Ryan Ch. 09

Being a man who was quite happy with his single status, Zane thought that philosophy was fraught with danger. He saw it as immensely more practical to play the field which, to his thinking, provided less chance of forming attachments that could jeopardize his odds of remaining single.

Ryan usually took his time getting to know a woman, but he'd fallen for Dani almost instantly. Now, he and Dani were going to have a baby. Zane wondered if he would ever have that in his life; a woman who understood and loved him unconditionally. The second the thought entered his mind, he chastised himself. He obviously was getting sentimental in his old age. Most of his friends were in serious relationships, but he just wasn't ready for that.

Sighing, he rapped on the door frame.

Ryan turned and waved him in.

Zane greeted Ryan and slapped him on the back calling him old son.

"Two years older and he calls me old," Ryan said with a shake of his head.

Sitting down in the chair on the other side of the bed, Zane learned forward to talk to Dani.

"Hi sweetie, feeling better?" he asked.

"Some," she said smiling at him.

"Good, I just wanted to come by and see for myself. I won't be droll and say you look like you're getting your color back," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Dani chuckled thinking, "He really is a good looking guy when he smiles."

"Do you have any news about Keith?" she asked her voice noticeably husky.

Dani didn't see the hard look that came over Ryan's face or the slight shake of his head to Zane.

"Not yet, but I expect I'll hear something soon on the feelers we put out. The best thing for you, young lady, is to rest and not worry about the investigation. We'll do everything that we can to find him, make no mistake about that," Zane said firmly.

"How long will it be before you're out of this joint?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Soon," Ryan interjected.

"I spoke to the doctor and he said possibly another three or four days, if her condition keeps improving. She'll be able to finish recovering at home with follow ups with her doctor. She's still having headaches, dizziness and some blurred vision."

"I'll check up on you once you get home," Zane told Dani.

"Right now I have to get to the office. Ryan I'll call you later," he said rising from his chair.

After he left, Dani looked at Ryan and whispered, "He knows something, doesn't he?"

Taking her hand, he rubbed the back of it with his thumb and said, "Yes, but they haven't found Keith yet."

Dani looked like she wanted to say something else, but before she could form the question, Ryan said,

"I want you to trust me, baby. Let us handle this and don't worry about the investigation. I want all of your energy to be spent on getting well and taking care of our baby. Promise me you'll do that."

Tugging on Ryan's hand she said, "Come here."

Standing up, he leaned over, bringing his face in close to hers.

Caressing the side of his face, she whispered, "I will always trust you, Ryan Sinclair. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart, more every day," he vowed.

He gently kissed her lips and pressed his face to her neck with a sigh as she stroked the back of his head. This was the sight that greeted her parents when they entered the room. Pulling Davis back out of the room, Michelle said is a whisper, "Let's give them a few minutes."

Nodding, Davis steered her towards the nearby waiting room. *

Four days later, Dani was home and feeling better, but she still tired easily.

Her parents stayed a few days longer to make sure she was well on her way to recovery. By the time they went back to Jacksonville, Dani was up, but still not in any condition to go back to work. Ryan was spending his days with her, leaving the management of the bar to Micah and Dave.

*

Keith was still lying low in LA. It was over two weeks since he fled Florida and his friend Walter was wondering how long he would be in the dark about his predicament. But things were about to change.

That night, after watching a ball game, the local news came on. On the nationwide segment, the lead story was about a man wanted in Tampa, Florida for aggravated assault of a local pregnant woman. When Keith, who had been leaning back on the sofa, heard that, he flinched and sat up abruptly.

Walter saw the expression on Keith's face and thought, "Aw, shit! What have I gotten myself into?"

Within seconds there was an accompanying picture from his employee file and an explanation that the man was thought to be in the Los Angeles area and that anyone seeing him was not to approach him, but call The LA Police Department.

Walter looked at Keith as if he'd grown horns.

"Fuck man, what the hell did you do?!"

Keith jumped off the sofa, pacing with his hands holding his head. Then he stopped suddenly and turned to look at Walter.

"Shit! It wasn't like that man, I swear it wasn't. I didn't know she was pregnant! I didn't mean to hurt her. I... I...I wasn't thinking...I...oh, my god...I didn't mean to do it....I didn't... I gotta go, I gotta go!" He screeched, his voice rising.

"Keith, Keith!" Walter shouted to get his attention. "Man, you can't keep running, that's only going to make it worse. Who is this woman, anyway?"

Keith flopped down on the sofa and told Walter about Dani.

"I just wanted to talk to her man, I swear. Then I saw that engagement ring and I just lost it. I thought I had gotten over her. It had been over three fucking years! No one had ever told me to get lost; I was the one who dumped women. I never cared about them or their feelings, but I cared about Dani. I wanted her and she didn't give a fuck, just like my Mom," he rambled.

Calmly, Walter talked to Keith like he was a scared child, which essentially he was. He didn't need to be a psychiatrist to figure that out.

"Listen, man; if you run you won't be able to stop looking over your shoulder. They'll find you, eventually. You and me was like brothers and even though I haven't seen you in a while, I still feel like you're my Bro. She's alive and although this is bad, it's not as bad as it could be. Tell me what you think you should do?" Walter implored.

Rubbing his close shaved head, Keith said after a long silence, "I should turn myself in."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do, man?" Walter asked, testing Keith's resolve.

"No, it's not what I want to do, but it's what I have to do. I can't run the rest of my life. That's what I've been doing my entire life. I needed to go back into therapy when my Grandma died, she was my rock. When I lost her, I felt all of the old anger coming back. Now, look where the hell I am," he said on the verge of tears.

He was torn up about what he did to Dani and how he'd let his feelings spiral out of control. Worst of all, he knew without a doubt that in his blind rage he could have killed her.

*

Zane sat in his office wondering if their plan would work.

He followed up on all the background information on Hall. Rayell had done a thorough job. After he'd done everything he could, he hit upon the idea of flushing Hall out via a news broadcast in LA. He'd approached Zane with the idea. Zane approved it and called his contract in the LA Police Department to set it up.

He and Zane knew that Hall was holding up somewhere, but would likely have access to a television. Either he or someone he knew would see the broadcast. If they had any luck, they'd get a lead or Hall would try to make a run for it. They had a watch out at all the commercial travel outlets.

*

Zane received his answer a couple of days later, around two in the afternoon. He was in his office going over the evidence in another case when Patrick Hennessy called him.

Hennessy was a fifteen year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department; a big bruiser of an Irishman.

"Hey, Pat, tell me you've got something," Zane said.

"Man, you are not going to believe this; the kid just walk into the station," Hennessy said.

"Damn, you mean Hall turned himself in?" Zane asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. He wants to make a full confession. It surprised the hell out of me. He's an emotional wreck, man; I think he truly regrets what he did. In spite of feeling sorry for the guy, I'd still want to kick his ass if I were the fiancé."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Ryan would like nothing better than to do just that, but I'm relieved that Hall came in. If we hadn't been able to find him, I might not have been able to stop Ryan from tracking Hall down," Zane said.

"Well, it's just as well he came in," Hennessy agreed.

"When do you think you can pick him up?"

"Hopefully, I can book a flight within 24 hours," Zane said.

"All right," Patrick said, "It'll be good seeing you again."

* Dani was helping Ryan prepare dinner.

This was the first time since she got out of the hospital that he'd let her do anything that required any effort. Her man loved her, but she was hard pressed not to start gritting her teeth. She let him know that she understood his fears, but she and the baby were doing fine and she wasn't about to take any chances.

Ryan was leaning against the kitchen counter while she cut up the vegetables for the spaghetti sauce. He had a great recipe that he'd gotten from his mom. They were having it with wheat pasta, garlic bread and a side salad. For a treat, Ryan bought pralines 'n cream ice cream from Baskin Robbins which was Dani's favorite with butter pecan coming in a close second.

So far she didn't have any food cravings. Her mother had become a cottage cheese and peanut butter junkie when she was pregnant with James. Although Dani liked peanut butter and cottage cheese separately, the thought of combining them made her stomach turn.

After she finished with the vegetables, she ran them through the food processor before putting them in a pan with the other ingredients, pureed tomatoes, a little olive oil and seasonings. She brought the mixture to a boil, reduced the heat and let the sauce simmer.

She turned to see Ryan watching her intently and started to feel warm under his regard. He grinned at her when he saw her lick her top lip nervously. Before she knew it, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. For a few seconds she just stared at him wide eyed.

He held her, but didn't move away from the counter. He loved the feel of her soft body flush against his hard frame and wanted to savor the moment. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her sweet scent while caressing that spectacular bottom.

"What are we going to do about the wedding?" he asked.

Dani considered the question for a bit then answered.

"I don't want to wait until April; my belly will be huge by then. I'm proud to have our baby, but if you don't mind, could we get married sooner?" She asked.

Smiling, he said, "Whew! I thought you'd want to postpone the wedding until after he was born. We can't be married soon enough for me. A Justice of the Peace will do just fine, just say the word."

"Hold on cowboy," Dani urged, "Not so fast. I didn't say anything about a Justice of the Peace. If we can have a small wedding with family and a few friends here, that would be great. We could have everything arrange in about three weeks, I think."

"That's fine with me," Ryan said.

"I never wanted you to be stressed by the wedding arrangements, even more so now. There wasn't time to discuss it with you before, but Mom and Haley have approached me about our plans. I want you to make the decisions, but I think it's a good idea to let them take care of the arrangements instead of using a wedding planner."

Dani considered what he said and knew that she felt more than comfortable with his mother and Haley to let them help. More than that, she trusted that they wouldn't try to take over. Besides, now that she was pregnant, she didn't really want to have to deal with someone she didn't know.

Leaning her head on his chest, she said, "That sounds like a great idea."

"Good," he said and kissed the top of her head.

Taking her hand, he led her into the living room to sit on the sofa to continue their conversation. They were still talking about the wedding when Ryan's cell phone went off. Looking at the caller ID, he saw that it was Zane.

"Hey, Zane," he greeted.

Without preamble Zane said:

"He came in, Ryan. Hall walked into the police department in Los Angeles and turned himself in. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard that. Shit, who would have figured?"

"Damn, what the hell did he say?" Ryan asked leaning forward.

Dani was anxious to know what was going, but tamped down her impatience.

"According to Pat, he wanted to give a full confession. Pat says Hall was talkative and confirmed his emotional problems and that he was sorry for what he did, but he didn't try to make excuses. That's something at least."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to pick him up or someone else?" Ryan asked.

"Both Harley and I are going, I've already booked a flight," Zane assured him.

"We should have him back here in a couple of days. He'll be locked up until the trial, no bail. I'm pretty sure they'll want to give him a psych evaluation. Oh, we did get the juvenile psychiatric file. I'll let you know what's in it later, but let's just say he was a disaster waiting to happened."

"All right," Ryan sighed.

He was happy that Hall had done the sensible thing, but he seriously wanted to smash the guy's face in and slowly break every bone in his body.

"How is Dani doing?" Zane asked.

"Much better, thank God," Ryan said with feeling.

"Why don't you come by for dinner tomorrow, about... six thirty? You can see how she's doing for yourself. We haven't had you over in a while."

"Good to hear she's doing better. As for dinner, I'd love to and six thirty is fine. Give Dani my love. See you then buddy. Bye," Zane said hastily.

"Bye," Ryan returned, wondering at Zane's abruptness. Something was up with him, but that would have to wait.

"What was that all about?" Dani asked.

"Hall turned himself in to the police in LA. Zane is going to pick him up and bring him back," Ryan told her.

"I guess I'll have to testify, huh?" She asked not looking forward to it.

"Maybe not," Ryan said. "If he confesses and waives his right to a trial, you won't have to testify. The judge will just hand down the verdict, sentence him and he'll do his time, which depends on the charges. From what Zane said, he's going to need and probably get court ordered therapy. "

"I hope he waives a trial. I really don't want to see him again. I'm sorry for his problems, but he could have just stayed away from me," Dani said.

"I understand, baby. I'm not sure I could be in his presence and not beat the hell out of him," Ryan said, clinching his jaw.

*

Since Dani's been home, for obvious reasons, Ryan refrained from making love to her. However, it didn't mean that his body was immune. He'd had to take things into his own hands on more than one occasion and often he was awakened in the middle of the night with an aching erection. He was use to making love to her thoroughly and often; she never minded being awaken and he always made it worth her while.

Since Dani's been home he'd worn pajamas for the first time in years. He'd hoped that less skin contact would keep his dick in check, but they hadn't done a thing except rub against his hard on and make it worse.

He was cuddled against Dani in the spoon position when he had the odd thought that he just might rub himself raw if his late night activities continued for long. That made him chuckle, which got Dani's attention.

Turning over in his arms, she asked, "What's so funny?"

"Just a random thought that made me laugh. Did I wake you?" he asked.

"No," she said with a sigh, "I can't seem to sleep."

She stroked Ryan's broad chest and said, "Maybe you can think of something that would help.... eventually."

"Are you sure you're ready for that," Ryan asked not certain that she needed that kind of physical activity. He might be hesitant, but the hardening of his penis declared that he wasn't opposed to the idea; he just didn't want to hurt her.

"Yes." she said and kissed his strong jaw.

"When I had my check up yesterday, I wasn't put on any restrictions. My doctor just told me to return to my normal activities as I was able; you know that. My headaches are gone for the most part, the blurring in my vision and the dizziness are completely gone. I thought you'd get the hints I've been throwing out the last couples of days, but every time I tried to start something, you'd distract me."

"I don't want to hurt you, baby," Ryan explained.

"I know you're trying to protect me, but honestly I'm much better now and I want to make love with you."

"Oh, yeah," he said with a grin, feeling his cock stir against her belly.

"Ummm yeah," she sighed. "The baby won't mind either."

Rolling Dani onto her back, Ryan started divesting her of her gown. At the same time she was trying to unbutton his pajama top. With the tangles of hands and arms, as usual they weren't making much process, which made Dani giggle.

"By the way," she said, pausing in her exploration of his chest, "why have you been wearing pajamas?"

When he told her, she gave a bark of laughter.

"It didn't work, did it?" she asked.

"Not a damn bit," he said while nuzzling her neck.

Dani could feel the heat of Ryan's big body even through his pajamas. Wearing them had done nothing to cool her ardor either. Her man was hot in more than one way. However, she hadn't known that he'd gotten up in the middle of the night to jack off. She wished she could have seen it, but she knew just looking wouldn't have been enough.

"Aw baby, I'm going to need to make it up to you," she said with a sassy grin.

"Uh, huh," Ryan nodded, starting to lose himself in the heated scent of her arousal.

Eventually they managed to get all their clothing off. Both of them were eager to satisfy each other after what they considered to be a long drought.

"Lie back, baby," Ryan ordered, taking a ragged breath.

Dani did as he said and pulled him on top of her heated body. He was careful to keep most of his upper body weight on his forearms. He was always conscious of his size while making love to her, even more so now.

Leaning over her, he brushed his lips against her forehead, then her eyes and nose. Sliding down further, he flicked his tongue against the corner of her mouth. Dani's lips parted on a whispery sigh and he moved to taste inside, his tongue sweeping into the warm opening, thrusting gently.

Moaning, she arched her body, feeling the urgency of lost time. Ryan's tongue feasted while his hands roamed the hills and valleys, caressing her breasts, urging her nipples into hard twin peaks.

Leaving the sweet warmth of her mouth, he plumped her breast into his hand and held it for his oral ministrations. After sucking in the dark pebble, he stroked it with the tip of his tongue, teasing the center. He missed the taste of her creamy caramel flesh, the sound of her rasping gasps as she withered in pleasure; the heat and fire of her beckoning desire.

Gently, Ryan bit the nipple and Dani groaned feeling a piercing sensation travel from her aching breast to her pulsing pussy. She stroked his head as she offered up her body for his enjoyment, luxuriating in his arousal. Turning his attention to her other breast, he elicited a flood of moisture from her vaginal channel which seeped into the dark cleft between her buttocks. Dani was on fire, melting under the heat of growing passion.

Moving down her body, Ryan encountered her navel and laved it with his tongue, plunging into its deep well. But he didn't linger, it was too close to the object of his desire, the spicy sweet richness of her luscious pussy.