Page 34 of Promised Summer
“If you want, uh…” Ryker cleared his throat, and with an encouraging look from Sam, he continued, “We have a weekly brunch at Hector’s on Sundays. You could, um, bring your daughter and join us if you’re free.”
Ryan looked surprised as I felt at the invitation. I’d asked them to be cordial toward him, but their inviting him out was a pleasant surprise. Ryan glanced at me, and I nodded. I would love to be out in town more with them.
“You’d want me to join you guys with my kid?” Ryan askedincredulously.
Sam shrugged. “Sure, if she wants to come. My sister joins us with my nephew sometimes.”
Ryker, Jordan, and Wren nodded. My brother and his boyfriend hadn’t come to the last couple of brunches since they were out of town for Wren’s vlog, but they did join occasionally.
Ryan glanced at me again. I reached for his hand because it looked like he really needed some grounding at that moment. I loved how the tension seemed to melt off of him at my touch.
“Only if you want to,” I told him. I would love to have him around my friends, but I didn’t want to pressure him either.
He nodded. “Thank you. I’ll talk to my daughter first and see if she’s up for it.”
I caught Ryker’s eye and mouthed a thank you for making the effort of trying to include Ryan. He patted me on the back.
I really had the best friends…and as soon as I thought that, Sam muttered an “Uh-oh.” Clay had stood from his seat and was striding toward Dan and my cousin.
“Aww, fuck,” I muttered, and our group abandoned our food to hightail it over there before a fought broke out.
“What did you think of today?” I asked Karla later that evening. We were sitting on the rocking chairs on the porch, watching the sunset.
Karla refused to sit on either of our laps and opted to lie on the patio floor with Lily. I should build them a wide chair that they could both share for the nights we enjoyed the sunset together.
I reached for Ryan’s fingers. He smiled at me and settled our hands on his lap. This was exactly what I imagined when I first bought these chairs. These slow, intimate evenings with people I cared about, enjoying the final moments of the day with me.
I never thought the people who would fulfill my dream would be the first person I loved and thought I could never have, a little girl, and a dog I now couldn’t imagine my life without.
Would it be selfish to hope to keep them all forever?
Karla was gently petting Lily’s stomach. It was one of her favorite things to do recently, and the future mama was very indulgent with her. I smiled at the idea that Lily might think Karla was one of her pups.
Karla’s fingers mindlessly weaved through Lily’s belly fur. I thought she wasn’t going to answer myquestion, which I understood. But then she tilted her head our way and shot us a toothy grin as she exclaimed, “It was fun!”
An ‘Oh’ slipped from Ryan’s lips, and I knew he was trying not to make a big deal out of it, but the tight grip on my hand told me he wasn’t as unaffected as he seemed.
It was the first sentence I’d heard Karla string together, and based on Ryan’s reaction, he hadn’t heard her speak in sentences in a while, either.
I laughed and slipped off the rocking chair and pulled Ryan with me to lay with the ladies. Lily wagged her tail at our sudden movement, and Karla giggled. We maneuvered until she was in between Ryan and me, and Lily lying by our legs.
“Would you want to play with Imani again? I think she’d like that,” I asked.
Karla drilled into the space between Ryan and me, snuggling closer, then laughed and nodded. It wasn’t a verbal reply, but we were making progress, nevertheless.
Ryan caught my eye and mouthed his thanks. I wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled the two of them close as our laughter welcomed the last of the sun’s rays for the night.
I didn’t think the day could get any more perfect…that was until I walked into my bedroom after washing up later that night and found a very naked Ryan lying in my bed with nothing but the white sheet covering his most intimate part.
“Fuck, did I just walk into heaven?” I murmured and strode toward him.
Ryan chuckled and grabbed me as soon as I was within arm’s reach. I toppled on top of him. Our lips crashed, tongues tangled, and his already-hard cock promised me a good time.
He made quick work of getting my clothes off and threw them somewhere on the floor. I sat up, my legs thrown over his lap, and my hands roamed his smooth chest.
Ryan smothered every inch of skin he could reach with kisses that had me feeling breathless by the time he was done.
“Karla’s been sleeping through the night more,” he pressed the words into my skin.
