Page 11 of Coming For Her Curves
I hold my hands together on top of the table. “I told you why I came back, Izzy.”
She looks surprised. “You were serious about that?”
“You, Izz. I came for you.”
She wraps her arms around her chest. “You know I'm not the same woman I used to be.”
I shrug. “We've both changed, Izzy.”
She laughs. “Oh yeah? You've definitely changed. You could buy this whole town if you wanted to. You're famous, everyone knows you, and... and you can have any woman you want.”
“I want you,” I tell her with all sincerity.
It's like she doesn't even hear me; she just continues talking. “And how did I change? Well, let’s see. I put on probably forty pounds since you saw me last. I'm old and bitter.” She laughs. “I can't even keep my husband happy, Ryker. He wanted someone else.”
I can't hold back anymore. I get up and move into her booth and sit next to her. I don't touch her, but I'm hoping that being close like this helps her a little.
“First, let’s get a few things straight. I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. For the last twenty years, I have compared every woman to you. And these curves. I want to touch and kiss every one of them. Never ever doubt that I wanted you then, and I want you now.”
She blinks at me, and hope flares in her eyes so I keep talking. “Second, of course you're bitter. Your husband cheated on you. But that is not on you. You're smart, beautiful, and?—”
She holds a hand up. “Stop. This is not going to work, Ryker.”
Before I can say anything else, she changes the subject. “I want to thank you for all this.” She holds her hand up. “And don’t say it’s nothing or I don’t need to thank you. Brock has had a rough time this year, and I appreciate you being nice to him and his friends.” She sighs and looks toward the arcade room where the boys are.
I resist reaching for her. “He’s a great kid, Izzy.”
She nods. “He really is. Anyway, thank you.”
At that moment, the boys all come back and sit in the booths. Brock and Ollie sit across from us, and the other boys sit in the booth next to us. Izzy tenses next to me as I'm bombarded with questions. I answer all of them, and I laugh more than I have in a long time. The pizza comes, and we talk, eat, and laugh. Izzy eventually relaxes, and I can tell that Brock and his friends love and respect Izzy. I love seeing this side of her, and I don’t want the night to end.
When we finally do leave and after we drop off the twins, I pull up to Izzy's house.
“So what time do you want me to pick you up in the morning?”
She shakes her head. “What? No. We will be fine.”
“Mom,” Brock says. “You know Dad is not going to pick me up for school.”
I clench my fist. So Allen is not only a cheater but he's also a shitty father.
“Izzy, let me pick you up. I'll take you to work and Brock to school, and then I’ll pick you both up after and take you to get your car.”
I fully expect her to deny me, but Brock excitedly pleads with his mom in the back. “Mom, please?”
She finally agrees, and I get out of the car and follow them up to the house. Izzy is thanking me the whole way, but I tell her she doesn’t need to. I was truly happy to do it.
I stand on the porch as Brock high-fives me, and then I watch as they go into their house.
And when I walk back to my SUV, I’m smiling ear to ear. Tonight was nearly perfect, and I would give anything to have nights like this for the rest of my life.
CHAPTER 8
IZZY
“Do you have your uniform?” I ask Brock as he gets in the back of Ryker’s SUV.
I slept better last night than I had in a long time. I thought I would be up all night, replaying everything with Ryker, but as soon as I laid my head on the pillow, I was out.
