A Guy's Best Friend by Shawna Hansen, Chapter 1

Ryan has his new business, his busy schedule traveling up and down the East Coast working with the new dealerships and his new secretary to keep him here.  Emma actually hoped he was cheating on her with the secretary and he’d make her life easy and break up with her, but so far, he wasn’t breaking up with her and he wasn’t letting her break up with him easily.

Emma had gotten her credit card bill from June late after it was sent from their old Florida address to her change of address in New Hampshire and seeing the hotel charges from Charleston and DC brought back the memories of her Katie’s, road trip home after graduation.  The highlight of the 3 day drive had been Ryan calling and surprising her by meeting up with them in DC. 

Emma’s best memory of the road trip home was the makeup sex she’d had with Ryan in DC and how romantic and irresistible he’d been.  She’d never seem him so excited to have sex and he’d started swimming and working out at a new club in Boston and looked like a confident, young executive in his new Armani suit, Newbury Street haircut and he even smelled successful.  He said it was new cologne he’d gotten at Macy’s. 

Ryan had looked good when she met him, but she’d felt shabby standing next to him in the hotel lobby and didn’t feel equal to him until they were both naked and he was whispering her name into her lips as he reminded her with his body that they belonged together.  He promised he’d show her how much he loved her and he’d brought her engagement ring which she’d left with his parents and told her how it was her ring and even if she didn’t want him; she could keep the ring. 

After he’d arrived in Florida too late to convince Emma he was sorry he’d blown off the graduation ceremony, Ryan called and called on Emma’s new cell number.  She knew her parents must have given him the number. 

At first Emma didn’t want to talk to Ryan, but Katie had talked to him and eventually brought them back together enough to talk on the phone.  Ryan had begged Emma to meet him in DC where he had to see her and let her know how sorry he was.  Emma decided she could at least tell him it was over to his face. 

Ryan had looked really confident and amazing, but his teary eyes had told her their fight was affecting him as much as it was affecting her.  When she felt his arms around her again and he told her he wanted her to keep the ring, she wasn’t sure she could let him go yet. 

She had loved him deeply for the last four years and his apology for letting her down felt real.  DC seemed like such a long time ago now she’d been in North Conway all summer, but in some ways, she’d wondered how they could have screwed up again after such a great makeup in DC.

Emma remembered how safe she’d felt in his arms.  Emma thought maybe she had to grow up a little and stop expecting their life to always be perfect.  Even her own parents had had bumps in the road.  Emma thought the kiss she shared with Ryan was the tenderest and loving kiss they’d shared in months.  He was hers, all hers. 

Emma stayed with him in DC for the night and the next day, their wedding was back on.  Ryan said he’d been looking into Hawaii or Tahiti.  Ryan, Emma and Katie had breakfast at the hotel and Ryan told them about how since he was already in DC, he’d found an auto show, so he was staying for a few more days and would come up to North Conway next weekend when he got back to Boston.  Emma and Katie resumed their road trip home. 

Katie oohed and ahhhed as Emma relived moment by moment and kiss by kiss, the romantic way Ryan had reassured Emma that their relationships could handle some big mistakes and stay strong, but he loved her more than anything.  Emma wanted to believe him. 

Ryan said he was trying to expand his auto group into New Hampshire and she could live in North Conway.  They could have the family they always wanted and live the life they dreamed to have together.  Emma was happy.  Being together in DC, away from his business, the surf team, school and their parents had let her see and hear that Ryan really was trying to make a better life for them both.