040:

Ryan came out of his visit with Richard as Bishop of Melia's home ward, and felt an inner punch in the face coming. His anger burned brightly for just one moment and then he tamped it down to mere coals. No one could ever see the things he felt inside, ever. He turned to walk down the hall, but was stopped by someone sitting in the waiting area outside the Bishop's office.

"Hey Robert." He said, feeling a queer fear that maybe Robert had seen the look on his face that he'd not bothered to control as well as he should have.

Robert DeMarco shook out his slacks, giving himself a second to collect his thoughts. He'd never seen such menace in another person's face before, such hatred, pure and unadulterated hatred. Had he misread his friend? Had he read something into that look? But no. It was the last look he'd actually been expecting to see on that handsome face. Ryan was a good actor, though, the look was immediately replaced by his disingenuous easy expression.

"I was just waiting for you, buddy." He clapped Ryan on the back, and felt the tension he'd been hoping wasn't there. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Melia is still talking to her dad." Ryan said, as they walked down the hall toward the door.

Robert shook his head. "Probably a good thing." He said, wondering why she hadn't had the talk with her intended--- if she was so in love...

"Her dad said she was taking a little alone time." Ryan said. "You want to ride with me or do you have a car?"

"I have my car." But Robert followed Ryan to his car. "So, you guys still on for this evening?"

Ryan looked up and over toward the hills that blocked his view of the road leading to Rosewood. As if he could cut right through them and find peace. "Yeah." He said, but sounded a bit unsure.

"Ryan, are you sure this is what you want?" Robert asked, a hand on the shiny lime green paint job of Ryan's sports car. "I mean, a wife, two kids... a lot of baggage.... She's not the girl you fell in love with before all this stuff happened."

"Why? Do I seem unsure to you?" Ryan gave him a frank stare and a slight grin. But Robert sensed the fake-ness beneath the surface and his skin prickled again.

"Yeah, to be honest, you both do a little." Robert remained in his normal character's forthright attitude.

"Well, I would suppose that to be natural. Getting hitched is always a little scary. Weren't you a little nervous when you married Karen?" Ryan had opened his car door and put one foot up on the running board.

"No." Robert said point blank. "No, I knew for sure it was right, there were no qualms, and there aren't and haven't been since then." This was said with conviction and a tone that told Ryan that he didn't feel that same confidence in his and Melia's decision.

Ryan shrugged and looked away, cocking his chin in indifference. "Well, we've been through a lot." He said simply.

Robert nodded. "Yes, you have. More than most people. I guess that accounts for it. Just don't want you to rush into something you're not ready for."

Ryan's smile was like an iceberg when he answered, and Robert felt a chill start at his toes and reach all the way to the tips of his fingers. "Oh." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm so ready for this. I'm prepared to show this girl the time of her life!"

*****