Chapter Eighteen

Ryan had never had any formal acting lessons of any sort, but he did his utmost best to put on a mask of confidence and assurance as he unloaded his car the next weekend, putting his and Kayla's backpacks over his shoulder as they stood outside his dad's house. Nick was absolutely astounded, standing on the perfectly trimmed lawn with his mouth wide open and his backpack slung over his shoulder as he stared at the huge house. It was rather intimidating, Ryan agreed silently as he stepped into place next to Nick and then turned to see Kayla shutting one of the car doors and turning to him with a huge smile on her face. Her hair was back in a playful ponytail, and she was in a casual T-shirt and jeans, already looking 100 times cleaner and more modest than any other girl he had ever taken home. And that glowing smile on her face was making him melt, somehow assuring him that it would be okay...

The front door opened, and Mr. McCarthy stepped outside. Ryan was impressed to find that his shirt was buttoned up almost all of the way, for that was a rare sight, but the look in his father's eyes showed him that Mr. McCarthy was quite serious about the woman and child that his son had brought him. And as his eyes rested on Kayla and Nick, they softened significantly before turning to Ryan. These weren't the types of people Ryan usually brought home. He also hadn't seen his son in what seemed like years, and so he moved to Ryan with a strong step and then wrapped his arms around his son.

"Welcome home, Ryan," he smiled, and then pulled back to look at Kayla and Nick. "Rick McCarthy," he said, holding out his hand to Kayla and shaking her hand heartily before shaking Nick's hand. "I've been looking forward to meeting you both. If you don't have any plans tonight, Ryan, I want to bring you all out to dinner."

"On a Friday night?" Ryan asked, shifting the backpacks on his shoulder. "It's going to be crazy."

"I have connections with the Rainforest Cafe," Mr. McCarthy smiled. "I'd like to treat all of you, unless you had different plans."

"Sounds good to me," Ryan shrugged.

"Kayla and Nick, is it? Let me show you to your room. Come on in, all of you. I have lemonade waiting on the counter," Mr. McCarthy offered, leading them up to the front door and then opening it for them.

Nick couldn't get over the size of the house as Mr. McCarthy led them through an exorbitant foyer, through an immense living room, and up a fairly simple set of stairs. From the top of the stairs, one could see down into the living room, where the kitchen was connected. He led Kayla and Nick to an enormous guest room, where he and Ryan left them to get dressed and ready for dinner. The two men made their way to Ryan's old room, Mr. McCarthy rubbing his hands somewhat uncomfortably.

"Ryan," he spoke, "I, uh, took the liberty of changing your room a bit when you left."

"Oh?" Ryan asked, opening his door and then stepping inside.

He knew immediately what Mr. McCarthy had changed. His posters, all of them of women dressed as scantily as was possible, save for one or two sports car ones, were gone, and in their places were posters of landscapes and a few choice rock groups, but that was it.

"I didn't think, if Kayla was here, you'd want her to see those old pictures," Mr. McCarthy explained as Ryan turned to him. "And from the look on your face when you got here, I'd dare say you didn't want her to see them either. You love this girl, don't you?"

"I do," Ryan nodded, smiling. "And thanks for taking the pictures down. I don't need those anymore."

"I don't know Kayla very well," Mr. McCarthy said slowly as Ryan put his backpack on his bed, "but I have a good feeling about her, Ryan."

"Me too, Dad," Ryan grinned, putting a hand on the older man's shoulder. "I think you'll really like her."

The restaurant was packed when the group from McCarthy's home arrived, but that gave everyone time to look around. Nick was fascinated by the decorations of the famous restaurant, pointing out the machine-operated boa constrictor that hung from the ceiling and then making sure to exclaim something about every tropical fish in the tank that was in the center of the building. Mr. McCarthy, it was quickly found, knew a great deal about fish, and he took Nick under his arm and explained to him what every fish was and told something unique about it.

Ryan had never seen his father in this light. He was actually being charming, if such a word can be said about one's father. He was extremely polite to Kayla, never once cracking a perverted joke, which he had always done for Ryan's other girlfriends, and he was extremely careful around Nick, watching over the little boy as though he was already his own flesh and blood. It astounded Ryan to no end, but he certainly wasn't going to complain about it.

When the meal was over, and everyone was back at Mr. McCarthy's home, Kayla brought Nick up to bed and then joined the men downstairs on the back porch. The pool lights were all aglow, and there was a gentle breeze, making the setting quite comfortable. Ryan and Mr. McCarthy were both seated contentedly in deck chairs, holding some sort of red drink in their hands, and they looked up as Kayla approached them. Ryan pulled out a chair for her, and she sat next to him, smiling contentedly.

"Virgin strawberry daiquiri?" Mr. McCarthy offered, indicating his drink, and Kayla nodded with a "Yes, please."

"So tell me, Kayla," Mr. McCarthy smiled, making the drink for her. "Why did you give Nick the name you did?"

"Yes. Why?" Ryan asked, surprised that he had never asked the question.

"Oh," Kayla grinned, her cheeks turning pink. "It's kind of silly, really, but my favorite singer used to be Nick Carter."

Ryan groaned, and sat back in his seat, a hand on his forehead.

"What?" Kayla laughed, slapping his arm lightly. "I loved Nick Carter! And I bet you were a Britney Spears fan."

"Don't think so," he grinned, chuckling over her Nick Carter confession.

"Kayla, I'm going to go with Ryan to the fights tomorrow. You and Nick are welcome to stay here and help yourselves to whatever you like," Mr. McCarthy smiled, handing Kayla her drink. "I've never seen my boy fight."

He hadn't ever watched Ryan fight. And tomorrow's fights weren't going to be the typical fights, either. Ryan, as far as he was concerned, was going tomorrow to fight Eric and Eric alone. The others were just thrown in there for fun. But now that his dad was going to be there, watching him, he found more of a drive. Of all the people he wanted to make proud, his father was the top one. The thought of Rick McCarthy watching him fight almost caused his heart to start pounding wildly hours in advance.

"Tell me that again tomorrow, Dad," Ryan chuckled over the edge of his glass.

"Tell you what?"

"That you're coming to watch me fight. It gives me a good adrenaline rush."

"Does that, or the pretty girl at your side?" Mr. McCarthy winked at Kayla, and she laughed. "Perhaps I should leave you two alone for the night."

"No, that's alright," Ryan said, standing up with his empty glass. "I've got to get to bed. Carson's orders. You two have fun without me."

He turned and went into the house, leaving Kayla and his father to talk.

Ryan was up long before his alarm clock the next morning, and he made his way outside to the exercise equipment his father still kept in their yard. It was early enough for the neighbors to still be asleep, and there was a slight crisp bite in the air, making everything cool before the humidity settled in. Ryan pulled off his shirt and let out a long sigh before grabbing some weights. He started working, breathing in deeply to preserve his oxygen, and he thought good and hard as he worked. He tried not to focus on the idea that his father was going to be there, tried not to think about how he'd hopefully be fighting Eric. He didn't want to think about how this was the first fight he had been in, since high school, where the fights were all arranged, where he would know each man he was fighting as he made his way to the top, if he made his way to the top.

"Hey, Terror," a voice interrupted his thoughts, and he nearly dropped the weights when he saw Kayla sitting in a chair across from him, dressed in a night shirt and shorts, her hair a tangled mess. She had a mug of coffee in hand, and she smiled tiredly at him. "You like to release your stress by exercising, don't you?"

"There are other ways I release stress," he smiled, putting the weights down and winking at her.

"You did make a promise," she laughed lightly, taking a sip of her coffee. "You're looking good, McCarthy."

"So do you," he murmured, stretching.

"Like this?" she grinned. "Thanks, but I don't think so. What are you so stressed about?"

"My dad watching the fights, Eric being there, losing my sponsors if I don't get higher than fourth place..."

"Such trivial matters," Kayla yawned, getting up from her chair and moving to him. "You'll be terrific, Ryan. I know you will."

"I guess what you think is all that matters, isn't it?" he chuckled, stopping his stretching and standing tall as she stopped in front of him. "Woman, you are sexy," he said deeply, looking down into her eyes.

"Thanks. That's encouraging to hear first thing in the morning with bedhead," Kayla laughed.

"You have to use your imagination," he chuckled, slipping into a French accent. "Your hair looks like someone's been running his fingers through it in the heat of passion. Your eyes are shining like you've just had some immense pleasure. Your cheeks are touched with the faintest bit of pink, like you've been blushing for a lover. And you," he smiled, moving closer, "mademoiselle, are exquisite."

She really was blushing now, and she stepped closer even as he did, so that she was almost touching him. She looked up into his face with a sweet smile.

"You can't touch me, so you seduce me with words instead."

"Is it working?" he murmured, his breath rolling pleasantly across her lips.

"Mm," she hummed, standing up just slightly on her tiptoes so she could brush her nose with his. "Nope."

A shiver went through him at her closeness, and then she stepped back, grinning at him.

"You'll do well today, Ryan."

"You're going to leave me like this?" he stammered, his eyes dark as he looked at her.

"You asked for it."

"Oh no, I didn't," he growled and made a lunge for her. She squealed and then exclaimed his name as he scooped her up and promptly dropped her in the pool.

She came up sputtering and laughing, and swam to the edge of the pool and held her hands out to him.

"Help me out!" she laughed, and he took one of her hands and kissed it before smirking at her.

"I think not."

She growled, the first time he had heard her do so, and then sprang up out of the water, wrapping her arms around his neck, and dragged him in. The splash was probably loud enough to wake most of the neighbors, but then Ryan came up laughing, and they forgot entirely about the neighbors.

Kayla swam away from him as fast as she could, trying to get out of the water before he could catch her, but he was too fast for her, and came up under her like a shark. She squealed as hands wrapped around her forearms, tugging her down into the water, and she felt herself pressing against Ryan for just a moment before he turned them and then kicked off the pool floor, bringing them to the surface. Water droplets were flung everywhere as they came up, both gasping and then laughing.

"You are awful!" Kayla exclaimed, noticing how her hands were on Ryan's shoulders and his hands were at her waist, holding her so that most of her body was out of the water. She became shy, suddenly, when she realized how much of her leg was revealed, due to how it was hitched up against his side, and just how closely her chest was pressed against his. His face was directly next to her neck, his breath rushing across her sensitive skin, and she gasped when he let his hand slip, just enough to grace across her leg. She hadn't known such heat could rocket through her in a cold pool, and great was her relief when she heard a voice on the deck.

"Perhaps I shouldn't intrude, but I thought you might be needing towels, and Nick's starting to wake up," Mr. McCarthy grinned from the dry ground.

"Oh goodness!" Kayla gasped, scrambling to get out of Ryan's hold and making her way towards the steps to get out of the pool. She was extremely embarrassed when she realized exactly what the water had done to her shirt, and Ryan stepped past her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay here. I'll get your towel," he offered, and he grabbed the towel and then held it out to her.

She grabbed it gratefully, though she still had to show off more of herself than she would have liked as she wrapped the overly large, super fluffy towel around her body.

"You've got a fight in a little over an hour, Ryan. We should get you to the civic center," Mr. McCarthy smiled at his son. "At least you'll be nice and clean, though," and he lowered his voice slightly, "with how pretty Miss Kayla is this morning you'll need a shower, yes?"

Ryan laughed and punched his father lightly in the arm before turning to Kayla and wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they both stepped inside.

He was going to have to get her in that pool again, once she was properly his and wouldn't need to be embarrassed.