Secrets Behind Those Eyes (21 page)

Ryder smiles. “Well Nana is going to
be excited, she’ll be up there to take care of you. She has called
me non-stop since Nelson told her about you being in here. She also
threatened to beat my ass when she found out about our
argument.”

I laugh. “I bet she did. Nana’s got my
back.”

Everyone chuckles.

I realize that I need to talk to Cade
a little he has a life to get back to seven hours away.

“Alright guys I wanna hang out with
Cade a little before he has to head back. As much as I love him
being here, I know Daria needs help with those babies.” They step
out the door.

He steps forward. “Hey she’s okay. I’m
here as long as you need me.”

“I need you to go be home with your
wife and kids. I’m safe and I have the distinct feeling that Ryder
isn’t going to let me out of his sight.” I see Ryder stalking
outside the door.

He laughs. “Yeah I can totally see
that and I like it. Being an overprotective caveman bastard myself
I understand it.”

I smile. “Thanks Cade. I’m so glad I
threw a fit with Gable like a five year old to go meet
you.”

He smiles and shakes his
head.

Cade and I spend a little while longer
talking. We set up a visit in our near future and I send him on his
way. Telling him to be careful and call me when he gets
home.

The rest of the day is filled with
Annabelle’s craziness. Ryder’s overprotectiveness. My momma’s
concerns. Dustin’s apologies. A visit from Nelson, Naomi, Greer and
Nana Pearl. The highlight of my day a phone call from Gable telling
me he would be home within a week.

After the crazy day has past I’m
exhausted, Ryder slides in the chair next to my bed. I look over to
him. “Ryder?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you lay with me?”

“Are you sure babe? I don’t want to
hurt you.”

“I’ll be fine. Just get up
here.”

He winks. “Yes ma’am.”

I turn on my side so that my arm with
a cast is draped over him and fall into a secure peaceful
sleep.

Chapter 34

Ryder

It has been two weeks since Scarlet
came home from the hospital. She is about to go crazy to get her
cast off or at least get it changed. She says that it itches like
crazy and she’s afraid it smells. She feels like she can’t take
care of herself. Although one of the perks for me is that I have to
help her take a bathe since we have to keep her cast wrapped up.
Thank God most of her soreness went away after a few days because
we have definitely been making up for any lost time that may have
occurred in the sex department.

I can’t wait until tomorrow its
Christmas Eve. I have invited her mom, Gable, Ivie, Annabelle,
Naomi, Nelson and even Dustin. Dustin and I have come to have a new
respect for each other. I can’t be angry for the rest of my life
with him. He was just a scared little boy deep down inside, just
like I’ve been. He wanted acceptance and Brandon was the only
person who would give it to him. Even though his acceptance came
with a price and some emotional damage.

I can honestly say my dad would always
love me no matter what I’ve done to embarrass him. Actually he’s
already proven that time and time again. I don’t understand how
Dustin’s parents could just turn their back on him. Which his
coming out and Brandon’s arrest churned up a huge shit storm of
press for their families. I let him hide out for a week or so at
the cabin in Waycross. Nelson and I have had to have more than a
couple reporters thrown off the property trying to catch a glimpse
of Scarlet.

I had my attorney contact SCAD about
her turning in her assignments and making sure she got full credit
for the semester. Considering if they hadn’t been holding a
mandatory lecture in a building that forced students to walk around
to a dark side entrance she probably wouldn’t have been as easily
caught off guard by Brandon. They gladly accepted her assignments
and gave her full credit. I also made sure they got a nice donation
for better lighting on all their campuses. I know her and she’s
going to want to go back. I can’t handle the thought of her or any
other woman getting attacked like that.

My dad called me in his office the
other day to inform me that he was going to have to go stay in
Atlanta for six to eight months to get the mess straightened out up
there. I am going to have to do more of my part with the business
side down here. I’m not looking forward to it, but I understand it.
Plus in talking to Dustin I found out that Scarlet is really good
with financial books and organization. He said when she worked for
his dad she did a great job, that was one reason his dad was angry
with him when they broke up. He had to find a new assistant. Not
that his dad would’ve ever accepted her as more than an
assistant.

So that brings up the most exciting
part. Tomorrow night when I give Scarlet her promise ring I’m
asking her to move in with me. I know she is going to flip out, but
I really want her here all the time. I thought maybe I was just
getting ahead of myself a few weeks ago, but after her attack and
being with her these past two weeks, I can’t live without
her.

~*~*~

Waking up this morning it’s like I
believe in Santa all over again. I’m so excited to have my first
Christmas with Scarlet. I roll over and kiss her behind her
ear.

She giggles. “Didn’t you get enough
last night? I think you’ve broken my vagina.”

I laugh into her neck causing her to
squirm. “Just for the record I can never get enough of
you.”

She sits up in bed. “I have to get up.
I have to help Nana with the food for tonight. Now come on and help
me in the shower and if you’re a good boy I’ll let you check my
vagina to see if it really is broken while we are in
there.”

I jump up out of bed and meet her in
the bathroom. She holds out her arm while I use the small garbage
bag to pull up over her cast and tape it to her arm. She laughs.
“This is super sexy huh?”

“Babe if I had to wrap your entire
body in a garbage bag, it’d still be sexy as hell.”

I smack her on the ass as she steps in
the shower. She giggles. “I guess it’s time for you to check my
vagina Dr. Abbott.”

I smirk. “I guess so Ms.
Johnson.”

After spending a little while in the
shower giving each other physicals. We get dressed and make our way
down to the kitchen where Nana is baking a cake.

“If you two don’t stop spending so
much time undressed in that bedroom I’m going to be a
great-grandmother before you know it.”

Scarlet and I glare at
each other. She shakes her head. “Nana it’s okay trust me I’m not
pregnant I take my pill every morning like clockwork and I’m on the
one that you take for three months straight, so I can’t even
ovulate but like three times a year.”

Nana shakes her head. “Well y’all just
be careful. You have your whole lives ahead of you and you need
time to be with each other.”

I hug her. “We know Nana that is the
reason we are so careful.”

She chuckles. “Alright. I love you
both and I just want y’all to be happy.”

Scarlet hugs her. “Thanks Nana I don’t
know what I would’ve done without you guys.”

“No problem baby.” Nana says as she
hugs her back.

I open the refrigerator to grab our
steaks and shrimp for tonight. I need to get them in the marinade.
We don’t do your normal southern Christmas dinner with several
meats, a thousand sides, bread and twenty different desserts. We do
steak, shrimp, baked potatoes, salad, fresh rolls and my Nana’s
famous seven layer chocolate cake.

Scarlet looks over at me as I’m
getting all the steaks out. “Jeez Ryder how many damn steaks are
you guys gonna eat?”

I’m still trying to keep it hidden how
many people are coming. “We just do a bunch at one time
babe.”

She smiles. “Oh okay I was
wondering.”

~*~*~

A few hours later everyone starts
arriving. The doorbell rings and I get Scarlet to answer it. She
screams when she opens the door. “Gable!!”

I hear Gable. “Is mom here
yet?”

“No. Not yet.”

I step into the foyer to see Gable and
Ivie standing there, with Scarlet wrapped around his neck. I step
over. “Hey guys how’s it going?”

Gable steps over to shake my hand.
“Good man. It has been a long trip.”

“You wanna come out back with me the
steaks are about ready to take off the grill? My dad, Nelson and
Dustin are out there.”

“Sure man. Ivie you wanna come out
with me or do you want to hang out with Scarlet?”

She speaks softly. “I’ll go with
Scarlet.”

He smiles. “Okay good.”

Scarlet and I look at each other Ivie
seems distant, not like the girl we saw in Hilton Head. You can
tell Gable doesn’t want to leave her side, but he trusts
Scarlet.

After Gable and I step out back I hand
him a beer. “So is Ivie okay?”

“Yeah this is just a bad time of year
for her. Her mom took off at Christmas and her dad was locked up
right before Christmas. So you know it just sucks.”

“Ah yeah. I don’t eat Chocolate Chip
cookies. Ever. My mom used to make them for me. Even when she was
so sick from her treatments. After she died I just could never eat
them again.”

He nods. “Well I’m glad you’ve been
there for Scar. She looks great. Cade told me what she looked like.
I was trying my damnedest to get on a plane here even after they
told me not to. Ivie kept my ass on lockdown.”

“So what’s up with you and Ivie are
you a thing or what?”

“Man it’s complicated. Not a topic for
Christmas.”

I laugh. “Okay man lets go get these
steaks.”

Chapter 35

Scarlet

Sitting around the dinner table we are
eating some of Nana’s cake. When Ryder sits small box in front of
me I look up at him with huge eyes.

“Scarlet. It’s not what you’re
thinking calm down.”

I laugh. “Okay.”

“First I want you to know that you are
my forever.” He opens the box. “But this is a promise ring, I want
to show you this is my promise of forever.”

I feel the tears welling up in my
eyes. “Thank you. It’s beautiful. I love you so much.”

Greer stands up and walks over to me.
“Now Scarlet I have to say I’m proud of my son. That is one
beautiful ring for one beautiful girl. I’m glad that you’ve hung in
there with my son while he gets his shit together.” He steps back.
“Everyone lets go sit in the den.”

We all get up and go to the den. My
mom sits down by me and across from Gable. “Kids I want to talk
with you about something. I’ve been seeing someone up in Augusta. I
met him on one of my retreats. He’s a very nice man, the first man
I’ve been interested in since- well your father. I think it’s time
that I move on. He’s asked me to move in with him.”

“Oh wow mom that is great.” Gable
stands up to hug her.

I smile. “Mom that is awesome. I’m so
happy for you. It is time that you moved on.”

Ryder stands up and gives my mom a
hug. “Well that kinda works out for me too. I wanted to ask Scarlet
to move in here. Dad is going to be in Atlanta for most of the next
year and this big house gets lonesome. Plus I really don’t like the
idea of her staying in town by herself.” He looks up at Gable. “Man
you are welcome to stay here too. I’m tired of this house being so
empty.”

Gable smiles. “Well I was going to
wait to tell you guys this, but they have asked us to join in on
the USO shows overseas at the end of this tour. So I was going to
let you guys know I’ll be in and out of the country for the next
year.”

My mom smiles. “That is wonderful
Gable congratulations.”

I hug him tight. “That is awesome. I
will miss you like crazy, but I know this is a great opportunity
for you.”

Ryder leans over and shakes his hand.
“Hey man maybe you’ll be able to get up with my buddy
Judd.”

“Yeah man maybe so.”

Naomi jumps up and hug my brother who
she barely knows, with tears in her eyes. “You be careful over
there. I know you guys are supposed to be safe, but just take care
your sister needs you back here. If you happen to run into my son
you tell him I said the same to him.”

Dustin stands up. “Well I guess since
we are all sharing. I’ve decided I’m moving down to Florida. I need
a fresh start and I have some friends down there.” He shakes
Ryder’s hand. “Thanks for letting me stay out at your place and
inviting me over here. I’m gonna head out now and try to talk to my
parents before I leave town.”

We all nod and say our goodbyes.
Gable, Ivie and my mom head home. Nelson and Naomi leave dropping
Nana by her house on the way out. Greer excuses himself to his
study. That just leaves Ryder, Annabelle and me.

Ryder looks over at Annabelle. “What’s
really going on with you and Judd? You guys are both vague and
giving bullshit answers. I saw how you were with his parents
tonight. You wanted them to like you, but you wanted to keep your
distance.”