“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.
Chapter Six
On the wayback from Connor and Sierra’s, Ryan admitted he was in trouble.He still wanted Aria.She’d always been beautiful, but motherhood had given her an extra glow.He’d never gotten past wanting her.He’d hardly kissed a woman since he left Denver, much less had sex.He didn’t want sex with other women.He wanted Aria.And, at least at the moment, that didn’t seem likely.
Did he deserve her?Deserve to be happy?
No.But Aria and Sophie did deserve happiness and if he could help give it to them then he would.
“I’ve been thinking about visitation,” Aria said.“It would be good if we could come up with a schedule for you to see Sophie but that’s probably not possible with your erratic work schedule.At least, it was erratic in Denver.I figure it is here too.”
“My call schedule isn’t erratic, but I do get called in for emergencies sometimes.Are you going to let me keep her at my place?”
“I don’t know.Probably eventually.For now she needs to stay with me.”
