Ryder (14 page)

“I know, that’s why I needed to see you. I forgot you were with Letty.” He turns to me “I’m sorry if I scared your daughter. I will leave you guys to it”. He stands to leave but he stops and smiles I follow his line of sight and see Demi poking her head around the corner.

“Angel, come here, come and meet my best friend Beck.” Demi comes bounding over and jumps into Ryder’s arms.

“Hello, Miss Demi. I am so sorry pretty girl, if I scared you this morning,” he says, as he runs his hand over her head, smoothing her hair down. My heart tightens for him. He must truly love this girl but his head is what’s stopping him.

Been there done that.

“Hi, Beck, you’re pretty.” She smiles at him and both men laugh.

“I would go with handsome, Pretty girl. You are the pretty one. Well it was nice to meet you both. I will get out of your hair and let you get on with your day.” He heads for the door but stops with his hand on the handle and turns his head to face us.

“You look happy, Ry. You have found it?” He nods in my direction and Ryder smiles and nods back. I have no clue what they are silently communicating. With that, Beck leaves.

“Ok, are we all finished with breakfast because I need to get my girls to dance class,” Ryder says, walking Demi back into the kitchen. I have no idea what the hell just happened but it’s clear that Ryder doesn’t want to talk about it…Yet!

Once we clean up the kitchen and we all get showered and dress for dance class, Ryder drives us the few blocks to the studio. We both walk Demi to her class and she introduces Ryder to her dance teacher.

“Hi Miss Roxi, this is Ryder Mama’s new boyfriend and maybe my daddy one day.” I blush and look away but Ryder kisses Demi’s cheek.

“Well, that’s a new way to introduce someone Miss Demi. Why don’t you go and warm up with the girls and I will be there shortly, ok?” Demi waves bye and runs over to the girls in the corner.

“I’m sorry Roxi, she is excited to have Ryder here. But yes, Ryder is my boyfriend. Is it ok if he watches Demi dance this morning?”

“Of course it is, it will be nice to have some eye candy in the studio.” She winks at Ryder and walks over to the girls.

“You gonna be ok in here with all these pretty moms ogling you?” I nod to the line of moms sitting against the back wall. Parents have to stay during classes except for a few of us moms who dance in the other room. There is a full wall of glass so we can see our kids dance though, so it isn’t that bad.

“Baby, I’m sure I will be fine. I am here to watch my baby girl dance and no moms are gonna distract me from that. I only have eyes for one hot sexy mama.” He kisses me and makes his way over to sit in an empty chair among the mothers. They all watch him and poof up their hair and push out there boobs, like really. I’m standing right here. Ryder winks at me and I catch a glare or two but I just wink back and laugh at the moms.

I open the door to my dance class and they are already warming up, dancing to ‘Happy’ by Pharell Williams. I remove my hoodie and join in. I can see Demi strutting her stuff through the window and I can see Ryder watching her with pride written all over his face. Could he already love my daughter as his own?

“Hey bitch,” comes from behind me and I know who it is before I turn around.

“What’s up, ho?” I reply back to Stacy, who is a friend and our dance crew instructor.

“Oh girl, I seen that fine piece of candy you brought in with you. What is his name and does he have any brothers?”

I burst out laughing, bending at the waist to catch my breath “That is Ryder Phoenix, the new man in my life. Yes. he has two brothers and guess what?”

“What?”

“They are triplets. Rafe and Reeve are his others brothers. Hot, right?” I wink at her. She starts fanning her face with her hand.

“Damn girl, I need to meet these other brothers.”

“Well Rafe is in a relationship and Reeve just likes to be a man-whore; Ryder said there is no-one getting him to settle down”

“Girl, I just want a taste. Hell a whole meal.” I can’t help but laugh at her and everyone joins in

“Isn’t he the drummer for Inside Noise?” Becca asks.

“Yeah he is. Have you seen them play?” She nods and Stacy calls us all in to start our new routine.

We dance to Pussy Cat Dolls. ‘Don’t Ya.” So we finish the song I turn to watch Demi only to find Ryder leaning his shoulder against the glass watching me. I know that he can see Demi as well and again my heart swells. He licks his lips and I bite my bottom lip, which causes him to straighten. We dance a few more routines and Stacy ends the class, but not before demanding I introduce her to Ryder.

Ryder walks into the room carrying a very tired Demi in his arms; she is resting her head in the crook of his neck I swear that is her favorite place to be.

“We have a very tired Angel, baby. I think we can grab something to eat and head home rather than eating out.” I nod at him and turn to the girls.

“Ladies, this is Ryder my boyfriend, Ryder this is Stacy and Becca. I believe Becca is a fan and has seen you boys preform before.” Becca nods vigorously and I smile.

“Now Ryder, I do believe that you have two very hot brothers but one is currently taken, so that leaves Reeve, am I correct?” Ryder looks baffled but nods yes. “Ok, then I need to meet this piece of candy and get me a taste.” Oh God, I slap my hand over my forehead and everyone laughs, Ryder just encourages her.

“Well I can see what I can do, Stacy, but you do know that if you have Reeve you also have to have Skeet?” I am so freaking happy that my darling daughter has fallen sleep in my man’s arms and has no clue what we are talking about. My man sounds good.

“Skeet? Who is this Skeet?” Ryder takes his phone out of his pocket and shows a photo of Reeve and Skeet to Stacy and by Christ she blushes. “Damn, I need me a taste of that. Sort it out, sexy” With that she picks her bag up and leaves without another word, that’s just Stacy for you.

“Well, ok then.” Ryder says “Let’s get the baby home and into bed; she worked her little butt off in there. It was amazing to watch these little humans dance the way they do, they could put most adults to shame.” I laugh at his statement. We do the drive though at a burger joint and make our way home. I carry our food up to my apartment while Ryder carries a still sleeping Demi. He puts her in her bed while I get our food sorted out on the coffee table and I load up Netflix.

It’s early afternoon so we get to chill until Ryder has to leave to go practice for Lucy’s little sister’s party. I feel a little disappointed that Ryder hasn’t invited Demi and me but we are only a new couple so I shouldn’t feel bad, right?

I load up Step-Up Four Miami Heat, can’t fault a bit of Ryan Guzman. Yummo, as Demi and Quinn would say. Ryder joins me on the couch and tucks into his burger.

“You really love your dancing, huh?” I swallow my food and reply.

“Yeah, I danced through high school but when I got pregnant with Demi I stopped for a bit. Quinn and her parents told me that there was nothing stopping me from starting it back up after she was born so I did and when Demi was old enough, she started too.” He nods while eating his food.

“You never talk about your family, babe. Why not?” I place my burger on the table and take a long drink. Do I really wanna bring my sister into all this? She has barely been in our lives since Demi was born, so what’s to say?

“I only have one sister, who I don’t see or talk too much. She wasn’t happy when I got pregnant with Demi, so I left and moved in with Quinn and her parents. They have been more of a family to me than my sister so there is nothing to talk about, Ry.” I know I sound like a bitch but she hurt me with the things she said to me when I told her I was pregnant.

“Then I think it’s time you met my family. Come to Tru’s party with me next weekend, you and Demi both. I want you both to meet my mom and uncles” He kisses me and his tongue dances with mine and well who can say no to him now?

Chapter 16

Rafe

(Yep you read right, it’s Rafe’s chapter)

I am sitting in this sterile looking room, watching my Snowflake fall apart on the table. We have just had an ultrasound done that had confirmed that Lucy is in fact pregnant with my baby. Letty was spot on but then again I suppose she knows the signs. Lucy is eight weeks pregnant. Which means she is due is early September. The nurse is trying to calm her down but she is sobbing her heart out, talking about losing this baby like she did with Shane.

I can’t take much more of this I step over to the bed and climb on with her. The nurse gives me a polite smile and leaves us alone in the room. I pull her tight to me and she wraps herself around me.

“Baby, we will be ok, you and our baby will be fine. He is a Phoenix so he will grow up to be big and strong just his dad and his uncles but stubborn as hell like his beautiful mom and aunties. He will have a huge family supporting him ok? Just think of all the Coopers and Phoenix’s coming together to see him. He will be beautiful like you and sexy like me.” I can feel her chuckles against my chest. I tilt her chin to look at me with her fingers and I kiss her swollen lips from all the crying she has done.

“Snowflake, we will be fine. You will be fine. Our baby WILL BE FINE. You get me?” I say each word making them sink with her. She nods her head. I help her off the bed and back into her shorts. A nurse comes back into the room and hands Lucy a pamphlet on pregnancy care and a new appointment.

She also tells her that we need to pick up prenatal vitamins for Lucy. I pull her into my side and we exit the room, Lucy doesn’t lift her head as we make our way back through the waiting room filled with expecting moms and dads. I know this is going to be hard on her but she will have an immense amount of family and friend support. She is not alone in this.

Fuck, I’m gonna be a dad.

I help Lucy climb into my car and start the car, I lace my fingers with hers and pull out of the parking lot. The silence is killing me; all I want to do is pull my Snowflake into my lap and hold her tight against me, showing her how much I love her and that she isn’t alone in this. Lucy turns the radio on and as fate has it Christina Perri's ‘A Thousand Years’ starts playing. I stop at a red light and look over to my girl sitting next to me, lost in her own thoughts. This song is addictive but explains a lot with us I have waited for so long to have her but I have loved her for so long. The song rings true when she sings that my heart was brought to her. I start to sing along with the radio which, causes my girl to look up at me, a small smile creeping across her beautiful face.

The lights turn green and I drive off, still singing to my Snowflake. She joins in and we sing together for the rest of the song and the next song, which turns out to be ‘Burn’ by Ellie Goulding. Lucy reminds me of her. We were sitting in her bedroom one night listening to her iPod and this song came on and she told me that she is a huge UK artist, Leah loves her and Lucy became addicted to her, but when she showed me a picture of Ellie it’s uncanny how much they look alike.

We pull up outside Letty’s apartment and I can see Lucy starting to shake again. I run around the car to meet her at the car door. “Baby, you ok? Do you need anything?” She shakes her head no and I wrap her up in my arms and kiss her head. “Let’s go see Ry and Letty, yeah?” She nods and we make our way up to the apartment.  Letty opens the door once we knock and she pulls Lucy into a bear hug before pulling her over to the couch were, Ryder, is sitting with Miss Demi on his lap reading a book to her. They lift their heads when they hear us come in and Demi runs over to me.

“Uncle Rafe, why is Miss Lucy crying, is she sad?” God I love this little girl, it’s amazing how you love someone after such a short time.

“Nah, Shorty, Miss Lucy just has an upset tummy. Can you go over and give her one of your bestest hugs ever for me please?” She gives me her brightest smile and climbs down before running over to Lucy, who is now wrapped up in my brother. I walk over to the couch and listen to Demi tell Lucy about the book Ryder was just reading her. Lucy looks up and smiles at me as I sit next to my brother. Letty comes in and places two bottles of beer on the table for Ryder and me and two bottles of water for her and Lucy and a juice box for Demi.

I pat my thigh, “Baby, come here.” Lucy sets Demi down on the floor and climbs into my lap and rests her head on my shoulder. Demi climbs back into Ryder’s lap.

“Luce, I know you are scared right now honey, believe me I know how you feel without the added issues of losing Shane. But I was scared out of my mind when I got pregnant with, Missy here.” Letty points to Demi, who is tracing Ryder’s Phoenix tattoo on his forearm.