CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

 

5 years later . . .

 

“Sienna Danielle Paige Ashton,” the dean of the university’s psychology department said into the microphone, “has been a distinguished student these past years. Her passionate commitment to fight for patients’ rights and to develop better treatment in applied psychology has helped her reach the top of her class. She has a bright future ahead as a sports psychologist that will not only help athletes and coaches of all ages, but I am sure will change the industry as a whole. And now, without further ado, I present Miss Ashton.”

Lily, Daisy, and Violet dropped their husbands’ hands as they stood to applaud. Sienna’s parents, Will and Kenna, and her brother, Carter, clapped madly next to them. Sienna stood and walked toward the podium to give her speech.

“Oh, look at her, John. She’s all grown up,” Lily whispered.

“Lily Rae, for goodness’ sakes, let her get settled before you start to meddle.”

Lily put her hand to her heart. “Me, meddle?”

John just shook his head and clapped as Sienna finished her speech. “Interesting that you told Ryan to come over this afternoon when you knew darn well he and Sienna aren’t speaking to each other for some reason.”

“Please, everyone knows they love each other and just don’t know what to do about it.”

“And that was reason to call the poor boy on his vacation and tell him you need help moving something.”

Lily shrugged. “I do need help moving the table outside for the party. And he needs something to do. I’m worried about him working so hard. He just got back from LA, and Paige complained he’s heading back in two weeks.”

“It’s none of your concern, Lily Rae,” John reminded her as the graduates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.

“Humph. So says the man who wanted to help Nash with his date the other night. How was that any of your concern?” Lily raised her eyebrow in victory.

“Just clap, dear. They finished while we were arguing over it. Let’s get back to the house and get ready for the party.”

John, Lily, Charlie, Daisy, Anton, and Violet all gave Sienna a brief hug and kiss before leaving. Lily didn’t let John know it, but months ago she had set a whole plan into motion, and today it was about to start spinning.

 

* * *

 

“Where do you want the table, Miss Lily?” Ryan asked and picked up the old farm table in the kitchen.

“Right outside, dear. Under the large maple tree would be perfect,” Lily directed as Daisy gave her the thumbs-up sign from her position at the dining room window.

“What kind of party are you having? It’s the perfect day for it,” Ryan asked as he maneuvered the table through the door.

“Oh, just a little graduation party,” Lily called from where she was scooping ice into a large metal bucket.

“Is it for Wyatt? I know it’s not for Jackson. We had his two days ago,” Ryan said as he walked back inside.

“Oh, um, here dear. Can you carry this ice bucket?”

 

Ryan narrowed his eyes to where Miss Lily stood with bags upon empty bags of ice at her feet. How did she get all those bags of ice into the tub so fast? There had to be eighty pounds of ice in that thing.

“Sure thing, Miss Lily.”

He bent down and easily lifted the tub of ice. Miss Lily held open the back door, and Ryan went through it sideways, right into the path of Sienna Ashton. He hadn’t seen her since Christmas. Ah, graduation party. He should have known. So, she was Dr. Ashton now.

The kitchen door slammed shut, and they were alone. Ryan told himself his heart was beating harder because of the heavy load he was carrying, but he knew that was a lie. He benched three hundred pounds regularly, which meant it was the woman standing in front of him who caused it.

“Congratulations, Doc,” Ryan said coolly with a quick nod of his head. He turned to take the ice under the tree when he heard her gasp.

“You’re bleeding!” Sienna rushed over and shoved up the sleeve of his gray FBI T-shirt.

Ryan shivered at her contact and then pulled away. “It’s nothing.”

“What do you mean, it’s nothing? You’re bleeding through a bandage on your arm.”

“It’s just a scrape. Let it be, Sienna.”

Ryan set the large ice tub down and shook her hand off. It really was nothing, but the gunshot had been enough for his boss to send him on vacation. His cover had been blown, and the group attempting to blow up the sports arena hadn’t been too pleased. He’d received a bullet to his arm, but they were facing terrorism charges.

“How did you get that? I thought you sat at a desk in the FBI’s field office in LA?”

“You always see what you want to. Tell me, Sienna, do I still look like a kid to you?” Ryan stepped so close that if she took a deep breath, her breasts would brush against his chest.

Sienna’s mouth went dry. She looked up into his hardened face and steady hazel eyes that told her he’d already seen more than he should have. Standing just over six foot two inches, Sienna guessed he was close to two hundred pounds of pure muscle. The tight T-shirt showed off powerful biceps with a chest wide enough to envelop her. From there, she took in the jeans that seemed to hug thighs she suddenly envisioned pushing her knees apart as he . . .

“You okay, doc? You seem a little flushed.” His deep mocking tone had her snapping her eyes back up to his.

“Well, it’s summer in Kentucky. Of course, I’m flushed.” Sienna motioned to his arm. “So, what happened?”

“I was shot in the line of duty, and this is my recuperation time.”

“Oh my gosh,” Sienna put her hand on his chest and then snapped it back as if it were on fire, “are you all right? Do your parents know?”

“Of course, I’m okay. I’ll just have Dr. Emma check my stitches. I probably popped one when I picked up the tub of ice. No big deal. And of course, my parents know.”

“Did they freak out?” Sienna asked. Her dad would have locked her in the basement if she got shot.

Ryan’s mouth tilted into an amused grin. “Nah, when I got home my dad showed me his first gunshot scar. To tell you the truth, it was a bummer to know your dad was shot with a bigger caliber bullet than you. He has a cooler scar than I do.”

Sienna laughed, and in that split second, all the tension from the past years fell away. They were the two kids who had grown up together. But then the door opened and the guests to the graduation party spilled out. The spell was broken as Dr. Emma zeroed in immediately on the bloody arm.

 

“Violet, what the heck?” Daisy hissed.

“Yeah, you were supposed to hold them off a little bit longer,” Lily whispered.

Violet tossed her hands up in the air. “I tried. But they got me with the casseroles. There were just too many of them, and then the door somehow got opened and well . . . I failed.” Violet let out a sigh. They looked out the now open door. Ryan and Sienna were as far apart as they could be.

“What happened to his arm?” Lily asked. Dr. Emma and her retired sheriff’s deputy husband, Noodle, sat talking to Ryan across the way at the picnic table.

“Gunshot,” John said from behind them.

Lily shook her head. “I knew he was running from his feelings, but I didn’t think he’d run into a bullet.”

“I can’t help but agree with you, Lily Rae. He’s been taking increasingly risky jobs for the FBI’s special operations division, including undercover work. It’s time our boy came home,” John said, watching Emma restitch Ryan at the picnic table.

“How do you intend to do that?” Charlie asked.

“And what can we do to help?” Anton wondered, sliding an arm around his wife.

John shook his head. “I don’t know yet. But we’ll work on it together.”

Violet looked out at the crowd gathering in the back yard and let out a low whistle. “If I loved you any less, honey, I would be out there getting my hugs from Zain and Gabe.”

Lily looked where the two twenty-four-year-old playboy princes were sauntering into the party. Their skin was tanned, showing their Middle Eastern heritage. Their glacier-blue eyes were straight from their mother. The combination was deadly. Women collapsed into fits of vapors when the boys put the two attributes to work. Since college graduation, they had been serving in the Rahmi Air Force. They had just arrived home the week before and were now ready to start their own lives—or as much of their own as they could, being royalty.

Anton just shook his head at his wife. “What about little Sophie? I remember her as an enfant, and now she’s twenty-five.”

Sophie Davies had inherited the Davies hazel eyes, but the quiet beauty exuded confidence as she hugged Sydney. “Well, at least Sydney has stopped modeling. It’s nice to have her back in town,” Lily said, watching the two girls laugh.

“It’s just so wonderful to have everyone home for the summer. I miss them when they are away. And too many of them are getting ready to leave in the fall for college again,” Daisy complained.

“It’s what happens when they grow up, dear,” Charlie said and patted his wife’s hand. “Now, should we join the party or continue standing here gossiping about them all night?”

Lily watched her sisters and brothers-in-law step out into the yard. She looked at her watch. The wheels she’d set in motion would be at full speed soon.