level, she wanted some time alone.
For two weeks, Ryan had dogged her steps like he was attached to her by an invisible cord. She couldn’t shower without him in the shower with her, or standing guard in the bathroom. The one time he left the island to check on the resort construction project, he’d insisted she go along. He was beginning to remind her of gum on the bottom of her shoe.
“Ryan, go away.”
“I’m okay here. Don’t mind me.”
“How can I not mind you? You’re making me nervous.” She waved the knife she was using to cut up the fruit for their lunch. “Go to the beach. Come back in half an hour. Lunch will be ready then.”
“I like watching you.”
Candace slammed the knife down on the counter. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.”
The man was beyond exasperating. He slumped in the kitchen chair and crossed his ankles and his arms. “I don’t want to go to the beach. I want to stay here.”
Candace walked around the kitchen island, pulled out another chair and sat. “Ryan, tell me what’s going on. Richard is e-mailing every day wondering when you’re going to do the Employee Performance Reviews. You follow me around like you’re stuck to my shoe. I’m not complaining about you being an attentive husband, but really, Ryan, is it necessary to be with me every second? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just feel uneasy about being away from you.”
She gentled her voice and leaned in close. “I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes were hard, distant. “There’s something else going on. I can see it in your eyes. What are you afraid of?”
“I’m not afraid of anything. It’s. . . I don’t know. I can’t shake this feeling that our lives are changing and. . . I. . . I don’t want it to change.”
“Is this about the time we spent with Richard and Fallon? Are you afraid that changed things between you and me?”
“No. If anything, I love you even more than I did before, but yeah, this started then. I can’t explain it.”
“That was a special time, for all of us. Our relationship with them is different now because of it, but not in a bad way. I love you, Ryan. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but a part of me loves Richard and Fallon too. I wish we could all find a way to be together, but. . .”
“Don’t go there. We aren’t going there. I made promises to you, and I’m going to keep them.”
“Is that what this is about? Are you afraid your feelings for Richard and Fallon are the same as breaking your promises to me?” His silence confirmed her analysis. “Don’t you see? The promises we made to each other are still valid. Nothing in those promises prohibited us from loving beyond just you and me. I know you won’t act on your feelings without my consent, and you know in your heart I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. That’s how strong our love is. I’ll do anything to keep you, even deny my love to expand to include Richard and Fallon.”
“I don’t want you to deny your feelings. I want you to have everything. I’m trying to wrap my head around this, but our lives are changing in a way I don’t understand. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”
Candace sank to her knees between his, and took his hands in her own. His hard eyes pleaded with her to understand. “You’ll never lose me. I would give up anything, but you. You are non-negotiable.” She flashed her wedding band at him. “I have a no-trade agreement. You’re stuck with me.”
He pulled her to his lap and held her tight. “Same goes. No-trade.”
“Good. Now, when the ship arrives on Friday, I want you on it. You’ve put off the Reviews long enough. Fallon and I have fabric samples and paint chips to sort through for the resort, so she can spend the week here with me. She doesn’t have any classes booked for a few weeks, so it’s a good time for her.”
* * * * *
Fallon caught the first tender to the
For two weeks, Ryan had dogged her steps like he was attached to her by an invisible cord. She couldn’t shower without him in the shower with her, or standing guard in the bathroom. The one time he left the island to check on the resort construction project, he’d insisted she go along. He was beginning to remind her of gum on the bottom of her shoe.
“Ryan, go away.”
“I’m okay here. Don’t mind me.”
“How can I not mind you? You’re making me nervous.” She waved the knife she was using to cut up the fruit for their lunch. “Go to the beach. Come back in half an hour. Lunch will be ready then.”
“I like watching you.”
Candace slammed the knife down on the counter. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.”
The man was beyond exasperating. He slumped in the kitchen chair and crossed his ankles and his arms. “I don’t want to go to the beach. I want to stay here.”
Candace walked around the kitchen island, pulled out another chair and sat. “Ryan, tell me what’s going on. Richard is e-mailing every day wondering when you’re going to do the Employee Performance Reviews. You follow me around like you’re stuck to my shoe. I’m not complaining about you being an attentive husband, but really, Ryan, is it necessary to be with me every second? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just feel uneasy about being away from you.”
She gentled her voice and leaned in close. “I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes were hard, distant. “There’s something else going on. I can see it in your eyes. What are you afraid of?”
“I’m not afraid of anything. It’s. . . I don’t know. I can’t shake this feeling that our lives are changing and. . . I. . . I don’t want it to change.”
“Is this about the time we spent with Richard and Fallon? Are you afraid that changed things between you and me?”
“No. If anything, I love you even more than I did before, but yeah, this started then. I can’t explain it.”
“That was a special time, for all of us. Our relationship with them is different now because of it, but not in a bad way. I love you, Ryan. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but a part of me loves Richard and Fallon too. I wish we could all find a way to be together, but. . .”
“Don’t go there. We aren’t going there. I made promises to you, and I’m going to keep them.”
“Is that what this is about? Are you afraid your feelings for Richard and Fallon are the same as breaking your promises to me?” His silence confirmed her analysis. “Don’t you see? The promises we made to each other are still valid. Nothing in those promises prohibited us from loving beyond just you and me. I know you won’t act on your feelings without my consent, and you know in your heart I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. That’s how strong our love is. I’ll do anything to keep you, even deny my love to expand to include Richard and Fallon.”
“I don’t want you to deny your feelings. I want you to have everything. I’m trying to wrap my head around this, but our lives are changing in a way I don’t understand. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”
Candace sank to her knees between his, and took his hands in her own. His hard eyes pleaded with her to understand. “You’ll never lose me. I would give up anything, but you. You are non-negotiable.” She flashed her wedding band at him. “I have a no-trade agreement. You’re stuck with me.”
He pulled her to his lap and held her tight. “Same goes. No-trade.”
“Good. Now, when the ship arrives on Friday, I want you on it. You’ve put off the Reviews long enough. Fallon and I have fabric samples and paint chips to sort through for the resort, so she can spend the week here with me. She doesn’t have any classes booked for a few weeks, so it’s a good time for her.”
* * * * *
Fallon caught the first tender to the
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