.

  “It was a bet,” I ramble on, and then feel her stiffen. “Let me explain, please.”

  She nods, but continues to stare down at my son. I tell her how the bet came about, how Stephanie was never my match, and admit that I was with her for the wrong reasons. I tell her about the day Knox was born, how Stephanie showed up at the hospital and started spewing shit about not wanting to be a fill-in. I tell her how I ended it right then and haven’t thought about her since. “I know how it sounds, and I’m sure you don’t think too highly of me right now.”

  She’s quiet and lays her head down, using her arm as a pillow, resting her other hand on Knox’s belly. I remain silent, giving her the time she needs to process everything I’ve just told her. She’s still here in my arms, so that gives me hope.

  “I would’ve never expected that from you. The way you are with Knox, the way you are with me . . . I’m having a hard time seeing you as the guy who plays with someone’s emotions for a simple bet.”

  She’s right. “It was wrong. I realize that now. I was so caught up in just taking the bet that I didn’t think about how it would end.”

  “And the guys. I’m just . . . disappointed, really.”

  Shit. “We didn’t do it to harm anyone, and Stephanie isn’t without her faults as well. Not that that excuses what I did, of course.”

  “Did you win?”

  “No. I still had a month to go when Knox was born.”

  “So, if Melissa hadn’t been in that accident, if Knox weren’t here, I would’ve never met you? Well, we might have crossed paths, but you would be with her.”

  The way she says “with her” tells me she’s not taking this very well.

  I lift her hair off her shoulder and rest my chin there. “I would like to think that, no matter what my situation was at the time, when I met you I would’ve still been smart enough to realize you were what I wanted.”

  She offers her finger to Knox and he latches on. “So this little guy, not only is he your gift, but he’s mine too.”

  I’m not sure what she means, so I wait patiently for her to continue, all the while saying a silent prayer that she doesn’t kick my sorry ass to the curb.

  She removes her hand from his grip and turns to look at me. I back up so she has room to lie on her back. Propping myself up on my elbow, I look down at her. I want to kiss her, to tell her she never has to worry about me playing games with her, but I need her to come to that conclusion on her own. No matter how long it takes her to get there, I’ll give her that time. Not having her in our lives is not an option at this point.

  I’m too far gone.

  “He brought you to me. I was convinced that I was finished with relationships. Cal had left a wound so deep I never thought it would fill.”

  Needing to touch her, I trace her jawline with my index finger. She shivers at the contact.

  “Knox brought you to me.”

  She closes her eyes, and I want to demand that she open them. I can’t get a good read on what she’s thinking, what she’s feeling when those baby blues aren’t looking at me.

  When she finally does open them, there’s a sea of emotion staring back at me. “Not only are you filling the wound, you’re healing my soul. I will admit that what you’ve told me about your relationship with Stephanie, it bothers me. However, you’ve never once made me feel like I was any less than everything in your eyes. Call me crazy, but I’m not willing to give that up. It’s a feeling I’m quickly becoming addicted to.”

  I place my lips next to hers, and this time, I let her take the lead. She doesn’t disappoint, her tongue tracing my lips, silently asking me to open for her. I do. Hell fucking yes, I do, in every way possible. My heart, my head, my soul, and my mouth to taste her. Everything I am is open for her.

  Just her.

  My sweet girl.

  She slides her tongue against mine and I grip her hip, pulling her closer to me. I just can’t seem to ever be close enough to her. I want to fucking devour her, but I don’t. I hold back, letting her show me how far she wants to take this. Whatever she wants, she gets.

  “Ridge,” she says, pulling away.

  “Yeah, babe?” I kiss down her jaw, tracing her neck with my tongue.

  “There’s someone at the door.”

  “Don’t care,” I mumble against her neck.

  “Ridge.” She laughs, one so carefree I vow to hear it daily.

  Burying my face in her neck, I sigh, defeated. “Fine, but I’m not done with you.” I kiss her lips one last time before climbing to my feet, adjusting my hard-on to answer the damn door. “This better be good,” I grumble as I pull it open.

  “Hey, man,” Kent greets me.

  I try hard not to scowl at him. “What’s up?”

  “Dad called and he’s got the tractor stuck down over the hill. Wanted to see if you had time to help me pull him out. Mom said she would keep an eye on Knox.”

  “Come on in.” I hold the door open and once he’s inside, I head back to the living room. Kendall is on all fours, smiling down at Knox and making noises that I’m sure have some pretty crazy faces to go with them, but her fine ass waving in the air is distracting me from finding out or even laughing at her antics.

  “Hey, Kendall.” Kent chuckles.

  She turns to look behind her and laughs. “Busted, little man.” She sits back on her butt and picks Knox up, settling him in her lap. “Hi.” She takes Knox’s hand and waves at Kent.

  This girl.

  “Babe, Kent’s dad got their tractor stuck, and he needs me to help him get it out. I’m sorry.”

  “Of course. This little guy and I will just hang out until you get back.” She stands from her sitting position on the floor, as if she needs to stand tall for me to let her keep my son.

  I stand there watching her. I didn’t expect her to offer to keep him, but then again, I should have. That’s just Kendall. “You don’t have to. Kent’s mom—”

  “Tell Daddy we got this, Knox.” Her blue eyes look up at me. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

  A vision of coming home to her every day flashes through my mind. Her force, whatever it is, pulls me to her.

  I wrap my arms around both of them. “I’ll hurry.” I kiss Knox on top of the head. “You be good for Kendall,” I tell my son, who doesn’t have a fucking clue what I’m saying. “And you, I’ll be back soon.”

  She tilts her head up and I take my chance to kiss her. “Be safe,” she whispers.

  Reluctantly, I release her and follow Kent out the door.

  Chapter 34

  “Well, it’s just you and me, kid,” I say to Knox. I decide to use my time wisely to help Ridge out a little bit, so I climb the stairs to Knox’s room and grab him a sleeper. It’s already almost five, so bath time and PJ’s it is. I set out his clothes and walk across the hall to the bathr
oom. His little lip quivers as soon as I pour water over him, and he also pees in it. I turn the water back on, double-checking the temperature, and begin to bathe him. I work quickly, and luck is on my side because he cooperates—plus no more accidents.

  “Look at that little lip. I’m sorry. Let’s get you some warm clothes on.” I carry him back to his room, drying and dressing him quickly. I open his closet to find the hamper and see an infant wrap still in the package. It’s never been opened. I smile, thinking of Ridge walking around the house with baby Knox wrapped up and close to his chest. I open the package and read the instructions. This thing looks like a puzzle, but I finally figure it out and soon have Knox strapped to my chest.

  Downstairs, I decide to clean up, Knox snoozing away as if this is a normal occurrence. Once I finish with the living room, I head into the kitchen, thinking I could make dinner for Ridge, but his cupboards are that of a bachelor for sure. He has the base for the car seat in his truck, so going to the store is out.

  Digging a little deeper in the freezer, I find some frozen lasagna and garlic bread. That will have to do. I break the lasagna into little pieces, spray the bottom of the Crock-Pot I happened to find with non-stick spray, and add the pieces of lasagna. I don’t know what time he’ll be back, so this will ensure it cooks and stays warm for him.

  Dinner established, I decide to go sit in the gazebo. I grab my purse and pull out my e-reader and phone then remember seeing a smaller diaper bag in the bottom of Knox’s closet so I run upstairs and get it. I toss my things in, adding a blanket, bottle, and binky for Knox—not that we’re going to be far, but being prepared is just me. I guess Ridge and I have that in common. I slide into my shoes and decide I should write Ridge a note on the dry erase board on the fridge, in case I don’t hear him come home.

  Daddy,

  Kendall took me down to the pond.

  Love,

  Knox

  I giggle when I read the note. I’m sure Ridge will get a kick out of it too. I grab the small diaper bag I just packed and head to the gazebo.