Page 29 of Nothing to This (Nothing to… #8)

“I’m telling you to kiss her, not because I think it will fix everything, I’m telling you to kiss her because that kiss will be your start.

It will be the beginning of your love story.

Sky’s allowed to believe the movie is the toughest trial the hero and heroine will face, she’s four.

You know better. You need to start your story.

Kiss her. Claim her. And deal with the trials together.

” Damn, he hated when his sister made sense. “You need to kiss her, Jame.”

He could feel himself being seduced by the hope his sister offered.

Last night he’d tossed and turned trying to come to terms with knowing he’d never have Rylee as his own.

All day he’d been on edge and short-tempered, because he didn’t like to give up, and that was what Rylee had asked him to do when she’d pulled the brake.

A flash of memory from last night chilled him; he didn’t want to hope and be shot down again.

“She doesn’t want it, Nana. She told me, we don’t want the same things.”

It took her a second to gather herself, reminding him of the way Rylee paused before speaking to the kids when they were pushing her buttons.

“You’re really hung up on this kid thing,” she said and sighed.

“I think she’d do it. I think she’d have your babies…

if you married her, which we both know you would, so don’t even pretend to hesitate. ”

“I don’t know, Nana, Rylee mentioned Gabby, and she’s right. I didn’t marry her, did I? I could have, but I broke it off.”

“I didn’t know Gabby,” Brenna said. “I read about your engagement online.” She rolled her eyes in a way meant to chastise him while at the same time communicating that she didn’t care enough to dwell on what had been.

“You said Rylee was different, that being with her was different… did it feel that way with Gabby?”

Exhaling, he tossed the pen to the desk and pushed back in his chair. “No… No woman’s felt like Ry.”

Brenna smiled. “You ever think that maybe that’s why you haven’t settled down?

That there was some part of you that wanted to feel the way Rylee made you feel?

And because no woman’s matched her, no other woman was enough.

No woman lives up to the mother of your children and now you’ve come full circle back to her because she’s The One. ”

Sky would love the story her aunt was weaving.

One thing he couldn’t deny was that he’d wanted to pursue a relationship with Rylee when they’d met.

He had a vivid memory, that often revisited him in his dreams, of lying in the dark next to Rylee’s sleeping form, running his fingertips up and down the center of her naked abdomen, admiring her beautiful body strewn in the hotel sheets they’d made love in.

Unable to take his eyes off her, mesmerized, he’d vowed to make her the center of his world.

Pride was to blame for him not following through. She’d basically laughed in his face the morning after when he’d asked about seeing her again. She’d been so young and wanted a casual interlude. To her, he was a one-night stand, a casual fuck; nothing more.

Until that moment, he hadn’t admitted to himself that he was embarrassed. He’d lay watching her sleep thinking they were starting something real, and she’d woken up and slapped him down.

In retrospect, he hadn’t tried to make her see that he wanted more, he’d just accepted her first no. But he’d been younger too, more conceited, less willing to put himself out there. Experience, age, and maybe parenthood, had made him humbler and more aware of what was important.

The more he reflected, the more he wondered if that night had been a catalyst for him deferring settling down. He’d been rejected, maybe more hurt than he’d realized, and so had buried himself in business.

It was easy to speculate when there was no way of knowing exactly how it would’ve played out.

Even if he’d gotten what he wanted, who was to say his relationship with Rylee would’ve gone past a few months of fun?

The obsession may have dwindled when trying to juggle the reality of a long-distance relationship and they wouldn’t have had the twins to hold them together.

Except at some point, Rylee would’ve found out she was pregnant. Would they have discussed abortion or adoption? Would they have hated each other so much by then that Rylee withheld the truth? He couldn’t imagine it of her, but who knew?

Brenna’s phone rang, shattering his thoughts, and she leaped up, pulling her phone from her pocket.

“Babe? Yeah, I called… where are you?” Nodding, she held up a hand to him, though he hadn’t said anything.

“No, Jamie says it’s okay… I need you to come to the party place with me, finalize things for tomorrow…

” She smiled at him. “He says you’ve to take the whole afternoon off.

” Shaking his head, he wasn’t really saying no, just judging his grinning sister.

“Yeah, we’ll deal with the party, and then go to the spa… He’s nodding his head right now.”

He wasn’t nodding his head.

Narrowing his eyes, he angled toward her, reaching for the phone. “Let me talk to her.”

Brenna edged a little closer. “He wants to talk to you, but I don’t think you should talk to him. I think he’ll say something inappropriate.” A beat or two passed. Brenna laughed and handed over the phone. “She wants you to say something inappropriate.”

He knew better than to believe his sister and took the phone without rising to her bait. “Ry?”

“I don’t need the entire afternoon.”

“Take it,” he said, sitting back. “This time five years ago you were less than a day away from giving birth, this is your day too.”

“It’s taking advantage,” she said. The smile in her voice prompted his, though he tried to subdue the instinctual reaction; Brenna scrutinized his every nuance. “Will you pick up the kids?”

“Yes,” he said, finding something comforting and appealing about making such ordinary plans.

“And I’ll pick up dinner.”

Glancing at his sister, he lowered his chin and his volume. “Just us tonight, okay?”

“Okay,” Rylee murmured.

Brenna wasn’t shy about coughing and traversing one long stride that brought her up against the front of his desk. “You inviting me to dinner, brother? So sorry, I promised my girl candlelight, you know?”

Proving she must’ve overheard, Rylee laughed down the line. “We’ll probably have to invite the kids, you know.”

It took him a second to click in with Rylee’s teasing.

When he did, he relaxed, feeling so much better just to be back in the groove with her.

Maybe Brenna was wrong about them getting weird and the necessity of space between them for the sake of sanity.

He heard her take the slightest of breaths and his thoughts flew straight to the bedroom.

Damn. Brenna was right. Just Rylee’s breathing was enough to turn him on.

“Those little freeloaders are always hanging around,” he said. “We should put ‘em to work, start charging them rent.”

“Kye pays in secret cuddles,” she said. “And Sky’s probably the best security we could get. She’s always at the forefront of any mystery… But we can start setting them chores, they’re five now.”

“You mean like cleaning the bathroom with a toothbrush kind of thing?”

She laughed again. “How about we talk about it at dinner…? Maybe we could get them a pet.”

“What kind of pet? Isn’t my sister enough?” he asked and shook his head. “We’ll talk about it later, Brenna’s waving at me for her phone. I’ll grab the kids and meet you at home for dinner. Have fun today.”

“Thank you.”

“And Ry,” he said. “Great job on squeezing them out.”

“Five years later and I’m only just starting to recognize my body again,” she said. “Speak to you later.”

She hung up and he handed the phone to a grinning Brenna. “Jamie and Rylee sitting in a tree—”

“You’ll think this is funny ‘til I stop paying your rent. I pay more for you than I do in child support,” he said, opening the top drawer of his desk to grab his wallet.

He slid a credit card from inside and held it toward her.

Though she “ooh’d” in excitement and grabbed for it, he didn’t immediately let go.

“Give this to Rylee.” Brenna nodded. “I mean it, Brenna. Give it to her, she swipes the card, you just stand and watch. I don’t mind her paying for your shit, but I’m not paying for your lady’s candlelight, you know. ”

He let go and she snatched the card to her body, growling at him as she did. “You’re just jealous I’m getting pussy tonight and you’re not.”

“Get it out your system,” he said. “You better show up early tomorrow and remember it’s a five year old’s birthday party.”

“You mean no hot pants and boob tubes?” she asked, walking backwards toward the door.

“I don’t give a damn if you come naked, just watch your language.”

Opening the door, she snorted. “Mom will be there, only someone with a death wish would swear around her precious babies, and I don’t mean us.”

Pride warmed him. “My children rule the world.”

“Your children? Rylee’s kids. We don’t give a damn about you.”

His laughing sister left, though he wasn’t sure she was wrong. That was the way it should be. Adults didn’t matter, the kids mattered, just like Rylee tried to tell him last night. But his sister had come into his office and thrown what he thought he knew into the wringer.

The trouble was, now he had to decide, was he going to do something about it… or not?