When the doorbell rang, Ryder took a moment to simply breathe before shaking out his body, as if getting ready to go into a boxing ring with an opponent.
And how awful was it that his parents were the ones he was preparing to do battle with?
Pulling open the door, he forced himself to smile. “Mom, Dad, it’s good to see you.” He kissed his mother on the cheek and shook his father’s hand before leading them up the stairs. “So, what brings you back to Magnolia?” He noticed their lack of luggage. “Where are you staying?”
“I thought we were going to stay here,” his father began as they climbed the stairs, “but your mother wanted to stay at some bed and breakfast.” He shuddered. “The room is small and it lacks any real privacy and amenities.”
“I think it’s charming,” his mother countered. “And I thought it would be a nice change from our usual hotel stays.”
In the kitchen, he poured them each a glass of wine and then motioned for everyone to have a seat in the living room. His butt barely hit the cushion when his father blurted out, “Your mother has breast cancer.”
“What?!” Ryder cried, staring wide-eyed at his mother.
She nodded, her expression cool. “Yes. I have breast cancer. Unfortunately, I didn’t go for my annual mammography like I should have. Maybe if I had they would have found it earlier.” She took a sip of her wine. “I’m going to have a bilateral mastectomy–which means both breasts will be removed.”
Shock held him still for several moments. When he glanced over at his father, Ryder saw him reading something on his phone and Ryder snorted with disgust before returning his attention to his mother.
“So…when did you find out about this? When is the surgery? What hospital will it be done at?”
“We knew when we were here the last time,” she told him. “But I was going for a second and then third opinion before moving forward. Unfortunately, every diagnosis was the same and all the specialists recommended the same form of treatment so…” She shrugged and took another sip of wine.
“Mom, I…I don’t even know what to say. What can I do?”
This time his father was the one to snort. “Honestly, Ryder, what a ridiculous thing to say. You’re not a doctor or a magician. There’s nothing you can do. Your mother just felt like you should know. She’s going to be fine.”
But when Ryder looked at his mother, he saw her staring down into her glass, and she didn’t look like she was fine.
Suddenly, he wished he could talk to Peyton, because she’d know what to do in this situation. She was a lot more compassionate, and he had a feeling she’d be able to keep this stilted conversation from turning morose.
“How are you feeling, Mom?” he carefully asked.
“I feel fine. Honestly, if I hadn’t gone for the test, I would have never known anything was wrong. Now I’m a little stressed and find myself fretting over every little ache and pain, wondering if something is spreading. It’s a dreadful way to live.”
Another snort came from his father. “The doctors have all been monitoring you, Helen. Nothing has spread. You’re turning into a hypochondriac.”
His mother looked ready to say something else, but didn’t. Instead, she smiled at Ryder. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered dinner for us. I went to that café you used the last time. The owner helped me plan the menu.”
“Yeah…about that,” he began, and even though he hated dumping this on her after her big revelation, he figured it would be better to get this out now before Peyton arrived. “Peyton and I are dating.”
She blinked at him as if she didn’t quite grasp what he was saying.
“The owner of the café–Peyton Bishop? We’ve been dating now for several months,” he went on. “So…she’s going to be joining us for dinner.”
Leaning forward, Helen put her glass down on the coffee table before glaring at him. “Honestly, Ryder,” she said with a hint of annoyance. “You’re dating the owner of a small-town café? You could easily have your pick of any number of women who are better suited for you! And then you let me embarrass myself by going in there without knowing about your relationship! How could you?”
He wasn’t sure which part of that statement to address first.
“I…”
“Not that it makes any difference, of course,” she went on. “It’s not like you’re serious about this girl. You never are.” Her gaze narrowed. “Although…she’s not like any of the women you usually date.”
Now he seriously wished Peyton wasn’t coming because he had a feeling it was only going to lead to disaster.
“You’re right. She’s not like anyone I’ve ever dated before. She’s better.” Pausing, he straightened and mentally braced himself. “This is the best relationship I’ve ever had and…I’m in love with her.”
“Love?” his father murmured with more than a little disgust. “Ryder, a man in your position needs to be a bit more practical. You may think you’re in love, but trust me, this girl…this…café owner…sees you as meal ticket.” He laughed softly. “Excuse the play on words. Be careful. Have your fun with her but don’t think for a moment this is real.”
Again, Ryder glanced toward his mother and saw a sadness there.
And possibly disappointment.
“Thanks for the advice, Dad, but I don’t agree with it. I don’t need your approval on this.” He stood and looked down and hoped he appeared menacing. “And I expect you to treat Peyton with respect when she gets here while you keep your opinions to yourself!” He stalked away, but…there wasn’t anywhere for him to go. Then he looked over at his mother. “I’d appreciate it if you did the same. She’s nervous enough about joining us for dinner and I don’t want either of you upsetting her.”
All she did was nod.
After that, conversation leaned toward the mundane in typical Ashford fashion. By the time Peyton arrived, it was as if a lifeline had finally been thrown. Ryder jumped to his feet and ran down to help her carry everything in. He stepped out onto the front porch and pulled her in close, and realized he was shaking.
“Ryder, are you okay?” she asked, pulling back to look up at him. “What’s going on?”
Where did he even begin? “It’s been…it’s been a bit rough in there.” He hugged her tightly again. “If you want to run, now’s the time to do it.”
She laughed softly before kissing him. “Nonsense. There isn’t anything they can throw at me that I’m not prepared for.”
“Don’t count on it.”
She grinned before leading him over to her car to grab all the food. “You may not believe this, but my mother has mellowed in the last few years.”
His bark of laughter was out before he could stop it. “Good grief! That’s mellowed?”
Fortunately, she laughed with him. “I know, right?” They slowly made their way back to the door. “Anyway, I’m just saying that I know how to deal with snobbery. I can’t say I won’t have my feelings hurt, but…they’ll never know.”
“Peyton…”
But she wasn’t listening and was already walking into the house. He caught up with her in the kitchen where she began unpacking everything.
“Mr. Ashford,” she said to his father as she shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Then she smiled at his mother. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Ashford. I hope everyone’s hungry because we have a ton of food here.”
She never stopped moving–setting out trays of food and then grabbing plates and silverware and setting the table. Ryder helped before pouring her some wine.
“I picked up dessert from Henderson’s Bakery,” she said to no one in particular. “Their cupcakes are truly decadent, but I also opted for some of their fresh fruit tarts.” Once everything was set, she sat down like she was the queen, and Ryder had never been more impressed with her.
“Mom, Dad, please…” He motioned to the chairs but stopped to kiss Peyton on the cheek before he took his own seat. “Everything looks and smells
as spectacular as usual.”
“Thank you.” Everyone helped themselves and Peyton did her best to engage in conversation. “So, Mr. and Mrs. Ashford, will you be staying here with Ryder while you visit?”
“No,” his mother said politely. “We’re staying at Magnolia on the Sound. It’s the bed and breakfast.”
Then, Ryder simply took a forkful of the Southern loaded sweet potato and enjoyed what was about to happen.
“Oh, that’s an excellent choice!” Peyton said enthusiastically. “That house is one of the oldest in Magnolia Sound and was built by my great-grandfather, Ezekiel Coleman! The Colemans are one of the founding families of the area. When he passed away several years ago, the house was given to my Aunt Susannah, and she turned it into the bed and breakfast. It’s been wonderful to see the old house refurbished and brought back to its former glory where people can learn about the history of the town!” She smiled at Ryder before continuing. “My great-grandfather firmly believed in keeping Magnolia’s charm and not letting it be overrun with too many outside commercial interests. He owned many of the businesses in town and passed a lot of them on to his family. That’s how I came to own the café.”
“That’s very interesting,” his mother replied, and Ryder thought she was being genuine. “What other businesses does your family own?”
“Oh my goodness, let’s see…my cousin Mallory owns a home décor shop in town, her brother Sam now runs the landscape architecture firm, um…Mallory’s husband Jake is now the owner of Coleman Construction, my cousin Austin works with Jake but also has his own architecture firm here as well.”
“Austin’s the one who did the renovations on my place on the beach,” Ryder chimed in.
“My brother Mason works for the town but owns a restaurant up on the north end of town and my parents own the marina and yacht club. My father’s an attorney and my mother is involved with many local charities. They stay very busy but we all enjoy knowing we’re preserving the very things my great-grandfather built.”
“My…that’s impressive,” his mother said, smiling.
“It is,” Peyton agreed. “Family had always been my great-grandfather’s main priority and he wanted nothing more than for us to carry on in his footsteps. I’m proud to be able to do that.”
Ryder noticed his father’s silence and refused to let it bother him. Instead, he and Peyton talked about the town and all the perks of it and what they loved most about it, and he was surprised when his mother engaged and shared some of the things she was finding charming about it as well.
Color me surprised…
They worked together to clean up and opted to have dessert out on the deck. The sun was setting and it was a little cool, but not uncomfortable. “So what brought you in for a visit?” Peyton asked and Ryder inwardly groaned because he probably should have given her a heads-up when she first arrived.
“My wife has breast cancer and wanted to tell Ryder in person. Privately,” his father said without even looking at Peyton. “At least, we assumed it would be just the three of us.”
“Dad!” Ryder hissed, but rather than apologize or say anything, his father simply stood and walked back into the house. “Peyton, I…I’m sorry. Maybe I should go talk to him.”
“Don’t,” Helen said before taking a forkful of her tart. “You’ll be wasting your breath. Let him go pout.” Then she looked over at Peyton apologetically. “Although I am sorry he was so rude.”
At that point, Ryder was pretty sure his jaw was on the ground.
“It’s okay,” Peyton told her. “But I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Have you started treatment yet?”
His mother looked at Peyton in confusion for a moment before talking more about her diagnosis and her plan to have the bilateral mastectomy.
“Oh my goodness. I can’t even imagine how scary this all must be for you.” Reaching over, Peyton placed her hand over Helen’s. “Is everything scheduled already?”
“It is. I’m going to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. We’ll be staying in the area for a while so we’ve been looking for a house there. I want to be as close to the hospital as possible.”
“That makes sense. Plus, being able to sleep in your own bed makes all the difference,” Peyton commented. “You’re already going to be uncomfortable so I’m sure it will help your recovery to be surrounded by familiar things.” She offered a warm smile. “I know luxury hotels are wonderful, but there’s something to be said about being home, right?”
“I, um…” his mother began before looking away. “I don’t know how much of a home it will be. A rental is hardly the same as my actual home.” Her words were quiet and sad, and Ryder realized how much of a burden she was carrying.
“Mom, I realize the Mayo Clinic is one of the best hospitals, but…isn’t there something closer to home for you?”
Her laugh was equally quiet and sad as she looked at him. “Where even is home anymore?”
Peyton looked between the two of them. “You know, I imagine even if you rent a place that is furnished, you could ship some of the things from home that you want with you–like your bed and a favorite chair. It’s not much but maybe that would help?” Before she could say anything else, her cell phone rang. “Drat. It’s the café. Please excuse me for a moment.” She stepped away and walked into the house, leaving Ryder and his mother alone.
There was an awkward silence that he wasn’t sure how to fill. Luckily, he didn’t have to.
“She’s lovely, Ryder,” she said softly. “And you really didn’t do her justice when you said how different she was from the women you’ve dated in the past.”
“Mom…”
“She’s far better than any of them,” she interrupted with a small smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who showed as much compassion and grace as she has tonight.”
All he could do was nod.
“Even after the way I treated her at the café, she showed up here and was friendly to me. That takes real class.”
“She pretty much knocked me off my feet since the day I met her,” he admitted. “I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I know I can’t live without her.”
Reaching over, she took his hand in hers, an uncommon gesture. “I’m tempted to say she’s too good for you.”
He laughed. “You’d be right. But I don’t plan on letting her go.”
“Good for you.” She squeezed his hand. “I like seeing you happy, Ryder. I’m glad you have Peyton in your life. I think she’s exactly what you need.”
“That she is.” Behind them, the sliding doors opened and Peyton stepped back out with a smile that made his heart race. She was so beautiful and just…everything.
“So I was thinking,” she began as she sat back down. “When you feel up to traveling after the surgery, you should spend some time here in Magnolia. I think it would be a wonderful and healing atmosphere. You can sit out on the deck and listen to the waves and just focus on healing.” Looking over at Ryder, she added, “Of course I don’t know what your timeline is with the lease here, but even another house on the beach would work as long as it had an elevator and a view, right?”
Ryder didn’t confirm if it was a good idea or not, mainly because they’d never done anything like this–offered to spend an extended period of time together.
“I’ll think about it,” his mother said after a moment. “But it does sound wonderful.”
“Helen! I think it’s time to head back to the hotel,” his father called out from the house. He didn’t offer a word of thanks for dinner or dessert, nor did he say goodbye. Part of Ryder wasn’t the least bit surprised, but when he saw the sadness on his mother’s face again, he knew he needed to say something.
“Mom, is everything okay with the two of you?”
As she slowly got to her feet, she waved him off. “You know how your father is. I think he’s just concerned about me not overdoing things.”
“That’s not what I mean,” he corrected.
&
nbsp; Instead of answering him, she walked over and kissed him on the cheek before doing the same to Peyton. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner. Everything was delicious.”
Together, they all walked back into the house and to the door. His father was already out in the car, and Ryder chose to ignore it. Once his parents were gone and he and Peyton were alone again, he cupped her face and kissed her thoroughly.
“You’re amazing, you know that, right?” he asked gruffly.
“Me? What did I do?”
“Everything,” he told her. “You do everything and make everything better. Thank you for persisting and being here tonight. I wish things had gone better…”
“I think your father is hurting, Ryder. And scared.”
That made him laugh. “Somehow I doubt that.”
“Well…think about it. His wife is facing something he can’t fix or control and it has to be hard for him.”
He still wasn’t so sure, but…it sort of made sense.
“I don’t want to think about him right now. All I want is for us to clean up the dessert dishes and go inside where I plan on thanking you properly.”
“Ooh…I like the sound of that.”
Looking around, an idea formed in his mind. “Actually, change of plans,” he murmured before picking her up and placing her on the cool marble countertop.
“Ryder!” she shrieked with a laugh. “What in the world?”
“I don’t want to go inside,” he growled against her throat before lightly biting and kissing her. “I want you right here. Right now.”
Her nails gently grazed his scalp as she held him close. “I definitely like that even more.” And with a throaty moan, Peyton arched against him. “Touch me,” she begged. “Please.”
And he did.
Everywhere.
Everywhere he touched made her breathless and he loved it. Peeling the clothes from her body took longer than either of them liked and when they heard fabric tear, neither seemed to care. Only when he had her gloriously naked did he step back to take care of his own clothes. When he was just as bare as she was, Ryder stopped and looked at her.
“Peyton Bishop,” he murmured darkly. “You look like a total goddess right now.” Reaching out, he went to touch her and noticed his hand was shaking. Her hair was tousled, her eyes were slightly glazed with passion, and her skin was flushed. “So sexy.” Moving in close again, he kissed her cheek. “So beautiful.” He kissed her shoulder. “And all mine,” he growled before claiming her lips in a brutally raw kiss.
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