Forever After All by Kaylee Ryan

Chapter 24

McKenna

It’s hard to believe Colby and Laramie have been married for two weeks today. They spent a week at the beach, celebrating their nuptials, and now the happy couple wants everyone at their place to celebrate. Never mind we were all at the wedding. It’s an excuse for them to have us over, now that Laramie is actually living there.

She told me she didn’t want to move in until they were married. She wanted to leave something sacred for marriage. I didn’t point out that she spent most nights there anyway. Now, however, that’s where she gets her mail, so it’s official.

“You ready?” Rip asks from the doorway of his bathroom.

“Yes,” I say, placing the wand back in my mascara.

“You don’t need that stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“Makeup. You’re already beautiful.”

“Are you setting yourself up to get lucky tonight, cowboy?” I ask, fluttering my mascara-coated lashes at him.

“Oh, I’m getting lucky, and by association, so are you.” He winks, and my body flares to life.

I don’t know if I’ll ever not have this reaction to him. We’ve been dating for a month. Although it feels as though a lifetime has passed, every look, every touch, every sexual encounter feels like our first. To say that I’m madly in love with him would be an understatement. Not that I’ve told him. The thought of saying those words and him not feeling the same makes me sick to my stomach. Yeah, I’m not going there. Not yet.

“No time for that,” I say, walking past him. I should have known he wouldn’t let me off that easy. He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me close.

“We can make time. You come first, remember? You need me to take care of the ache, Kenna?”

“You are so bad,” I say breathlessly.

He chuckles. “Only for you, baby.” He runs his hands over my breasts. Even covered in my tank top, I know he can feel my body's reaction to him. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“We have to go.”

His lips find their way to my neck. “You sure about that?” He nips at my ear.

As if she knows that her brother is trying to seduce me, my cell rings, and a quick glance at the screen tells me I’m right. It’s Laramie calling.

“Don’t answer,” Rip says as he continues trailing kisses down my neck. Like the hussy I am for him, I tilt my head to the side, giving him full access. “There’s my girl,” he whispers huskily. My phone stops ringing, only to start again.

“She’s going to keep calling,” I say as I pull away from him. Retrieving my phone from my back pocket, I answer. “Hey.”

“Are you having sex?” she huffs out, and I sputter with laughter.

“No. We’re not doing that,” I tell her honestly. Not that we both don’t want it to lead there.

“We could be,” Rip calls out so that Laramie can hear him.

“You two better get your asses over here. You’re late.”

Pulling the phone from my ear, I see she’s right. It’s five minutes after six. “We’re on our way. You need us to stop and pick anything up?”

“No. We have everything. Just waiting on you slowpokes.” I can tell by the tone of her voice she’s trying not to laugh. “I mean, we are the newlyweds,” she teases.

“Hey, we were married years ago. We just haven’t lost the spark,” Rip says, again his voice is loud enough she can hear.

“Am I on speaker?”

“No, he’s just… close.”

“Damn right, I’m close,” Rip says, patting my ass, making me yelp.

“Rip, hands off and get your ass over here,” Laramie says so loud, I have to pull the phone from my ear.

“On our way, little sister,” he replies. He then takes the phone from my hand and ends the call. “Killjoy,” he mutters.

“Come on. I need to grab the brownies and cookies I made and the gift.”

“Tell me again why we had to get them another gift?” We got them a wedding gift.

I smile, thinking about that conversation. He was insistent that we put both of our names on the gifts we bought separately. “We’re together now, Kenna. This is what we do,” he’d told me.

“What’s got you all smiley?” he inquires.

“You, Rip Callahan. This smile is all for you.”

“Good.” He leans down and kisses me. “I want all your smiles.”

“Come on, cowboy. We’re already in trouble.”

“We’re taking my truck.”

“What’s wrong with my car?” I ask, even though I already know. Rip is tall at six four, and my little Honda isn’t made for a man his size.

“Too damn small,” he grumbles.

“Fine, you big baby.” I roll my eyes playfully as he extends his arms out for me, but I’m able to jump back before he reaches me and race out of his room and down the steps.

* * *

“That took forever,” Laramie says when she answers the door.

“I love the sign,” I say, pointing to the gift I got them for their wedding. It’s a welcome sign with their last name and wedding date.

“Me too. Thank you so much,” she says, pulling me into the house.

“Nice to see you too, sis.” Rip chuckles behind us.

“Hey, Rip.” She waves a hand in the air, pulling me into the living room. “I’ve missed you,” she says, plopping down on the couch, pulling me down with her.

“Hey, Sara,” I say, looking over at our other friend, who’s sitting on the other side of the couch.

“Hi.” Sara waves and laughs.

“What’s the urgency?”

“I missed you. I don’t want to be one of those married women who loses all contact with her friends.”

“Lara, that would never happen.”

“Well, it’s been two very long weeks, so yeah.” She shrugs.

“Where are Colby and Corbin?” Rip asks.

“Basement,” she tells him.

“Babe, I set everything on the kitchen counter. You need anything?”

“Thank you, and no, I’m good. Go see the guys.” Rip bends his head to kiss me quickly before heading to the basement.

“How are things between the two of you?” Sara asks.

“Too good to be true.”

“Impossible.”

“Things are great. It kind of feels like I’m living a dream.”

“We know you’ve had that dream,” Laramie says, barely keeping a straight face.

“Hey, I’m not denying it. I’ve always had a thing for Rip. I just never in a million years thought we would be here. Enough about me, how was the honeymoon?”

“Yes. That.” Sara points at me. “How’s married life?” she adds.

“It’s not much different, except he calls me wife, and he’s my husband.” Her face lights up. “That’s going to be hard to get used to, but I’m up to the challenge.” She laughs. “The honeymoon was perfect. We had great weather. We hung out on the beach, went on a dolphin tour, and spent a lot of time at the beach house we rented.”

“I bet you did.” I wag my eyebrows, and we all fall into a fit of laughter. “What about you?” I ask Sara once our laughter is under control. “How are things with Corbin?”

“I’m in love with him.” Her eyes go wide, and she covers her face with her hands. “Shit. I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Hey.” Laramie grabs her hand. “If you can’t be honest with us, as your friends, we’re not doing our job. There’s nothing wrong with how you feel.”

“I know, but it’s so soon. We’ve only been seriously seeing each other a few weeks, but we’ve been, you know, hanging out or whatever for about three months in total, and I’m… smitten that sounds better.”

“That’s nothing. I’ve been with Rip officially for what? Five weeks now, and I’m head over heels in love with him.” I freeze when I realize what I just said. Sara and Laramie are looking at me with wide eyes. “What? I’ve known him forever, and he’s hard not to love. I never stood a chance.”

“Kenna,” Rip’s deep, gruff voice calls from behind me.

“Oh, no.” It’s now my eyes that are wide as I stare at my two friends. “Please tell me he didn’t hear me,” I whisper. They both nod. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” I mutter to myself.

Sara stands and walks to the other side of the room. The side that my back is to. The same side I refuse to look at because I know that Rip is standing there and heard what I confessed to my friends.

“Come on, babe.” I hear Colby.

“I want to see how this plays out.” Laramie smiles.

“Lara.” Rip’s tone is a warning, and we all know it.

“Fine.” She puts her hand in Colby’s and allows him to pull her up from the couch. She stops and places her hand on my shoulder. Leaning down, she whispers in my ear, “He loves you too. We all know it.”

I don’t say a word. I can’t. I wasn’t ready to tell him. It was supposed to be a confession among friends. It’s too soon. He’s going to feel like I’m trapping him into this. The pressure to say it back is going to be real. I’m his sister’s best friend, after all. Closing my eyes, I focus on my breathing and pretend he’s not standing behind me. I want to open my eyes and have this be a dream.

I feel the couch dip with his weight, and his arms are around me, pulling me into his chest. “Kenna,” he says, his voice cracking. “Open your eyes for me, baby.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

“Can we just pretend that didn’t happen?”

“No.” The firmness to his voice is back.

“Please?” My voice is pleading. I’m not ready for this to be over. It’s too soon.

“Kenna, baby, open your eyes for me.” Knowing I’m not going to get out of this, I slowly open my eyes. He’s watching me, an expression I can’t name on his face. “There you are,” he murmurs, resting his palm against my cheek. “I need you to do one more thing for me, okay?”

I nod, my stomach a knot of nerves. I don’t know what he’s going to ask of me, maybe to keep my feelings to myself for a while?

“I need you to say it again, McKenna.”

He used my full name. He means business. “I don’t understand?”

“Come on, lawyer girl.” He smiles, his eyes soft. “You’re the smartest woman I know. I know you know what I mean, but I’ll say it again. I need to hear you say it again. Tell me,” he says gently.

At this point, the damage is done. I might as well tell him. “I’m in love with you.” I watch as his face transforms into a smile I’ve never seen.

“Fucking yes, you do.” His lips find mine in a bruising kiss.

I don’t know what’s happening, but I kiss him back with just as much passion and need. When he tears his lips from mine, he’s breathing heavy, and his eyes are hooded. Both of his hands cradle my face, and he stares into my eyes.

“I love the hell out of you, McKenna Dawson. Fuck, baby. I’ve wanted to say those words to you, but I was afraid you would run. I love you.” He leans in and kisses me again. This time it’s just a short peck, but it still makes my heart race.

“I didn’t want to tell you. It’s too soon.”

“No. It’s not. We’ve known each other our entire lives. This is real, and you can’t take it back, babe. You already said it.”

“I don’t want to take it back,” I confess.

“I thought that day you agreed to be mine was the best day of my life, then again when I made love to you, both times.” He winks. “But this, this moment, it tops them both.”

I don’t know what to say, so I just hug him.

Everything I’ve ever dreamed about is happening, and it’s a little surreal. How am I lucky enough to have all of my dreams come true?