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I thought about why lovers lie to each other - feelings and egos are such fragile things.
“Do you have any more secrets or is this the last of them?” I asked.
Ryan thought for a moment. “I lost my virginity to Kelsey Bowman when I was sixteen,” he confessed.
I smiled and nudged him in the leg.
“Do you want to know how it happened?”
I laughed uncomfortably. “No!”
“What about you? Are you keeping any secrets from me?” he asked cautiously.
I looked him directly in his eyes. “No.”
He twisted my garnet ring to align it on my finger. “Do you remember what I told you Christmas morning when I put this ring on your finger?
Honey, there is no one else. There hasn’t been anyone else. I’m in love with you, Tar.”
As I watched the last minute of the year count down I resolved that his past and mine needed to stay there… in the past.
Ryan grabbed the belt loop on my jeans and pulled me off to the privacy of the dark kitchen. His arm wrapped around my waist; together we were ushering in a new year, a new chapter to our lives.
“Ten, nine, eight…” he counted backwards on my lips. I couldn’t help but be giddy at our closeness; my arms wrapped around his neck tighter, holding him fast to my body.
“Happy New Year Honey,” he whispered, his warm mouth kissed me passionately.
The bar was completely crowded, but at that moment in the darkness we were the only two people on the planet.
Our days together turned to just hours and then to mere minutes; Ryan was leaving for Florida to start filming his next movie.
“Call me once you get settled in,” I requested, trying to keep my extreme sadness of his departure in control. I turned my car ignition off.
His gentle hand rubbed my cheek. “I will. It won’t be for a couple of hours though until I land. Don’t be sad. I’ll see you in three weeks, I promise!”
Ryan looked over his shoulder nervously, expecting that at any moment photographers could rush up to my car.
“Three weeks.” I nodded. “I think I can make it.”
“You could always quit your night job and come stay with me?” he teased.
“I’m working on it!”
“I know. I’ll see you on the 22nd. Keep your calendar open,” he reminded.
Mike was already standing behind my car with their luggage, waiting patiently.
“You better go. Kiss me already!”
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you more!”
“Doubt that!” He leaned and kissed me again.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” he said quickly, one of his long legs was already out of my car. “There’s a crew coming tomorrow morning to start demolition on the pub kitchen.”
“What?” I asked, slightly louder than I had intended. “Wait, we only just got the estimate.”
“I know. I hired them.”
Ryan hopped out of my car before I had a chance to argue. “So if you want to yell at me, you’ll have to call me later and do it over the phone.”
“Ryan!” I whined.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you!” He mouthed on the other side of the closed passenger door. He looked at me intently through the glass window, grinning.
I read his lips when he silently said, “I love you,” placing his palm on the window to say goodbye.
I smirked and watched his sexy butt dash off towards the terminal.
Chapter 29 - Options
“Wow, they’re really making progress,” Pete commented, assessing day four of the kitchen remodel. “It’s going to be beautiful once it’s finished.”
I nodded, watching the crew install the new stainless steel ovens.
“So I take it you’ve forgiven him?” Pete asked, slightly distracted by watching the installers struggle with the appliances.
I suppose my reactions and behaviors were completely predictable.
“I was never mad at him, Pete. And now that this kitchen is finally getting done, I’m actually quite relieved. I guess I’ll have to just get used to his generosity.”
“Now there’s a good idea!” Pete staggered slightly, giving me a teasing bump. “You know most decent men have it engrained in them to take care of their family. He just wants to be the provider, that’s all.”
I sighed heavily as Pete’s words sunk in. “I know.”
“You know he’s going to marry you, especially now since you’re the proud parents of twin kitchen sinks!” He winked.
