Continuing on with Ryan and Valera. I tend to lean towards the sentimental and romantic which I am sure you all can obviously tell. I think that underneath Ryan's brattiness, he cares about people. I think we have only begun to scratch the surface with this guy so this story is my hope for the character of Ryan Wolfe. And not only that, but to see a more "un-tough" side of Valera. Gotta love the imagination. Thanks for the reviews and for encouraging me to let my imagination work this way and weave this story!
Here's the next Chapter and maybe the last. I never know how it's going to go!
In Sickness and In Health
Chapter 3
Valera walks in and sees Ryan sitting on her stool looking at the wall. She wonders what the heck his problem is. "So, Wolfe……….can you take your porn dreams elsewhere? Don't get my stool wet." Ryan jumps and then looks at Valera. "What is your deal? Why are you so jumpy? Are you in some kind of trouble?" she quips. Ryan kind of laughs and shakes his head. He decides to jump right in before he loses his nerve. "Your Mom called. She's on her way home, her friend is driving her of course, and she is feeling fine." Valera's eyes get wide and he can see her chin rise up. "How the hell do you know that?" she says, trying to hide her fear, masked in an angrier sounding voice than she realized. Ryan stands up and steps closer to her. "Not because you told me. Your Mom called and no one was in here. I answered the phone." "Ryan, why are you answering the phone? Are you the new receptionist?" Ryan turns around and begins to feel really frustrated at her angry voice. He forgets his desire to help her and lashes out. "It's the lab phone, Valera. It rang and I answered it. The last time I checked you don't have a 1-900 number around here." Valera lifts her chin even higher, "What did she tell you?" Ryan tried to tone his voice down. "She told me she has cancer, that she had a breast removed and that she is now doing chemo. Something I can't believe you didn't mention."
Valera can't figure out how in the world Ryan has pried this information out of her mother. Of course, her mother is pretty good at wearing everything on her sleeve. Even with the cancer, she'd been willing the whole time to talk to anyone and everyone about it. Valera admired that but certainly had a line drawn to where she'd mimic it. Valera knows she can joke about sex and openness and talk about anything and everybody……………..as long as it doesn't involve something close to her heart. Then she just prefers that no one can see inside. And yet here is Ryan, a man that she is attracted to more than physically, which is a problem in itself, and he seems to be looking into her soul.
"Ryan, it's not like I have talked to you guys. No one called me the whole time I was off and excuse me if I was a little busy to call." Ryan expels his breath realizing that once again he has managed to "say it all wrong". "I know, Valera. I should have called you and checked on you. I just didn't know what to say." Valera rolls her eyes, "You keep saying that. But whatever! My Mom is sick, she's trying to get better. It's been rough. What else do you want me to say?" Before he can even think it through, he blurts out, "Say you'll let me take you out for a drink." Valera snaps her head up to look at him, "What?" Ryan laughs and tries to hide the ego blow her shock registers. "Come on Valera. It won't kill you to have a drink with me. It might do you good to just get out and not worry about your Mom." Valera's exterior cracks a little and she says, "I have to go by and check on my Mom. She's had a rough day. Treatment days are always bad." Ryan shrugs, "Ok. I'll go with you. I'd love to meet Isabella – she told me to call her that you know – anyway, I'd love to meet her in person." Valera laughs in spite of trying not to, "Isabella huh?" Ryan grins his usual cocky grin, "Yeah. So come on. Take me with you. Take me to meet your Mom and then I'll buy you a drink, I'll even take you to dinner." Valera pokes him in the chest. "Ryan Wolfe if that chest pokes out any more, you are going to explode. You are so full of yourself!" Ryan raises his eyebrows, "Is that a yes?"
Ryan and Valera pack up to leave and he follows her to her apartment to drop her car off. They arrive at Isabella's house and Valera wants to giggle because she feels like she is back in high school. "Oh God….." she shudders and grins thinking to herself……"Don't want to go back there!" Maxine walks in and into the living room where she knows her Mom will be laying on the sofa. "Mom, Ryan Wolfe that you told our whole life's story to on the phone today, he's with me! Hope you are decent!" Ryan was about to choke over Valera's bluntness when he heard Isabella's weak voice pop back with a quick reply, "As decent as I am going to get. Bring him in here and let me see if he looks as sexy as he sounds." Ryan thinks he might be getting more than he bargained for with TWO Valera women. Ryan blushes in spite of himself as he walks around the sofa to see a small, frail woman with big brown, puppy dog eyes just like Maxine's. He extends his hand and tells Isabella what a pleasure it is to meet her. She looks him up and down and then looks to her daughter. "He's pretty sexy, Max. Good jaw line. Pretty big feet too, and you know what they say about that." Maxine and her Mom both laugh out loud and Ryan's face turns about 4 shades of red. "Wow, Valera…. I mean Maxine, you certainly get your sense of humor from your Mom." They look at each other and grin. Isabella reaches down to pat the side of the sofa. "Ryan, sit down here beside me. I won't throw up on you. I think I've thrown up everything there is to lose now." Ryan sits down and tells her she looks good. "You are a sweet boy, but you are full of crap. Why are you coming home with Maxine? Usually when the boys came here, they snuck in the window." Maxine rolls her eyes at her Mom and Ryan laughs. "Well, Isabella, I have begged your daughter to let me take her to dinner and if she doesn't back out that's why I am here. She needed to check on you and I wanted to meet you." Isabella raises an eyebrow and looks right at Ryan. "Son, are you always so prim and proper?" Valera howls out with laughter. Isabella chuckles and says, "I take that as a yes." Ryan stutters around and tries to think of a quip saying. "I'm not proper and I am certainly not prim." Valera is still giggling. "Mom, I swear, Ryan never has a hair out of place and he is all business." Ryan tries not to show that he's a little offended at what she's saying. He realizes in no time that he is offended because she is absolutely right and immediately starts thinking of ways to prove Maxine wrong. Isabella pats Ryan on the leg, "Ryan, take my Maxine to dinner and I'll tell you what. When you take her home, let her in and then go around and crawl through the window to her bedroom. She'll feel like it's old times and you will loosen up………one way or the other." Both women laugh and Ryan decides that as soon as he gets out the door, he's finished being the butt of this joke. He is, however, highly amused with Isabella and how incredibly much Maxine is like her. They get up to leave and Isabella reaches up and grabs Ryan's hand as Maxine is already out of earshot and to the door. "Ryan, please take all my joking as simply that. You are a sweet and handsome man. Maxine needs a man like you. If I don't joke with her though and instead tell her how much I like you, it will scare her to death!" She pulls him down and kisses his cheek. Ryan raises up smiling like a schoolboy. "I may just have to crawl through her window sometime. That was a good idea." Ryan winks at her and walks out the door.
Ryan and Valera get into his car and Ryan is watching how smug Valera looks. "Prim and Proper, huh?" he thinks to himself. He reaches over and yanks Valera's hair a little so she will look directly at him. She turns and he pulls the back of her head to him and kisses her hard and deep. She opens her mouth in shock and he slides his tongue in her mouth. About the time he wonders if he's going to get slapped, she responds to him. She kisses back hungrily. The kiss seemed to last forever. He pulls back slowly and Valera looks at him with pleasant surprise. Ryan grins and raises his eyebrow at her, "How's that for prim and proper, Max?" Valera's chin drops to the floorboard. "Did you just call me Max? And what the heck was that kiss? Wow!"
This was a fun chapter to write…………hope it wasn't too airy and fluffy! Let me know what you think!
I can't decide whether to leave it alone or continue. We'll see!