Rush Into You (16 page)

My mind was instantly at ease.

I was delightfully sore between my legs and I smiled to myself at the reminder of my night. My body got a workout last night and was bent in ways it hadn’t been in a while. We had sex again after recovering from the first round, and I found out he was quite adventurous in bed. He couldn’t keep his hands off me and lit my body on fire everywhere he touched me. I was just as hungry for him as he was for me.

I stretched, reaching my arms far above my head, and glanced at the clock. It was 9:30 a.m. — I didn’t remember the last time I’d slept so late.

And then it hit me.

Last night was the first night in years that I didn’t wake up screaming in a cold sweat, terrified of what I saw in my nightmare. Terrified that my nightmare wasn’t some messed up delusion, but the memory of my fucked up reality.

I slept through the night peacefully, wrapped up in Ryker’s arms.

I HAD JUST poured myself a cup of coffee and opened my laptop when my phone rang—Ryker.

“Hello?”

His voice came through the tiny speaker sounding wide awake. “Hey sexy, how you doing?”

“Mmm, I’m good. Just being lazy in my pajamas, but going to do a bit of work now.”

“Are you going to be busy all day?”

“No, I’m just tying up some loose ends. Why, what’s up? You miss me already?” I teased.

“Yep, I do. And I wanted to bring you somewhere today.”

I was intrigued. “Where?”

“I’ll tell you when I see you, just dress comfortably. Can you be ready by twelve?”

I let him know I’d be ready, and we hung up. I had two hours to finalize a book I’d formatted and get ready. I had plenty of time.

We pulled up to a one story house on a quiet side street in a school neighborhood. Most of the surrounding homes were the same style, and although all the houses looked alike in structure, none of the homes actually looked the same. Each home had been painted based on the owner’s preference. Flowers decorated the yards, and family cars lined the driveways. This street had character, and I loved it.

Still seated on the back of Ryker’s bike, I looked closer at the house we stopped in front of. The single story house was light grey with soft yellow shutters and trim. There was a beautiful bay window with a small brick section beneath it. A welcome mat laid beneath the door, giving the home an even cozier feel.

Ryker kicked the stand down and turned the bike off before he lifted the visor on his helmet. I moved my hands from his waist to his shoulders and gave them a squeeze, gently massaging the sudden stiffness away.

“What’s up, babe?” The endearment rolled of my tongue easily.

He tapped my left leg twice, signaling me that I could get off the bike now. I pressed my weight down on his shoulders and swung my leg over, planting my feet solidly on the street. Ryker got off and joined me, then grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him. He took a deep breath and looked at the house in front of us.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me. It’s something that I always do, and never miss. I would understand if you didn’t want to come, it might not be fun for you, but it’s a big deal for me, and I want to go. I brought you here because I still want to see you, and I guess I was just hoping that you would come with me—”

“Ryker, stop.” I’d never seen him act like this and was immediately concerned. “What are you even talking about? Where do you want to go?”

“My niece’s softball game. I help coach sometimes, but I always go to the games.”

It took me a second to process his words. They seemed so simple, and I had no idea why he would think I wouldn’t want to go. My smile was wide when I answered him. “Of course I’ll go with you. I love sports. How old is your niece?”

“She’s eight. Her name is Ashley. But it’s not that simple, Gabby.”

“Okay…” I trailed off, prompting him to continue.

Ryker removed his hands from my hips and stood up straighter. I watched as his shoulders squared and his eyes hardened. He looked as if he were preparing to defend himself.

“Ashley has Down Syndrome,” he explained confidently, his earlier nerves nonexistent. He looked as if he were waiting for me to react as if I would storm off or look disgusted.

“Okay, but what’s wrong? Why are you acting all weird?”

Ryker scrubbed his hands down his face, and sighed. “My last girlfriend…she was a bitch about it. She couldn’t handle being around Ashley. She acted like Down Syndrome was contagious…” he trailed off, looking down. When his eyes met mine again, they were slightly narrowed—bright and challenging. “I love Ashley, and I do everything I can for her. She’s a huge part of my life and always will be.”

I leaned up on the tip of my toes, grabbing onto his shoulders to steady myself. I pressed my lips against his softly, hoping the simple yet intimate gesture would show him how much I cared. Hoping the kiss could share what my words could not. “Okay, Ryker, but understand that I have absolutely no issue with this. Please know that if you allow me to meet her, I won’t be looking at a child with Down Syndrome. I’ll be looking at a little girl named Ashley.”

Ryker’s stare remained locked on mine for a few heartbeats. “Do you want to go to her game with me, right now? It’s up the street, and she’s already there with my sister. I’d like you to meet them.”

“I would love to go with you.” I kissed him again.

He took a hold of my hand and guided me the few feet to his bike. I got on after him and smiled to myself. The butterflies dancing in my belly were for a different reason this time. Meeting someone who meant so much to Ryker was exciting. I couldn’t wait to see how he interacted with his niece and her friends—it would show me another side of Ryker I had yet to see.

My smile remained plastered on my face on the short ride to the softball field. It had been years since I’d gone to a little league game. When I was eight, I’d been quite the tomboy and loved playing with the boys. I’d wanted to play softball, but when I went to one practice and realized none of the girls could catch a ball, never mind throw one…I’d went straight to baseball.

Looking around, I realized everything seemed the same as when I was a kid. Trees lined the perimeter, acting as a fence, and both teams were on opposite sides of the field taking advantage of the time before the game started for some last minute practice. All the kids looked so cute in their uniforms, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Ryker grabbed my hand and led me across the uneven grass over to the dugout where the red team was set up. Walking hand in hand with him in public felt natural and thrilling.

It felt good.

It felt normal.

I leaned into him slightly when we stopped behind the chain linked fence of the dugout. It stood about four feet off the ground in a rectangle, three short sides connecting to a taller fence to protect the kids from foul balls. A simple wooden bench sat in the center of the space, the dark-green paint chipped and in need of a new coat. One end of the bench was more worn than the rest with rough splinters jutting out in every direction.

Ryker squeezed my hand but kept his eyes on the girls and boys running towards their coach standing by third base. I angled my head to look up at him so I could study his features. His fitted, navy-blue Red Sox hat was pulled down low, but I could still make out his eyes. There was an unmistakable look of pride and happiness shining through the blue and gold orbs. His mouth wasn’t quite smiling, but I could make out the faintest lift of his lips. If it weren’t for the occasional blink, I would think Ryker was hypnotized by the young and laughing kids, one of them his niece. The love he had for her was so evident, and it made my chest gently tighten for some unknown reason.

“Ryker!” We both turned our heads to the left, but our bodies remained in place. A beautiful woman with long, wavy, golden hair called Ryker’s name again, her voice sounding clear and musical.

“That’s my sister, come on.” With a gentle nudge from Ryker, we closed the distance to where she stood. My heart was beating slightly faster than usual, and I was a bit nervous. It was obvious he had a good relationship with her, and it scared me to think that he would possibly dump me if she didn’t approve.

His sister’s arms spread out wide in front of her, seeking an embrace from her brother. Ryker released my hand just a moment before she tackle-hugged him, laughing. Her arms were wrapped tight around his neck, and he was laughing too, though it looked like he couldn’t breathe. The hug seemed to last forever, and smiles stretched their faces while words were exchanged between the two.

I felt like an outsider to their love and happiness, and stood awkwardly beside them, unsure of what to do with my hands.

Their attention turned to me and Ryker circled his arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him. “Gabby, I’d like to introduce you to my baby sister, Alexa. Alexa, this is Gabby.”

“Baby sister?” Alexa laughed. “I’m a year younger than you, old man.”

Alexa reached her hand out to me with a grin so happy and pure that my nerves immediately disappeared. We shook hands and exchanged common pleasantries. I could see myself getting along with her really well. The obvious love she had for her big brother was amazing. I've never seen two siblings with such a close relationship. I found myself wondering what her story was.

The children were still in their huddle when we heard them chant together in their high pitched voices, “One, two, three, Tigers!” They filed into the dugout and sat on the bench, everyone avoiding the splintered end. Boys and girls filled the team, and I realized that every child had some form of special needs.

A pretty little girl with fair skin and long, golden hair braided down her back caught sight of us on her way to the bench. She squealed in excitement and ran to the half fence that we were leaning against. Her almond shaped eyes were the brightest royal blue I’d ever seen, and her smile was so wide that it reddened the apples of her cheeks.

“Uncle Ryker!” She jumped up and down with excitement, clapping her bare hand against her softball glove which was secured on her left hand.

“Hey baby girl, you guys going to win today?” He reached his hand over the fence and stroked her face.

“Yep! We always win! We’re awesome!” She smiled at her mom and Ryker, then glanced at me. She cupped her hand to the side of her mouth to block her words from me, and attempted to whisper, “Uncle Ryker, is this the girl you told mommy and me about?”

It was cute how kids could never seem to whisper. Even if they lowered their voice, it was still just normal volume since they always talked so loud anyway. Ryker smirked at me before answering. “Yes, Ashley. This is my friend Gabby. Can you say hi to her?”

“Hi, Gabby! I’m Ashley, and I’m eight years old!”

I smiled, loving her young enthusiasm. “It’s nice to meet you, Ashley.” The coach called the kids to go on the field. “Have fun,” I told her.

Ryker and Alexa both said their own words of encouragement before she ran onto the field. The moment she got to second base, she was down and ready in position, but a good amount of the team didn’t seem to know what to do. The coaches walked around helping the kids out before the head coach walked to the pitcher’s mound. He was a big, burly man with a shaved head, and gentle smile. Another coach jogged in our direction, stopping right before us.

“Hey, you think you could help us out today, my man? I know you weren’t planning to but—”

Ryker cut him off with a wave of his hand. “It’s fine, Rick. I don’t mind.”

They shook hands and Rick ran back on the field, leaving Ryker with Alexa and me. He led us both to the wooden bleachers beside Ashley’s dugout. They were in worse condition than the single bench in the dugout with names and vulgar words carved into the wood and printed in permanent marker. I sat on the top bench next to Alexa over the words, Cathy’s a SLUT!.

Ryker stood before us in front of a repulsive drawing of a dick with a massive set of hairy balls, complete with cum shooting at a girl’s surprised face. He shook his head and laughed humorlessly at the artwork. “I wonder if that’s supposed to be Cathy.”

I laughed at his dry tone and Alexa joined in. “Always the comedian.” She chuckled.

Ryker smirked and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “You good?”

The children’s laughter filled my ears, reminding me of better days as a child, carefree days. I saw Ashley waving to us from the corner of my eye, and I knew I was here to watch her no matter where Ryker was. Plus, I wanted to see Ryker coach.

“I’m fine. Go, Ashley wants you.” I pushed gently on his chest.

He winked and jogged out onto the field, leaving me alone with Alexa.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to threaten you or interrogate you about your intentions with my brother.” Alexa stared straight ahead, eyes glued on her daughter. “I’m here to watch my baby girl play, and meeting you is just a bonus.”

I could see her smile even though she wasn’t turned to me, and I took the opportunity to check her out and compared her looks to her brother. Her hair was golden blonde, where Ryker’s was brown. She had oval shaped, brilliant blue eyes that seemed wiser than her years, similar to Ryker’s but without the gold. They had the same shape nose, besides the faint, crooked bump that graced the bridge of Ryker’s. They each had bottom lips fuller than the top, and the same slightly crooked smile. There was no doubt that Alexa and Ryker were related,
and beyond good looking.