The Players (TP4)

32 - It's open

Ryan

It was August and Adam was still crashing every weekend. Luckily, Adam arrived on Friday night and spent most of Saturday with Jack. With Lana's parents staying home, Adam spent the rest of the weekend playing house with Lana. In return, Ryan had Will who preferred to stay with him while Adam and Lana were up to what Will called, 'it'. He and Lana never discussed her relationship with Adam. He knew she sensed he wasn't overjoyed about it but assumed it was because he was pathetically alone. Ryan was just glad Adam stopped seeing the jailbait, especially after what her dickhead husband did to her.

He had decided after Lana told him about her midnight stroll on the beach she was far too nice. She was hearing from her ex regularly.

"Not everyday like my mother." She tried to make light of it.

Will was off with his friends on the beach. Ryan didn't think his little talk with Will and Cassie worked. Someone would get hurt and Ryan suspected it would be Will. He had puppy dog eyes whenever she was near and Ryan knew she was still sneaking around to see Will behind Cole's back. He had talked to Lana about it and they had both warned Will, but they had to let him make his own mistakes. With the worry his young friend was causing him, he felt like a parent.

He had finally taken his parents to the French bistro where Lana worked. He should have warned her, but he liked surprises. She was a little nervous when they sat at her table, but she provided impeccable service and the food was incredible. Things were different with his family, he had let a lot of his jealousy go and he was learning to like Jack. Maddie was a big help, because she liked Ryan and made Jack behave. Nicole didn't like Ryan any more than he liked her, so she didn't care if the brothers were at odds with one another. Truthfully, he knew his effort with their children did wonders, especially the kid. If someone told him six months ago he would hold his nephew and play with the rugrat in the pool, he would have said they were high. He had held the baby several times and each time the pain hurt less and he felt his heart heal.

Hearing a knock at the front door, he assumed that it was Will who only occasionally bothered to knock anymore.

Ryan yelled from his spot of couch where he was watching the Sox battle Baltimore in the second game of a doubleheader. "It's open."

He heard a female voice. "I'm looking for Adam..."

Ryan jumped up and lunged to the door. He'd seen enough pictures to recognize the jailbait. She stood in front of him with a friend who was blatantly checking him out. Both were showing off their midriffs and ample cleavage.

"You must be Jack?"

"No, I'm his brother. Adam stays here not with Jack because of the baby."

"Where is he?"

"He's visiting a friend. I'll call him."

"He's not answering. I've been trying to reach him for an hour."

"Um... Okay... Do you want a beer? I have some wine too."

"Do you have anything for shots?" The friend asked.

If the situation wasn't so fucked up, he would have laughed. His only thought was how to protect Lana from getting hurt.

"No... I'll see if I can reach him."

Ryan walked into his office and dialed Lana's number. It rang five times before she answered cheerfully.

"Hey Rye! what's up?"

"I was looking for Adam. Can I speak to him?"

He heard mumbling, "Man, this better be important!"

"You have a visitor here and she's barely legal."