“Elsa,” he said into the intercom. “Bring a notepad.”
Elsa strode into his office a moment later with her notepad and took a seat in the chair Sebastian had just vacated. “Here’s a list of companies I own a fifty-one percent share in and have been running.” Ryker handed her the list he’d just compiled. “I want you to write a note to them, announcing I am stepping down as an active owner and want a list of names for CEOs to take over the running of the companies. Let them know I want regular reports and will always be around to assist, but I’m taking time off to focus on other endeavors.”
Elsa nodded and finished scribbling on her pad before asking a few questions and leaving to type up the letter for his approval. Ryker let out a deep breath and sat back in his chair. That hadn’t been as hard as he thought it would be. In fact, it felt great knowing he’d have more time for Kenzie, his family, his friends, and his town. It was time to be more present in their lives and Ryker knew just where to start.
Epilogue
The night had been perfect. His bride glowed in her custom Syd Inc. dress and fit right in with his Keeneston family as well as she did with his Shadows Landing family. The night was elegant yet somehow casual despite the gowns and tuxedos. Everyone was smiling and laughing but, most importantly, his wife was so happy it filled his heart to overflowing.
But now Ryker was in the toughest negotiation of his life as he sat across from Great-Aunt Marcy from Keeneston. He had to play hardball with a senior citizen whom he loved, but he wasn’t going to cave in to her ridiculous demands.
Ryker crossed his arms over his tuxedo-covered chest and leaned back in his chair. “You cannot demand children, Auntie.”
Marcy similarly leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “You want me to die happy, don’t you?”
“Auntie.” Ryker started to say that she wasn’t going to die anytime soon, but Great-Uncle Jake just shook his head as if to tell him the negotiations were already at an end and Ryker had lost.
“You’d do this to an old woman? Deny her the chance to see you in the role you were always meant to be in—that of a father?”
“Auntie, you have a great-grandnephew and another on the way, plus how many grandkids and great-grandkids?” Ryker pointed out as he looked at the dance floor that took up almost his entire backyard. Kids of all ages were on the floor dancing with each other, their parents, or people from Shadows Landing. Friends and family were dancing, laughing, and talking all around him. It was perfect.
Marcy shook her head and pointed a finger at him. “I can’t die happy until I see all those I love as happy as my Jake and my family have made me. You’re not a spring chicken anymore, Ryker.”
“I’m in my thirties,” Ryker said, giving his aunt a cold stare. “I’m pretty sure I can procreate for many years to come.”
“Fine, you want to play hardball?” Marcy asked, narrowing her eyes. “Two pies a month if you give me a baby in the next year.”
Heads turned around them as people gasped. Damn. She had him and she showed it with the cocky smile on her face, but he couldn’t let her know that as they continued their stare-down.
“Two pies a month, one apple, one chocolate pecan, but a baby within four years,” the stern voice said from behind him a moment before he felt his wife’s hand on his shoulder. “I have my degree to finish and then I need to be secure in my job as a nurse practitioner before I can fully focus on being the type of mother you’d be proud of, Aunt Marcy.”
“Two years,” Marcy instantly countered to Kenzie.
“Three and that’s my final offer,” Kenzie said, staring his aunt down.
Marcy was silent for a moment and then gave a nod. “Three years.”
A round of applause went up around them as Kenzie sealed the deal with a kiss on Marcy’s wrinkled cheek.
“Now that that’s settled, I want to dance with my husband.”
As if Ryker could deny his wife anything.
Ryker took her hand in his and led her out to the dance floor. “I thought we’d agreed to start trying for kids in two years,” he whispered to her.
“This way she’ll be thrilled when we get pregnant in two,” his wife said with a smile.
“Maybe you missed your calling. Want to come work for me?”
“What can I say? I learned negotiating from the best,” Kenzie said, kissing his cheek.
“Thank you,” Ryker said, smiling down at his wife.
Her face dropped and her eyes went wide. “Oh, you think I mean you? No, I meant Olivia.” Kenzie pointed and Ryker turned to look at Olivia flanked by two tall, immovable brothers.
Kenzie giggled and Ryker laughed. He couldn’t deny it. Olivia had been on a tear since her brother had moved to Shadows Landing and others were visiting. She’d destroyed her competition, embarrassed them in court, and had left several opposing attorneys in tears.
“Bless her heart, I hope someday she can find the love we have,” Kenzie said, looking back to him. “I love you, Ryker. With all my heart.”
“I love you too, angel.”
Ryker kissed his bride to the delight of all the friends and family.
Olivia tossed back her drink as her brothers smothered her. Damon moved in full time earlier that week after he’d gutted and renovated his new house, even though he knew Ryker wasn’t her boyfriend.
“I closed on a house yesterday,” her other brother, Stone, said absently.
“No,” Olivia blurted out, turning to Stone. Her parents had named him that since his eyes were gray as stone, even at birth. “It’s bad enough that Damon moved here, but you know Ryker’s not taking advantage of me in a boss/subordinate scenario. You were just here to visit!”
Stone gave one massive shoulder a shrug. “I like it here. Plus, we get lots of family time. We haven’t had that in a long while.”
Damon’s dark-brown eyes twinkled as if it amused him to ruin her life. “Kane’s thinking of joining us, too. He’s put in for a transfer but it may take some time for it to come in.”
Family time. Ha! It was called camping out at her house and making sure she had no life. Damon had asked Gator what his intentions were when he’d knocked on her door three days after Damon had arrived. Gator had looked confused and stuttered under Damon’s glare that he intended to remove Mean Abe from Olivia’s backyard.
Now half the town tiptoed on eggshells around her and her brothers. Her male friends who were single hardly ever talked to her anymore. Skeeter ran and hid when he saw Damon approaching. Kord put his hand on his gun as if he’d need it. It was getting ridiculous.
“No more. That’s it,” Olivia hissed. “I am not a child. I can take care of myself.”
“That’s not what happened in New York. Do you know what it was like to get a call that my baby sister had been beaten up?” Damon asked coldly. He didn’t do emotions either. None of them did. If they had emotions, they’d see they were ruining her life.
“Your reaction to what happened to me is not an excuse to destroy my friendships and my life, Damon. You too, Stone. You tried to punch Wade the other day when he was dropping off the casserole dish I’d let Darcy borrow.”