Normally Ryker would have just said no. Kenzie was changing him. He realized that as he sat back and told Gavin everything that was going on with the business, the mob, Bianca, and even Kenzie.
“She’s good for you,” Gavin said with a smile as he molded the cast to Mary Alice.
“I agree. She’s respectful and polite, but not intimidated by him, either,” Mary Alice added. “And he’s been smiling more. I even heard him laugh.”
“No!” Gavin gasped, looking up to Ryker. Ryker flipped him off, but he did it with a smile. That’s what happened when he talked about Kenzie.
Thwack
The yardstick slammed onto his desk and Ryker laughed as Gavin jumped back.
“Don’t give the bird to your cousin.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ryker said instantly.
“Ellery is excited to have more time with Kenzie today. All the women are on their way to Skye and Trent’s house,” Gavin told him as he finished off the fiberglass cast and they sat while it dried.
“Kenzie’s excited. I offered to buy her a dress, but she said that would take the fun out of it.” Gavin laughed at Ryker’s confusion. “What?”
“She doesn’t care about your money, cuz. She’s great. She just wants to get to know your family.”
Mary Alice nodded. “Told you she was a good one.”
Gavin’s smile turned into a frown then. “But this mafia business. I don’t like that.”
Ryker shrugged. “It’s not the first time I’ve had to deal with them and it won’t be the last.”
Gavin turned back to Mary Alice and felt the cast. “All dry. Now let me get this off of you.” Gavin wiggled the cast and pulled it off. The narrow, round rolled-up sock fell out as the cast came off. “I made it too big so you can just slip it on and off.”
“Perfect. And I can use it to smack Bianca in the head.” Mary Alice stood up and took the cast as she walked out. “I’ll make sure to have it on come Monday.”
Gavin waited until the door was shut before turning his interrogation back on Ryker. “You know, you’re not alone. If you need help with your business, we’re all here for you. After high school, you pushed us all aside to forge your own path. We’re happy for you. You’ve built an empire. While you battled your demons, we’ve been waiting to help you pick up the pieces. Just don’t forget you have a family who loves you and who will help you in any way we can.” Gavin took a breath and dropped his voice. “Granger told me you drove the truck.”
Ryker felt his stomach turn to knots. What happened to Ryker and then the car accident Granger suffered a few years later were some of the reasons Gavin had gone into medicine. He’d always said if Shadows Landing had had a doctor, things would have turned out differently back then.
“Kenzie picked it for me to drive.” Ryker tried to be nonchalant, but that’s not how he was feeling. Gavin had been there that night. He knew what had happened. He knew driving that truck was a big step toward finally facing that night.
“Have you told her?” Gavin didn’t need to elaborate. Ryker knew exactly what he was asking.
“No.”
“You need to. If you’re serious about a relationship with Kenzie, you need to tell her. It’ll help you move on.” Gavin stood and looked down at him. “We all were there, Ryker. You need to accept that what happened wasn’t your fault and you are entitled to be happy. I agree with Mary Alice. Kenzie is good for you. I’m seeing glimpses of my cousin for the first time in close to twenty years.”
Ryker saw the way Gavin took a deep breath to settle his emotions. “I knew I went to a dark place, but I’ve always been there for my family. I didn’t leave you.”
“Not physically, no. Emotionally you did, though. Yes, you’ve been there for us, but you haven’t let any of us be there for you. You closed us all out. Tinsley is the only one you opened up to a little, but even she doesn’t know who you are now. None of us do. Let us in, Ryker. Let Kenzie in. The only way to do that is to talk about it. Tell her what happened. When you do, I guarantee you’ll start to feel better.” Gavin gave him a sad smile. “We’ll always be here for you, Ryk. If it’s too hard to talk to us, talk to Kenzie, or I can even give you a therapist’s name. It’s time, though. It’s time to step from the darkness and join the living once again.”
Ryker shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. “I don’t deserve it, Gav.”
“That’s not true,” Gavin said forcefully. “You didn’t deserve what happened to you. They were wrong, Ryker. You were just as much a victim and you bore the brunt of other people’s grief and guilt when you didn’t deserve any of it. You’ve suffered long enough. You deserve happiness, Ryker. You deserve love.”
Gavin picked up his medical bag and left Ryker to think about what he said. Ryker stood up and looked out the back window at the water. It was time. It was time to face his past. He took a deep breath that shuddered through him. Would Kenzie still be with him once she knew what a monster he was?
13
Kenzie would have had a person admitted on a psych hold if they’d told her a week ago she’d be in Skye Jessamine’s massive walk-in closet with all of Ryker’s family picking out dresses for her high school reunion.
Skye’s closet was no joke. It was larger than Kenzie’s living room and kitchen put together. There was even more seating in her closet than Kenzie had in her living room. A circular couch flanked on each side by two long upholstered benches ran down the middle of the closet. It was way posher than the reality show bridal gown salons on television.
Kenzie was sitting in a state of semi-shock on the round couch. Tinsley sat on the right, Ellery on the left. Then Harper leaned against the wall of drawers that apparently held jewelry. Savannah was perusing the dresses and Darcy was looking just as awed as Kenzie.
“Have you worn all of these?” Darcy asked, gazing at racks and racks of dresses.
Skye shrugged. “Probably most of them. Trent about lost his mind turning this guest room into my closet. I refused to take up another room so I had to downsize.”
“You threw out some of these gorgeous clothes?” Savannah gasped.
“Goodness no. I just keep them at the house in L.A.,” Skye said with a grin. “But sometimes I keep the clothes from movies and then some designers send me things in hopes that I’ll wear them and be pictured with them. I also have the dresses for press junkets, awards, movie premieres, charity events . . . the list goes on and on.”
“I can’t believe you have them color-coded,” Kenzie said in wonder as her eyes roamed around the room. “And by level of formality.”
“It’s the only way I can find things,” Skye admitted. “So, what’s the theme and dress code?”
“Night Under the Stars and it’s formal,” Kenzie told them.
“Ugh,” Harper said with a roll of her eyes. “Aren’t Night Under the Stars and Enchantment Under the Sea mandatory for prom themes? I thought by the time you reached reunion level you could just drink.”