Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  “What are you making, Darling?” Ryan asked.

  Darling’s big white smile lit up his black face. “My world-famous chili, of course.” He flipped a huge tray of ground beef into a frying pan.

  The doorbell rang again, and Ryan went to answer it. “Hey, Doc. Come on in and join the party.”

  Doc’s white eyebrows knitted with disapproval. “What’s going on here, Sandy? You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

  Ryan glanced over his shoulder toward the voices and music that pulsated from the kitchen. “The guys just wanted to say hi.”

  “Do I need to remind you that you should be in the hospital?”

  Ryan rested a hand on the little man’s shoulder. “I know. Did you bring me something for the allergies?”

  With a dour glance at the kitchen, Doc nodded.

  Ryan led the doctor into the den and gently lowered himself to the sofa.

  Doc had given him the allergy shot and was re-taping Ryan’s ribs when Bernie came into the den.

  “Hey, Doc,” Bernie said. “How’s the patient?”

  “He should be in a hospital, not partying with you fools.”

  “I’m offended on behalf of all the fools in the kitchen,” Bernie said indignantly.

  Ryan chuckled, but his smile faded when Doc tightened the tape. The pain shot through him like wildfire, causing him to break into a cold sweat.

  “Damn, man,” Bernie said. “Are you all right?”

  “He is not all right,” Doc said. “He needs to be resting.”

  Ryan would have defended himself if he could’ve spoken. He wished he had taken the pain pills.

  “Almost done,” Doc said.

  By the time Doc left, Ryan was stretched out on the sofa trying to breathe his way through the pain.

  “Jesus,” Bernie uttered. “You’re freaking me out, Sandy.”

  “Sorry,” Ryan rasped. “Hurts like a sonofabitch.”

  “Don’t you have drugs or something?”

  “Yeah, but I’m trying not to take them.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “They fuck me up.” Ryan rested a hand on his pounding head. “Just give me a minute. It’ll pass.”

  Bernie sat down across from Ryan.

  Darling came into the room. “Ready for some chili?”

  “Sandy’s down for the count, man,” Bernie said. “We should probably go.”

  “I’ll be all right,” Ryan said. Under normal circumstances, he would have razzed his friends for being so concerned. Right now, he just didn’t have it in him. “You don’t have to go.”

  Someone turned up the rap music in the kitchen, and it pounded through the house.

  A few minutes later, Susie came in through the front door and made a beeline for the den. With her hands on her hips and her eyes shooting daggers at Ryan, she said, “What the hell is going on here?”

  Chapter 4

  Bernie got up to hug Susannah. “So good to see you, Susie.” He kissed her cheek. “Mary Jane and I have missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” Susannah said with a smile.

  Ryan was relieved to see her soften as their old friend embraced her.

  “I was so happy to hear you and Ryan are back together,” Bernie said.

  Ryan winced. Oops.

  Susannah’s eyes narrowed. “We are not back together.” She tossed a pointed look at Ryan. “I don’t know where you got that idea.”

  From his place on the sofa, Ryan shrugged with innocence.

  “Oh,” Bernie sputtered. “I thought, I mean, Coach said...”

  “Don’t sweat it, Bern,” Ryan said.

  Darling broke the tension in the room when he planted a loud kiss on Susannah’s cheek. “You look gorgeous, as always.”

  Despite her annoyance at Ryan, she smiled and patted his cheek. “Still a charmer, aren’t you, Marcus?”

  “Yes, ma’am, so they tell me.”

  She cast a glance at the kitchen where voices competed with loud music. “Is the whole team here or does it just sound that way?”

  “Oh, no,” Darling said. “Only about fifteen of us.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” Susannah said dryly. “What are you cooking?”

  “Oh, shit!” Darling bolted from the room. “The chili! Stay there. I’ll bring you some.”

  “Great,” Susannah muttered as she removed her black leather coat and draped it over the chair in front of her antique roll-top desk. “Fifteen football players and a bowl of chili.”

  “Sorry about all this, darlin’,” Ryan said with a sheepish grin. “The guys just wanted to see for themselves that I’m still alive.” He could tell she was working hard at not being a poor sport in front of his friends. “How was your meeting?”

  “Fine,” she said. “The Black & White Ball is next weekend.”

  “And you’re the chair again?” he asked, ashamed he didn’t know for sure and embarrassed Bernie was witnessing just how out of touch he was with his wife.

  She nodded.

  “Does that make five years in a row?”

  “Seven,” she said quietly. Her sad blue eyes were a reminder of one of the many issues that had come between them—his inattentiveness to the things that mattered to her.

  Ryan cursed himself for being so stupid. Children’s Hospital was one of the Mavericks’ favorite charities, and Susannah had been leading the team’s involvement in the hospital’s largest annual fundraiser for almost as long as Ryan had been leading the team itself. Their pending divorce apparently hadn’t stopped her work on behalf of the hospital.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to visit with your friends. Good to see you, Bernie.”

  “You, too, Susie. Give Mary Jane a call. She’d love to hear from you.”

  “Don’t go.” Ryan pulled his feet back to make room for her on the sofa. “Stay and have something to eat. You’ll hurt Darling’s feelings if you don’t.”

  “I’m not hungry, and I have some phone calls I need to make.”

  Ryan lifted an eyebrow and hoped it was enough to remind her of their deal. He held his breath while he waited for her to get the message. After an endless moment during which he had no idea what she was thinking, Susannah sat down on the sofa but took pains to stay as far from him as she could get. He smiled at her, and she looked away.

  They made small talk with Bernie until the rest of the guys began filtering into the den, carrying beers and bowls of chili. Darling handed one to Ryan and offered another to Susannah.

  “Thanks,” she said. “What’s in it?”

  “That’s a Darlington family secret.”

  “No peanut butter, right?” she asked.

  Darling scoffed. “You offend me. That’d be cheating.”

  The rest of the guys chuckled at the face Darling made as he left the room. He returned with a six-pack of beer and a bowl of chili for himself. “How is it?” he asked.

  “Hotter than hell,” Toad said in a choked voice.

  “No shit,” Ryan agreed, reaching for the beer Darling opened for him. That’s when he noticed Susannah holding her throat and gasping for air. He moved so fast he never felt the pain that must have radiated from his ribs as he dumped his bowl of chili on the coffee table and sprinted from the room.

  “Sandy?” one of the guys called after him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Call 911!” Ryan yelled as he ran for the kitchen cabinet where she always kept it, praying she hadn’t moved it in the year since he had lived there. He was filled with relief when he found what he was looking for and returned to the den, pulling the cap off the EpiPen as he ran. When he reached her, his heart almost stopped when he saw her struggling to breathe as red welts exploded on her face. He plunged the needle through her pants into her thigh and held it tight against her leg until he felt her begin to relax.

  Tears streamed down her face as he brought her into his arms. “It’s okay, baby,” he whispered. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

  “The 911 lady
wants to know what happened,” Bernie said, his face white with shock.

  The other guys stared at Ryan and Susannah.

  “Anaphylaxis,” Ryan said. “She’s allergic to peanuts.”

  “Sweet Jesus,” Darling gasped. “I thought she was kidding!”

  “She wasn’t.” Ryan held Susannah close to him. “Keep breathing, baby. I can hear the ambulance.” He brushed his lips over her damp forehead.

  “What can we do?” Bernie asked.

  “Nothing,” Ryan said as he struggled to swallow the hot ball of panic lodged in his throat. The whole thing had lasted less than thirty seconds, but to him it felt like a year. “She’s okay now.

  The siren grew closer, and Bernie went to get the door. He returned with two paramedics, who peppered Ryan with questions about Susannah’s medical history and what she had eaten.

  “Her blood pressure is elevated,” one of them said. “We’re going to take her in.” His eyes widened when he suddenly recognized Ryan and the other players.

  “I’m her husband. I’m going with her.”

  “Of course, Mr. Sanderson. No problem.” They loaded Susannah onto a stretcher and covered her with blankets.

  Ryan grabbed his coat from the rack in the foyer and tugged on the boots he had left there the night before. His ribs screamed in protest at the sharp movements, but he ignored the pain in his haste.

  “I’m so sorry, Sandy,” Darling said, his eyes bright with tears.

  “It’s okay.” Ryan squeezed Darling’s shoulder. “She’s going to be fine.” He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince—himself or his distraught friend.

  “We’ll clean everything up,” Bernie called after Ryan, who waved as he rushed out the door behind the paramedics.

  Ryan groaned when Henry pulled into the driveway and leaped from his car.

  “What’s going on?” Henry asked. “Is it Susannah?”

  “What are you doing here?” Ryan asked.

  “I wanted to check on Susannah. What’s wrong?”

  “She had an allergic reaction to something she ate.” Ryan struggled to be patient when all he wanted was to get to Susie. “They’re taking her in as a precaution. She’s fine.”

  “I want to see her,” Henry said, rushing toward the ambulance.

  “Not now.” Ryan pushed past him and winced as he climbed into the ambulance. His head and ribs pounded, but he ignored his own discomfort as he sat on the bench across from Susie and reached for her hand. “How are you doing, baby?”

  “Better,” she said.

  “Susannah!” Henry called from outside. “Honey, I’m here.”

  The paramedics closed the doors, and the ambulance jolted as it pulled out of the driveway. Ryan could have fainted from the pain radiating from his ribs, but instead he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay focused on Susie.

  “Was that Henry?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” Ryan brought her hand to his lips. “I told him you’re okay.” All at once, the whole thing came crashing down on Ryan and tears filled his eyes. “You scared me.” He rested his forehead on her hand as he struggled to get a hold of himself.

  “You saved my life, Ry.”

  Ryan kissed her hand. “I was so relieved the EpiPen was where you always kept it.”

  “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

  “I used to live in fear of it happening, but nothing I ever imagined could’ve prepared me for the reality of it.” Ryan released Susie’s hand so the paramedic could check her blood pressure.

  “It hasn’t happened since I was thirteen. I’d forgotten how terrifying it is.”

  The moment the paramedic removed the blood pressure cuff Ryan reclaimed her hand. The hives on her cheeks had faded, but her eyes were still big with shock.

  “Darling was freaking out. He thought you were kidding about the peanut butter.”

  “It’s not his fault. I should’ve come right out and said I was allergic.”

  “Or I should’ve. I should’ve been more protective of you—not just today, but always,” he whispered since the star-struck paramedic hung on his every word. “I’m sorry I wasn’t.”

  Susannah’s eyes filled with tears as she squeezed his hand.

  They arrived at the hospital a minute later, and the paramedics whisked Susie into an exam room. A nurse stopped Ryan when he tried to follow her. “Please wait here, Mr. Sanderson. The doctor will be right with you.”

  Henry came dashing through the E.R. doors. “How is she? I want to see her.”

  “You can’t,” Ryan said, annoyed by the pesky man who had somehow convinced Susie to marry him. “Why don’t you go home, Henry? There’s nothing you can do here. I’ll make sure someone calls you later with an update.”

  “I’m not leaving until I see my fiancée,” Henry said, his face set into a stubborn expression.

  A nurse with a clipboard approached them. “I need some paperwork,” she said, holding out the board.

  Henry reached for it. “I’ll do it.”

  The nurse raised her eyebrow. “And you are?”

  “Her fiancé.”

  Ryan took the board from her. “I’ll take care of it.”

  The nurse looked from Henry to Ryan and shook her head as she left them to fight it out.

  “Do you even know her date of birth?” Henry asked, his hands on his hips and his chin raised with indignation.

  Today his bow tie was a yellow paisley, and his gold-rimmed glasses had slid down his nose, giving him the appearance of a nutty professor. What the hell does Susie see in this guy?

  “It’s official,” Ryan said. “You’re annoying me.” He sat in the waiting room and did the best he could to complete the forms. Like an irksome gnat, Henry buzzed around him while Ryan did some quick math to determine the year Susie was born before Henry could figure out that he didn’t know it by heart. But yes, he did know her birthday.

  What kind of asshole did Henry take him for? The inattentive, forgetful kind, Ryan admitted to himself. The kind that forgot her birthday, forgot their anniversary, and just about everything else that mattered to her. Ryan glanced at Henry, who paced the length of the waiting room. Oh my God. I don’t deserve her. I don’t deserve her, and he does. The thought terrified him, almost as much as seeing her on the verge of anaphylactic shock.

  A doctor came into the waiting room. “Mr. Sanderson?”

  Ryan stood up as quickly as his ribs would allow and shook hands with the doctor.

  “It’s an honor to meet you,” the doctor said. “I’m a big fan.”

  “Thank you.”

  Henry groaned and rolled his eyes. “How’s Susannah?”

  “She’s doing well. Her blood pressure is better, and all her other vitals are within normal ranges. You got the epinephrine into her before any damage was done, Mr. Sanderson.”

  “Great,” Henry muttered. “That’s just great.”

  “Do you think you could just shut up?” Ryan said to Henry. “Can I see her?” Ryan asked the doctor.

  He nodded. “She’s asking for you.”

  “She is not,” Henry snorted.

  “Who are you?”

  “Her fiancé.”

  The doctor looked to Ryan for confirmation.

  Ryan shrugged.

  “I’m sorry, but my patient is asking for Mr. Sanderson,” the doctor told Henry.

  “If I give you five minutes with her, will you leave?” Ryan asked Henry.

  Henry met Ryan’s fierce gaze with one of his own. “For now,” he finally said.

  “Fine. Go.”

  After Henry had scurried away with the doctor, Ryan lowered himself to a hard chair. His legs were weak from his own injuries and the shock of Susie’s sudden attack. As he realized just how close he had come to losing her forever, he became even more determined to get her back. This was the most important game of his life, and he had every intention of winning.

  Chapter 5

  Susannah reached up to smooth the hair
off Henry’s forehead. “I’m fine, really,” she assured him. “I was lucky Ryan knew exactly what to do.”

  Henry’s jaw tightened with tension. “Always the hero, isn’t he?”

  “He saved my life, Henry. Do you resent him for that?”

  “Of course not. But I suppose I’d be pointing out the obvious by saying if he hadn’t forced his way back into your life you wouldn’t be in a hospital bed right now.”

  Susannah sighed. “That’s not fair.”

  “You know what’s not fair? Your superstar ex-husband pushing me to the sidelines just weeks before our wedding. Is that fair?”

  “No, it’s not. It’s terribly unfair.” She squeezed his hand. “I love you, Henry. You have to have faith in that and in me.”

  “I do.” He traced a finger over one of the faded welts on her cheek. “I have all the faith in the world in you, Susannah. It’s him I don’t trust. He hurt you so badly. I can’t just sit back and watch that happen again.”

  “Shh, don’t. I’m going to be fine, and in a few short weeks I’ll be your wife. I’ll be where I always should’ve been—with you. I can’t wait until we have the rest of our lives to spend together.”

  He bent over the bedrail to hug her. Trailing kisses along her jaw, he said, “I can’t wait to finally get you back in my bed again. Eleven years is a long time to wait for that, too.”

  She smiled. “We’ll be glad we waited. Our wedding night will be extra memorable.”

  His ears flamed with color.

  Susannah adored him. He was the one person she could always count on. His devotion to her had never wavered, even after she had made the biggest mistake of her life by leaving him for Ryan when they were in college. She had paid a mighty price for that mistake, and so had Henry.

  “Time’s up,” Ryan said from the doorway.

  Henry lifted his head off her chest and leaned in to kiss her.

  Susannah combed her fingers through his hair and brought him back for a better kiss.

  “I’ll call you later,” he said, breathless from her passionate kiss.

  She nodded.

  He left without looking at Ryan.

  “Does it make you feel like a big man to make him feel small?” she asked.