Compass (39 page)

Authors: Jeanne McDonald

BOOK: Compass

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Alexis sashayed up the steps of the porch. Their old porch swing had long since been taken down, but she could still see the hooks protruding from the gable. The wood flooring was worn and splintered. Age had set in on the little abode.

She brushed her fingertips over the soft wood of the bannister. Just to touch this space ignited something inside her. So much was changing around her and being there, in that moment brought back a feeling of innocence.

It led her to think about the baby bump that was starting to round Mary’s stomach. Mary had cried the day she told Alexis she was pregnant. No one knew it, but she and Shane had been trying for years. They’d given up hope and had stopped trying. That’s when their little miracle was conceived.

“Lex?” Ryan’s voice was decadently smooth as he pierced her thoughts.

She rested her hands on the porch rails and leaned forward. “Hey, you.”

A tall, well built man lumbered across the street. That same boyish grin, which won her young girl’s heart, beamed back at her. “What you doing?”

Alexis swayed from side to side, allowing the bannister to hold her weight. “Just taking a walk down memory lane.”

Ryan stepped up onto the porch. “Can I join you?”

Alexis sidestepped to give him room beside her. Ryan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the wooden rail. “There’s no one else I’d want to take this journey with,
Captain
.”

“Silly woman,” he muttered under his breath.

She loved the expression he got whenever she addressed him by his new title. His promotion wasn’t unexpected. He’d more than earned the flight hours he needed, but his humility about the advancement was endearing, and in Alexis’ opinion, quite sexy.

“Captain Ryan Fisher. It has a sexy ring to it,” she teased.

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes drifted down. “Oh, stop. You act like it’s some sort of big deal.”

“It is a big deal! You deserve it.”

Ryan cut his eyes to her and grinned. He leaned over and planted a quick peck to her cheek. “So, tell me. Where’s memory lane taking us?” Ryan reached for her hand, linking their fingers together.

“You remember Pinky?” she chuckled.

“That damn gerbil of yours?” he groaned. “I hated that rat.”

“It wasn’t a rat!” she gasped.

“Lex, it was an oversized rat and I was its favorite snack.”

Alexis dropped her chin, laughing. “But you were so sweet when he died. You buried him right there for me. Remember?” She lifted their joined hands and pointed to the specific spot in the yard.

“I do. You kissed my cheek that day because I made him a coffin. I didn’t want to wash my face for a week. Mom was ready to kill me,” he chortled with a wink.

“I don’t remember that, but I’m not surprised. You were the sweetest boy in the world.”

Ryan twisted his torso slightly. “And now?”

Alexis turned to meet him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. “And now you’re the man I love with all my heart.”

“Mhm. I like the sound of that.” He rested his forehead to hers, staring deep into her eyes. She toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Maybe we should head back over there,” she mewled. She dropped her arms and turned back to view the house across the street. “You did leave Declan alone with your parents, after all. That’s a method for disaster.”

“Pops, Declan, Louis, and Reagan are all talking sports, and Jenna was trading recipes with Mom. I think everyone’s safe for the moment.”

Alexis nodded, thinking about Reagan and her new boyfriend, Louis Salazar. Ryan had gone all fan-boyish when he met the professional baseball player, until he realized Louis’ relationship with Reagan. That’s when the big brother, twenty-question routine went into action. Reagan was ready to beat Ryan to death by the time he was done with his interrogation. She even begged Alexis to call him off, but all Alexis could do was laugh.

Ryan rested his elbows on the bannister, locking his hands in front of him. “You know, it’s funny,” he said, his brow furrowed in thought, “they say you can’t go home again. But I think they’re wrong.”

“Why’s that?” Alexis placed her hands on the rail, crossing her legs at her ankles.

Ryan shrugged. “Because we never really leave home. It’s always with us. Everything that happened between these two houses,” he motioned his hand back and forth, “is a part of who we are. It’s for that very reason why we can take walks down memory lane.”

Alexis chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Ryan reached behind his back and popped a box of Cracker Jack from his back pocket. “What do you say to a little dessert?”

Her face bloomed with nostalgia. “Absolutely.”

Ryan ripped the box open and poured some of its contents into the palm of her open hand. She tossed a piece of caramel corn into her mouth, crunching it between her teeth. “You remember the last time we were on this porch, doing this same thing?” she inquired as Ryan threw several pieces into his mouth.

He quickly chewed his mouthful of popcorn and swallowed. “Yeah. I remember almost kissing you that day.”

“I remember that, too,” came her sheepish reply. “I wanted you to so badly.”

Ryan held the box out toward her, silently offering more candied popcorn. She reached into the box grabbing a few kernels and peanuts. “If I’d only known then what I know now.” He shook the box, rattling the popcorn inside.

“I don’t think I would’ve been able to leave if you had kissed me,” she admitted.

“Now, I really wish I would’ve,” he paused and looked into the box, “Then again...maybe...you know what, no I don’t.” He pulled a peanut from the box and tossed it in the air, catching it in his mouth. He grinned with mischievous pride. “I like where we are,” he noted. “I love who we are. And if things had been different, I don’t think we’d be here right now.”

He dumped more popcorn in his mouth, catching the toy packet between his fingertips. He handed it over to Alexis, who flipped the red and white packet in her hand. “You think we’ll find another compass in here?” Her eyes twinkled at the memory.

Ryan chewed through his mouthful and swallowed hard. “We don’t need another one. Our love is our compass now. It’s what brought us here to this moment.”

Alexis leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. The heat of his skin still sent her heart into wild palpitations. Would she ever get used to that feeling? She hoped not.

Alexis lifted the packet, her brows raised. “May I?”

Ryan glanced into the box, confirming it was empty. “Go for it.”

She ripped the top of the waxy package open and dumped the contents in her hand. At first the object didn’t register. The early evening light sparkled against the purest stone she’d ever seen. In her palm was a beautiful platinum band, with a perfect square cut diamond in the center, which was encrusted by smaller diamonds creating a boxed in effect. It twinkled with such magnificence in her hand that it set a prism of light shimmering against the wooden rail.

She blinked rapidly trying to reason out what was going on. It had to be some kind of joke. She’d heard it before, the ring in the Cracker Jack box, but that was an urban myth. Turning her head to get Ryan’s opinion, she was surprised to find him down on one knee.

Her free hand flew to her mouth at the sight before her. “Ryan?” she rasped.

He took the ring from her palm and smiled. “In this yard, so many years ago, I shared my dreams of flying with you. Since then, I’ve spent my life exploring this world, traveling the globe in search of happiness. But the irony is, what made me happy wasn’t over an ocean or cruising the heavens. My happiness was and has always been in my own backyard. I love you so very much. You’re my very world and I’m asking you now if you will do the honor of becoming my wife?”

Her face scrunched in a tear filled smile.

“Alexis Melody York, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” her answer came out as a whisper. “A million times yes.” He slipped the ring on her finger and gently kissed it, as if to seal the bond between them. “It’s beautiful.”

“As are you, my darling. As are you.” Ryan lifted to his feet and pulled her into his arms. When their lips met, the world ignited around them. Fireworks exploded. The heavens sang a tune of two hearts beating as one.

From across the street, they heard a loud wolf-whistle. Ryan and Alexis pulled apart to find everyone standing on the Fisher’s porch watching them. “You’re officially whipped! Find the ball and chain. They’re gettin’ hitched!” Declan yelled.

Jenna jabbed her elbow into Declan’s stomach. “Don’t ruin their moment,” she chastised him.

“But, but, baby,” he whined.

Jenna placed her hands on her hips, giving Declan a stern look.

Ryan burst into laughter. “I think you’re the whipped one, my friend!” he yelled out.

Declan grinned, placing a kiss to Jenna’s lips.

Reagan gave them two thumbs up. Louis stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist in a loving embrace. In the back stood Ryan’s parents. Both smiling with pride.

Alexis buried her face into Ryan’s chest. Heat burned through her cheeks, but he could only hold her and laugh. “They were in on this, weren’t they?” she queried.

“It started out with me visiting your mother and Jenna in New York to buy the ring,” he admitted. “Everything else blew up from there.”

She cocked her head, catching a glimpse of everyone still watching them.

“You’re not upset, are you?”

Alexis tilted her face, lifting her hand to Ryan’s cheek. “I couldn’t be happier than I am at this very moment.”

A crooked smile curved Ryan’s lips. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, allowing his hand to linger on her neck. Then, he pressed his lips to hers, forgetting about the audience watching them. When their kiss broke, Alexis closed her eyes and rested her head on Ryan’s firm chest. She listened to the sound of his heart beating, the rustling of the wind in the trees, and the crickets singing their nightly love song. She breathed in the scent that was especially Ryan mixed with the aromas of the summer. A new memory, one she would cherish until her dying breath, forever embedded itself in her heart. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Ryan ran his fingers down the length of her velvety, soft hair. His lips perched next to her ear, he whispered, “Always.”

Alexis raised her head to meet his gaze. A smile spread across her face, so blinding it could’ve lit the night sky. Pure bliss filled her soul as she pledged, “And forever.”

Jeanne McDonald is an author, a mother, a wife, a student of knowledge and of life, a coffee addict, a philosophy novice, a pop culture connoisseur, inspired by music, encouraged by words, and a believer in true love. When she's not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, enjoying a great film, chatting with friends or diligently working toward her bachelor's degree in literature. A proud Texan, Jeanne currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

Where to find Jeanne