Page 82 of Change of Plans

As if he heard the thoughts tumbling through her head, he cupped her face in his hands, guiding her to stand until he could gaze directly at her.

“I love you, Bryce. I think I’ve loved you from the moment you and your nieces came to my garage. You make me feel connected. Real. Whole.”

Bryce leaned against him, bracing herself on his strong forearms, bringing them close enough so she saw every fleck of navy in his soft blue eyes. “I’ve been waiting a long time to hear those words. I told you a week ago that your kindness was one of the things I loved about you, but I should’ve said what I meant: I love you. I don’t care if you can’t have kids. I’m blessed to hopefully soon have three of my own, and besides when I say I love you, that meansallof you. The parts that are here, and the parts that aren’t.”

Ryker swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “So…you don’t still want to throat-punch me?”

She grinned, tossing her arms around his neck. He was solid and beautiful, and perfect.

“I do love you, Ryker Matthews. But I reserve the right to throat-punch you if you ever leave me a vague-as-hell text and voicemail string ever again. Got it?”

“Roger that.”

He kissed her, gently at first, then groaned as she melted against him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as his kiss deepened, his tongue finding hers…

The door flew open. Standing on the threshold were all three of her nieces, who gasped as they spotted Ryker and Six at the same time.

The golden retriever took it in stride as the girls screeched in delight. As soon as the door opened, the dog looked back at Ryker once, then took up the handle to her leash and let herself in to be swallowed up by a trio of fawning girls.

“Sorry,” Ryker said to the Paynes, who waved as they followed the dog into the house, but the grin on his face belied his words. “I…I hope nobody’s allergic. This is Six, and she’s my service dog.”

It was like watching a tornado of fur as Six eagerly licked the girls’ hands, faces, and even Cecily’s bare feet as they petted her, until the golden finally rolled over on her back, letting them scratch her belly. Finally, her nieces calmed enough for words.

“Hi, Mr. Ryker,” Cecily said. “We’ve missed you this week, too. And that volcano vomit soap makes my skin itch. You happen to have anything better?”

“Look at my leg.” Addison thrust out her cast with its rainbow striping of fiberglass. “We’re twinsies! I tried to fly with my invisible wings and it didn’t work out. Hey, can we have your dog be Nana next time we play pirates?”

Adele’s face reddened, and Bryce rushed to explain. “She doesn’t mean you. Nana is the name of the dog inPeter Pan.”

June cleared her throat. “Uh, Mr. Ryker? Do you have your tool kit in your truck? Because…we may or may not have accidentally broken one of the beds in the guest room.”

Ryker’s smile grew with each girl’s question, and when they were all done, he hugged Bryce’s shoulder as he patiently answered.

“Yes, I have more soap. Yes, Six will be with me all the time, and I’m sure she’ll love to join our next pirate adventure. And yes. I always have my tools. They’re in my truck, I can get them—”

“That won’t be necessary,” Harvey said, shaking his head. The older man was smiling at them all, his eyes misty. “Adele and I can handle the rest of the cleanup. You two—no, all of you—have some catching up to do. Bryce, we’ll call you later and set up some time to meet with all the lawyers. The judge is going to love that we got this whole thing buttoned up by ourselves.”

The girls hugged their grandparents goodbye, and Bryce stepped up to hug them, too.

“Thank you. I’ll make us all an epic lunch when we get together.”

Soon they’d gathered up all the backpacks and found everyone’s shoes and headed to the BMW. Ryker helped her strategically pack the girls’ things in the trunk, and Bryce just managed to wedge Addie’s crutches in there before getting it closed.

“Ugh. I love my Beamer, but I think it’s time to get a bigger vehicle. One we can fit in. Maybe even take a road trip with—I love road trips. Are you and Six game to come along someday?”

Ryker reached down to pat the dog’s head as she took her leash in her mouth, sitting patiently by his side, her gaze flicking alternately at the girls still waving at her through the BMW’s windows and at Ryker and Bryce. “This sweetheart just rode with me the entire eight-hour drive from Smithtown to Wellsville like a boss. She’s up for anything.”

“How about you?” she asked, winking at him as she tilted her face up to his. “After I get life sorted out this weekend and get the kids back into school on Monday, I think it’s going to be a hug emergency, a kiss emergency…and maybe another emergency. If you’re up for it?”

He took Bryce a few steps away from the BMW, then he brought her to him for another sizzling kiss. Bryce felt herself melt into him—this man who had figured out the way to her heart, despite the chaos. This wonderful guy loved the dented areas of her life, of her, and found her worth the effort. She deepened the kiss, her tongue finding his…

Addison and Cecily immediately broke out into a singsong voice.

“Aunt Beamer and Ryker sitting in a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

“Coitus interruptus.” She laughed, pulling away from him. “By the way, you didn’t answer my question.”

He grinned, then whispered in her ear. “Oh, I’m up for it. Leave your calendar open Monday morning. After the girls are in school, I plan on addressing every single one of the emergencies you mentioned. Many, many times.”

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