My reputation precedes me because they wanted me to work for them just as much, if not more, than I wanted to work for them. That made me feel extremely confident about moving here.

  That afternoon, we decided to meet up with Scott because Ryder wanted to see him before we left. We hadn’t talked to him since he revealed to Ryder that he was his birth father. Ryder has been asking about him nonstop. He was such a curious boy, and I know he had questions for him.

  We met up at this amusement & sports park that had go-karts, mini putt putt, and an arcade. Nadine and I let them have their time together while Nadine and I played a few arcade games.

  “What did your grandmother say when you told her we’re moving back here?” Nadine asked, as we played ski-ball.

  “She said it was about time I came home,” I smiled at Nadine. “She said she bought a house here for us if we ever decided to come back.”

  She looks. “Are you serious?”

  I nod. “Yes, we can go look at it after we’re done here.”

  “Sure, that sounds good.”

  I took a breath. “So, this is happening, we’re moving.”

  She takes my hand. “I know that you’re a little apprehensive about this, but I promise that this will be great for our family.”

  I smiled at her. “I believe you, babe.”

  “Mama! I beat Scott in go-karts,” Ryder says, running up to Nadine, throwing his arms around her.

  She smiles at him and runs her hand over his hair. “That’s amazing.”

  “You want to play air hockey with me?” Ryder asks her.

  “Sure, let’s go.”

  Nadine left with Ryder, leaving me with Scott.

  “I think he forgot that he’s supposed to be spending time with you,” I said.

  He shrugs. “It’s okay, I could see how much he adores her.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Ryder was extremely close to Nadine. Let’s not forget how it affected him when she wasn’t around as often as she is now. She is hands down his favorite person, which I completely understood because she was mine, too.

  “He’s such a good kid; you both did an amazing job with him. I always regretted not being in his life, but seeing him now, I know I made the right decision.”

  I smiled at him.

  “I never asked how it went with your dad the other day. Does he know about Ryder?” I asked.

  He nods. “Yeah, he knows, he yelled at me for thirty minutes straight, then I had to hear that shit from Clay.”

  “What was he yelling at you about specifically?”

  “He said I cowered away from my responsibilities. He wants me to fight to get my rights back,” he confessed.

  My heart stopped at the thought. “He does?”

  “Don’t worry, Whitney, I wouldn’t do that even if I wanted to. This is how things are supposed to be. I’m just happy I get to know him. I’ll have a family of my own someday,” he says.

  “I’m sure he wasn’t too happy that you turned him down,” I said.

  “Oh yeah, he fired me,” he admits.

  “Wait, what? On what grounds?”

  “I told him that it was no fucking way I was going to let him dictate my life anymore. I said a lot of shit that has been building up over the last 34 years.”

  “I’m sorry about your job, but I am proud of you.”

  I was truly proud of him; he finally stood up to his father. It took a while, but I’m glad he did it.

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “There’s a private practice in New York that has been sending me offers for a while now. I think it’s time for a change of scenery,” he says.

  I smile at him. “How are you feeling right now?”

  “I’m excited, but at the same time I’m terrified.”

  “Trust me, I know how you feel. I’m happy for you, Scott.”

  “I’m happy for myself, and since you and Nadine are moving back, I’ll visit as often as I can.”

  “We would love that.”

  Nadine and Ryder returned, ending our conversation. It made me happy knowing that Scott was finally going to live a life all of his own.

  When we finished up with Scott, Nadine and I dropped Ryder off with her parents so that we could check out the house.

  “What do you think?”

  Nadine and I just finished walking through the house. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but she could be thinking something different.

  “I think it’s the perfect house for our family, I love it,” she says.

  I smiled at her. “So begins the new chapter of our lives.”

  * * *

  I didn’t know what to expect when we moved back here, but things have been going great. I had so much anxiety surrounding this move, but once we got here, I felt so at ease. I was in love with my job, and Nadine was in love with hers. Ryder loved his new school and was thrilled that he got to play lacrosse.

  This was a great choice, and it was amazing being close to our family and friends. This was the best move for our family.

  “Ryder! You left your shoes in the middle of the floor again,” I called.

  He was so messy, Nadine and I were constantly picking up after him.

  “Sorry, Mom,” he says, running down the stairs. “I thought I picked those up.”

  He grabbed his shoes and put them on the side by the couch. I looked at that boy like he had lost his mind.

  “Marshall Ryder, take those up to your room,” I said.

  He groaned. “I was going to get a snack, and then I was going to take my shoes to my room after.”

  I just glared at him.

  “Okay,” he whines as he goes over and picks up his shoes.

  I watched him as he ascended the stairs, and I shook my head slightly.

  “Being a parent is the most rewarding thing ever,” I said to myself, trying my best to believe the words I was saying.

  I smiled to myself. If I didn’t love that boy so much, I would honestly leave him in the wild to fend for himself. I mean, he was a wild animal, he lived like one, and his room was always a disaster. Besides him being a total slob, he was a good boy.

  Nadine was still at work, so I made dinner for all of us. When that was done, I went to watch TV in the living room. It didn’t take Ryder long to join me once he saw that I was watching a season of Master Chef, a show he and I were obsessed with.

  Immersed in the show, Ryder and I didn’t notice Nadine was home until she sat down on the couch, scaring us both.

  “Well, good thing I wasn’t a burglar,” she says.

  “It was just getting intense; they have to make a soufflé,” I said.

  “It’s the most temperamental thing to make,” Ryder added.

  Nadine smiles at him, and I just look at my wife.

  “I’m glad that you’re home,” I said, then kissed her lips.

  I was so fucking happy.

  * * *

  “Whitney, Mr. Helm wants to see you.” One of the students tells me to bring a mare back into the stable.

  I smiled at her. “Okay.”

  I put down the curry comb that I was brushing a mare with and made my way to the boss’s office, wondering what it was that he wanted.

  I found him out in the field, and I was a little confused when I saw that there were a lot of guys out there on horses. I noticed that they had long mallets in their hands and realized that they were playing polo.

  I was confused because I’ve never seen them play polo here before.

  “Mr. Helm, you wanted to see me,” I said as I approached him, his back to me.

  He turned his head, acknowledging me before turning back to the field.

  “Yes, Whitney, I wanted to see you. We’re having a charity event in a couple of weeks, and I’m going to need your help,” he says.

  “Sure, sir, I would love to help with charity.”

  “Excellent, you and I will be heading it up. This is our first time throwing an event of this magnitude, and you’re one of my best employees, so I know I can trust you to help me out with this,” he says.

  I never planned a charity event, and I didn’t know how much help I would be, but I was a fast learner, so I don’t think it would be that bad. Besides, I can ask my grandmother for help; she has more than enough experience in huge charity functions.

  “May I ask what the charity is for?”

  “It’s for medical research, we won’t have a shortage of doctors there.”

  When he said doctors, I immediately knew what that meant, and I knew who would be here. Now, I didn’t want to be anywhere near this charity.

  “Do you have any more questions for me?” he asked.

  “No, sounds good.”

  “Alright, I will keep you updated.”

  I smiled at him. “Thanks for the opportunity.”

  It was a good opportunity, and I wasn’t going to let the attendance affect this incredible chance.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Whitney

  “I love you in those suits.”

  Nadine was so damn beautiful, she had this newfound confidence ever since we moved here. I loved it. I love that she was so happy with her job and her environment.

  I watched her get dressed from our shared bed. I didn’t have to go to work until a little later, but she always wakes me up so that I can see her off. I always wanted to kiss my wife goodbye.

  “I love you in your equestrian attire,” she says.

  It’s safe to say we were into each other.

  “How is the planning for the charity event going?” she asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “It will be a nice event, but I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”

  “Well, I’ll be there; you won’t have to go through anything alone. Then again, your mother might not even show up,” she says.

  “She would never pass up an opportunity like this; she’ll throw as much money towards this as she can.”

  “Anyway, this is for a good cause, just look at it that way.”

  I nod. “You’re right. I asked Ryder if he wanted to go, but he shot me down immediately.”

  She smiles at me. “You know he doesn’t like horses.”

  I sighed. “I know that, it sucks that he doesn’t, though.”

  “Our next kid may like them, you never know.”

  I smiled at that. “I’m going to introduce our next kid to horses immediately.”

  “I guess we should talk about when we’re going to have our next child.”

  “Yeah, we should.”

  She walks over to me. “We will talk tonight.”

  “Okay, tonight.”

  She leans toward me and we share a kiss that leaves me wanting more. I hated when we were apart.

  “I have to go; hopefully that boy of ours is ready for school,” she says.

  I laughed. “I’m sure he is. I laid out his clothes last night; he doesn’t have any excuses.”

  “Alright, I’m going now.”

  She went to walk off, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to me, and I kissed her again.

  “I love you,” I said.

  “I love you, baby.”

  She placed one more kiss on my lips before she left.

  I knew that I had to get out of bed soon because I had to get to work, but I didn’t want to get up. This bed smelled like Nadine; it was my favorite place to be.

  I eventually dragged myself out of bed and got ready for work. I love my job, but it wasn’t so much about the riding right now. We have been completely focused on this charity event that I’m dreading.

  The charity event was being held this weekend, which was only a couple of days from now, so that means it will soon be over.

  Everything was on hold for the polo match; all of our best horses were being used for the game. I had to ensure that all of the horses were being taken care of properly, and they all seemed happy.

  I was watching the practice when the owner of the ranch walked up beside me.

  I looked over at him. “How is everything going?” I asked.

  “Whitney, what is your maiden name?” he asked me.

  That rang some bells in my head; there was only one reason he would want to know that. He already knew what my maiden name was; he just wanted me to confirm it for him.

  “Delaney,” I answered.

  “You’re mother is Vanessa Delaney?”

  I took a breath and answered. “Yes, that’s my mother.”

  “She’s one of the lead founders for this charity event,” he says.

  I almost laughed. Of course, she was. “Well, this seems right up her alley.”

  “She threw a lot of money at this event.”

  I just nod, I know how my mother works.

  “You’re a big reason she chose to hold the event at this ranch.”

  I wondered what my mother was playing at, as far as I was concerned, she hated anything to do with horses. She expressed that to me almost every chance she got.

  “Well, my mother has always been very generous.” I smiled at him.

  Just then, one of the polo players came riding up to us. I almost sighed a breath of relief.

  The two of them started talking, and I decided to go back into the stables to brush some of the horses that weren’t being used for the game. I found it much more relaxing in here anyway; this was always the best way for me to clear my mind.

  It brought me back to the days I was in the stables at my old school with Castle; that horse helped me through some tough times. Especially when I was pregnant with Ryder, she was my counselor. I missed Castle, and I wondered how she was.

  * * *

  Nadine

  I’m going over some case files in my office when there was a knock on my door. I looked up to see my mother walking in. A smile immediately appeared on my face. Seeing my mom walking into my office was all so surreal to me; this was something I had always dreamed of.

  I dreamed of working in my mother’s law firm for as long as I could remember. I was so happy that Whitney agreed to move here. I learned in therapy that I had a void, and working with my mom filled that void.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” I said.

  “I just wanted to come and sit with my only daughter to see how she is doing,” she says, taking a seat.

  “I’m doing good, Mom, I love it here.”

  “Well, you’re doing amazing work, sweetheart. You also seem so happy.”

  “I am happy, happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

  “I’m glad that you and Whitney were able to figure it all out. You had me worried for a minute.”

  “I had you worried, why?” I asked.

  “I always worry it’s a mother’s covenant. I worried more when you got married so young. I know how hard marriage can be, especially because you both had so much on your plates,” she voiced.

  “I know how you felt about it, Mom, but Whitney and I were able to work it out,” I said.

  “You did, and I’m so happy that you were able to work it out, but it’s been a long road to get here.”

  “It has been, I had to grow up.”

  She stared at me for a moment with a loving glint in her eyes, which made me feel warm inside. It was a feeling that only a loving mother could give, almost as strong as a full embrace from her. I could see that she was proud of me and all that I’ve managed to accomplish, especially with everything I had on my plate.

  “You have always been so mature and sure of yourself. I couldn’t be prouder of you, sweetheart, even though I wish your trek to getting here had been a lot smoother. The obstacles we go through make us stronger in the long run, and your experiences have made you stronger.”

  I didn’t respond right away; I was a bit choked up.

  “Anyway, sweetheart, I’ll let you get back to work,” she says, getting up from her seat.

  I smiled at her, and she started walking out of my office.

  “Whitney wants to talk about having a baby,” I blurted just before she left the room.

  She turns and looks at me. “Is that not something you want?”

  “I do, I would love to have another kid, but I’m scared. What happened to Ryder messed me up. This world is a messed-up place.”

  “It is, and what happened to Ryder was horrible, but you shouldn’t let what happened to him keep you from moving forward in your life. The world has always been a messed-up place since the beginning of time, but we survived, and we will continue to. Do what makes you happy, sweetheart, don’t let fear stop you.”

  I nod. “Thank you.”

  She gives me that warm, motherly smile again. “That’s what I’m here for, and I like the idea of another grand-baby to spoil.”

  She leaves the room, and I realize that I was still smiling. My mom was right, I shouldn’t let fear interfere with what Whitney and I want.

  THIRTY-SIX

  Whitney

  I had to get all dolled up for the charity polo match today. I couldn’t remember the last time I went to one of these things. I didn’t exactly miss it either; I always felt out of place at them.

  The difference between now and then, I now had Nadine, so it was nice to know that I won’t be alone.

  Ryder didn’t want to go with us, which was okay; I didn’t want him around my mother anyway. So, Ryder would be staying with Kenya and Deena.

  “Are you nervous?” Nadine asked while we were on the way to the event.

  “Just a little,” I said.

  “Don’t worry, babe, you have my full support and the support of my parents,” she says.

  I smiled.

  Not only is my wife going to be here, but my amazing in-laws will be there as well.

  When we got to the event, Nadine went to meet up with her parents, and I went to see my boss to make sure everything was going as planned. We had coordinators and everything, so there wasn’t much I needed to do but enjoy the night, but I still liked to make sure.

  “Whitney, you did an amazing job, so I want you to just take it easy tonight,” he says.

  I listened to him and I went to find my family.

  I found Nadine with her parents, and I gave them both tight hugs and thanked them for coming out, and they said they wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  I’m still blown away by how great Nadine’s parents are.

 

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