Chapter 33
Four of the five of us stopped in our tracks.
Oblivious to the situation, Mia tugged on her dad’s hand. When she met with resistance, she frowned and looked at him, then followed his gaze to James and me.
Her face lit up, and she dropped his hand like a hot potato. “Aunt Sadie! Mr. James!”
The latter was said with noticeably more excitement, but I hardly took note. I was too tense.
“Mia!” Ryan called, trying to catch up with her.
Part of me wondered if I should hold Mia off, knowing her dad didn’t want her to do what she was doing, but when she ran up to me with her arms out and pure joy in her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything but scoop her up as I’d always done and twirl her around, my eyes stinging.
“Mia,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to get going.”
“Can Aunt Sadie and Mr. James come?”
Oh, Mimi…
“We’re actually staying here,” I replied, setting her down on the grass.
Ryan was staring at James.
No. Not at James. He was staring him down while Lily hovered a few feet behind him, her body tight, her eyes alert.
“Mia,” Lily said, “can you go find me five pretty leaves?”
Mia straightened like her moment had finally come and she’d been born to fulfill this mission. She skipped off, scouring the lawn for leaves.
“Mom and Dad invited us,” I said calmly, taking James’s hand.
“Yeah,” Ryan said, his jaw tight. “Dad said you begged him to give James a chance. Don’t bother asking me. I already gave him one. Guess how he used it?”
“Ryan,” Lily said in a pleading voice.
“What? I’m not going to sit back while he tries to work his way back into our lives.”
“Ryan.” Her tone was firm now.
He turned toward her, surprised by it.
She swallowed, then looked at James, then at me.
I met her gaze, recognizing the resolution forming there.
“I’m really sorry for what I’ve put you both through,” she said.
Ryan turned and looked at her, bewildered. “Lily, it’s not your fault.”
She met his gaze, then took in a big, slow breath and returned her focus to me. “Would you mind if Mia stayed here with you?”
Ryan’s brows snapped together. “What? No way.”
“I need to talk to you,” Lily told him. “Without Mia around.”
My heart pounded my ribs, and my hand tightened on James’s as Ryan stared at his wife.
“You don’t have to do this,” James said softly.
“Yeah,” Lily said. “I do.”
Ryan looked between them, his brow dark but confused.
“Mia,” Lily called out, sliding her hands down her slacks nervously, “you’re going to stay with Aunt Sadie, okay?”
Mia, who had collected a good deal more than five leaves and was storing them in the makeshift basket supplied by her shirt, squealed and ran over to me. “Look at all the pretty leaves I found, Aunt Sadie! Can I keep them all, Mommy?”
Lily came over and crouched down in front of her, one hand on her rounding stomach. “Grammie can give you a bag for them, okay, sweetie? Daddy and I will be back in a while. Be good for Aunt Sadie, okay?”
Mia gave a distracted nod, since a couple of leaves were trying to escape.
Lily stood, and our gazes met. She gave a sad sort of smile, then turned toward Ryan, who was oddly quiet, hands in his pockets as he watched Mia run inside to get a bag for her leaves.
My stomach twisted, and I was half tempted to try to stop Lily. I wanted to save my brother the pain he was about to feel. I wanted to save her the pain.
What if the truth was too much for them? What if it broke their relationship?
They reached the car, and Ryan opened the door for Lily.
That little gesture, simple as it was, lit a flicker of hope within me.
Ryan loved Lily. He had for a long time.
I couldn’t believe he’d abandon her now.
As the car pulled away, James and I both let out a breath, looked at each other, then turned to the house to follow Mia.