Page 25 of The Baxters
“No.” Kari was still mid-struggle. Still thinking about how they had let things go too far. Even if they hadn’t lost control completely. And there Tim was, in a round-about way asking her aboutRyan? She shook her head. “We… we never did more than kiss.”
The weird thing was, Tim never said Ryan’s name. She understood now, after being engaged to him. Talking about the specifics of Kari’s past wasn’t Tim’s style.
Sure, when he first realized that Kari’s longtime childhood love was Dallas Cowboys running back Ryan Taylor, Tim freaked out a little. He admitted he’d actually been a fan of Ryan’s at one point.
And then he pretended to walk away, teasing her that it had been nice knowing her.
But that reaction had happened just one time.
After that he never brought Ryan up again. Never talked about Ryan’s performance with the Cowboys, never asked Kari if she thought about him. Sure, Tim would refer to Kari’s “past love” or her “younger days.” But Tim avoided saying Ryan’s name. As if he were too good to mention it.
Too good to be jealous over Ryan Taylor.
Kari took another deep breath. The memory made her feel dirty.
At the time, they were nowhere near being engaged. Tim’s talking about marriage in light of what had happenedbetween them had been manipulative. Whatever he had been thinking, if Kari found peace in his reasoning, it was short-lived. She could barely sleep for the next week.
A chill ran down her bare arms. Shock surged through her and made her feel sick. That wasn’t why she was marrying Tim, right? Because they’d gone farther than they planned one night?
She shuddered at the thought. Absolutely not. She was marrying Tim for a hundred other reasons. Mostly because she loved him. Because he made her head spin with his lofty ideas and eloquent speech. And because he was loyal to her the way Ryan never had been.
As if on cue, at the thought of him, Kari heard Ryan’s voice.
She put her feet on the porch floor and the swing stopped. Great. Now she was imagining things. She should’ve known. Spend enough time on her wedding day letting Ryan’s name drift through her soul and she was bound to start hearing voices.
But then she heard it again. Not in her head, but coming from the front of the house. She had to remember to exhale. This couldn’t be happening. For all the ways Ryan had torn her heart in two, he wouldn’t dream of coming by her house on her wedding day.
Would he?
Kari turned in the swing and listened. As she did her heartbeat pounded in her throat. It was him. Ryan Taylor was here. She would know his tone anywhere. Not becausethey talked anymore, but because the sound of his voice was woven into her very being.
Dear God, what am I supposed to do?She held her breath and closed her eyes. Thunder shook the ground and she blinked. What was happening? Why was Ryan here? If anything could stir the doubts plaguing her today, it was the guy she had loved most of her life. Seeing him would put her over the edge. Because it would force her to do the one thing she never planned to do again.
Look into the gorgeous eyes of Ryan Taylor.
8
Ryan had to see her.
That’s how the argument with himself had ended. Even if he wanted to stop himself, he couldn’t keep from driving to Kari’s and talking to her, seeing her one more time before she got married. Not that he could change her mind or convince her of his feelings for her. The feelings he still had. But because of something Ryan hadn’t thought about before. By tonight she would no longer be Kari Baxter.
She would be Kari Jacobs.
And when Ryan let that reality hit him, he had no choice. He had to see her. The moment would be brief. He would congratulate her on her wedding day and tell her he wished only the best for her. He would be polite and friendly, keep things on the surface. But at least he could look into her eyes one more time.
His Kari girl.
At first he thought he’d take the path behind their houses and come through her backyard. But then… what if Tim were there? If things went poorly he would need a speedy exit. The last thing he wanted was to upset her.
Plus the rain was coming now, hard and steady.
He parked as close to the front of her house as he could and with his heart pounding in his throat he hurried through the pouring rain to the door. After a second knock, Kari’s mother opened it and then for the longest few seconds she just stood there. Staring at him.
By then rain had soaked Ryan’s T-shirt and jeans. It was dripping off his hair and face. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if Mrs. Baxter was going to faint or let him in, but all at once she seemed to collect herself.
Her familiar smile found its place. “Ryan! You’re drenched!” She ran her hand over her hair and opened the door wider. “I… we weren’t expecting you.”
“No.” A quiet chuckle came from Ryan. “This didn’t… I wasn’t planning to come by.” He hesitated. “Probably bad timing.” He let their eyes hold and then he shrugged. Like a man out of options. “I had to see her, Mrs. Baxter. One more time.”
