with guilt, but was nothing if not honest. She let go of Erik’s hands and brought her eyes to his. “I’m truly sorry, Erik.”
Two days later they had parted ways, he a little less amicably than her. He’d accepted the job offer in New York and left almost immediately. Rylie heard through some mutual friends that he ended up marrying a budding young artist he met in the Village a few years later and now lived happily in Connecticut, with two kids and the requisite Volvo SUV.
She smiled now, thinking how odd it would feel if she’d had been in love with Erik and ended up his wife, now the mother of his children. She tried to picture it, but always came up with an empty canvas. That wasn’t her path and so she’d chosen to remain dedicated to her studies, even though she endured a dry spell in the man department while she completed her program and Master’s in Physical Therapy.
While her friends tried in vain to get her to let loose every once in a while, Rylie took her education seriously and didn’t spend much time partying or looking to hook-up with strange guys in bars. Although, after meeting and becoming close with Sasha and Mark, who both seemed to make it their life’s mission to bring her out of her shell, she had begun to journey out on a regular basis to O’Leary’s Pub, where Rylie finally let the flirty, tattooed bar manager, Skeet Smith, take her out a few times.
Skeet was so utterly far from her typical taste in men, it was almost laughable. But who was she to resist a blue-eyed, long blond haired Motorcross rider? Rylie found Skeet to be exciting and adventurous. She really couldn’t count Skeet as a boyfriend, per se, since they had officially only gone out on two dates, but she did enjoy going to see him compete in his off-road races. She liked his fearless and fun-loving character and his strong competitive nature. And she did learn something very valuable from Skeet, even after he quickly hooked-up with a long-legged blonde named Demi, just after their second week together. Rylie had become fascinated with motorcycle riding and the rush it brought out in her, so Rylie had asked him to teach her how to ride.
Nothing could have prepared her for the thrilling excitement and adrenaline rush that overcame her on her very first ride. On their last day together, Skeet took her on a thirty-mile ride across the countryside, enjoying off-road scenery and the back roads splendor. The wind at her back and the trees scrolling by, Rylie felt like she was in her element. She would always be grateful to Skeet for his instruction and she never had any hard feelings, or even strong feelings toward him. He was still cordial, and even a bit flirty with her, when she hung out at O’Leary’s.
Now that she thought about it, Rylie realized she’d never experienced anything close to the same feelings and attraction that she had with Mitch to the other guys she’d been with. In just these few short days with Mitch, his touch and his kiss, and his nearness, had electrified her in a way she’d never known before, making her body ache for something unnamed and nothing she did could make the feeling go away. He made her want him and it pissed her off to no end.
Rylie was still angry when she walked in the front door of her father’s house, her brother Dylan running up to grab the case of beer out of her hands.
“That’s five dollars you owe me, sis. Brady just threw an interception caught by Davis on the Eagles. That’s my guy!” he gleefully exclaimed, doing a little touchdown tippy-toe dance in the hallway. Rylie scowled and shoved him out of her way.
“Whatever. Go gloat someplace else. I need a beer.”
Rounding the corner into the kitchen, she heard the noise from the TV in the great room and saw her dad and Jason as they both jumped out of the seats in elation over a first down. Dylan shimmied up behind her at the counter and placed the beer down.
Eying her sheepishly, he nudged her with his
Two days later they had parted ways, he a little less amicably than her. He’d accepted the job offer in New York and left almost immediately. Rylie heard through some mutual friends that he ended up marrying a budding young artist he met in the Village a few years later and now lived happily in Connecticut, with two kids and the requisite Volvo SUV.
She smiled now, thinking how odd it would feel if she’d had been in love with Erik and ended up his wife, now the mother of his children. She tried to picture it, but always came up with an empty canvas. That wasn’t her path and so she’d chosen to remain dedicated to her studies, even though she endured a dry spell in the man department while she completed her program and Master’s in Physical Therapy.
While her friends tried in vain to get her to let loose every once in a while, Rylie took her education seriously and didn’t spend much time partying or looking to hook-up with strange guys in bars. Although, after meeting and becoming close with Sasha and Mark, who both seemed to make it their life’s mission to bring her out of her shell, she had begun to journey out on a regular basis to O’Leary’s Pub, where Rylie finally let the flirty, tattooed bar manager, Skeet Smith, take her out a few times.
Skeet was so utterly far from her typical taste in men, it was almost laughable. But who was she to resist a blue-eyed, long blond haired Motorcross rider? Rylie found Skeet to be exciting and adventurous. She really couldn’t count Skeet as a boyfriend, per se, since they had officially only gone out on two dates, but she did enjoy going to see him compete in his off-road races. She liked his fearless and fun-loving character and his strong competitive nature. And she did learn something very valuable from Skeet, even after he quickly hooked-up with a long-legged blonde named Demi, just after their second week together. Rylie had become fascinated with motorcycle riding and the rush it brought out in her, so Rylie had asked him to teach her how to ride.
Nothing could have prepared her for the thrilling excitement and adrenaline rush that overcame her on her very first ride. On their last day together, Skeet took her on a thirty-mile ride across the countryside, enjoying off-road scenery and the back roads splendor. The wind at her back and the trees scrolling by, Rylie felt like she was in her element. She would always be grateful to Skeet for his instruction and she never had any hard feelings, or even strong feelings toward him. He was still cordial, and even a bit flirty with her, when she hung out at O’Leary’s.
Now that she thought about it, Rylie realized she’d never experienced anything close to the same feelings and attraction that she had with Mitch to the other guys she’d been with. In just these few short days with Mitch, his touch and his kiss, and his nearness, had electrified her in a way she’d never known before, making her body ache for something unnamed and nothing she did could make the feeling go away. He made her want him and it pissed her off to no end.
Rylie was still angry when she walked in the front door of her father’s house, her brother Dylan running up to grab the case of beer out of her hands.
“That’s five dollars you owe me, sis. Brady just threw an interception caught by Davis on the Eagles. That’s my guy!” he gleefully exclaimed, doing a little touchdown tippy-toe dance in the hallway. Rylie scowled and shoved him out of her way.
“Whatever. Go gloat someplace else. I need a beer.”
Rounding the corner into the kitchen, she heard the noise from the TV in the great room and saw her dad and Jason as they both jumped out of the seats in elation over a first down. Dylan shimmied up behind her at the counter and placed the beer down.
Eying her sheepishly, he nudged her with his