Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) (22 page)

Rylee

The next morning, Austin leaves at the crack of dawn to get
his workout in before it is time to pick up Ryker. I do several laps in the
pool before taking Boss for a leisurely stroll down the beach. The beach is
serene at this time of day, before all the usual crowds descend upon it.

As I walk with my big lug of a dog, my mind wanders to the
implications of having a child become a part of my life. I have never
considered kids to be a part of my future. Probably because of my own
upbringing.

My childhood was pretty good until my dad’s injuries took
him away from the sport he loved - football.

Jackson Ash, my father, was an amazing player. He was the
top draft pick after his third year of college and was an impact player the
second he stepped on the professional field of play. In his fifth year, he took
a low hit coming across the middle. The hit broke his leg in two places. He did
make a comeback two years later, but a few games in he blew out his knee on the
same leg and could never return to the field.

After losing the only thing he ever knew, he devolved. My
mother, who only ever cared about the money, followed him down the rabbit hole.
It just so happened that the rabbit hole included binge drinking and lots of
party drugs.

When my parents threw their epic parties, J and I were left
to fend for ourselves. We were not allowed into the house no matter how long
the party lasted. Often they would last for days. Over time, we turned the shed
in the backyard into a passable residence. We added a mattress, toaster, some
pillows, and a radio. It wasn’t much, but it beat the alternative when we
weren’t over at Eric’s house.

Growing up like that didn’t leave me with the overwhelming desire
to procreate. We saw what it was like to have a normal family when we spent
time with Eric, but it never felt like home. After our parents passed, we hoped
for something better. It never came. That is when I realized that the only
person I could count on was my big brother. Until recently, I still believed
that.

My brother and I were always an afterthought for my parents.
I never want to put a child in that position. I can see it comes easily for
Austin to put Ryker first and he seems to know how to relate to the boy. It
concerns me that I might not be capable of doing the same. Would it be fair to
Ryker or Austin if I can’t? I don’t think it would. I suppose all I can do is try
and hope it works. What I know is that I love Austin too much not to try,
despite my deep-seated fears.

After the walk, I take a long, hot shower to clear my head.

Austin comes in the kitchen smelling of soap and all things manly
as he spins me into his arms for a deep kiss. Laughing, I extricate myself from
him in time to pull my bagel from the toaster.

“Hi love, you’re in a good mood this morning. Good workout?”

He smiles as he snatches the other half of my bagel and pops
a bite into his glorious mouth.

“Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood? I have the most gorgeous
woman in the world living with me and I get to spend the afternoon with her and
my son. I don’t think it gets much better than that.”

His enthusiasm is infectious. I let my fears go for now and
enjoy the time I have with him. Heaven knows we have endured enough crap lately;
we deserve good to come our way. It is time to embrace the future without fear
of the past.

“What are our plans for the day?” I ask between bites of my
blueberry bagel.

“I’m not sure. I thought we could ask Ryker what he wants to
do. Or we could go to the beach or something. What do you think?”

“Let’s just play it by ear and see what he wants to do. Then
we can go from there.”

“Sounds good,” he replies, before leaning forward and taking
the last bite of my bagel into his mouth with a wicked smirk.

To our surprise, Amanda declines to spend the day with us
and sends us on our way with Ryker. I am relieved by the move, since it
guarantees an animosity-free day. Ryker asks to see the stadium and locker room
where his daddy works and I think Austin is going to overflow with pride at the
request.

We make the short drive over to the stadium and slide
through security with Aus at the wheel. Austin gives Ryker the full game day
tour. We start by walking down the tunnel to the locker room. We stop for
introductions with a handful of players and Ryker’s eyes are as big as saucers
every time.

I hang back when they enter the locker room, not wanting to
intrude on man-land. They aren’t in there too long, but long enough for Ryker
to come out dressed in a miniature version of his dad’s jersey. We then make
our way through the tunnel to the field where a few of the receivers, including
Cardie, are running drills.

Austin takes Ryker by the hand and leads him over to where
one of the coaches is tossing balls to the receivers. In a flash, all the
players are gathered around the two of them as he proudly introduces everyone
to his mini-me. After a round of high fives and daps, Ryker takes off with
Cardie and trails the ultra-fast receiver as Austin throws balls their way.

Austin is one hell of a specimen and there is nothing sexier
than watching him in action, even if it is just casually tossing a ball around.
The difference in the velocity on the passes to Cardie and those to Ryker is
stunning. My man is gifted.

Following the workout at wide receiver, Ryker gets to take
his shot at kicking a few field goals on the other end of the field, where
Danny Allen, the placekicker, is putting in some work. Danny shows Ryker how to
hold the ball, before kicking a few through the uprights and then trading
places with the kid. Ryker's first few kicks are low and squirt sideways before
he nails one through the goalpost. The field erupts in applause littered with
hoots and hollers.

It is hard to tell who is having more fun between Ryker and
Austin, since they are both beaming. I have captured several of the moments both
on video and in pictures. I am sure these are moments that will be worth
remembering.

Practice dies down and Ryker has collected a mass of
autographs and one-of-a-kind memories. After leaving the facility, we pick up
pizza for lunch and head home for a swim. Secretly, I believe Austin just wants
to show Ryker his room and all the toys he bought, but I will never say it
aloud.

The pizza goes quick before Ryker and Austin race throughout
the house, checking out all things child-centered. All I hear for the ten minutes
following lunch alternates between
awesome
,
wow
,
really that’s
for me?
and
thanks dad.
The smile on Austin’s face as they descend
the stairs in matching black swim trunks tells me all I need to know—they are
happy and having a blast.

“Did you boys put on sunscreen?” I ask, wanting to be sure
that, in all the fun, we remain at least partially responsible.

Austin pulls me toward him, kissing me on the cheek. “Yes,
dear. Now go change and come swim with us.”

Ryker
chimes in as I am about to decline. “Yeah, Rylee, come on. Dad says it will be
fun.”

The
afternoon is a smashing success and I feel more at ease with the new twist in
our lives. Ryker is an easy child to love. He is sweet and polite and totally
reminds me of his daddy, so how could I not fall in love with him?

The hardest part comes when we drop Ryker off and have to
say goodbye. The next visit isn’t planned and sadness takes hold of Austin. I
cannot imagine this will ever get easier, only more normal. It is time for
Austin to get a custody arrangement down on paper. The unknown is too hard on
both of them. They belong together, period.

Rylee

Two months later…

Spring turns to summer without any fanfare. Austin and I
have transitioned to a new normal. There has been no drama, no days straight
out of a Hollywood movie, only ordinary days. After our dreadful first half of
the year, we found our happy place—together.

The days pass in a breeze of work and play. Austin sees
Ryker every other weekend, either flying down to Texas or bringing the boy up
here. It hasn’t been easy on him, but he is adjusting.

Today is a beautiful July day and Austin left a few minutes
ago to pick up Ryker from the airport. His son will stay with us for the next
two weeks. I am nervous, but excited about the prospect. Ryker is a wonderful
kid who worships his daddy. This will be the first time I will spend time alone
with Ryker. I hope the boy and I can find common interests outside of his
father.

The intercom jerks me from my daydreams and Bella’s voice
blares through the speaker.

“Hey, girl, let me in. We have party planning to do.”

I assess my clothes: black spaghetti string top and tan
shorts. Good enough. Tomorrow we are throwing a welcome back barbeque for the
team at Austin’s request. Well, request might be a stretch: he begged, I caved,
and Bella demanded to help.

I met Bella earlier this year at a charity event I
accompanied Austin to. She is married to Austin’s friend, and favorite wide
receiver, Cardie Dawson. We made quick friends after that night and have been
planning this shindig for the past couple of weeks.

The theme is luau and we have a stash of torches, brightly
painted totem poles, grass huts, and a myriad of other decorations in the
garage. Austin told Bella to spare no expense, and she didn’t. The party is
tomorrow afternoon. We’re going to begin the decorating today so that tomorrow
is easier. We are expecting around one hundred and fifty people all together,
including the spouses and children.  

Bella bounces through the front door with shopping bags
weighing down both arms.

“Ry, I bought more stuff. Don’t kill me.”

Her bubbly personality never fails to make me smile. I walk
around the corner to see her setting the bags on the dining table. She is
wearing flowing pink sundress and sandals. Her hair has grown out since I first
met her and reaches the top of her shoulders now.

“Hey, lady, what could you have possibly bought that we
don’t already have?”

She grins before explaining the glasses and paper lanterns.
I don’t want to burst her bubble, but I believe those same Items are sitting in
the garage already. We have enough decorations to decorate a few houses. The
food will be no different, although we are leaving that up to a caterer.

Bella and I set out to get the existing décor out of the
garage. We drag everything into the back yard and organize it by purpose. The
indoor decorations are left by the door and the others we walk about the yard
and leave in the position they will go. We first set up the two grass huts that
have hand painted signs, designating one the alcoholic bar and the other the
soda bar. The third hut will house the do-it-yourself snow cone machine for the
kids.

After an hour, most of the things have found their home and
I am standing on a ladder, trying to hang the last of the white lights around
the patio. Without warning, Ryker and Boss come barreling out of the door and
take the ladder down. I am left dangling from the roof by my fingertips and
yelling for Ryker to grab the ladder. He is too busy chasing after Boss,
leaving me to consider dropping to the ground. My fingers hurt from holding the
hot shingles, but the drop would be painful. This is why you should always wear
shoes.

My arms are tensing up and I am about to let go when a pair
of strong arms wrap around my legs and take my weight.

“Hey gorgeous, what are you doing up there?”

“Haha. Ryker and Boss knocked the ladder down, leaving me
here to hang. Get me down, please.”

His grip loosens as he laughs. “All right, baby. Just drop
and I’ll catch you.”

The laughter worries me, but I know he would never hurt me
so I let go and land cradled in his arms. His eyes sparkle with mischief as he
looks at me. He holds me close for a moment before placing a quick kiss to my
lips and setting me down. As my feet touch the cement, Ryker and Boss come
barreling through again, nearly knocking me to my ass.

“Ryker, slow down and come here please,” Austin says with a
stern tone.

Ryker slows his sprint and heads in our direction. “Yeah, Dad?”

“Did you see that you knocked Rylee’s ladder over and she
couldn’t get down from the roof?”

Ryker looks up with disarming shock on his little face. “No,
Dad. I’m sorry, Rylee.”

He comes over and wraps his ten-year-old arms around me. I
hug him back.

“It’s okay, buddy, your daddy saved me.” I give Austin a
playful smirk with the last remark.

Ryker wiggles out of the hug, taking Boss by the collar.
They are off and playing fetch in a matter of seconds. It is so sweet to watch
a boy and dog bond. Ryker has been a great addition for Boss; he adores that
little man.

Bella comes crashing out of the patio doors with a handful
of tiki torches as Austin pulls me in for a heart-stopping kiss.

“Get a room, you two,” she mocks with laughter in her tone.

I lay my head against Austin, wishing we were alone.

“Looks like I’d better get back to work,” I mumble into his
hard chest.

He holds me tight. “Nah, I think you should play with me
instead. Maybe take a swim.”

He drags me towards the pool in jest. My laughter and
protests are ignored. We stop just shy of the pool when he looks down and
smiles at me with trouble in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare do it,” I say, trying to push out of his
grip.

“Do what? Whatever do you think I am going to do?”

Not wanting to end up drenched when I still have so much to
do this afternoon, I pull on my best serious face.

“Don’t even think about throwing me in that pool.” Lowering
my voice, I add, “I swear you will not get any for a month.”

He throws his head back and laughs a deep chortle before
taking my gaze. “Oh baby, we both know you couldn’t resist me that long.”

Knowing I cannot stop him, I grab a hold of his shirt as he
picks me up and tosses me into the pool. My grip on his shirt is strong enough
that he loses his balance and falls in after me. Soaked from head to toe, he
pulls me into him, laughing against my neck before nipping it lightly.

“So no sex for a month, huh?”

His warm breath against my skin and the feel of his hard
body tell me there is no way I will make it a month. Hell, I don’t want to make
it another ten minutes.

“Yep, none for you, buddy.”

His laughter is infectious. Bella and Ryker are now standing
on the edge of the pool, laughing it up with him.

“Austin, let my girl go. We have work to do,” she says with
a playful sternness.

“Yeah, let me go,” I repeat as I push away and swim to the
stairs.

Bella hands me a towel and I look back at my gorgeous man.
Even wet and fully clothed, he is a remarkable sight. No question I won’t hold
out on him. No woman in her right mind would. I throw a wink his way before
sloshing to the house to change into dry clothes.

Before I walk inside, I hear Austin ask Bella if everything
is set. When I glance back at the two of them, they both smile mischievously.
They are up to something and that cannot be good news for me.

Walking through the foyer after changing, I answer the
buzzing intercom. Cardie’s voice wafts through.

“You guys have room in this mansion for a few more?”

A few moments later, Cardie and his two sons come strolling
through the door dressed in swim attire. Ryker is thrilled; he has really
bonded with the older of the two, Jackson. Looks like the boys are planning a
play date while us women are stuck preparing for their party. Go figure. Boys
will be boys.

Bella and I spend the rest of the afternoon readying the
house for tomorrow. After an afternoon of swimming, Cardie and Austin declare
themselves men by cooking out burgers for us and hot dogs for the kids.

Shortly after nine, Cardie and Bella head home and Austin
settles Ryker in his room for the night. I am standing in the kitchen enjoying
the last of my margarita when my stud of a boyfriend walks up behind me,
smelling crisp and clean - pure man. His arms circle me from behind, his chin
rests on my shoulder, and I melt into him.

My arms across his, we stand in the moment and enjoy the
feel of one another. There is no place in the world I would rather be than in
his arms. His head turns and his lips find the spot right behind my ear. With a
tender kiss, he whispers, “I love you.”

I turn in his embrace, find his lips with mine, and whisper
back, “I love you, too, but you still aren’t getting any.”

His chuckle amuses me before his lips meet mine with fevered
passion. I try to resist, but fail in seconds as I part my own and allow him to
take ownership with his expert tongue. Seconds later, he lifts me up and my
legs wrap around his waist. Lust consumes me.

His hands grip my ass, achingly close to where I want him.
We continue to make out like teenagers before he shocks me by setting me down,
stepping back, and smirking at me.

“Since I am not getting any, I guess I will go to bed.”

His knowing arrogance irritates my wanton body. He knew exactly
what he was doing. Damn him. His head cocked to the side with an eyebrow raised,
he is daring me to stand my ground. My mind wants to, but my body betrays me.
He will get exactly what he wants and we both know it, because I want him.

Walking across the room, I feign indifference before running
my nails across his bare chest on my way out of the door.

“Guess I will see you in bed, then,” I say, walking away with
a seductive sashay.

I don’t make it four steps before he picks me up, throws me
over his shoulder, and sprints upstairs.

Yes, there is no doubt he will get his way tonight. Days
like these are the ones I live for. They are our new normal, full of love,
laughter, and incredible sex. Who could ask for anything more?