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I couldn't understand why he would want the dress. "He took it with him?"
She smiled and shook her head. "I have it. He asked me to hold on to it. And that way, if you ever needed it or wanted it, it would be here waiting for you when you were ready."
My mouth dropped slightly open, and I took a deep breath, pushing the emotions back.
The shop owner gave me my receipt for the retirement party dress. "I told him the dress was literally made for you. When you put it on, you were hands down the most beautiful bride I'd ever seen. He told me you deserved the most beautiful dress then."
I was completely blown away, not knowing what to say. I thanked her and left the shop, but instead of leaving, I walked down the street, letting the sun sink into my skin. For someone who I thought was glad to not have the stress of having to be in the agreement we made, he sure did a lot of things to make sure I was happy, even if it weren't with him. To have her save that dress for me when I one day needed it was the most selfless thing he had ever done for me.
I pulled out my phone to call him, but before I could, the office rang through. My secretary needed me to head back to the office to finalize some paperwork before the weekend. I returned to the car and jumped inside, putting my phone in my purse. It had been too long since I told him we were done. It had been too long of no contact to think that he would be even remotely still thinking about me.
It was wishful thinking. And I had to start focusing on the future. I knew no matter how much I wished for it, Ryder didn't want me to be part of his.
Ryder
The first time I met Amber's father, I hadn't been nervous. In fact, we were still playing cat and mouse, showing each other what we were really made of. I wanted her to see me as versatile. I wanted to prove to her that I could play in her league just as good as people born and raised there. As a result, I was full of confidence and very little anxiety because I had never thought of the conversation with her father as genuine.
But pulling up, not on my bike, but in a car, to Amber's father's house, unannounced, to ask for help made me feel like I was going to either puke or pass out. Either way, it wouldn't be a good look. I had no idea if her father was angry with me. For all intents and purposes, he should be. Instead, I played with his emotions and lied to his face. It was one thing to forgive your daughter. It was another to ignore a random stranger that played you like a fiddle. I knew men like Amber's father, and their pride was often bigger than their brains.
I stepped out of the car and walked up to the door, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. I stood there for several seconds before I realized a camera was in the corner. If he did, there would be no surprise when he opened the door. Hopefully, he wasn't planning my demise before welcoming me in.
After several minutes, I assumed he would just leave me standing there. I thought about ringing again but knew I had to move on to other options. So I turned and trotted down the stairs, stopping at the bottom when I heard the door open. I turned back to find her father, arms crossed, standing in the doorway.
"Ryder," he said, frowning. "I knew eventually you'd show up. Took you long enough. Come on."
I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but I headed inside anyway, following him down the hall and into his study. He closed the doors and nodded toward the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."
Nervous, I took a seat, watching him walk around behind the desk. Finally, he sat down and folded his hands in front of him. "I know why you're here."
"You do?"
He nodded. "I do. But I want to hear it from you first."
I wasn't quite sure where the conversation was going. Maybe there was a misunderstanding. Perhaps he thought I came there to reignite the agreement that Amber and I made for the contract for our companies, but that was nowhere on my mind. I fumbled with the words in my head, wondering which way to take the conversation. Finally, I just shook my head and leaned forward, tired of the games, the anxiety, the struggle.
"I love your daughter," I blurted out. "It started as an agreement, and in reality, in the beginning, she drove me mad. We were competitive about everything. We bickered every chance we could get. But we both let down some walls, and by the time I proposed, even if I hadn't admitted it to myself, I was in love with Amber."
He lit a cigar, watching me, no expression on his face. I didn't let that deter me and continued anyway.
"When I received that letter and thought there was even a chance that Amber was in danger, everything stopped for me. I was willing to give my life for hers. I have never in my life felt that way about anyone. When she broke things off, I wanted to argue with her, but looking into her broken eyes, I knew that was what she needed. That was what her life needed at that moment. So I walked away. I walked away because she needed to figure things out, to move forward, and to do it without the secret that hung over our heads."
I took a deep breath and looked down at my shaking hands. "But there hasn't been a day since then that I haven't thought about her. I refuse to believe that she doesn't care for me back. She's stubborn and has walls, and I'm the king of that, but I know there was something deep between us. I need to tell her. But I know that if I go to her, she will put those walls up. So I need to be able to tell her and have her really hear me. And if I'm wrong, at least I can move on."
Amber's father sat, leaned back in his leather chair, puffing on his cigar, watching me as I sat there, pouring my guts out. Then, when I was done, he leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling as he smoked. I sat there incredibly nervous, tapping my fingers against my thigh repeatedly. The wait was driving me nuts, and I had no idea what he was about to say.
Finally, after what felt like forever, he leaned forward and looked into my eyes. "I know. I know you love Amber. Whether you knew it or not, I saw it before you. And despite my daughter's serious pension for being absolutely the most stubborn person I've ever met, besides myself, I think she feels the same way as you. But I don't think she knows just how much you care for her. I think she's talking herself out of it because she believes the risk is too high."
I had to admit, those weren't the words I expected him to say. I had fully expected and prepared myself to be let down right then and there by her father. I even half expected him to laugh at me, tell me she was already seeing someone else. So maybe I didn't expect it but prepared myself for it.
But just because he believed she loved me didn't mean the battle was won.
I cleared my throat and scooted forward in my seat. "I need your help. I need your help coming up with a way to get through to her and show her I really care."
He smirked and nodded. "I love my daughter. I've loved her every minute since she was born, and I'll love her every minute until I die. But, the one thing I've always wanted for her was a man that would make her truly happy. A man that would fight for her even when it seemed hopeless. I don't think you'll find getting through to her will be as hard as you think. Not for you."
"Does that mean you'll help me?"
He nodded. "I will. And I already know the perfect way to tell her how you feel. But you'll have to put yourself out there, risk everything."
