A/N: I'm so impressed by the generosity I encounter from my readers. Another wonderful fan has created some lovely covers for me. I cannot get over it! Please give a warm round of applause to supergirlness who made this cover below as well as another at the end of the update. How awesome are they?
Ryker drained the contents of his pint glass and set it down on the plank table at Justin's Brew, a microbrewery founded by a local who'd been in Trisha's high school graduating class. It was an up and coming spot in a town where that wasn't exactly commonplace, and where ones that catered to a night crowd where even more of a rarity. He and Dan made it there two or three evenings a month to enjoy a couple of amber ales while basking in its hip pub for the Northwest outdoorsy type vibe. He had to admit he didn't mind the craft beer served in a mason jar ascetic or the reclaimed wood floors. What he did mind, however, was Dan's choice of conversation topic.
"No, no, and also... I'm going to have to go with another no."
Dan motioned for the server to bring them another round. "Come on, Ryker. Be reasonable."
What his friend meant by "reasonable" was that Ryker resume all his pre-Emmie break-up habits – go back to frequenting Iola's five times a week, do something besides living day in and day out at work, and also, go out to eat with the family to celebrate Rhys' eighth birthday. That last one in particular was what he and Dan were currently arguing over. Good thing they both were already one pint in.
"She's going to be there. After what happened on Christmas... I just don't think it's a good thing. It's not the right time."
"Not the right time! You've been broken up for almost two months. Man, you must have it bad for her."
"Shut the fuck up, Dan. I don't and have never had it bad for anyone."
"Liar."
"You can believe whatever you want. It's Emmie's wellbeing I'm thinking of. She's the one who took off crying, if you'll recall."
"I do recall. I also recall how you sulked the rest of the night and the rest of the next three weeks. So don't try to con me with your 'I'm invulnerable to any emotional state tied to a woman' bull shit. Because that's all it is, dumbass." He paused, taking his beer from the waiter, who gave them both an amused half smile. "I'm calling him a dumbass in the nicest possible way, I swear."
The server laughed and walked away.
"You're being mean to me. Trisha's really rubbing off on you."
"Don't tempt me into turning that last sentence into a perverted joke. Look, Ryker, It's your nephew's birthday. And it's only for two hours. You can't handle being near Emmie for two measly hours for poor, sweet Rhys' sake?"
"Hey, don't guilt trip me! I've been getting enough of that lately. You know how much I love Rhys. And you also know that I'm taking him to the Robotics Expo next weekend for his birthday. That's a big awesome trip that, frankly, earns me the title of coolest uncle ever. So don't make it seem like I'm skipping celebrating it or spending time with him. I would never do that. I already told him myself that I couldn't make it to dinner and he said as long as he got to see the robots on Saturday, he didn't care."
"Fine, but you know who does care..."
"I'm well aware that you were conscripted by Trisha into the 'get Ryker to come to dinner with us' army. You've served nobly, my friend. Still isn't happening, though."
"Look, you can go to dinner or not go to dinner – you're right: Trisha's the only one who really cares about that. What I care about is the reasoning behind you not going, as well as the reason you're holed up at work ninety percent of your life. And not that I mind an excuse to drop by and say hi to my wife at lunch time, but you having me pick up your BLT at Iola's everyday isn't exactly standard."
"It's just for now."
"Is it? That's what you said weeks ago. How long is 'for now?'"
Ryker set his glass down perhaps a bit harder than he'd intended. It's dull thud as jar met wood reverberated straight to his brain. "I don't know, man... give me a break here."
"You love that restaurant. Outside of the stints you did away at college, it's been part of your daily existence since you were a little boy. We bussed tables together there all through high school. You know every customer who comes through the door as well as Iola herself does. It's home to you. I know Emmie well enough to know she wouldn't want you to stay away just because she works there."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." He twirled his half-drunken pint slowly around on its coaster, dark amber liquid sloshing up the sides of the jar. "And I don't totally stay away. I picked up coffee there just last Saturday."
"On a day Emmie isn't working. And neither is Iola or Trish. You gotta understand, to Trisha, it feels like you're avoiding her too. Like she has to take sides between you and Emmie."
"Right, but I am her brother, Dan." He took another swig. "She's known Emmie all of three months but it's Emmie she insists on hanging out with constantly. It's Emmie she refuses to disinvite to Rhys' birthday dinner."
"Oh my god, are you petty or what?" Dan looked as though he was about to fling his beer at Ryker's face. "I say this as your closest friend who loves you dearly: grow up, dude. Haven't you ever wondered why Emmie moved here all by herself; no job, no family, no father for her baby?"
"Well, I did ask, but she wasn't exactly forthcoming." His pulse picked up a beat. "Why, do you know something I don't?"
Dan shook his head. "Whatever happened to her, it's bad enough that she's running from it. Isn't that enough information for you to show some fucking compassion?"
Ryker opened his mouth, then closed it again as Dan continued.
"Trisha is a stabilizing factor in Emmie's life. She gave her a job and offered her friendship. She's not about to rescind on either of those things just because her brother is too stubborn to pull that big head of his out of his ass."
Ryker stared off at the row of shiny steel brewing tanks lining the wall opposite them. If only the process of loving someone could be as systematic as fermenting hops... or building a robot for that matter. Maybe that was his problem. He was used to systems and equations and things with absolutes. Math made him comfortable. Numbers had predefined values that never changed. Emotions were so much messier. You thought you understood something, only to realize you'd gotten it all wrong. As far as love went, two plus two might as well equal five.
"You are relentless, Dan. But okay, I see your point. I just... I just wish she would have been honest with me right from the start."
Relaxing a bit, Dan leaned back against the wall. "I get that, but I also get that when people go through trauma, they have to process that trauma in their own way. You don't get to decide what part of her history she tells you right off the bat."
"You... you think she went through trauma of some kind?"
"Uh, let's see... has no contact with her family, barely mentions them or her past, won't say where she's from. Yeah, I think it's fairly safe to say some not great things happened to her."
Ryker hunched forward, elbows on the table, chin resting in his hands. "Maybe there were some clues and I just missed them. She was so open and confident about herself." As soon as he'd said this, though, his mind went right to the times he'd accidentally spooked her and she'd had pepper spray at the ready.
"She can be both of those things and still have had some hard breaks in her life."
"Okay, look... just give me a little breathing space with this. I promise I'll start frequenting Iola's again. Maybe not every day, but at least occasionally. And I'll be better about improving my work-life balance if it will make you happy."
"Yes, it will. And what about Rhys' birthday party?"
"Still not a good idea."
"Why?"
"Please don't make me go to Chuck E. Cheese. That place is a mechanical rat-infested migraine factory."
Dan laughed. "You'll have to hash that out with Trish. For now, I'm going to put you in the maybe column on our guest list and declare victory."
"Congratulations. You made me dial back the self-absorbed asshole knob. Happy?"
"Ecstatic." He clinked his almost empty beer jar against Ryker's. "Cheers. You up for another?"
"Can we talk about literally anything else besides what we've been talking about?"
"That can be arranged."
"In that case, I'm in."
A/N: What have we learned from this update? Give Ryker a couple of beers and you can convince him to go to Chuck E. Cheese. If you don't know what Chuck E. Cheese is, I encourage you to look it up. Then you will be prepared for Rhys' party, coming soon!
Speaking of the birthday party, votes for this chapter will supply Ryker with aspirin, which he will be taking as a precautionary measure before walking into said "migraine factory."
Today's dedication is for supergirlness for her awesome covers. Thank you SO MUCH for making them for me!!!