Ryan

"Hey, where can I get a glass of wine?" I asked the staff member behind the front desk. She smiled and showed me the way to the resort bar. Five minutes later and armed with a glass of wine, I got back to the hall where my target fortunately still lingered, still in her white dress.

The audacity of some people. Wearing a white gown to a wedding? Unbelievable.

I made my way straight to the woman and the small group of people around her.

"Excuse me," I said, approaching with a charming smile.

The group turned towards me. I frowned. "Oh, excuse me. I thought you were Eleanor," I told the woman. Someone in the group snorted.

The woman's smile tightened. "No problem." She narrowed her eyes. "You're... Ryan Owens, aren't you?"

"Oh, do we know each other?" I asked pleasantly, stepping closer.

"He's her sister's boyfriend," a girl next to her said. "Right? You're Barbara Owens' boyfriend."

I just smiled. How I wished I could say yes.

The ex's eyes widened. "What? Eleanor's sister is Barbara Owens?"

"Yeah. We just found out today too."

The ex turned to me with a brighter smile. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Harriet."

She held out a hand. I shook her hand, smiled, then emptied the wine on her white dress.

She screeched and scrambled back, holding her arms away from her dress. "What the hell?!"

A lovely bright red stain covered the front of the dress.

"Oh dear," I said evenly, flinging some wine off my fingers. "My hand slipped. I apologize."

She gaped at me. Everyone was staring. I offered my arm. "Would you like me to escort you to the restroom? A friend of mine owns a dress shop on Fifth avenue. I'll be happy to replace your dress."

She frowned, clearly suspicious, and rightfully so. Pushing her hair back, she raised her chin and said, "fine."

She looped her hand through my arm. I put the glass of wine on a nearby table and pulled out my phone, texting my friend.

I would get her a dress, because she could be crazy enough to attend the ceremony with a stained white dress, and I didn't want Eleanor to catch sight of it. That would ruin her day, which would ruin Barbara's. And I couldn't have that.

I escorted her to the restroom. The dress would arrive in an hour. Meanwhile, I managed to get her some generic pajamas from the resort SPA. She wasn't very happy, but the promised dress mollified her. I made sure the dress was in a neutral color that wouldn't attract attention.

The courier would deliver the dress right to her hands, so we parted ways on pseudo friendly terms and I made my way back to the reception area.

More guests had arrived. I spotted a familiar old man in the seating area away from the crowd and headed his way.

"Max."

"Ah, Ryan. A pleasure to see you here," Max Sydney said, shaking my hand, his other gripping his cane. He was dressed in a three piece brown suit, his trademark beret atop his head.

I sat down next to him. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"Eleanor is Barbara's sister," he said. "So this is a big day for Barbara as well. She was kind enough to invite me."

"You're very fond of her," I said.

"Who wouldn't be?" He glanced at me, his eyes assessing. "I must admit, when your mother asked me to set up a dinner date with a young lady of my choice, I knew she meant one of my granddaughters."

"No offense. I'm sure your granddaughters are outstanding women, but I'm glad you chose Barbara," I said.

Max; fortunately, didn't take offense. He chuckled. "I'm glad as well. It went better than I expected. I didn't think you would win her over so quickly."

I laughed at that. "I don't know if I won her over, and I don't know if it was quick at all."

"Oh, but you did. You wouldn't be here otherwise- ah, there she is."

Sure enough, Barbara and Jeremy were coming down the stairs. Pirate and Lady at their heels. My smile melted. As I watched, a young man stood in her way with a disarming smile. I had to admit, the guy looked like a fashion model. Tall and well built, his white shirt made his brown skin and bright green eyes stand out. A tattoo peeked out of his collar.

Barbara blinked, and they conversed for several minutes. I could see the appreciation in the man's eyes. And I couldn't really blame him. Barbara simply glowed today.

It was ridiculous and savage, but I wanted to go over there and punch him in the jaw. There, I said it.

Unfortunately, leaving Max alone would be rude.

"Ah, to be young and in love," Max said, tapping his cane to the ground. He gave me a knowing smile. "You better go there before your girlfriend is stolen."

"Unfortunately, she's not my girlfriend," I grumbled. People just loved to remind me today.

"Is that so? You're slower than I thought, Ryan Davies."

I sputtered, looking at the older man. "It's complicated," I said. Then sighed. "Okay, it truly isn't. I just messed up."

Max grunted. "That's how it usually is. Just a piece of advice, young man, don't let your mistakes hold you back. If you love a woman, go after her. Relentlessly. Win her over. One of my life's greatest regrets is letting a person go because I thought she would be better off without me."

"Was she?" I asked. "Better off without you, I mean."

"Unfortunately, she wasn't." Max let out a breath heavy with years of regret. "Go there. I'm old enough to appreciate my solitude."

So I did. I walked right over and put my arm around Barbara's shoulders. Her shoulders tensed, but relaxed when she saw it was me. Jeremy brightened up. "Dad! Did you see Lady's collar?"

I looked at Lady, who perked up at hearing her name. "That's a pretty collar. She and Pirate will fit right in."

Jeremy beamed. I looked back at the man and smiled. "And you are...?"

The man raised one eyebrow. Barbara blinked lazily. "This is James, he's John's co-worker."

"And you are...?" James asked.

My eye might have twitched. My smile widened. "Ryan Davies. Nice to meet you."

That's when Jeremy decided to hop in and declare, "he's my dad! And he's going to marry Barbara!"

I didn't know who was more surprised, me, Barbara or James. My son simply blinked at us,  smiling, obviously proud of his contribution to the adult conversation.

Barbara was surprised into silence. I took advantage of it and grinned at James. "It's a pleasure to meet you, John's friend."

James sighed. "Ah, man. I guess I'm a bit too late." He offered his hand. I shook it. "Congratulations."

James took the hint and left after a few words. I liked the guy.

Barbara slowly turned to me and blinked. She opened her mouth, closed it, then, "what?"

"Let's check out the buffet. I'm starving."

"Ryan!" she hissed, glancing at Jeremy. My son was too busy conversing with a little girl in a pink dress who was interested in the two dogs. "Did you tell Jeremy-"

"No. Well, I said that it might happen, if things work out between us," I said.

"Ryan, really, you shouldn't-" she looked to the side and narrowed her eyes. "That's the woman who was in a white dress. Why is she wearing pajamas? Where's her dress?"

"I spilled wine on it," I said. "Accidentally, of course. So I offered to replace it with a designer dress and she forgave me."

Barbara gaped at me. "You spilled wine?"

"Yes."

"On her white dress?"

"Yes. The stain was very red and very bright."

Barbara's eyes sparkled with mirth. She cleared her throat, fighting off a laugh. "Okay. I'll let you off the hook for the little stunt you pulled with James. Just this one time."

I grinned and squeezed her to me. She didn't step away.

Soon, we were sitting in the glass house where the ceremony would take place. Jeremy and I had front seats right next to Max Sydney. Pirate and Lady sat at our feet. Barbara's chair was empty next to me.

John, the groom, stood like a mountain in front of the officiator. The sun made a surprising appearance, its golden rays filtering in through the glass. The white flowers strung along the walls and arched behind the stage glimmered. Music started, and we stood up. The doors opened and in walked Barbara and Eleanor.

Eleanor must have looked amazing, I was sure. But my eyes were fixed on Barbara. She looked heavenly. I didn't know how every single man in the guests wasn't gaping at her.

Her face was expressionless as she walked Eleanor down the aisle, accompanied by soft music, but her eyes were bright under a sheen of moisture.

She delivered Eleanor to John's side. The poor man looked like he was holding back tears by sheer power of will. Barbara hugged him, whispering something that made him smile, and came to sit next to me.

She fisted her hands in her lap until her knuckles were white. The ceremony began, and Barbara discreetly wiped off her cheeks. I didn't look at her, I just put my hand on her knee and squeezed. After a few seconds, she put her hand on mine, and we stayed like that until the groom was kissing the bride.

The sun was setting when we were on our way to the banquet hall where the reception would be held. The orange glow reflected off the snow and the frozen lake. Guests made their way quickly inside to escape the cold.

My phone rang. I checked the ID. It was Miranda.

"You guys go ahead," I said.

Barbara nodded and held Jeremy's hand. "Don't stay out here for long. It's cold," she told me and went inside.

I smiled, my heart warming up despite the chill.

I moved out of people's way and accepted Miranda's call. "Hey."

"Hey, Ry!" she said. "Guess where I am?"

I frowned. She was supposed to come next week. "LA?"

She giggled. "No, silly. I'm here! In New York!"

"Already?"

"Yeah, I'm in the airport right now. The plane just landed. So I'm going to need you to pick me up."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Calm. Stay calm. "Jeremy told you we're attending a wedding today."

I'd been right next to him when he told her.

"Oh," Miranda said. "I forgot. Well, it's just a wedding. I'm sure he'll be more excited to see me."

Jeremy would be excited to see her... No. She was doing it again. Whether it was on purpose or not, it didn't matter.

"No," I told her. "We have plans. We're not going to change them because of a last minute decision from you."

There was stunned silence for a few seconds.

"But Ry," she said, almost in disbelief. "I'm in the airport. I'm right here. How am I supposed to get home? I have a ton of baggage and-"

"That's your issue," I said, stifling the guilt. "You can't expect me to drop everything I'm doing to come to you. You made the decision to come without talking to me. Deal with it. You're a grown woman."

"Ryan-"

"We'll talk later," I hung up before I could succumb to the guilt.

I strode to the reception hall. My phone rang. I put it on silent and shoved it in my pocket. She was an adult. She could figure things out. I wasn't going to deal with her crap anymore.

The banquet hall was something out of a fairy book. Tiny spot lights shimmered in the ceiling, dotting the wooden beams like stars, the chandeliers hung overhead decorated with green vines and white roses.

A gauzy white fabric covered the walls except for the glass wall overlooking the frozen lake. Lanterns were set all over the frozen water, which would make the view even better as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

The tables were set up in two rows, covered in white fabric with white and green centerpieces and candles. A dance floor was set up in the middle of the hall, soft music played.

The bride's table was at the far end of the hall, where Barbara and Jeremy were already seated on the bride's side. A masterpiece of a cake was set up nearby, and waiters were already serving the food.

"Where's Max?" I asked once I took my seat next to Jeremy.

"He excused himself for the rest of the night," Barbara replied. "He said he's not young enough for this. Oh, he also said to tell you, and I quote, 'don't be slow'."

I chuckled. Barbara gave me a look, but she wasn't as nosy as I was, so she didn't pry. Eleanor made her entrance in a different dress, and the reception continued smoothly after that.

It wasn't until the servers were cleaning the last course off the tables when one of the resort staff came to whisper something in Barbara's ear.

She frowned, nodded and stood up. Fortunately, Eleanor was too busy chatting with John and his sister in law to pay attention.

I held her hand as she walked past me. "What's wrong?"

She leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Someone is at the gate. They say he wants to see me and it's urgent."

I glanced at the glass wall. It was night outside. Who would come at this time? I stood up. "I'll come along."

"What's wrong?" Eleanor asked.

Barbara smiled. "Just a little issue with the music. I'll take care of it."

"Jeremy, can you stay here with Eleanor?" I said.

"Don't worry," Eleanor said, patting Barbara's empty seat next to her. "Jeremy will keep me company. You guys take all the time you need."

She winked. Barbara shook her head. I offered Barbara my arm. "Let's go, my lady. We have the bride's permission."

Eleanor and Jeremy both giggled. Barbara decided to take the dogs with us so they'd take a little walk. We bundled up in coats and ventured into the cold night. The gate was a five minute walk away from the building, the pathway lit up with lanterns and lamp posts. It wound through the snow and the tall evergreens, branching off to several trails.

Lady and Pirate appreciated the fresh air and ran ahead of us, back and forth.

"Who could it be?" Barbara mumbled.

"Maybe a guest whose invitation got lost in the mail?" I offered.

"Improbable. But I can't think of anything else." She looked at me. "I still haven't forgotten the stunt you pulled with James."

I grinned. "I thought taking care of the dress made up for it."

She sighed. "It did. That doesn't mean it's fine."

"Of course it is," I said. "Besides, it's not entirely a lie. We will be getting married one of these days."

"Ryan..."

"Yes?"

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

"What happened to being just friends?"

"A wise man gave me a piece of advice today, and I intend to take it to heart," I said. "I don't want to waste anymore time. I intend to do the impossible to win you over again, Barbara. If it means begging, I will do it."

"I don't want you to beg," she grumbled.

"Then what do you want?" I asked, the main gate came into sight. It was closed. But the smaller door right next to it was open.

"I don't know," Barbara said. We slowly came to a halt and turned to each other. "I really don't know Ryan. I... I'm afraid you're just going to change your mind or, I don't know, find a reason to not want to be with me."

I put my hands on her shoulders. "Barbara, look at me." She did. I took a deep breath. "I love you."

Barbara froze. She shook her head. "Ryan..."

"I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for a while now but I was too absorbed in my delusions to see it."

She closed her eyes tightly. "What if Miranda wants to-"

"I don't care what Miranda wants," I said. "Even if Miranda was a decent person, I can't see myself with anyone else but you. I want Jeremy to have everything he wants in life, but I realized that having both parents under one roof isn't something I can give him, and that's okay. He's still loved, and he'll see his mother regularly now that she's here. But that's all Miranda is. Jeremy's mother. She's nothing to me. You're the one I want to have a life with."

She blinked fast. "I-I need to think."

"Think. Meanwhile, how about we go on those dates?" I asked.

She gave me an adorable scowl. I beamed and hugged her. She fit right in. "Say yes. I promise you won't regret it."

She wrapped her arms around me and released a heavy sigh. After a few seconds, she said, "fine. I'll give us another chance, Ryan. Don't make me regret it."

My chest expanded with relief, and I felt lighter, as if a rock had been lifted off my chest.

"I won't. I promise, I won't." And this was a promise I was willing to die to keep.

"Barbara?" A gruff voice called.

Barbara and I pulled apart and turned to the voice. The man stood just inside the open door, right next to the security guard's booth.

The man was old, perhaps in his mid fifties. His hair was a mass of gray on his head, the color a shade lighter than his beard. His pale eyes were edged by crows feet. He looked like someone's grandfather, with his stooped back and smiling lines.

"It is Barbara," the man said, grinning. And it took him from grandfather to creepy neighbor right away.

Barbara turned into a block of ice next to me, until I thought she was no longer breathing.

I glanced at her. "Who's that?"

"Eleanor's father."

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Thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote and comment. I appreciate it.

See you on Saturday!

Much love <3 <3 <3

M.B.