Monday, April 22nd, 2019

Kimi's POV

The puppy/kitten test passed with flying colors yesterday, so I will be moving with Ryder and Ryley soon. We will have separate rooms for now. But when I want to cuddle, I know where to go. Ryder and Ryley are going to help me with Arianna's room this coming weekend. That is going to be the hardest room to take care of.

Ryley looks so cute in her school outfit.

Ryder and I both drove because he has to go into the office for a few hours, so I drove behind him to the school. After we both parked in the parking lot, the three of us made it to Ryley's classroom.

As soon as we walked into the classroom, I laced my right hand with Ryder's left hand and made sure the teacher saw it. She looked shocked. He started laughing. I need to make it clear that Ryder Ellis is taken.

"Good morning, Ms. Hughes, this is my girlfriend, Kimberly Forester. She will be bringing Ryley to school and picking her up as well. It will be either me or Kimi bringing Ryley and picking her up."

"I'll add her name to the list for Ryley." She was mad. I could care less, flirting heifer. She is here to teach, not flirt with single fathers.

I started swinging my hand with Ryder's in visible sight so she could see it. Ryley was the only child in the class so far, so I whispered to Ryder to give me a peck on my lips, then wait for me by his Lincoln.

"I'll see you later, Baby Doll." Ryder then left the room.

"What time does the class end for Ryley?"

"It ends at 11:30 for the kindergartners."

"Thank you. Ryley, princess, I want you to wait for me in the classroom."

"Okay, Kimi." After Ryley hugged me, I left the classroom to meet Ryder outside. He was laughing like crazy as I approached my Infiniti.

"She better had gotten the hint that you are mine. What time are you coming home?"

"Right after this mandatory meeting, my parents have called. It is already in the news that you resigned from Forester, so I'm sure it is about that."

"My parents have no one to blame but themselves. There was no way I am giving up your pretty face, Mr. Ellis."

"I'm more than just a pretty face, Baby Doll. My parents don't have any allergies, so whatever you fix will be okay. I did tell them that you were my girlfriend. We shall see what happens tonight."

"Ryder, I am ready for it. I'm tired of doing things for my parents or anyone else. It's time to do things for me. Don't get me wrong, I love hosting parties and charity events to support others because that's the way I am. What I should have said was it's time for me to start deciding what I want."

"I understood what you meant. There's not a selfish bone in that sexy body."

"With us being together, this is the first time since I started dating that I have experienced real love. I don't want to give that up. Deep down inside of me, I had a feeling Kai didn't feel the same way about me. Love was one-sided, meaning me. I was so wrong about that. Before my accident, I had already prepared myself to raise Arianna on my own because Kai would have been an absentee dad. I certainly wasn't prepared to be dumped. Enough about Kai, what would you like for dinner?"

"Surprise me. My parents are not picky eaters. I'm a carnivore, so beef or pork is okay with me."

"Okay, Smooches. Now, we are on an elementary school parking lot, so I can't kiss you like I want to. You'll have to wait until later. Enjoy your meeting."

Ryder and I then got in our vehicles and pulled away from the school.

**************************************

Ryder's POV

Well, that was an interesting conversation with my parents. I couldn't tell if they were mad or not. We will find out tonight. I did tell them to remember Ryley would be present.

After parking my Lincoln in the driveway, I grabbed the flowers, wine, and juice I bought for dinner, then made my way towards the house.

"Daddy!!" Ryley had the door open, then she ran outside to hug my legs.

"I helped Kimi fix dinner."

"You did? Let's go inside the house." Ryley closed the door after we walked inside. "It smells good in here. Let's go to the kitchen."

Snowflake, Fluffy, Ski, and Trixie were chasing each other. I'm so glad they are getting along with each other.

"I have flowers for my girls, wine for the grownups, and mango juice for Ryley."

"Why thank you, kind sir, for the flowers." I walked over to Kimi and kissed her cheeks.

"You're welcome, Baby Doll. You're so silly."

"I sure am. And, not afraid to admit it. Ryley and I fixed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a veggie mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots."

"The broccoli and carrots I can take. The cauliflower is disgusting."

"Stop playing, Ryder. It's delicious. Ryley tried it and she liked it. I roasted the veggies in garlic, onion powder, and a dash of butter over the top. Here, try just a small piece."

Kimi put a small piece on a fork and put it towards my mouth.

"I'll try it." Okay, I must admit the way she fixed it tastes delicious.

"I'll only eat it the way you fix it."

"Good boy. The meatloaf and mashed potatoes are almost finished."

"I'll set the table. My parents are coming at six o'clock."

"Okay. I'll be finished by then."

*******************************

While Kimi and Ryley were finishing up in the kitchen, I heard a knock on the door, meaning my parents are here.

"I'll get it." I walked slowly to the door, afraid of my parent's reactions is why.

"Mom and dad, come on in. Kimi and Ryley are finishing up dinner. We are eating in the dining room tonight."

Kimi and Ryley were in the dining room by the time we got there.

"Good evening, Mr. & Mrs. Ellis. I'm Kimberly or Kimi. And, thank you for coming."

"Grandma and grandpa, Kimi, and I fixed dinner for you."

"You did? It looks delicious." We all took a seat at the table. My parents sat at the ends and Ryley sat on one side. Kimi and I sat on the other side. After fixing Ryley a plate of food and juice, everyone else then fixed theirs.

"Mr. & Mrs. Ellis, I was nervous about this evening because of the way our conversation went with my parents. Quite frankly, I still am nervous. I just want you to know that I love Ryley and Ryder very much, and would never do anything to hurt them. I will not give them up for you or my parents."

Uh oh, here it comes. My mother started talking first.

"Can I ask you something? What was your reason for resigning?"

"Mrs. Ellis, my parents wanted me to choose between my job as a COO and my love for Ryder. It was the easiest decision I ever made. I am doing what is best for me. I feel so free from the stress of working every day, and sometimes on weekends to keep Forester at the top. That's my parent's responsibility now, not mine. Maybe even one day I may create a home-based business, but it will be on my terms and I will work on my own hours. I had an excellent salary as a COO and saved a huge portion of what I made. I am fine off financially. But, the love I have for your son is beyond real. I don't care that I was the COO of Forester. I love Ryder Ellis, plain and simple."

I could tell they were shocked at Kimi's answer by the expressions on their faces. Kimi continued.

"What I care about more is Ryder and Ryley. The moment I saw Ryley, I loved her so much that I cried. I can't tell you yet what happened to me that made me cry, but one day I will."

"I must admit that when Ryder told us you were his girlfriend, we were not thrilled. We had a long conversation after our meeting this morning about it. Ryder was a lively one this morning, defending his relationship with you. William and I wanted to see for ourselves what was so special about Kimberly Forester. And, we see it. What you just said gave both of us the answer we needed to hear. I'm sorry about your resignation. Ryley would always say, 'Kimi did this, grandma. Or, Kimi did that.' Now, I understand why both Ryley and Ryder are so happy."

My father added, "Mitchell, Sasha, Blair, and I had no business involving our children into our disagreement. We have no right to tell our children who to date or associate with. Blair and I are very protective of our kids even though they are now grown. And, especially Ryder because of Ryley. We do understand why Ryder didn't tell us sooner who his girlfriend was. We did however see how happy he was ever since your ski trip to France. Don't worry, we won't interfere with your relationship. Ryder, you and Kimi have something special brewing between the two of you."

I am beyond relieved how this evening is going so far. "Thank you, dad. That means a lot to me."

"Ellis men can be quite persuasive, Kimi."

"I sure do know that. I always thought he was attractive but was blinded by my prior feelings. I had a broken ankle and couldn't ski, so I watched the snowfall from one of the benches in the ski lodge lobby. Ryder was the one to approach me about talking cordially with a cup of hot chocolate. From that moment on, it was like boom! Our relationship blossomed like overnight. To have your support means a lot to me. I have tried to reach out to my parents, but they don't answer any of my calls. It hurts, but I couldn't give up Ryder."

"You're very passionate, Kimi. I appreciate that. I even remembered you mentioning your admiration of me. Please, call me Blair."

"Blair, I really do. Women like you and my mom are my role models. Even though my parents feel the way they do, I still love them. I want to be like you and my mom one day. Maybe some days we can even have lunch together. I'll give you my number later."

"I would like that. I'm not sure if Ryder introduced you to my daughters and another son yet."

"We are having a sibling dinner at the beginning of May."

"Mom and dad, I asked Kimi to move in with me and Ryley. Kimi said yes. And, the two additional pets you see running around are Snowflake and Fluffy."

"I'm sure Ryley likes that," my dad said while chuckling.

"She sure does. So do I. I finally have what I wanted for both me and Ryley. I was prepared to fight for our relationship myself because I want Kimi in our future. I agree with Kimi. Mom and dad, your support means everything to me as well."

"Ryder, like your dad, said earlier, it's not our business to tell you, Rebecca, Victoria, or Cole who you can date. We are glad you found someone who makes you happy."

"Thank you."

**********************

After putting Ryley to bed for the night, I went back downstairs with Kimi and my parents.

"We better be leaving. I'm glad we had a pleasant evening with you Kimi. And, we hope to have more."

"Thank you, William. Get home safe. And, good night."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Ryder."

Kimi and I watched my parents get in their Cadillac and then drive home. I closed the door.

I grabbed Kimi, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her around. "If you can't tell, I am one happy man right now."

"Not as happy as me. You know what Ryder, I don't care if our parents ever tell us the problem between them. We made it through a major hurdle."

"I agree. It's still sad about your parents."

"Yeah, it is. But that's not my problem. They are the ones that cut me away. I'm not going to stop my life with you. At least your parents are sane. I love you so much, Ryder Cooper Ellis."

"I love you too, Kimberly Arianna Forester. Let's go cuddle. Hold on tight, Baby Doll. We are going for a walk."

I carried Kimi to the living room so we could cuddle while watching television. As soon as the television came on, Snowflake, Ski, Fluffy, and Trixie came running into the room and cuddled with us.

"I'm surrounded by beautiful women – my Baby Doll, two puppies, and two kittens. I am one lucky man."

*************************************

Saturday, April 27th, 2019

Blair's POV

Kimi and Ryley have come to the building for lunch several times this week. She really is a lovely young, smart woman. I couldn't split her from Ryder. What kind of woman would I be to do that? I love my son and what him to be happy.

It's time to have a chat with Mitchell and Sasha though. If I remember correctly, on Saturdays they always spend time at the same country club that William and I have a membership at. So, that is where we are going.

William drove the car to the front entrance. He handed the keys to a valet attendant and we walked inside.

William saw them about to go outside, so we followed.

"Sasha and Mitchell Forester, we need to talk!!"

**************************************