Ryder (16 page)

“Oh Letty honey, it’s nice to finally meet you.” She holds me at arm’s length and gives me a once over. “Beautiful, Ryder just beautiful. Oh, and who is this pretty little Princess?” She turns her attention to Demi, who is still in Ryder’s arms.

“Hi, I’m Demi. Are you my new daddy’s Mama?” Oh fuck, here we go again. I feel Ryder chuckle next to me and Reeve chokes on his beer while Rafe laughs at him. I feel as if time has stopped again, why must my daughter be determined to give me a heart attack before I turn twenty-five?

“Yes I am, honey. Do you want Ryder do be your new daddy, Demi?” Fuck me sideways. Demi shrugs and I am praying that Ryder comes to the rescue anytime soon … like right now! Yep any time now!

“I do but Mama said that we have to wait and that Ryder might not wanna be my daddy. But they love each other.” She lowers her voice and leans towards Hayley. “They kiss like alllllll the time.” Everyone bursts out laughing and I have to say, I smile at her. She has the power to make time stop and speed it up again.

“I would love to be your new daddy, Angel. That is if that’s ok with your mom?” Everyone turns to me, waiting for me to answer. Talk about being put under the spotlight.

“You wanna call Ryder ‘Daddy’ Dem?” She nods and kisses Ryder’s cheek. My heart skips a beat but a feeling of peace washes over me that he truly wants us both, that he really wants to be her dad. Why would he? He is so young and he has the world at his feet. Even though my insecurities try to surface, I push them down.

We have only been together a couple of weeks, is it too soon? I look around at this family and I can see that they will accept my daughter and hopefully me. I can see that the two others guys are Ryder’s uncles Nix and Brax, who are watching Ryder with Demi in his arms; their eyes are soft and their smiles are genuine.

“Ok.” I simply say before I take a deep breath. “You can call Ryder ‘Daddy’. You already call Rafe and Reeve uncle anyways.” Ryder leans in and kisses me whispering ‘thank you’ in my ear, my heart skips a beat. I hope I made the right choice. Hayley lets out a squeal and lifts Demi out of Ryder’s arms.

“You Miss Demi are going to call me Nana. Oh my word, my first grandbaby.” She kisses Demi and walks away. I look at Rafe and I feel like crying for him. The look on his face hurts my heart; I know that Rafe and Lucy are going to tell their parents today or tomorrow about the baby. I walk over to him and hug him.

“She will be happy for you and Lucy, look at the way she has reacted towards Demi and she isn’t even blood. Rafe, she will love this baby with her whole heart. Now I’m not saying she might not be a little disappointed and you need to be prepared for that, ok?” He nods at me.

Around five, everyone starts arriving and the music starts. Demi is happily running around with Cane, the Phoenix boy's dog. It’s so cute, until she demands a dog of her own. Um, I think not. I get to meet Skeet, Zach and his girlfriend Kenzie, who happens to be one of Lucy’s best friend, properly and not while I’m serving them coffee.

I meet Maisey, who lives with Lucy. I meet Gunner, who is Maisey’s boyfriend and lives with the Phoenix boys. This is a lot to wrap my head around meeting all these new people. I get to meet the birthday girl, Tru, and she is the sweetest thing ever, plus she comes with her very own eye candy in the form of Jackson aka Jax. I meet Kenzie and Zach and I recognize them from that morning at work. I leave Ryder talking to the boys and head into the kitchen to grab a drink and to find a restroom. I see Lucy’s parents and ask where the bathroom is. I head down the hallway towards the bathroom they pointed me in the direction of, when I hear two girls talking.

“Can you believe that Ryder would settle for that? I mean come on; she is a skanky single mom. Why would he want to be lumped with a child that isn’t even his? I can give him all the babies he wants. Well, we would have fun trying… again. Tru said that they have only been together for like two or three weeks and she has trapped him already. Slut.” They laugh and turn to see me coming. They don’t even hide their laughter as they both look me up and down and laugh again as they walk past me.

My insecurities hit me in the chest like a Mac truck. Fuck, what the hell am I doing? They are right. Ryder can have anyone he wants, he doesn’t need to be tied down with a child that isn’t his; I need to fetch Demi and leave; I can’t be here, but I also don’t want to ruin Tru’s party. I lock myself in the bathroom and fight back the tears that are trying so damn hard to break free. I do my business and I take a few deep breaths, and then make myself look presentable.

I exit the bathroom and head back towards the noise. As I stand at the door scanning the garden for Demi, I see that Inside Noise are getting ready to start their set. I still can’t see Demi until Nix comes walking from the side of the make shift stage with my daughter in his arms. God, what is with these sex on a stick men in this family? I see the two girls at the front of the stage chatting with Tru and my heart skips a beat seeing them eyeing up my man. I see Nix, Brax and Hayley all fussing over Demi and it melts my heart, but my inner voice is screaming at me to leave and not trap this hunk with my family. He deserves better that being a twenty-year-old dad of a child that isn’t his. With my decision made, I make my way over to Ryder’s family to collect my daughter when Reeve's voice comes through the speakers.

“Hey, how is everyone doing tonight? You all enjoying Baby Tru’s party?” The family and friends crowd cheers and I see Demi laughing and clapping while sitting in Brax’s shoulders. Fuck me. “Well, tonight we are going to sing a few of our own songs and some covers that our baby girl loves so much. We are gonna mix it up folks.” He winks to the screaming girls standing in front of him. Where the hell they all come from? I arrive at Brax’s side and smile.

“Can I have Demi please, Brax?” He frowns at me but doesn't hand me Demi.

“She can see the boys better from up there. She is fine, Letty.”

“Please Brax, can I have my daughter please?” He is looking at the stage but then he turns his head towards me but nods to the stage. I see Ryder frowning at me but I turn away from him. “Please Brax.” I can hear the desperation in my voice. He shakes his head and lifts Demi off his shoulders, settling her on the ground. My tears are fighting to break free.

“You are making a mistake, Letty. That boy loves you and Demi. I thought you loved him too?” I take a deep breath, fighting these damn tears again.

“I do, Braxton. But this is better for him. He doesn’t need to be tied down at his age. I am doing this for him.” I go to walk away but Brax catches my elbow.

“Don’t you think that it is up to him to decide what he wants?  Love knows no time or age, both are nothing but numbers and mean nothing. He loves Demi, he loves you; don’t walk away from him Letty, please?” A tear runs down my cheek and I glance back at Ryder and I can see the confusion written all over his face. He drops his drumsticks in the middle of a song, jumps off the stage and makes his way over to us. Brax picks up Demi and walks away before I can say anything. Ryder is in front of me, toe to toe, chest to chest. He is breathing heavy.

“Where you going, Letty?”               Shit, he doesn’t call me ‘baby’ or ‘sunshine’. My chest tightens and I can see the hurt across his face, he knows what I was doing I can sense it coming from him. I glance around and see everyone watching us, mainly the two girls from earlier; they are both smirking at me.

“You don’t want this, Ryder. You don’t want to be tied down with a child that isn’t yours. You can have anyone you want and I find is hard to believe that you want me and my daughter. Please just let us go” He shakes his head and looks at the ground.

“Don’t tell me what I want. Your daughter just asked me to be her dad today and it will be a day that I will never forget, do you honestly think that I would have agreed to be her dad if I didn’t want to? You think that badly of me that you would think I would just tell a little four-year-old girl what I thought she wanted to hear just to be with you? Fuck, Letty” He puts his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath. He looks towards the stage, nods at his brothers and they return it, then turns to Demi and then to me.

“Bad word, Daddy” comes from Demi. Ryder smiles at her and looks at me.

“You are my Inside Noise, Letty Shaw. Both you and Demi are my Inside Noise. I am madly in love with both of you and yes, I get that we haven’t known each other long but I say fuck it. I want you and Demi in my life for as long as you will have me.” He turns and looks at everyone and then back to me “and if anyone has a problem with that then they…cover her ears Brax,” which he does. I can’t help but smile. “They can fuck off right now because baby, you are my world and I plan on having you and Demi in it for a very fucking long time.”

He kisses me without another word. His tongue breaks through my lips and battles with mine. I can hear people cheering and clapping but Ryder doesn’t disengage from me. I feel all my negative thoughts wash away by Ryder’s kisses. After God knows how long Reeve’s voice comes over the speaker again.

“Brax, keep my niece’s ears covered a bit long please. Ryder, bro stop sucking face with your girl, you can fuck her later. Sorry Mom. Get your ass up here and we can get this show on the road.” He winks at me.

“Ok, ok I’m coming …” I cut him off.

“Not yet you’re not.” I wink at him. He kisses me and turn to Demi. He removes her hands over Brax’s, which by the way looks super cute. His big hands covered by her tiny hands.

“Angel, Daddy's gonna go and sing with Uncle Rafe and Uncle Reeve ok? Can you make sure that Mama stays here and waits for me?”

“Will do, Daddy” She kisses his cheek and he walks off towards the stage. My heart steadies it’s pace and I feel the love flowing between the three of us, our little family.

The night goes off without any further incident. The Phoenix family and the Cooper family and all their friends make sure that I know that I am now one of them and if I need anything they will be there.

Life is good and I wouldn’t change it for anything because I love Ryder Phoenix and he loves my daughter and me.

Chapter 18

Ryder

“Come on lets go ladies, we are meeting everyone there” It’s a Saturday morning and my girls and me are heading to the beach with the whole crew; even Nix and Brax are joining us. It’s been four weeks since Tru’s party and four weeks since I told Letty that she is my Inside Noise and four weeks since I became a step-dad to Demi. Four weeks that have been fucking amazing. If I am not in classes or with the boys practicing, then I am with Letty at her apartment. I still can’t get used to Demi calling me Dad but I tell you know it feels amazing.

My grandma Ruby did have a bitch about the time that we have known each other but like my dad always used to tell us ‘You will know when a girl’s heart beats with yours.’ I got lucky and had two hearts that beat with mine own, even in a short amount of time.

Too fast? Maybe to some people. but I don’t give a flying fuck.

“Move your butts girls, everyone is waiting for us.” Letty comes walking towards me in short denim shorts and a black bikini top on under a floral kimono and a hat on her head. She is wearing gold strappy sandals and she looks fucking hot. I am so going to be beating many guys asses who be looking at her in that bikini. She kisses me as she passes and I slap her ass causing her to yelp. “Angel, move baby.” Demi comes running down the hall towards me in the freaking cutest lady bug bathing suit and matching sun hat. My mom took her shopping one day and can anyone say spoiled? I think she bought out the whole damn store. She has little red sandals and red ladybug sunglasses on to complete her outfit.

After filling the cooler with snacks and drinks for us, we hit the beach. I set up a beach blanket for my girls and dig the parasol into the sand so that Demi has some shade. I don’t want her to burn. Everyone one is here except Trinity. I sit Demi between my legs and start to cover her in sunscreen I watch as Lucy glares at Beck, who is sitting on his own, elbows resting on his knees, just staring at nothing. After what happened between them that night, Trinity left LA and moved to Texas to stay with her aunt and uncle for a while and believe me, Lucy as not let him forget what he has done. Lucy and Rafe told my mom and her parents about the baby. Mom was over the moon and so were the Coopers once the shock wore off. Rafe’s protective side tripled with Lucy and we all just laugh at the way he is with her and the way she gets annoyed with him. True Love.

Skeet comes skipping over to us like a freaking five-year-old and picks up Demi’s floaties and starts bouncing up and down. “So, is my Princess ready to hit the water?” he asks me and Letty, who is standing talking to my sister. Ren is home from her search for new bands to sign to Phoenix Records. I lift Demi to her feet and tap her little butt.

“Off you go with Uncle Skeet. Remember Angel, Skeet can’t swim, so you will have to hold his hand ok, baby”? Everyone laughs while Demi runs towards Skeet.

“Shut it, Ry. I can swim, I learnt just last week.” He winks at Letty, who is staring at him while he takes our daughter's hand. Daughter, fuck that sounds good.

“Ryder, really, is he ok taking her into the water?” I know she is messing with him by the cheeky glint in her eyes.