Chapter Five
Ryan came over the next day and invited her to meet his friend Connor McFarland and his wife Sierra and have dinner with them. She wondered why he hadn’t simply called but since he’d asked about seeing Sophie, she decided that was why.
“Dinner will be takeout, thank God, since neither of them cooks worth a damn.”
“That sounds like a date.” Aria was adamantly against dating Ryan. Though he hadn’t known about the baby, he’d still left her without a backward glance. “I’m not dating you.”
He sighed. “It’s not a date. I wasn’t sure how many people you’d met and thought you might like to meet Sierra. Connor is my best friend. We served together in Afghanistan.”
It would be nice to meet another woman. “What about Sophie? I haven’t ever left her and don’t have a babysitter anyway.”
“Sophie’s invited too. I’m pretty sure they’re thinking about having one of their own. Sierra said be sure to bring her.”
She was tempted. Ryan was the only person she knew in Marietta. It would be foolish not to let him introduce her to some of his friends. “All right, as long as you realize it’s not a date.”
“Got it. Saturday night. I’ll pick you two up around five thirty.”
“Do you have a car seat?”
“I do and it’s all set up and buckled in.”
“That was quick.”
“I ordered it the day I met Sophie.”
That surprised her. “You already knew—” She broke off, unsure what to say.
“Did you think I’d deny that I’m her father?”
“N-no.”
“You did. What kind of man do you think I am?”
He sounded angry. What did he expect? “I think you’re the type of man who never stays long in one place or with one woman.”
“We were together for almost two years.”
She shrugged. “Yes, and you had no trouble leaving, did you? I had no idea how you’d react to having a baby sprung on you.”
“If that’s what you think of me why the hell were you even with me?”
He had a point. She was letting her pain over the breakup color all her reactions. She knew Ryan was a decent guy and had known it from the start. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I just meant I was nervous how you’d react. You have to admit it was a big surprise to spring on you.”
He seemed mollified. “Yes, it was a surprise. But it wasn’t unwelcome.”
“Are you sure about that?”
He shoved a hand through his hair before looking at her. “I never thought I’d have a child. But now that I do and I’ve seen her, held her … It’s like nothing I ever thought would happen for me.”
“Why?” Before he could answer she heard Sophie cry. “I’ll be back. Unless you’d like to come change her diaper.” She didn’t expect he would, but he surprised her again.
“I need to learn sometime if I’m going to take care of her.”
“Come on, then.” She led the way back to her bedroom. “The construction crew is coming tomorrow to start on things. I’ll keep her with me at least until they’ve finished with her room.” She wasn’t at all sure she’d be ready for Sophie to have her own room even after they finished.
Once there she picked her up and gave her to Ryan. “The changing table is right here and should have everything. Do you know how to change a diaper?”
“Not a clue. But I’m a fast learner.”
Aria showed him what to do, unsurprised when he caught on quickly. After all, it wasn’t rocket science. But she had to admit, the sight of Ryan so focused on the baby did funny things to her heart. Especially when after he finished, he picked her up and cuddled her.
“What now?” he asked.
“Would you like to feed her?”
“I thought you were nursing?”
“I am. I’ve been pumping so I’d have extra for when we go out. It’s easier than sitting in the truck or trying to find a quiet place to nurse.”
“I’d like to feed her.”
“All right. Sit in the rocker and I’ll go get it ready.” On the way to get the bottle she lectured herself. He’s interested in the baby. Not you. Remember that.
And that was a good thing.
So why didn’t it make her happy?
*
After he sat with her, Sophie began to turn her head, rooting around on his chest. Ryan laughed. “Sorry, kid, I don’t have the right equipment.” Luckily, before she got really frustrated Aria came back with the bottle and a small towel with animals on it.
Aria gave him some pointers about how to feed her the bottle. Soon Sophie was sucking away, happy as could be. “Can I ask you something?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“How did you find out you were pregnant?”
At first she looked like she wasn’t going to answer.
But then she did. “I was never regular, so I didn’t think much of missing a period.
Besides, I’d had a light one the first two months, so pregnancy wasn’t something I was concerned about.
I found out later that wasn’t unusual. Anyway, I went in for my annual checkup and my doctor ran a pregnancy test. Surprise, I was pregnant. About five months along.”
“You didn’t call me.”
“At first I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. After that, I wasn’t sure I was going to tell you. I decided to handle it by myself. It wasn’t until I had her that I decided you deserved to know.”
It pissed him off that she almost hadn’t told him. But he couldn’t blame her. He’d left her, never called her, and as far as she knew, didn’t care a thing about her. In fact, he was damn lucky she’d told him at all. Except … Thinking of all he’d missed, he didn’t feel at all lucky.
Ryan had never imagined having a child of his own.
Especially since he hadn’t thought he’d be able to have a lasting relationship with a woman.
If anyone could have changed his mind it would have been Aria.
But he’d never given them the chance. Once he realized how deep his feelings for Aria went, he bailed.
And now he had a baby. A beautiful baby girl he already loved. Whose mother pretty much hated him. Even if she didn’t hate him, she wanted nothing to do with him on a personal level. How could he blame her for that? He couldn’t.
He’d missed Aria more than he’d imagined he would. He’d almost called her dozens of times but he always talked himself out of it. He’d get over her. Besides, it wasn’t fair to expect her to put up with a man whose head was as screwed up as his was.
*
Aria had mixed emotions about going to Ryan’s friends’ house.
On the one hand she wanted to meet people, especially another woman.
Although Ryan had sworn it wasn’t a date, that’s what it felt like.
She couldn’t afford to date Ryan. No matter how she’d warned herself before, she’d fallen in love with him.
She did not intend to do that again. Once was plenty.
She hadn’t managed to get over him completely, no matter how hard she tried.
Her damn conscience had made her tell Ryan about the baby.
Which meant she would have to be around him at least until they worked out his role in Sophie’s life.
And after that as well. Aria knew at some point she’d have to allow Ryan time with Sophie alone, possibly even overnight.
But it was far too early for that to happen.
“Connor and Sierra just moved into a house. That’s one reason I think they’re talking about having kids.”
“That’s not how it happens.”
“What? How what happens?”
“Talking. That isn’t how you get pregnant.”
He laughed. “True.”
Before long they pulled up to a one-and-a-half-story Craftsman-style house with white wood siding and with a white picket fence around the front. “What a pretty house,” she said.
“It’s about the last kind of house I’d have expected either of them to buy. Connor’s a flight paramedic and Sierra is a flight nurse. I’d have pegged them for something modern. But according to Sierra they both fell in love with it at first sight.”
Aria got out and opened the back door to get the carrier Ryan had bought that doubled as a car seat. Then she grabbed the diaper bag loaded with everything she could think of that they might need.
“Why don’t you let me carry Sophie or at least the diaper bag and carrier? No point in you carrying everything.”
She gave him the diaper bag, and she carried Sophie in the car seat. Ryan rang the bell and a short time later Sierra opened the door.
“Come in,” she said, giving Ryan a hug. “Aria, it’s so nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand. “Ryan hasn’t told us nearly enough about you.”
Aria shook hands and laughed. “Same here. Thank you for having us.”
“Your baby—Sophie, isn’t it?—is beautiful. Come sit down,” she told Aria. “Ryan, Connor is out back. He’s attempting to fix the lawnmower. I’m sure he’ll be happy to stop.”
“Connor is fixing a lawnmower? This I have to see.”
Sierra laughed. “Last I saw he had a bunch of parts spread everywhere and from the amount of cussing I heard, it wasn’t going well.”
After Ryan left the room Sierra asked her if she wanted something to drink. “I’m having lemonade but there’s wine and beer if you’d rather.”
“I’ll have lemonade too.” Since she was nursing, she wasn’t drinking. “Ryan said you recently moved in.”
“That’s right. There’s a lot we want to do to fix it up but it’s livable for now. Barely,” she added, looking around.
Other than some questionable color choices, which naturally, she wouldn’t mention, the house looked very comfortable. “Are you planning to do the remodeling yourself?”
“Some of it, but we also plan to have Paul Zabrinski’s company help with a lot of it.”
“Oh, he’s helping me with my house too. I wanted to do it myself, but I found out pretty quickly that wasn’t going to work with the baby. Every time I started something she’d cry.”
“Are you skilled at that sort of thing?”
“I wouldn’t say skilled, but I have done a lot from necessity.” Sophie started fussing and rooting at Aria’s breast. “Guess who’s hungry? Do you have someplace I can nurse her?”
“My bedroom. There’s a comfy chair in there. I can leave if you want.”
“No, I don’t care. I just don’t want to whip it out in front of the guys. I can use a shawl but it’s a pain unless it’s really necessary.”
“Can I ask you something?” Sierra said once Aria and Sophie were situated.
“Of course.” She hoped it wasn’t something about Ryan, though it certainly could be.
“Do you like nursing? Is it hard?”
Those kind of questions she could deal with. “It’s hard at first. But once I got the hang of it I really liked it.”
“I’m pregnant. Almost four months,” Sierra said. “So I wasn’t just being nosy for no reason.”
Aria smiled. “You weren’t nosy. Congratulations! Ryan said he thought you two might be planning on a baby soon.”
“We haven’t told a lot of people yet other than Connor’s family, but we’re starting to tell others. Ryan, of course, and you. I’m sure Connor is telling Ryan now.”
“Ryan and I aren’t together. We’re Sophie’s parents but that’s it.”
“Ah. No wonder he’s been so closemouthed. Beyond telling us he just found out he was a father and that you and the baby had moved here, he’s said absolutely nothing. Believe me, I tried but he wouldn’t spill.”
“There’s not a lot to spill. We broke up when Ryan moved here and neither of us knew I was pregnant.
After I had her I realized I had to tell Ryan.
He deserved to know.” And Sophie deserved a father.
She just hoped she’d made the right decision, and that Ryan would come through like she wanted him to.
One thing she knew for sure. She was not about to fall for him again. Maybe if she told herself that enough it would actually be true.