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I walk out of the door and into the hallway with them.
“Hey, Ryker?” I say, waiting for him to turn around.
“Yeah?”
I take a couple of steps toward him until I’m flush against him and then push up on my platform Keds and wrap my arms around his neck.
“We’ll meet you down at the car,” Briggs says, seeing me plastered against Ryker.
Ryker just nods, his hands wrapping around my back. His thumb glides over the hollow of my spine.
“You don’t know what you just did for my brother,” I say, holding back the emotion I feel for someone taking the time to understand him. “And what you did for me.”
“I told you Juliet… this is real, no matter the timeline. I’m here for you when you need me. Just ask me to show up for you and let me prove to you that I will.”
I nod, and then he lowers his lips to mine and sets a soft kiss against my mouth.
“Are you packed to leave tonight?” he asks.
“Yes. I had a lot of thinking to do last night so my bags are packed and waiting in my bedroom,” I tell him.
I still don’t feel great about the way I handled things last night but I can only move forward.
“How many are there?” he asks with a teasing glint in his eye. “Should I have rented a plane just for your luggage?”
I’m happy to see the playful side of Ryker hasn’t been squashed by my mother’s inability to support us and me shutting down on him last night.
“Can you not handle me, Haynes?”
“I think I proved to you on our wedding night that I’m more than capable of handling you,” he says, his eyes hooding and dipping down to my lips again.
“Juliet, these two backpacks are ready to take down,” my mother calls out.
Her voice breaks the moment, but I know he and I have a lot to do today before we can leave town tonight so it’s just as well that we part ways now.
“Coming, Mom,” I tell her.
“I’ll see you later.”
I release my hold around his neck and his hands graze over my hips as he pulls back.
His slow, lingering touch sends tingles down to my toes.
“Bye,” I say.
“Bye, wife.”
Then he turns and heads down the hall.
It’s my turn to prove to Ryker that I’ll show up for him. And I’ll do this by going with him to Canada.
I know this trip is important to him, and that he wants to give me a glimpse into this part of his life, means something.
Chapter Nineteen
Ryker
Checking in for our flight took less time than I anticipated, mostly because Juliet packed lighter than I expected. Not that I would have cared if she had brought her entire wardrobe. Whatever she wants to bring to make this trip enjoyable for her is fine with me.
