Rhye
Rhye sat on the outside of Kat's door while Joe sat on the right. Katrina's pitiful sobs filled the silent hallway pulling at each man's heart.
"We should have told her the night we found out." Rhye mumbled as he rested his head back on the wall. His day went from good to great very quickly, and poor Katrina had wound up crying more than just this morning.
"Yeah." Joe mumbled back.
Neither man said anything else until the front door open and Lexi walked down the hall with her hands on her hips.
"What have you done?!" she demanded as she looked at Rhye.
"I hurt her feelings." Rhye admitted.
"and broke her trust." Joe added.
Lexi didn't respond she just kicked Rhye in the knee as hard as she could. Rhye winced. He would have found her temper funny if it hadn't been such a serous situation.
"Lexi, why don't you go help Kat love." Max suggested as he sat on the floor across from Rhye.
Lexi walked into the room after giving Rhye a death glare.
Just as she entered Kat's bedroom Caitlin and Taylor walked in.
"How could you do this?!" Caitlin demanded. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I hurt her feelings." Rhye repeated.
"and broke her trust." Joe added again.
"I can't believe you!" Caitlin said as she walked past her brother. "I am not sure if I am more angry that you kept it from her, or more angry you kept it from all of us. How could you let this happen Rhye?!" She asked before she slammed the bedroom door.
"So, I see you resorted to calling both women." Max commented after a long moment of silence.
Rhye nodded.
"That bad huh?" Taylor said as he sat beside Max in the floor.
Joe nodded.
"Did you try explaining why you waited to tell her?" Max asked.
Rhye nodded.
"I am confused. What did you tell her, all Caitlin would say in the car was how dumb you two are." Taylor said. "And cry." He added.
"Joe is her biological father." Rhye mumbled as he rested his hands in his knees. "We have known for a few days, but we wanted to wait until she was more settled to tell her. I asked her if she could get some tools from Joe's console today once she got out of class. She opened his truck looking for it and found some pictures Joe had kept."
"I dug them out hoping to share them with her once she knew the truth." Joe added as he laid his head back on the wall. "I am sorry Rhye, i didn't mean for her to find out this way. I've put you in a really bad spot."
Rhye shook his head. "I should have told her. She feels like I betrayed her because I kept it from her."
"Woah." Tyler said as he walked into the hallway and sat down. "This is really serious."
"Yeah." Joe said. He knew he didn't need to explain how that happened. Tyler and Taylor already knew his story. He had an affair with a nurse at the hospital he use to work at. He had wanted her to abort the baby. He was convinced it would cost him his marriage. If he had thought enough about it, he would have realized it was his drinking problem that was hurting his marriage. The nurse had refused to abort the baby and left the hospital with no warning. A few year later Joe lost his marriage and his children to his drinking. He only allowed himself to think about the nurse and the baby once he had given his life to Christ. God had given him a chance to redeem his mistakes and he felt like he had blown it.
"Obviously." Rhye slammed his head back against the wall. "I am an awful fiancé."
"No you're not. You just made a bad decision." Tyler encouraged. He was concerned Taylor's statement would discourage Rhye.
"I can't believe I let this happen." Rhye said as Kat's sobs increased.
"You just need to give her time to calm down and yourself a break." Tyler reasoned.
"I don't deserve a break, I deserve to be kicked again." Rhye mumbled as he rubbed his knee.
"Rhye, no one could have done this perfectly. You did the best you could and you failed. Yes, she is upset but it is only tears and in the end you two will be closer." Tyler said.
Before Rhye could respond, Caitlin opened the door and asked for a bag of ice, a small trash can, and some Tylenol.
"Why?" Max asked as he stoop up to grab it.
"Kat's eyes are really swollen, she's started to vomit, and her head hurts." She said while looking dead at Rhye.
Max nodded before going to grab the item she needed.
"I am going in." Rhye said as he stood up determinedly.
"No you're not!" Lexi shouted from the other side of the door. Caitlin suddenly slammed the door and the men heard the bolt turn.
Tyler stood and pulled an all in one screwdriver from his pocket. He worked quickly to take the doorknob off the door. He pushed it and the door swung open. He stepped in long enough to scoop Lexi up bridal style.
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Tyler and Lexi
"Let me go!" she shouted as she struggled against him.
"They need to talk sweetheart." Tyler said as he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her out of the room.
"I won't leave her!" Lexi said as she fought against Tyler. Max kissed her cheek as Tyler walked by. "I'm going to help Rhye babygirl, but I'm in here if you need me."
Lexi didn't sat anything to Max. She was angry with him for wanting to help Rhye after what he had done.
"You have to let them work it out." Tyler said as he continued their conversation.
"She's crying!" Lexi argued.
"I know baby, but she will be ok."
"but.. but.." Lexi protested as Tyler carried her out the front door and towards the barn.
"I promise she will be fine."
"Are you sure? She was really upset." she asked as she struggled against his hold.
"I promise. This will happen again at some point in their marriage."
"It will?" Lexi asked as she stopped to look at him. "That's bad though." She said, her own eyes finally filling up with tears.
"Babygirl, marriage is hard. It's a commitment between two imperfect people. There will be mistakes and tears, but that doesn't mean the marriage is bad. Katrina is really hurting right now, but she and Rhye will work it out." He assured her before pulling the large red barn door open.
"Why are we here?" Lexi asked as she looked around the beautiful area. Tyler set her gently on a hay bale.
"I thought you may like to go on a ride." Tyler said as he grabbed a sandy colored saddle and set it on a large black horse.
"W-what's his name?" Lexi asked as she reached out and then quickly pulled her hand back.
"This is Pompano." Tyler said as he stood beside her. "You can touch him."
"H-he's really tall." she said as she winced. Tyler made her self-conscious and she tended to stutter when she was around him.
"He's one of the sweetest horses here." he said as he guided her hand over his soft mane.
"Would you like to ride with me?" he asked.
She nodded
He clicked his tounge and lead the beauty over to a fence post. "Can you climb on the first rail and then put your foot here?" he asked as he directed Lexi's steps.
She nodded and quickly followed his directions. "Good job little one!." he praised as soon as she was seated. He smiled internally when he saw her blush at his praise.
He put his foot in the saddle and swung up on the horse behind her.
He grabbed the reigns with one hand and placed his other hand on the horn of the saddle. He made it seem like he needed to place his hands that way to direct the horse, but really it left his control Lexi if she got over balanced or started to slide off.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded.
He started the black beauty off in a gently trot making Lexi smile.
"Have you ever been to the pastures? " he asked.
She shook her head.
"What has Max been doing with you?" he teased as he took the beaten path to the left.
"Making me go to d-dumb s-school." Lexi mumbled.
"Did your day get any better?" He asked, chiding himself for not asking sooner.
Lexi waited a moment before she responded. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She hated her stuttering. "I like my classes, just not the two goofballs that seem to be in ALL of them."She sent a silent "thank you" to God when she didn't stutter with that sentence.
"The two goofballs?"
"Wyatt and that Scott guy."
Tyler chuckled. "You don't care for them?"
"No. Their really crazy."
Tyler chuckled again. "Why?"
"Their supposed to be friends, but they argue all the time."
"About what?" he asked.
"Who's sitting where, who's walking me to class, who's buying my lunch and who claimed the ice cream first." she said in annoyance. I don't want either one of them to sit beside me, or walk me to class, or buy my lunch, and I certainly don't care who eats the ice cream first."
"Who claimed the ice-cream?" he asked.
"They keep claiming "Dibs"."
Tyler laughed. "Why do you think "dibs" is ice-cream?" (There used to be an ice-cream called Dibs. They were ice-cream bites, for anyone who doesn't remember them.)
"I asked Caitlin."
"Did you explain to her the context it was used in?"
"No." Lexi answered.
"Well, I can figure out the reason behind all the arguing and the reason they called dibs, which is a way a guy tells his friends you are off limits to anyone but him. It is rude and allows the boy to claim the girl as property."
"Why argue then?" she asked as she relaxed her head on his chest. She suddenly realized how tired she was.
"They like you." Tyler simply explained as he rested her head on top of hers. He was so pleased that she rested her head against him. He wanted her to know he would always accept her physical affection.
"No they don't."
Lexi argued as she yawned.
"Why do you think their fighting about?" he asked.
"I already told you." Lexi said as she yawned again.
"What I mean is, why do you think their fighting over silly things like that?"
"I don't know." Lexi said as she shrugged. "Maybe they're are just really immature."
"They like you sweetie. That's why they kept asking who I was at lunch today." Tyler chuckled.
Lexi smiled when he mentioned lunch. She had been really happy to see him.
"Did you leave class to come?" she asked. She didn't want to talk about Wyatt or Scott anymore. They annoyed her.
"I skipped one of my classes, but I have an "A" in it and I don't want to find out you skipped just because I did." he warned.
" I wouldn't skip. I really want a good education."
"That makes me happy to hear." he commented.
"What are you studying?" Lexi asked.
"Business Management."
"What do you want to do when you graduate?" Lexi asked.
"I want to own my own ranch. Rhye and I are co-operators on some things now, but when I graduate we can combine my land with his and triple our profits." he explained.
"That's awesome!" Lexi exclaimed as she yawned for the third time.
He laughed. "Why are you so tired?" he asked.
"I was a little anxious about school, so I had trouble sleeping last night. When I got home today, Max wanted me to try and rest-he said I looked a little tired-but my social worker did a video ,so I didn't get to."
"How did the call go?" he asked as he brushed a stray hair out of her face.
"It went really good. She said I looked healthier." Lexi beamed.
"That's great kid."
"Stephanie is really cool. She has always helped me, so it makes me feel good to know she was proud of me."
"How long has she been your social worker?" he asked.
"Since I was five. She helped me set up my bank account and things when my mom died."
"Your mother had possessions?" he asked.
"She was a successful lawyer, she just didn't have any family." Lexi explained.
Tyler was really surprised.
"So, she had a will?" he .asked.
"Yes. I was originally supposed to be sent to an elite boarding school in Nashville, but I was really bad and I got kicked out."
"You got kicked out?" he asked in shock.
"Yes, I was trying to though. It was super lonely there. I intentionally got kicked out a lot." she admitted.
"Why didn't Stephanie ever take you in?" he asked.
"She tried, but it's against the rules."
"You're a pretty cool kid Lexi." he teased her. He could tell the conversation on his end was strained. He had so much he wanted to ask her- so much he wanted to help her with, but he just didn't feel God wanted him to mention any of that now. Lexi was exhausted.
"I try." she teased, making him laugh again.
He kissed the top of her head gently and moved one hand to rest on her stomach. Why don't you rest a little? It's a few miles to the pastures."
"Because we are riding on a huge horse?" She laughed.
Tyler laughed too. "I promise i won't let you fall."
It took a little while. It also took Tyler telling a few silly stories before the rumbling of his chest lulled her to sleep.
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Rhye and Kat
Rhye took the bag from Caitlin and eased into the room.
He slowly settled onto the bed and put his hand on Kat's back. Her sobs had turned into pitiful sniffles.
"Baby girl?" Rhye soothed as he reached over and pulled her to him. Her sobs intensified.
"Sweetheart, I never meant for this to happen." he cooed into her hair.
"Y-you l-let me think e-everything was great, b-but you l-lied to me." she cried. Her broken sobs returned.
"Baby, I wasn't trying to lie. You were just so happy, I didn't want to ruin it." he gently pointed out.
He rubbed her back as he settled her into his lap more. He picked up the bag of ice he set on the bed and gently settled it over her face. He checked her face and noted all the places she had picked raw. They would need to be medicated.
"Ow." she whimpered as he fingered a raw spot softly.
"I am sorry baby. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't too bad." he cooed.
"Baby, I promise you we weren't trying to hide anything from you. I wanted to tell you so badly, but you were so afraid and had been through so much, I didn't want you to have to deal with anything else right then. I never meant for any of this to happen this way. I am so sorry."
She cried into his neck. "H-How can I-I trust you now?"
Rhye didn't have an answer. He just rubbed her back and let her cry before he finally spoke.
"I brought you to my home, I introduced you to my family, I set up doctors appointments for you and went with you to them, I had my little sister move in so your integrity wouldn't be compromised, I have purchased a new house for us. I have encouraged you about going to school and receiving therapy." He paused for a minute. "I guess that is how baby. I made a really horrible mistake and I am so sorry. I can't fix the mistake I made, but I can prove by actions that I am crazy in love with you and I will do my best to prove that to you everyday. I promise I will never keep anything from you like this again."
Katrina rested her head on his shoulder and he smiled. He knew he would have to work hard on regaining her trust-but he made a vow she would never feel this way again.
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How great is it that we can crawl in Jesus' lap and be forgiven, just as Rhye was? How cool is it that Jesus never tires of us asking for forgiveness? He never thinks "here we go again"-but he bends down and listens much like you would do to a small child!
In psalms 86:1 David says "Bow down thy ear, O Lord, hear me...."
Comment "forgiveness" if you liked this chapter please!!