Chapter Twenty
Aria wasn’t home by the time Ryan got to the house.
“She went to run some errands. The grocery store for one thing but I’m sure she’ll do that last. I can stay until she gets home.”
Ryan took Sophie from her and kissed her cheek. “Hi, princess.”
The baby giggled and waved her fist.
“I can handle her. You can go on home. Thanks, Whitney.”
“Happy to do it.”
She left and Ryan settled down to play with his daughter. Sometimes he had a hard time believing that this perfect little human was his. His and Aria’s. He couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if he’d never known he was a father.
Empty. Aria and Sophie were the best things that had ever happened to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box. Flipping the top open he looked at the diamond ring nestled inside. “Think she’ll like it, Sophie?”
Sophie babbled something unintelligible.
“No, not yet. I’m not sure she’s ready for that, but I am.” He blew a raspberry on her stomach and she laughed. He closed the case and put it back in his pocket. “Don’t tell,” he said to Sophie.
Ryan wanted to find the perfect time to ask Aria to marry him. Obviously, it needed to be romantic. And he needed to be fairly sure she was ready. He thought she was still a little unsure about the two of them. He really didn’t know why. But he was willing to wait until he was sure.
He heard a car pull up. Rising with Sophie in his arms, he went to the back door and looked out the window.
Sure enough, it was Aria, and just as he thought, she seemed anxious to carry every bag she could into the house.
She’d told him before she hated to make more than one trip but he hadn’t actually witnessed her trying to make one enormous run.
He put Sophie in the pack and play and went to help Aria.
“Here, let me take some of those,” he said when he reached her.
“I’ve got it.”
Short of wrestling her for the bags there wasn’t anything he could do. Instead he opened the kitchen door for her and prepared to help her unload the groceries. “I can do it. Go see to Sophie.”
“Sophie’s fine. Is something wrong? Did something happen?”
She didn’t answer. He ignored her order and began putting things up. He shot her a quizzical glance now and then but he couldn’t figure out what was going on with her. After they finished, she washed her hands and went into the den. All without a word to him.
She picked up Sophie, kissed her cheeks, and began talking to her. It was as if he wasn’t even present. “Aria, what’s going on?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said, not looking at him. “Once Sophie goes to bed.”
Okay, this was sounding worse and worse.
He’d never known Aria to act this way. Clearly, she was mad at him but he was mystified as to why.
He couldn’t think of anything he might have done to make her react like this.
He wanted to ask her but she’d made it crystal clear that she didn’t want to talk to him.
He tried one more time. “Want me to get Sophie’s dinner ready? Or if you’d rather I can give her a bath.”
“I’ll do it.”
Pissed by now, he said, “Which one?”
“Both.”
He stared at her a moment before he turned on his heel and left the room.
*
Aria was both mad and hurt but she intended to lead with the anger.
When she walked into the den after putting Sophie to bed she looked at Ryan before he realized she was there.
Damn it, she still loved him. As hurt and disappointed as she was, she loved him.
She was afraid she’d always love him, no matter what.
“Are you going to tell me what’s got you in such a snit?”
“I’m not in a snit. I’m furious.”
“Why are you furious? Is it something I did?”
“It’s something you haven’t done.” He looked puzzled. “When were you going to tell me, Ryan?”
“Tell you what?”
“I ran into Melvin Mercer at the grocery store.”
“Your Realtor?”
“Yes, your Realtor too.”
“I’d hardly call him my Realtor. I haven’t seen or heard from him since he found my apartment for me.”
“I’m aware. He wants you to give him a call.”
“Why?”
“He wants to talk to you about the property in Boise. You know, the place you’re planning on moving to once you’ve done your year here.”
He had the nerve to look puzzled. Not guilty, puzzled.
“What are you talking about? I haven’t heard from him in months.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you’re planning to move. To Idaho.”
“What? I’m not moving to Idaho. Where did you get that idea?”
“From Melvin Mercer. Your Realtor.”
“That’s crazy. Did he say when I talked to him?”
“He didn’t specify.”
“That’s because I haven’t talked to him about Idaho or anywhere else in months. Since long before you and Sophie moved here. When I didn’t know I was a father.”
If she was a violent woman she’d punch him. “This innocent act won’t fly. Remember, I’m the one you walked out on months ago without any discussion.”
“We discussed it.”
She merely raised an eyebrow.
“We did. And you didn’t appear to give a flip. So I moved. But that has nothing to do with this bullshit about Melvin.”
“This is really beneath you. Pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about when you damn well do.”
“I don’t—” He halted mid-sentence. The puzzled expression cleared.
“I remember now. Melvin was yammering about when I decided to move he knew of a place in Idaho that would be perfect for me. I might have said something just to get him off my back. But it was nothing serious and it was long before I knew about you and Sophie.”
“I don’t believe you.”
*
“You don’t believe me?” Ryan asked. “You think I’m lying to you?”
Aria crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. “Yes.”
He walked over to her but she put a hand out and backed up. “Don’t touch me.”
Now she was pissing him off. “Aria, I’ve never lied to you. Which is more than I can say for you.”
“I didn’t lie. I simply didn’t tell you I was pregnant and that I’d had your child.”
“Potato, potahto. It’s a lie of omission.” She didn’t respond. She was still looking at him as if he were scum on the bottom of her shoe. “Have you forgotten I love you? And Sophie?”
“I haven’t forgotten that you told me you loved us.”
He shoved his hair back from his face. He wanted to pull it out, he was so frustrated. “Why are you being like this? You said you loved me,” he reminded her. “Was that just bullshit?”
“Don’t try to turn this back on me. Just admit what you’ve done.”
“I haven’t done anything.” He paced away, then turned back to face her.
“You’re scared. You’re scared to commit so you’ve bought into this ridiculous story about me moving.
Sure, I might have considered it. Once. Before you came here.
And sure as hell not since we fell in love.
Or at least, since I thought we fell in love. ”
“You’re saying you aren’t moving and you never intended to move.”
“That’s what I’m saying.” Damn it, she still didn’t believe him. She was trying not to believe him.
“Then why does Melvin think you want to move?”
“Because he’s Melvin. He sees a chance to make a buck by telling his friend in Idaho about me. If I buy something and this guy in Idaho is the Realtor, then Melvin will get a finder’s fee.” He could almost guarantee that was the truth.
“You need to leave. Go back to your apartment.”
Stunned, he stared at her. “You’re kicking me out? You hear something that’s a total rumor and suddenly you don’t believe anything I say?”
“I just think it would be better if you leave before we say things we’ll regret.”
There was really no way to answer that. He turned around and walked into the kitchen and out the back door. He didn’t slam it, though he wanted to. But he didn’t want to wake Sophie.
So he left.
*
Ryan ran into Connor at work the following day.
“Hey, do you and Aria and Sophie want to come to dinner tonight? Gotta warn you, Sierra’s cooking so you might be taking your life in your hands.”
“I’m telling her you said that.”
He grins. “She knows it as well as I do. She wouldn’t hold it against me. What do you say?”
“Thanks, but we can’t.” Mostly because he wasn’t sure she’d still be talking to him. Of course, that thought pissed him off.
“Want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Which is why you look ready to murder someone.”
“Women,” he said, gritting his teeth.
“Uh-oh.” He dragged Ryan into the break room. Luckily they were alone for the moment. “Trouble in paradise?”
“It’s sure as hell not paradise.” Before he could stop himself he started talking. “Aria thinks I’m planning to move and didn’t tell her.”
“Why? Doesn’t she know you’re head over ass in love with her?”
“She doesn’t believe it.” He told Connor the short version of what had happened the day before. “She kicked me out last night. Can you believe that?”
“Yeah. I mean, if she thinks you were going to run again, it’s no wonder.”
“I didn’t run from her.”
“Bullshit. That’s exactly what you did.”
He had a point. “We worked through all that. At least, I thought we did.”
“Obviously, she hasn’t.”
He told Connor what Melvin had told her and that was why she thought he was preparing to move again. “But I’m in love with her. And the baby.”
“Have you told her that?”
“Yes. A lot. And she said she loved me. And now this.” He kicked a chair. “What am I supposed to do now? She won’t let me explain, not that there’s really anything to explain other than it’s all a big misunderstanding.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Ryan. Maybe she’ll think about it and realize that.”
“Maybe she won’t. I swear I think she’s scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Making a commitment to me. She’s worried it won’t work out and she doesn’t want to be hurt.
But when she first told me about Sophie she said I had to commit to the baby if I wanted to know her.
And that even if I moved away I had to still be there for her.
I couldn’t just have her love me and then leave her hanging. Which I sure as hell wouldn’t do.”
“I think you’re going to have to back off and let her think about it. If she loves you she’ll come around. Sooner or later.”
He hoped so, but he wasn’t at all sure of it.