And that was a good thing.
So why didn’t it make her happy?
*
After he satwith 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 mixedemotions 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.”
