Page 80 of Deserving Ryleigh
“It’s weird how life works, isn’t it?” she said somewhat cryptically.
“Absolutely,” Tiny agreed. “If anyone had told me when I’d first stepped foot on this property that years later, this is where I’d still be, I would’ve laughed in their face. There was nothing here but trees. I thought it was beautiful, but also kind of lonely. I didn’t think in a million years that The Refuge would actually work. Sure, I wanted it to succeed, but I didn’t think anyone would pay big bucks to come out to the middle of nowhere, where there were no fast food restaurants nearby, and not even internet at the time, to try to heal their souls.
“And never,everwould I have believed us confirmed bachelors would be married. And Tonka and Spike with babies?” Tiny shook his head. “Nope. I would’ve laughed like crazy at anyone who’d suggested there was the possibility.”
“I know. I feel the same. I mean, not about your friends, but about myself. When I left my dad, I was scared to death. I was naïve and had no idea how to live on my own. He was a horrible person and father, but he paid the bills, ordered the food…he did everything. And I was so scared. Scared that he’d find me, hurt me for stealing his money, but more than that, I think I was scared ofpeoplein general.”
She stopped on the path and turned to Tiny. She leaned against him, looking up into his eyes. “All my life, I’d been told I was stupid. Pathetic. That I couldn’t do anything right. I had no friends, and no clue how to make them. I was the weird kid, and I grew into a weird adult. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone, stuck to myself. But eventually that got lonely. I mean, I liked being on my ownfor the first time ever…eating what I wanted,whenI wanted, reading whatever books I wanted…all the things adults do when they live alone. But I also began to crave companionship. I didn’t want to get a pet, because I moved too much and that wouldn’t be fair to the animal. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted this job. I could talk to people a little during the day, then go back to my apartment at night.
“I never expected people to actually like me. To want to be around me. First it was Jess and Carly. Then it was the other employees. Including Alaska. And Henley. And as the others came to The Refuge, them too. Then there was you…
“I was drawn to you from the start. But I knew I wasn’t a good person. Didn’t deserve you. You were a hero, this larger-than-life SEAL, and you already know I hadn’t spent any time around men before. I had no idea how to be the kind of woman you might be attracted to.”
“I wanted you too,” Tiny told her. “There was something about you that drew me in the second I saw you. I could tell you were hiding something, but I convinced myself I was imagining it. That I was letting my past color my feelings. And when I found out my instinct was not only correct, but your secret was something bigger than I ever could’ve dreamed, I closed myself off. I’m sorry for that, hon. So sorry.”
But Ry shook her head. “Don’t be. I think we had to go through what we did for us to end up where we are now.”
“No,” Tiny disagreed. “There was no reason for me to be a dick to you for as long as I was. I treated you like shit, and you didn’t deserve that.”
“Tiny,” Ry protested, but he pulled her closer, until their upper bodies were plastered together.
“You didn’t,” he said firmly. “Your father was wrong. You aren’t stupid, you aren’t ugly. You aren’tanythinghe said you were. He was purposely trying to make you feel worthless, keep you under his thumb, doing whathecouldn’t do. You’re a shining light, Ryleigh. The type of woman anyone would want to be friends with. Unselfish, giving, and so damn kind it makes me feel like an ogre.”
Ry chuckled. “Whatever, Jake Ryan.”
It was Tiny’s turn to roll his eyes. “Look at you, sweetheart. You haven’t slowed down for a minute. You gave Caroline a tour, helped Robert and Luna set up the buffet, cleaned the kitchen, straightened the lodge, and now here you are, going to help make sure things are all good to go for the bonfire. And that’s just today. I’m sure tomorrow you’ll be just as busy, running around making sure everyone else is happy and comfortable.”
“Well, of course. It’s Alaska and Brick’s day. I want it to be perfect for them.”
“It will be. Even if a freak snowstorm blows through, the chairs all break, and the food suddenly goes bad. Because they’ll be together. Because Brick will get to marry the woman he loves, and Alaska will finally get to call the man she’s loved her entire life her husband. All the other stuff…it’s just noise. It doesn’t matter. Except for being surrounded by friends. That’s the best gift they could have.”
Ry loved that he thought that way. She’d learned the hard way that money didn’t buy happiness. Her father proved that. She smiled up at Tiny and nodded.
“I’m going to marry you,” he said bluntly. “One of thesedays, we’re going to go down to the courthouse and do it. A small ceremony, no frills, no fuss. Unless you want a big party, then I’ll give you the biggest party The Refuge has ever seen.”
Ry smiled up at him. “No, I don’t want a party. I just want you.”
“So, you’ll marry me?”
Ry blinked. “Wait, was that a proposal?”
Tiny smirked. “It was if you say yes.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then it wasn’t a proposal. Yet.”
Ry loved this man. So damn much. “I’d marry you today if I could,” she admitted. “But it’s only been a week.”
“Wrong. I think we’ve both known we were headed here from the first time we saw each other. It’s been months. We’ve just had to work through some stuff before we got our heads out of our butts.”
Ry snorted. “Stuff. Yeah.” Then she sobered. “I don’t know how to be a wife.”
“Do you love me?” Tiny asked.
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in her response.
“And I love you. I’m not sure I know how to be a husband, but together, I think we can figure it out. I’m sure we’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s part of life. Of being a couple.”
