"You guys…Ryan isn't just my roommate. He's the love of my life." Keats said, lowering her voice conveniently towards the end.
"I knew it. You didn't have to lie, Kit." Glenn told her.
"I could tell way back when you guys were at the airport…there was serious chemistry. The sparks were freakin' hot." Sloane giggled.
"I'm glad you guys are taking this so well. But I'm afraid there's more…Ryan and are getting married."
Sloane blinked, shaking her head. Glenn held his hand over his jaw in disbelief. Harvey was licking his fingers, ridding them of cheesy poof powder. Miles was watching everyone else's reaction around him, getting a good laugh in the process.
"If you don't approve…I'm sorry. But I'm going to marry him anyway." Keats tried to break through the heavy silence.
"This little incident with Sloane, doesn't it mean anything to you?" Glenn fired at her, increasing the uncomfortable tension in the room.
"Ryan would never do that." Keats said without hesitating.
"How do you know that for sure?" Miles asked, for once being serious.
"I guess I don't know. But I trust him. I believe in him."
"Nice words for a fairytale, Kit." Sloane said, her concern rising. She had said much the same thing when Morgan Flannery proposed to her and they were against it.
She had wandered off into a dream world, getting lured away from reality by Morgan's fresh promises and sweet flattery. And a few months later he broke it off.
He ended the entire relationship without fanfare or explanation.
Keats had been devastated. Her whole world had come to a screeching halt.
There were many recent nights that Sloane had worried whether Keats would get over him or not. Perhaps this was worse.
"Morgan has nothing to do with this. When I loved him I was a little younger. I was stupid. I'm still stupid, but I've learned a thing or two since. Do you think I would deliberately put myself out there again if it wasn't for some spectacular guy?" Keats said.
Her siblings were very quiet. Keats was speaking from deep down inside her heart. Her innate wisdom was shining through her words. Keats wasn't a little baby any more cutting her teeth on the teddy bear of love.
She'd paid her dues in experience. She was a grown-up woman now. And it showed.
"When's the wedding?" Harvey asked.
"What about Greece?" Sloane and Glenn wondered.
Ryan emerged from the bedroom, standing behind Keats.
"I can help you, there. I'll send out a search warrant for your husband." Ryan told Sloane.
"How's it hanging, future bro?" Miles asked. He tried to show him the secret handshake.
Keats only hoped that her parents would be as easily swayed.
"Hey, Ryan…buddy…got any more snacks?" Harvey asked from the kitchen. He had gone through several bags of confections already.
"Does that mean I don't have to go to Greece…or does that mean you're going to let me go…?" Keats mumbled in Ryan's ear, giving him her best persuasive glance.
"As interesting as that would prove to be, I can't let you go. You get in tons of trouble here as it is." He told her. He looped his arm around her waist, making her forget about Greece temporarily.
"If you still want to go in a couple of months, I'll take you there myself." He added. A honeymoon in Greece with Ryan…not too shabby, I must say.
Keats, Ryan, Miles, Harvey, Glenn, and Sloane sat at the dining room table talking and drinking coffee until the wee hours of the morning.
They talked about everything under the sun, and yet nothing at all. Some things were important, other things philosophical, while other things that came up made no sense whatsoever. Late night talks were usually like this. At least with the Remington brood.
"…mmm, Sloane? How did you know that Roddy was the one for you?" Keats asked, getting drowsier by the second.
"When he offered to pay for her room." Miles said. Howls of laughter erupted from the table and even Sloane had to laugh, even though she was the butt of the joke. In fact, she had been the rear end of many jokes that evening.
"Actually, he comforted me in the bar when I was upset. We had one of those long talks where we learned new things about each other, making a connection based on common miseries. He cheered me up about Esteban being imprisoned and everything.
I don't know, but I think I'd noticed him before, but not like that. At least, not until after Esteban was in jail…You'd have thought that would have turned out better…oh well."
Keats giggled in spite of herself. Sloane never picked the right guy. It was like a genetic impossibility.
"When are you guys going to tie the knot?" Glenn asked. It was a rather monumental question, seeing as Glenn was the one asking.
Keats and Ryan paused to look at each other, shrugging and smiling their happy smiles.
"Soon, I hope." Keats said. Ryan took hold of her hand under the table and laced her fingers with his own.
"Might I recommend a summer wedding, maybe closer to late summer… Tourist season is such a bitch, you know." Sloane said, probably quoting from Modern Bride.
"What happens when we find Roddy?" Harvey said with his mouth full of cookies. The question caught everyone by surprise, but they continued on as though it wasn't a big deal.
"If the situation was out of his control, I'd forgive him and shower him with kisses…But if he left on purpose, I'd string him up by his Buster Brown's and exact my vengeance upon him until he begged for mercy. He would welcome the relief that death would bring…" Sloane said, grabbing a packet of ketchup and squeezing it juiceless.
"Jeez, Sloane…did ya say that on your wedding night?" Miles asked. The laughter kept coming.
"Oh, Miles, don't be such a jackass." Keats said with a grin.
"My advice, Sloane, is to count your losses and move on…" Ryan said after the chuckles had died down. Sloane nodded sadly. She glanced at Keats tenderly, thinking her very lucky to have a guy like Ryan on her side.
"How can I move on? I quit my job to be with Esteban, then Rod…"
"Get a job here, Sloane. Live nearby. I'm sure they have plenty of teaching positions in Miami." Keats told her. She began to imagine how much fun it would be for her sister to live locally. They'd get to hang out more, maybe even get the chance to strengthen their bond.
They'd grown apart since college. Sloane had been teaching for just one year and she was happy in Sarasota, calling Keats every once in awhile for an update. But this…it would be wonderful if things could work out.
"We can figure out the details later, but…I'll stay here for the time being."
Keats hugged her, overjoyed beyond belief.
Sloane ended up staying with her brothers at Big Daddy Hasting's summer house overlooking the beach. Selvia had persuaded their step-father to lend them use of his vacation home.
Keats said her goodbyes and she turned to Ryan, wrapping her arms around him thankfully.
"Keats, I have the day off tomorrow. Do you want to go shopping?" He asked. Keats gave him a funny look, but she nodded curiously.
"Shopping?" She wondered. Ryan refused to tell her anything more until the following day.
She walked into a store with her eyes closed, having no idea whatsoever which store it was. But she was having fun, regardless. The aura of mystery was deliciously appealing.
Ryan had led her to a specific spot and stopped her, telling her to open her eyes and look around. She obeyed with a smile on her face.
"Oh, Ryan…" She gasped. They were in a bridal boutique with dozens of mirrors surrounding them. She glanced around at a few dresses, feeling an intense swell of love for Ryan Wolfe.
She picked out a beautiful gown, stepping into a dressing room to try it on. She fiddled around with the zipper disconcertingly. Should I diet or something before the wedding? Nah…
She emerged from the dressing room shyly, keeping her eyes on her feet. Ryan was looking at her with a stunned expression on his face.
"Keats…God, you're beautiful." He said. Keats blushed in response.
"I've been missing for over a week and already you're taking the plunge with another guy?"
Keats and Ryan turned around quickly, coming face to face with Sloane's husband, Roderick Andrews.
"Roddy?" She asked, bewildered by the fact that he seemed alive and perfectly healthy…and in a Miami bridal shop.
"You cheating whore!" He shouted. Ryan stomped up to Roddy, his jaw hardened.
"Hey…don't talk to her like that." He said sharply. Keats' hair was lighter, which must have prompted Roddy to mistake her for Sloane.
"Where have you been?" Keats asked incredulously.
"I don't know…back to my condo, maybe! I get really tired of seeing you with other guys, Sloane. I don't care how innocent it looks." Rod snapped.
"I'm not Sloane. But I can give you her number. You should take this up with her personally." Keats said. Rod gazed at her skeptically.
"You expect me to believe that? I've seen your sister, Sloane. She's a psychotic bitch."
"If you keep saying stuff like that, pal, you're going to regret it." Ryan barked.
"Oh, sorry for offending you. I didn't realize you were her new boytoy! Let me give you some advice, dude. Leave her now. She's got more mileage on her than a public schoolbus. I'm not even sure the baby's mine."
"What?" Keats shrieked.